Chris Bauer, CPA – Managing Partner

Chris started his career at KPMG in 1997, and rose to Senior Manager in his 8 years with the Big 4 firm. After leaving KPMG, Chris served as the Global Sarbanes-Oxley Project Manager for a Fortune 500 Company during its SOX implementation.  Prior to starting Bauer & Company, Chris was a partner with a regional accounting firm.  He held various leadership positions, including partner in charge of audit quality and chief financial officer. His experience spans a broad range of industries: technology, broker-dealers, financial services, employee benefit plans and not-for-profits.

Chris graduated from Boston College with a Bachelor of Science in accounting and is a licensed CPA in both Texas and Colorado.  Chris and his wife, Heather, have three grown children: Lily, Claire and Zane. Chris was a goalkeeper for the Boston College varsity soccer team, but now enjoys rooting for Everton in the English Premier League and Austin FC in the MLS League.  Chris is passionate about the outdoors and loves taking his family on adventures, exploring Austin, and backpacking the mountains of Colorado. Chris also enjoys running and cycling and annually participates with Team No Mas in the MS 150, a charity bike race from Houston to Austin with the goal of eliminating Multiple Sclerosis. Chris has been involved as a member of the board of directors or finance committee with a number of nonprofit organizations.

Dipti Pandey, CPA – Partner in Charge of Compliance and Audit Quality

Dipti leads the firms Broker-Dealer audit practice and is responsible for maintaining the firm’s audit quality and compliance with SEC, PCAOB and AICPA rules and regulations.  Dipti started her career at Deloitte in 2008 and leads audit and accounting advisory engagements for a broad range of clients including technology, financial services, manufacturing and not-for-profit organizations.  Dipti loves creating connections for colleagues and clients to other resources in the Austin area and serving as a trusted business advisor.  Dipti is also active in the Austin community as a former board member for Impact Austin, one of the largest women’s philanthropy groups in the nation. Through Impact Austin, Dipti is dedicated to helping women become philanthropists right here in our community.
Dipti has a Masters in Professional Accounting from the University of Texas, Austin and is a CPA in Texas and New York. Dipti who grew up in Nepal fell in love with Austin after she moved here for her advanced degree.  She enjoys spending time with her husband Amit and her daughters Avya and Ahana.  An avid traveler, Dipti is always looking for new destinations to explore.

Ashton Meyer, CPA – Senior Manager

Ashton is a Senior Manager and licensed CPA with over a decade of experience providing audit and advisory services across a diverse range of industries, including not-for-profits, broker-dealers, financial services, technology, and employee benefit plans.  She began her career at a regional accounting firm in 2012 before joining Bauer & Company at its inception in 2014.

A native Texan, Ashton earned her Master of Accountancy from Texas State University. She is committed to giving back through community service, particularly through organizations that support children in foster care and their families during and after reunification efforts.  Outside of work, Ashton enjoys baking, crocheting, and practicing yoga, as well as camping with her spirited husky, Lucy.

Laura Ackley, CPA – Senior Manager

Laura is a Senior Manager and licensed CPA with over 20 years of experience, including previous audit experience with McGladrey & Pullen, LLP and a regional accounting firm.  Laura has worked closely with Chris and Dipti for over fifteen years, serving a broad range of clients including broker-dealers, technology, financial services, and not-for profits.

Laura graduated from the University of Redlands, in Redlands, California, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Accounting with a minor in Business Administration.  She was also a member of the University of Redlands Softball team.  Laura enjoys spending time and traveling with her husband, Matt, and their three children, Declan, Cole and Braden.  She also loves watching and cheering on her three boys play sports.

Anush Hayrapetyan, CPA – Manager

Anush is a Manager and licensed CPA with over 8 years of financial statement auditing experience. Anush has experience serving various industries including broker-dealers, construction, technology, employee benefit plans and not-for-profit organizations.  Anush also worked at a manufacturing company as a chief accountant for 3 years.

Anush graduated from Yerevan State University in Armenia, where she earned her Master’s in Finance. She later graduated from St. Thomas University in Houston, where she received her Master’s in Accounting.  In her spare time, Anush enjoys spending time with her husband and four children, spending time with friends, reading books and traveling.

Stephanie Ramsay, CPA – Manager

Stephanie is a Manager and licensed CPA with over 15 years of financial statement auditing and SEC reporting experience.  Stephanie started her career in audit at Deloitte, serving public, non-public and not-for-profit clients for 5 years before transitioning to a SEC Reporting Manager role for an Austin-based public company in the oil and gas industry for another 5 years.

Stephanie has a Master’s in Professional Accounting degree and a Bachelor in Business Administration, Accounting degree, both from the University of Texas, Austin.  Stephanie is also a busy mom of 4 children, including twins, and enjoys spending her spare time with her children and husband.

Sarah Bounds, CPA – Senior Auditor

Sarah is a Senior Auditor and licensed CPA with over 8 years of financial accounting and auditing experience.  She has experience serving various industries including technology, financial services, employee benefit plans and not-for-profit organizations.  Sarah began her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Austin.  She then continued her work at an Austin-based technology public company, and later served as the Accounting Manager for a local private school.

Sarah graduated from Baylor University where she earned a Master of Accountancy.  In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her three kids, hiking, organizing, and traveling to cooler climates.

