connecting people and best practices
The Cascade Compliance Values
Our values drive our unmatched performance. We believe in putting people at the center of our work. Here’s why you’ll want to work with us.
Our Mission
Cascade Compliance provides independent consulting and verification services, promoting investment industry best practices that fortify ethical standards and transparent dialogue between investment advisors and investors. We promote diverse hiring practices, give back to the communities and physical environments in which we live, and foster an inclusive and respectful work culture where everyone has the opportunity to excel.
a proud woman-owned business
Diversify your service providers by choosing us as a partner.
Cascade Compliance is a certified woman-owned business through the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the nation’s largest third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women.
Today’s companies recognize the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in helping their businesses grow and thrive. Working with us can add diversity to your lineup of financial service providers and vendors, and we also seek out minority and women-owned businesses when hiring external service providers.
a benefit company
We Believe in the Power of Business as a Force for Good.
Client service is our top priority, and we bring the same conscientious approach to our own business and operations decisions. We invest in the success of our employees by providing education, advancement opportunities, health and retirement benefits, and paid volunteer time off.
Diverse hiring practices are crucial to us, and we recognize the effects of racial inequalities are pervasive and profound. We know we can do more as we grow, and we can start now as we build a work environment that values diversity, equity, and inclusion.
find more ways your company can be a force for good
To learn more about how to make a global impact with small changes to everyday business practices, check out the Standards, Benchmarks and Tools at the B Lab.
Kim Cash, CFA, CAIA, CIPM, CSCP
Founding partner
Kim is a veteran verification professional who brings over 23 years of investment operations risk management and consulting experience to every GIPS verification.
Kim’s career in finance began in 1995 working with one of the largest global providers of GIPS verification services. As Director of Verification Services, Kim oversaw hundreds of verifications and thousands of performance examinations, creating deep partnerships with individual firms to help grow their businesses while meeting their compliance objectives.
Now a recognized leader in the business, Kim is a regular speaker at national industry conferences. Her investment career includes training and empowering a generation of verifiers and leading client service initiatives for over 800 clients. She combined her Master’s degree in Education with her work experience to develop and teach national CIPM exam review courses and a CFA Level III exam review course on the GIPS standards. From 2001 to 2019, Kim also worked alongside principals from regional and Big Four accounting firms and CFA Institute staff to develop guidance for CPAs reporting on the GIPS standards.
Kim is also a Certified Securities Compliance Professional. Her other risk management experience includes working as a Chief Compliance Officer, consulting with asset owners on investment operations solutions, and leading operational due diligence examinations of hedge fund managers.
Outside of work, Kim likes climbing the Cascades with her husband, cheering on their five adult kids, and being ever-inspired by her life-changing service work as a member of Rotary International.
Janice Kitzman, CIPM
partner
Janice has more than 10 years of experience working as a thoughtful and energetic verification lead for clients from large, complex asset managers to small start-up firms and everything in between. Her experience spans a variety of investment strategies, giving her a deep understanding of the unique performance challenges different strategies can pose. Janice first worked with Kim in 2010 at Ashland Partners in Southern Oregon. After moving to Portland, Janice spent over seven years working with Vincent Performance Services and its acquiring firm, ACA Performance Services.
As a Partner at Cascade Compliance, Janice leads strategic initiatives, provides client consulting, creates client tools and templates, and continuously introduces process improvements. Doing so ensures an effective, well-organized verification process and top-tier service for every client. She also currently serves as the Chair of the CFA Institute GIPS standards Verification Subcommittee.
Janice holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Southern Oregon University. She also holds the CFA Institute Certificate in ESG Investing.
In addition to her gratifying work with clients, Janice enjoys spending time with her family and exploring all the Pacific Northwest has to offer.
Jordan Berger
senior associate
Jordan joined Cascade Compliance in July 2018, specializing in data analytics. He has supported the senior members of the team on dozens of verifications and performance examinations and developed curriculum on the GIPS standards for workshops and seminars. His experience spans a variety of investment strategies including equities, bonds, private debt, and currency overlays. Jordan is committed to promoting full disclosure and fair representation of investment performance results.
He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Oregon State University.
When he’s not at work, Jordan is an avid cyclist, skier, and snowboarder who enjoys exploring new roads on his bicycle and heading for the mountains at the first sign of fresh powder.
Natalia Taylor
senior associate
Natalia Taylor joined Cascade Compliance in June 2022 after previously working for a large institutional manager to re-vamp and support its GIPS compliance efforts. In this capacity, she was responsible for tightening the firm’s policies and procedures, leading its internal GIPS standards Committee, and establishing new processes for composite maintenance.
Natalia began her career in 2018 working exclusively with the GIPS standards as a consultant and verifier at ACA Group in their Performance Services division. Having experience as a third-party verifier and working in-house, Natalia is excited to bring her institutional knowledge to the Cascade team.
Natalia received her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Southern Oregon University. When she’s not raving about GIPS compliance, Natalia can often be found taking care of her garden and small family farm.
Leif Smucker
Performance Analyst
Leif Smucker joined the Cascade Compliance team in 2021 to support the firm’s senior professional team. He works to continuously improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the firm’s verification procedures and brings years of client service to his client team engagements.
Leif earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Eckerd College in 2015 and has been balancing work and international travel ever since. Oh, the places he’s been!
Learn more about our teams expertise, by getting in touch!
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