Practice Leaders

Robert Wright - Managing Director

Robert (Bob) Wright founded Wright Ford Young & Co. in 1973 and is currently the firm’s managing director. Besides those duties, he spends most of his client time in the management service area of the practice. He actively consults regarding strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, tax planning, and planning regarding major transactions. He has served on several of the firm’s client advisory boards and has been involved in client acquisition and divesture activities domestically as well as internationally.

Bob is actively involved in several professional and nonprofit organizations. He has been a member of Vistage, a worldwide chief executive organization (previously known as TEC), since 1983. He has also served on several nonprofit boards including, most recently, as treasurer of The Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach. He is currently a board member of Pathway School, a school dedicated to helping children with special learning difficulties, and serves as a director for the Keith and Judy Swayne Family Foundation.

When not counting beans, Bob enjoys hiking, particularly in the Sierras, jogging, and playing golf (poorly). He is the father of four and grandfather of five. He and his wife, Nancy, live in Dana Point.

Cheryl J. Schaffer - Tax Partner

Cheryl J. Schaffer is well recognized for her work in tax planning and preparation for high-net-worth individuals, estates, trusts, and private foundations. Cheryl obtained her Bachelor of Science degree from California State University, Long Beach, in 1986 and her master of science degree in taxation from Golden Gate University in 1991.

Cheryl began her career with BDO Seidman in 1987, where she trained directly under and was personally mentored by BDO’s international partner in charge of estate planning. After seven years with BDO, she moved to a small boutique firm specializing in estate planning, where she was promoted to partner. In 2003, after practicing in her own firm for five years, Cheryl joined Wright Ford Young & Co. to head the estate and trust department.

Under Cheryl’s leadership, the Estate and Trust Department has saved clients millions of dollars in estate tax. In addition, she and the team are especially sensitive to the delicate family issues surrounding loss of a spouse, partner, or other loved one. The team strives to treat grieving clients with the compassion they should expect. Cheryl has a special passion for clients who generously include charities as beneficiaries of their estate plans, because giving back is important to her, too.

Cheryl gives back to her community by participating in several committees and boards of directors. She is the past chairperson of the California Society of CPAs’ Estate Planning Committee, past President of the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning, past Chairperson of the American Heart Association’s Planned Giving Committee, and former board member of Someone Cares Soup Kitchen. She served on the board of Orange Coast Estate Planning Council for eight years, and in 2010, served as the council’s president.

Cheryl also actively contributes to local education. She is a frequent lecturer on estate and income tax issues, has instructed other CPAs for continuing education programs, has taught private foundation taxation at the graduate level, and has lectured annually for the Estate and Trust Section of the Orange County Bar Association. She has provided expert witness testimony in the Orange County and Los Angeles County Probate Courts.

Cheryl and her husband, Joe, married since 1979, live in Orange in a house listed in the Historic Register as a “modest 1912 California bungalow.” Cheryl’s favorite past-time is watercolor painting in Yosemite and on the balcony of her Palm Springs vacation home.

Hani Sharestan - Tax Partner

Hani Sharestan started his career in public accounting in 1993 with a large national firm, before joining Wright Ford Young & Co. in 2006. Hani serves clients in the areas of manufacturing, wholesale, distribution, biomedical, service providers, and high-tech industry. He provides tax consulting services to clients on a variety of issues, including mergers and acquisitions, research and development credits, change in accounting methods, international tax, business formation and dissolution, and other business and individual tax issues. He also has extensive experience in representing companies before the IRS and various state tax authorities. He always strives to fully understand each client’s business, so he can provide the highest quality customized business and tax advice.

Hani pursued accounting because he is one of those rare people who thinks taxes are fun. He obtained his master in business taxation degree from the University of Southern California and his undergraduate degree from California State University, Fullerton. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. He is also a member of the Orange County Business Round Table networking group.

Hani and his family migrated to the United States in 1984 seeking a better life and the American dream. He and his wife, Marie, have two young boys, Daniel and Simon. When not working with clients or chasing after his kids, Hani likes to collect stamps and coins. When time allows, he also likes to play soccer, travel the world, and read about international events.

J. Scott Young - Senior Audit Partner

J. Scott Young (Scott) has 29 years of experience in public accounting, including 17 at Wright Ford Young & Co. He and his wife, Sharee, have three children: Nicole, the 22-year-old equestrian; Shannon, the 18-year-old ballet dancer; and Zach, the 14-year-old hockey player. Scott’s passion is fly-fishing for wild trout in Northern California, especially on the Lower Sacramento and Fall Rivers, and in the Mammoth area. His personal dream is to fish all of the blue-ribbon waters in Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Utah, and Colorado.

Scott is committed to serving others and holds or has held the positions of chairman, president, treasurer, and audit committee chairman for the Orange County Child Abuse Prevention Center, Calvary Christian School, and the American Cancer Society. He is also actively involved with Hope International by providing microfinance loans to individuals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Scott is a long time member of Convene – a group of Christian CEO’s and business owners committed to building better businesses, increasing leadership success and having a greater Kingdom impact.

