Financial Leadership, Embedded With Your Team

@Chris Merendino

A thoughtful partner to talented and dedicated individuals and organizations with a track record for leadership, culture development, and strategic focus.

Chris' background begins with eight years of service as a Navy SEAL, deploying to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Africa between 2004–2012. After his military service, he led Private Equity-owned projects in the logistics and mining industries across 15 African countries. Chris has spent the last eight years in Private Equity — first as a Vice President at a manufacturing-focused firm in the Midwest, then as a turnaround CEO leading the successful turnaround and divestiture of distressed investments in the manufacturing industry and managing post-merger acquisition transactions with international and publicly traded entities.

@Amy Smith, CPA

Amy brings a hands-on, client-side approach to financial leadership — the kind that turns disorganized books into audit-ready financials and guides organizations through their most complex transitions. A licensed CPA in New York and Pennsylvania, she has supported clients ranging from early-stage companies to organizations with revenues exceeding $600 million across audits, reviews, financial reporting, and interim controller engagements.

As an independent contractor, Amy led multi-entity financial reporting, audit preparation, grant compliance, and strategic finance projects — often rebuilding accounting systems and preparing consolidated financial statements from scratch. She pairs that with five years of public accounting experience, where she was recognized for exceptional client service and operational efficiency. She firmly believes most accounting problems are solvable with enough Excel tabs and coffee.

@Matt Sassmann, PHR

Matt is a certified Professional in Human Resources who leads Auxilia's human capital work - combining people strategy, organizational development, and operational discipline.

He began his career in the U.S. Navy, building a foundation in operations, planning, and logistics. He then spent more than 20 years leading teams and managing contracts in the security industry, which gave him working relationships across multiple DoD and Intelligence Community offices.

Today he designs and implements HR processes across the full employee life cycle and helps clients through workforce compliance, restructuring, and cultural change during growth, transitions, and turnarounds. He holds a bachelor's and a master's degree in behavioral science.

@Mary Whitcomb

Mary serves as the firm's Administrative Manager, bringing several years of administrative leadership experience to the role. She oversees day-to-day operations, manages resources, and ensures the organization runs smoothly as the team and its client base grow.

With a focus on practical process improvement and effective delegation, Mary keeps administrative functions aligned with the firm's priorities — freeing the rest of the team to focus on client work. Mary holds a Bachelor of Science in Management Studies with a minor in Business Administration.

@GovCon Team

Behind every engagement is a team of seasoned government contracting professionals who bring decades of combined experience across the defense and intelligence sectors. Our GovCon team operates with discretion and precision — managing the financial, regulatory, and operational complexities that define this space.

Their expertise spans the full lifecycle of government contracting — from bid strategy and proposal development through contract execution and compliance. With deep knowledge of DCAA audit requirements, FAR/DFARS regulations, and the unique accounting standards governing federal contracts, the team ensures our clients remain competitive and compliant. They also bring hands-on experience in mergers and acquisitions of GovCon entities, global logistics operations, and navigating the regulatory landscape that surrounds defense and intelligence work.