How Prime Can Help GROW Your Business
Schedule a CONSULTATIONPrime Business Advisory Solutions was founded to provide quality business consulting services in the areas of finance, accounting, risk management, internal control processes, marketing and operations. We provide outsourced accounting, operational and strategic business planning services without the overhead of C-level executives on permanent payroll. We have unique experiences in that we have served as the CFO, COO or controller in organizations just like yours and we know what needs to be done. Plus, many of our staff members worked in public accounting on audits and consulting engagements across varied clients in different industries and different sizes, ranging from closely-held entities to publicly-traded companies.
Our mission is to provide executive-level expertise to help grow or strengthen your business when you need it at reasonable fees.
Our Consultants
Natalie Barranco
Natalie Barranco is co-founder with over 20 years of experience in the areas of grants management, advertising, operations management, auditing and taxation, and consulting which she has employed while working in several industries (retail, tourism, construction, education, public health, public accounting, and transportation).
As a former COO, Natalie led the operations and financial performance teams, including sales and marketing, operations, safety, maintenance, technology, budgets, planning, and human resources. Prior to this position, she was the CFO of a middle-market private equity-owned parent company assisting in the formation and initial acquisition of 3 target companies.
Natalie holds a Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Accounting/Taxation from Tulane University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics with a minor in Business Administration and Computer Science from Millsaps College. Over the course of her career, she earned the designations of Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Global Management Accountant. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Society of Louisiana CPAs.
She is also a volunteer for several organizations. She serves as a board member of the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, board member of Catholic Charities and the Development Committee Chair, Secretary of the Board of POW (Power of Women), and the Finance Committee of St. Cletus Catholic Church. Her former roles include The Market Umbrella Board and Past Treasurer and the Women’s Catholic Giving circle.
Named as a "Money Maker" three time by New Orleans City Business in recognition of her accomplishments and achievements as a financial professional, Natalie is also in the Money Maker Hall of Fame.
Ralph A. Litolff, Jr.
Ralph A. Litolff, Jr. is a co-founder with over 25 years of experience in accounting, including consulting engagements for a wide variety of closely-held and publicly-traded companies, government and nonprofit entities. He provides advisory services to business in the areas of financial analyses, forecasts and projections, profitability improvement studies, strategic business planning, internal control reviews, outsourced CFO services, as well as due diligence services for both buyers and sellers in merger and acquisition settings.
Ralph holds a Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Finance from the University of New Orleans and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, magna cum laude, in Accounting from Loyola University of New Orleans.
Over the course of his career, he has earned the designations of Certified Public Accountant, accredited in Business Valuation, Certified Valuation Analyst, Certified Government Finance Manager, Certified Financial Services Auditor and Certified in Financial Forensics.
He is a member of the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Society of Louisiana CPA’s where he serves as an Ambassador and previously served as Chairman of its Business Consulting, and Career Awareness committees and a member of the Litigation Services Committee and its Business Valuation Sub-Committee.
He is a volunteer for several organizations, including the Gladney Center for Adoption, the Louisiana Restaurant Association, the Greater New Orleans Hotel and Lodging Association, St. Ann Church and School and Mount Carmel Academy. Ralph is a Past-President and Board member of Loyola’s Alumni Association, a member of its Business Alumni Association and Executive Mentoring Program (and was named Loyola’s 2004 Young Alumnus of the Year), the UNO MBA Association, Arts Council of New Orleans, the Young Leadership Council and the Coastal Conservation Association. Ralph was also named as a "Money Maker" by New Orleans City Business in recognition for his accomplishments and achievements as a financial professional.
John Barranco
John leads business development efforts for both Morgan & Company and PRIME Business Advisory Solutions. Previously, John was Senior Associate Commissioner for Corporate Sales and Marketing with the Sun Belt Conference.
During the course of his sales career, spanning over 20 years, John has consistently been a top producer in generating revenue. Prior to coming to the Sun Belt, John was the Director of Sales for Cox Sports Television, where he was responsible for core and digital advertising sales. Before his time at CST, John served as the Associate Athletic Director for External Relations for the University of New Orleans Athletic Department, where he led marketing, sponsorship, and development efforts for the Privateers. John serves on the Board of Directors for the FORE!Kids Foundation, producers of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans PGA Golf Tournament.
John holds a B.A. in Communications from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Karen Litolff
Karen Litolff is a co-founder with over 18 years of experience in the areas of management, sales training, marketing, real estate investments, and fundraising, while employed in the banking, real estate, and education industries.
As a former Assistant Vice President at Whitney National Bank, Karen managed loan specialists as well as a sales team to increase bank product sales to existing clients, while also providing training in the areas of sales, marketing, and client relationship management. After this position, Karen served as the Alumnae Coordinator for Mount Carmel Academy to strengthen and develop relationships with alumnae and manage alumnae events. Karen also volunteers for several organizations.
Karen graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Marketing and Management from Loyola University of New Orleans.
