The Claro Group (Claro), a financial, economic and management consulting firm, has promoted Casey Ballard and Joe Tess to managing director.
Ballard is based in Houston and has over 20 years of experience providing consulting and expert witness testimony in finance, accounting, and risk management. She has deep expertise in damages calculations, lost profits calculations, forensic accounting, valuations, and investigations.
During her career, Ballard has focused on clients in the energy industry, including domestic and international firms. She has worked in US-based courts as well as international arbitration settings.
Ballard joined Claro three-and-a-half years ago as a director, having previously been a director at Hill Schwartz Spilker Keller and a principal at UHY Advisors. Ballard also previously worked at Protiviti, Charles River Associates, Navigant, Deloitte, and PwC. She holds an MS in finance and a BBA in accounting from Texas A&M University.
Tess is based in Chicago and has 15+ years of experience in litigation support, forensic accounting, expert testimony, and claims consulting. He joined Claro at its founding in 2005, having previously been an analyst at consultancy LECG.
Tess has expertise analyzing financial and economic issues related to commercial disputes and transactions – including damages quantification, business interruption calculations, claim estimation, and distressed asset valuation. He has worked with law firms and private and public entities in a wide range of industries.
He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in finance and operations management from Indiana University.
“Becoming a Managing Director only comes about after many years of hard work, dedication and proven success and expertise in the demanding marketplace,” John Cadarette, Claro’s chairman, said. “Both Joe and Casey have met these high standards and more. We are very proud to include them among the ranks of our Managing Director group and fully expect them to continue providing world class consulting expertise to our clients for many years to come.”
Headquartered in Chicago, Claro provides analytics and solutions in litigation, investigations, insurance claims, and corporate recovery. The firm has further offices in Houston, Austin, LA, and Washington, DC.