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With the addition of Kristen Rutkowski as CFO, Milestone differentiates leadership from industry norm

BUFFALO, N.Y., March 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Milestone is pleased to announce Kristen Rutkowski as the firm’s chief financial officer. Rutkowski’s appointment marks a new era for the settlement administration and planning firm, one entirely headed by an executive suite of female leaders.

Kristen Rutkowski has been named to Milestone’s CFO position after serving as the firm’s director of finance for the majority of the 2021 calendar year. Rutkowski boasts more than a decade of experience in public accounting, having previously held posts at Freed Maxick CPAs, P.C. and Drescher and Malecki LLP. As Milestone’s CFO, Rutkowski manages the finances and financial operations for all entities within the Milestone family and owns the executive functions specific to reporting, financially strategizing, and budgeting. She also oversees all accounting books and records for the firm.

“Stepping into the CFO role for such a mission-driven company is truly a career dream,” said Rutkowski. “I’m eager to dig in and build upon the financial workings of what is already an incredible operation.”

As CFO, Rutkowski fills the final spot in Milestone’s now entirely female-led executive suite with Amy Fogle serving as chief executive officer, Rachel McCarthy serving as chief marketing officer, and Leslie George serving as managing director of settlement administration. Milestone’s professional niche spans both the financial and legal industries, both of which are known for being primarily male-dominated spaces.

“Kristen is a tremendous addition to our leadership team, one that I’m proud to be a part of myself,” said Fogle. “My hope is that our firm can serve as an inspiration for others in the industry to deeply integrate the female voice into management.”

Through national work in the QSF administration and settlement planning space, Milestone interfaces with countless female trial lawyers and plaintiffs on a daily basis. While still short of achieving equal gender representation, the legal industry has made tremendous leaps in recent years, with the number of females in the space now exceeding one in three lawyers according to a 2021 survey completed by the American Bar Association.

The financial industry, however, is a different story. Women currently only make up 23% of executive teams at the top financial firms in the country according to a recent report by Forbes. Milestone hopes to be a positive force in the fight to continue on the inclusion trajectory set by the legal industry and a driving force to propel accelerated change in the financial industry.

For more information on Milestone, visit milestoneseventh.com.