Alaina Aguilar
Alaina Aguilar joined PRIME in 2018. She has over 10 years of experience in accounting, business management, and audit-related functions.
Before joining Prime, Alaina worked as an auditor and controller for local, national, and international companies. She has experience across many business industries, including construction, manufacturing, real estate, advertising and event management, healthcare, nonprofits, and government entities. She has working and supervisory experience in all aspects of full-cycle accounting, from original entry through financial statement preparation, including performing A/P and A/R functions, reconciling balance sheet accounts, reconciling monthly inventory and creating related cost entries, maintaining fixed assets and intangibles within asset managers, creating and performing monthly closing procedures, analyzing resulting financial statements, processing payroll and making related payroll tax filings and W-2 filings, filing annual Forms 1099, and filing sales tax returns in over 20 states. She has managed all aspects of company creation and dissolution within state and federal guidelines, including tax account management, filings with local, state, and federal entities, and the renewal and maintenance of business licenses, including foreign registrations. Alaina has also executed the full implementation of new accounting databases for both original creation and conversions.
Alaina holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Accounting from the University of New Orleans. She has earned the designation of Certified Public Accountant and is a QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor.
Kristi Bulliard
Kristi joined PRIME in early 2021. Kristi has over 12 years of experience in financial analysis, accounting, and auditing. She spent the previous seven years of her career at Entergy, where she held various roles in their finance department, including internal auditor and financial analyst. In her roles, she provided strategic financial support to Entergy and their operating companies, which included audit committee reporting, financial and operational audits, regulatory financial support, financial budgeting and reporting, and developing five-year project forecasts that aligned with the companies’ internal and regulatory goals.
Prior to working at Entergy, Kristi served as an external auditor for over 6 years gaining experience in a variety of industries including healthcare, maritime, oil & gas, investment banking, engineering, construction, and not for profits.
In addition to being a Certified Public Accountant, Kristi is also a Certified Fraud Examiner and Certified Internal Auditor. Kristi is a member of the Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants (LCPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). She previously served as a Board Member for the LCPA.
Kristi holds her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Accounting from Louisiana State University.
Wendy LoCoco
Wendy joined PRIME in August of 2019. Wendy has over 20 years of experience in the areas of finance, accounting, risk management, non-profit accounting and grants management, internal control processes, strategic management, marketing, and operations.
As a former urgent care practice administrator, Wendy assisted the organization in its start-up including, credentialing, contract negotiations with insurance companies and vendors, and human resources of staffing clinic, scheduling, training, and evaluating. Prior to this position, she was the head administrator for several nursing homes responsible for all management decisions for their facilities including an 8.5 million budget, all operations, overseeing billing and accounts receivable, and human resources, managing staff on a consistent basis, as well as creating monthly schedules and processing payroll.
Wendy has her Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Loyola University of New Orleans and her Master of Health Care Administration from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
Gina Sonnier
Jennifer Wollfarth
Jen joined PRIME in May 2022. Jen has over 20 years of experience in the areas of public and non-profit accounting, finance, risk management, and financial modeling. She is an experienced Chief Financial Officer with a proven ability to strategically manage a wide array of accounting, finance, administrative, and operational functions.
As the CFO/Assistant Head of School for Finance and Operations at Isidore Newman School, Jen managed all aspects of finance, budgeting, tax, insurance and liability, human resources, facilities, capital projects, technology, security and risk management and auxiliary programs. Most noteworthy, she successfully built and implemented a financial model for the school focusing on sustainability and affordability, she secured financing, negotiated construction contracts, and worked with colleagues to oversee the building of four major construction projects, and she guided the school in both financial modeling and risk assessment in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to this position, Jen worked at Tulane University managing the accounting and reporting aspects of the capital and investing area, which included fixed assets, debt, endowed, and non-endowed investments. She began her career in public accounting, primarily focused on manufacturing, government, primary/secondary and higher education institutions, and not-for-profit companies.
Jen holds a Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Finance and Management and a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Tulane University. In addition, she earned the designation of Certified Public Accountant.
Jennifer Carter
Jennifer joined PRIME in early 2018. Jen has experience in the areas of small business accounting, payroll processing, software conversions, non-profit accounting, and audit preparation.
As a former Senior Accountant in the small business department of a local CPA firm, she was responsible for the compilation and review of interim and annual financial statements, as well as preparing interim and annual financial statements for many different clients. This role required Jen to assist with many in house accounting tasks such as payroll processing, completion of bank reconciliations, managing year-end closeouts, performing general ledger maintenance, prepare 1099s, assembling quarterly and annual payroll tax returns and managing 401k contributions and various other accounting projects.
Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Arts from Loyola University of New Orleans and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of New Orleans. She had earned the designation of Certified Public Accountant.
Karianne Chassee
Karianne came to Prime in Fall of 2023. Karianne has over 10 years of experience in the areas of non-profit accounting and grants management, human resources, tax, operations, annual budgeting, cash forecasting and accounting..
