Amid Accounting Industry Overhauls, Sirius Solutions Starts Strong With Answers to Public Company Compliance & Budget Issues.

Business/Energy Editors

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 10, 2002

While "Big Four" firms ponder the impact of new legislation and accounting industry overhauls, a powerful new contender is helping to guide publicly traded companies through regulatory issues and economic challenges.

Sirius Solutions LLP, formed recently through the acquisition and expansion of professional services firms Certified International Resources LLC and Certified Associates Inc., has a unique value proposition: "Big Four" talent without the overhead. That message is being received with welcome arms from beleaguered public companies, which clearly need the best in the business, but are facing an unforgiving bear market and unprecedented accounting reforms.

In addition to helping companies with new compliance matters, Sirius Solutions provides consulting and staff augmentation services in finance, accounting, risk management, technology and internal audit. Its mission is to provide world-class, practical solutions that deliver the highest value at a reasonable investment. Its client list is a who's who of global corporations.

"In today's market, companies can't afford to make a mistake. The stakes are too high," said Kristi Chickering, managing partner and founder of the predecessor Certified companies. "Sirius' clients have the advantage of working with a new company, built on Certified's successful track record, with former executives and senior managers who represent the best of the best."

The new management team underscores the firm's credentials. It includes Nick Bednorz, former chief risk officer of Royal Dutch Shell's Energy Trading Group; Roger Burks, former partner-in-charge of Deloitte & Touche's Gulf Coast Energy Practice; Shahid Malik, former president of Reliant Energy Services; Jill Finke a former partner at Deloitte & Touche; and Bill Mansfield, former internal audit director of Coral Energy/Tejas Gas.

Bednorz, a managing partner, says a large part of the value for clients is the Sirius team members' hands-on experience.

"Sirius Solutions isn't a firm full of people who just have consulting experience. We've also been on the client side. We understand their pain, and know the pressure they're under to get a strong return on investment for every dollar they spend," he said.

One of Sirius' strongest offerings is helping their clients manage certain components of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which requires more accountability on the part of corporate financial officers, as well as the separation of consulting and auditing activities. This act is forcing some financial services firms to separate and in some cases disengage from clients for whom they perform both roles, leaving the playing field wide open for firms like Sirius.

"Sirius is able to provide the same level of service to its clients as larger, more established firms who may now be in conflict of interest situations," said Managing Partner Roger Burks. "Better yet, we do it without a large overhead burden."

For more information on Sirius Solutions, visit www.sirsol.com.