Laura Gray, CPA – Senior Auditor

Laura is a Senior Auditor and licensed CPA with 16 years of public accounting experience.  Laura has experience serving various industries including broker-dealers, consumer packaged goods, technology, employee benefit plans and not-for-profit organizations.

Laura graduated from Texas State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Accountancy.  Laura enjoys spending time with her husband, Leigh, and their son Riley, as well as rooting for the Houston Texans and Houston Astros.

Aerin Kunkel, CPA – Senior Auditor

Aerin is a Senior Auditor and licensed CPA with over eight years of experience from KPMG, where she demonstrated extensive expertise in financial statement auditing.  Her responsibilities included overseeing major client accounts and leading international teams across Europe and Asia.

Aerin has cultivated a strong and progressive background in audit and financial review in both US GAAP and IFRS.  A proud Aggie, she holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Texas A&M University, where she also completed the PPA program.  Outside of her professional life, Aerin enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters.  Almost every weekend you can find them at a farmers market or exploring the Texas Hill Country.

Rachel Lee, CPA – Senior Auditor

Rachel Lee started her career at KPMG in 2016. Rachel has experience serving various industries including broker dealers, consumer packaged goods, technology, government and not-for-profit organizations.

Rachel graduated from University of Kansas in Lawrence with bachelor’s in accounting and she earned her Master’s in Accounting at Texas State University. She is a licensed CPA. Rachel grew up in Korea and fell in love with Austin when she moved here for her advanced degree. Rachel enjoys spending time playing golf, reading books, and hiking. Rachel has been involved as a member of the board of directors with not-for-profit organization called Financial Healthy Pathways.

Sandra Nannola, CPA – Senior Auditor

Sandra is a Senior Associate for Bauer & Company and has worked in public accounting since 2013. Sandra has experience serving various industries including construction, technology, retail, financial services and not-for-profit organizations. Sandra also worked as a tax preparer and insurance agent before pursuing her audit career.

Sandra is a Texas CPA and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Saint Edward’s University where she earned her Master of Business Administration with a Concentration in Accounting. In her spare time, Sandra enjoys spending time with her husband, three children and two dogs. Sandra’s passion is travelling abroad and within the U.S. Sandra also enjoys live music, concerts, and reading a good book. During the week you can find her chauffeuring her children to soccer, dance, basketball, and drum lessons and trying new restaurants.

Michael Navarro, CPA – Senior Auditor

Michael is a Senior Auditor with over 5 years of financial accounting and auditing experience.  He has experience in a variety of industries, including construction, real estate, healthcare, and not-for-profit organizations.  Prior to his time as an accountant, Michael worked as a software engineer for eight years, and served as a U.S. Marine Corps officer for seven years.

Michael graduated from Texas A&M University: Commerce with a Master in Business Administration degree and a Master of Finance degree, and from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a Master of Accountancy degree.  In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and exploring new hobbies.

Stephanie Prince, Senior Auditor

Stephanie is a Senior Auditor with over 12 years of financial statement auditing experience.  Stephanie has experience serving various industries including broker-dealers, consumer packaged goods, technology, employee benefit plans and not-for-profit organizations.  Stephanie also worked as a senior internal accountant and manager for a consumer packaging company and hospital system for 3 years.

Stephanie graduated from Midwestern State University – Wichita Falls where she earned a Bachelors in Business Administration in Accounting.  Stephanie is currently working on completing her CPA license.  In her spare time, Stephanie enjoys spending time hiking, time with friends and family, and baking with her husband, 2 kids, and their dog Maverick.

Cecilia Rodriguez, Senior Auditor

Cecilia is a Senior Auditor bringing experience to the audit field since 2019. Throughout her career, she has provided services to clients across a variety of industries, including P&C insurance, home insurance, telecommunications, retail, and oil and gas.

Cecilia graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Centenary College of Louisiana.  Her dual educational background enables her to approach problems creatively while maintaining a strong focus on financial integrity and precision.  Outside of her professional endeavors, Cecilia is passionate about community involvement, volunteering and attending local community events.  She enjoys spending time with her partner and their dog, Grizzly, and engaging in outdoor activities such as hiking and camping.

Lauren Thomas, Senior Auditor

Lauren is a Senior Auditor with 18 years of experience in financial statement auditing.  She has worked across diverse industries, including broker-dealers, consumer packaged goods, technology, employee benefit plans, and not-for-profit organizations.  As a Team Lead, Lauren oversees audit engagements from planning to completion, ensuring compliance with GAAP, SEC, and ERISA regulations.  She works closely with clients to address complex accounting issues, improve internal controls, and streamline audit processes.  Lauren is also a specialist in Employee Benefit Plan audits, guiding organizations through regulatory requirements and best practices.

Lauren earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Texas State University. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and three children, discovering new recipes, and relaxing outdoors with friends.

Cynthia Welch , Senior Auditor

Cynthia is a Senior Auditor and has worked in public accounting since 2021.  Cynthia has experience serving various industries including technology, retail, financial services, and not-for-profit organizations.

Cynthia graduated from the University of North Texas where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting and Master of Science in Accounting.  Cynthia is currently working on completing her CPA license. In her spare time, Cynthia enjoys spending time with her three cats, yarn crafts, reading, live music, and concerts.