As COO and Director of Finance and Operations with charter schools, she oversaw financial accounting and reporting, created annual budgets and forecasts of income and cash, managed payroll system and processing of bi-weekly payroll checks and administered state reporting and grant compliance for all State and Federal grants. While at the school, she also led the Human Resources department, where she implemented HR Information System and Applicant Tracking System while managing recruitment, onboarding, and orientation processes.
Karianne holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Master of Science in Accounting from Louisiana State University.
Jennifer Fourcade
Jenny joined PRIME in late 2016. Jenny has over 10 years of experience in payroll, accounts payable, sales taxes, labor forecasting, project-based financials, importing between various technologies, and software conversions.
As a former accounting analyst in the restaurant business, Jenny was responsible for all aspects of accounting for the company’s restaurant locations including; payroll, accounts payable, sales taxes, labor forecasting/comparison, managing the profit/loss statements, inventory management, and monthly reconciliation of bank accounts and credit cards. Jenny has held similar roles in the construction and gaming industry.
Jenny holds a Bachelor of Accounting from the University of New Orleans.
Kelly Gilmore
Kelly joined PRIME in early 2017. Kelly has over 15 years of experience specializing in accounting, month close, internal controls software conversion, customer service, and marketing.
As a former accountant at Crescent City Physicians, Inc. Kelly’s strengths include producing financial statements, assembling journal entries, as well as preparing for and working with external auditors for interim and annual audits. Prior to this, she administered operating and capital lease finance programs, established and managed vendor relationships, participated in and initiated pricing, and negotiated contracts with vendors; as well as wrote and maintained corporate policies, procedures, and standards.
Kelly has her Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from the University of New Orleans.
Jeanne Higgins
Stacy Stansbury
Lindsey Velasquez
Lindsey joined PRIME in late 2016. Lindsey has over 10 years of experience in accounting, income tax, sales tax, retail, software conversion, and small business accounting.
Lindsey’s role as Tax Manager has provided experience in tax preparation of entities of all size and assistance with closeout, reconciliations, and supporting schedules of end of year balances. Lindsey also has experience with all facets of a month close process inclusive of processing payroll.
Lindsey holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and has earned the designation of Certified Public Accountant.
Elliot Brown
Lauren Cashio
Lauren Cashio is an experienced PRIME consultant with an accounting degree from the University of New Orleans. She has extensive knowledge in the construction accounting field. She values work-life balance and appreciates the flexibility offered by Prime to dedicate time to her family and hobbies. When she is not working, she loves fishing, working out, traveling and volunteering at Jesuit High School as a rugby team mom. As a proud native of New Orleans, she is dedicated to raising her three sons and two dogs in the city she loves.
Christine LaMourie
Christine joined PRIME in early 2022. Christine has over 25 years of experience handling a wide range of accounting, management and insurance-related functions.
In her prior experience working for a property management company, she served as both a Property Accountant and a Property Manager for six commercial properties, in addition to being the Insurance Compliance Coordinator for 20 properties. As a Property Accountant, she processed accounts payable, managed accounts receivable, reconciled bank accounts, handled month-end close processes, prepared budgets, cash forecasts, monthly financial statements and year-end CAM reconciliations. As a Property Manager, Christine negotiated contracts with vendors; handled onboarding new tenants/leases, and resolved any tenant disputes. She also implemented an insurance compliance system increasing compliance from 16% to 88% for all 20 properties that the company managed.
As a Parish Accountant handling the accounting records for both a Church and School, Christine became proficient in nonprofit accounting ensuring that all restricted funds were properly utilized. She handled the accounting for the parishioner credit card donations, fundraising events, the school registration process, the student tuition payments, month-end close processes, bank account reconciliations, and prepared financial reports.
Christine gained valuable experience as a Treasury Manager and as a Cost Accountant while working for an offshore supply boat company. As their Cost Accountant, she managed the financial aspects of multiple vessel new builds and drydock repairs. As their Treasury Manager, she handled multiple bank accounts; corporate credit card accounts, company loans and company insurance policies.
Christine has her Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a minor in Management from Southeastern Louisiana University.
Barbara Seals
Barbara joined PRIME in early 2021. Barbara has over 20 years of experience specializing in fixed asset accounting, capital budgets, internal controls, and month-end close.
As a former Senior Accountant for a major oil company, Barbara was the subject matter expert for fixed asset accounting for North and South America. Responsibilities included implementation of and conversion to the SAP ERP system, integration of multiple acquisitions into the SAP system, and managing the fixed asset and capital budget modules. She was also involved in multiple process improvement initiatives. During the last 10 years of her employment, Barbara assisted with developing and delivering training to staff in the Philippines and India.
Barbara is a certified Lean Sigma Green Belt and during her prior employment was a member of The Council of Petroleum Accountants Societies (COPAS).