After graduating with honors in accounting from Chapman University, Scott joined Arthur Andersen & Co in 1981.  His time at Andersen was divided between private and public companies in a variety of industries.  More than a decade later, he realized that his entrepreneurial quest could not be realized in a large, bureaucratic organization that served primarily SEC registrants so he joined Wright Ford Young & Co.  He has spent the last 18 years working with privately-held businesses almost exclusively.  His experience ranges from venture capital funded startup companies with no revenues to companies with hundreds of millions of dollars of annual revenues.  For his entire career, he has served clients in the manufacturing, distribution, real estate, construction, health care, professional service firm and leasing industries.  Scott is the senior audit partner in the Firm and leads the audit practice.  During his tenure, the Firm has undergone six mandatory peer reviews, passing each with an unqualified opinion and no comment letters.

Scott is an avid reader. Some of his favorite books include:

• How to Lead and Still Have a Life by H. Dale Burke
• The Poor Will Be Glad by Peter Greer and Phil Smith
• Halftime by Bob Buford
• Good to Great and How the Mighty Fall by Jim Collins
• The Definitive Drucker by Elizabeth Haas Edersheim
• Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath

Jeff Myers - Accounting and Audit Partner

Jeff Myers is an audit partner who specializes in serving closely held companies. Jeff obtained his bachelor of science degree in accounting from California State University, Fullerton, in 1995 and has been a licensed CPA since 1997. Prior to joining Wright Ford Young & Co. in 2007, Jeff was most recently an audit director with the Irvine office of McGladrey & Pullen. Since he started in public accounting, Jeff has served closely held companies ranging from small, emerging businesses to large, multinational corporations.

Jeff’s 15 years of experience have made him an expert in auditing, accounting, and consulting services for all types of organizations, from retail, wholesale, manufacturing, construction, high-tech, and professional service organizations, to private foundations and employee benefit plans. In addition to traditional services, Jeff assists clients with accounting systems and controls establishment, bank financing obtainment, due diligence procedures, and financial ratio and benchmarking. He also has extensive experience with the challenges facing rapidly growing companies, including revenue recognition, business acquisitions, and international expansion.

In addition to his commitment to his clients, Jeff is committed to the professional development of his staff and of the firm. He actively provides technical updates and guidance to the Audit Department and acts as the recruiting liaison between the Audit Department and California State University, Fullerton.

Jeff also pursues his own professional development, as he is actively involved in a number of professional and community activities. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. He currently serves as a board member for the Western Pension & Benefits Conference and sits on the coordinating committee for MGI North America. Jeff has served as a speaker at seminars conducted by the Western Pension & Benefits Conference, as well as at seminars on accounting and reporting issues conducted by California State University, Fullerton.

Jeff and his wife, Cindy, live in Aliso Viejo with their twins, Tyler and Madison. He has been an avid surfer since he was 10 years old and has a passion for restoring and driving classic cars.

Kahni M. Bizub - Senior Tax Partner

Kahni M. Bizub is the partner in charge of tax practice. After earning her master of science degree in taxation from Golden Gate University, Kahni joined Wright Ford Young & Co. where she has stayed for over 20 years—her entire career. Her lasting commitment to the same firm sets her apart from most CPAs and demonstrates her dedication, service, and consistency to her clients and team members.

Kahni’s specialty is tax planning and compliance services for closely held and family-owned businesses and their key executives in the service, manufacturing, and distribution industries. She has served some of the same clients for her entire career and believes in building strong CPA-client relationships. Such a rapport allows her to best understand her clients’ needs and tailor services specific to each client.

Kahni stays on the cutting edge through her involvement in several professional organizations. Her membership in Vistage, a worldwide chief executive organization, since 2004 has provided opportunities for her to interact with CEOs and to understand business issues from a different perspective. This knowledge helps her to advise clients, as well as to lead the Tax Department.

Kahni also serves as the treasurer for Marketplace Women of Orange County and is actively involved with Biola University as a mentor in the MBA program.

Outside the office, Kahni keeps busy with her family. She has been married for over 20 years and actively supports her three teenage sons in their activities, including marching band, ice hockey, and football. Kahni is a member of Chino Valley Community Church in Chino Hills. She is proud to be part of a CPA firm that has also allowed her to have an extremely successful marriage and relationship with her children, while providing the opportunity for a rewarding career.

Tim Stephens - Tax Partner

Tim Stephens is a partner in Wright Ford Young & Co.’s Tax Department. He has served the tax and accounting needs of public and private residential and commercial real estate developers, managers, and operators, as well as private clients in manufacturing, distribution, and various professional service industries. His range of experience includes transaction analysis, planning, and structuring for partnerships, limited liability companies, and corporations, including mergers, acquisitions, divisions, and reorganizations. Prior to joining Wright Ford Young & Co. in 1997, Tim spent six years with the E&Y Kenneth Leventhal Real Estate Group in Newport Beach. Tim’s accomplishments include assisting clients with income deferral and expense acceleration techniques, capital gain reporting strategies, and income tax and loss planning. He is a client advocate who has represented and advised clients in all aspects of tax controversies, through the appeals and settlement levels, before the IRS and various state agencies.

Tim earned his bachelor of science degree in business administration and accounting from Chapman University, and his master of science degree in taxation from Golden Gate University. In addition to being a California CPA, Tim is a member of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Tim is married with three children. He enjoys golfing, cooking, and spending time with his family and friends.