Bizora Brews

Adam Tahir
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Entrepreneurship

Welcome to Bizora Brews, the podcast where tax professionals share the stories behind their careers. Guests open up about their early beginnings, the turning points that defined their expertise, the challenges they’ve overcome, and the wins they’re proud of. You’ll hear practical advice for young accountants, insights on how technology is reshaping tax work, and thoughtful perspectives on the future of the industry. It’s real conversation, real experience, and real guidance for the modern tax professional.

Episodes

  1. 4d ago

    What Happens When the IRS Comes Knocking? - Andrew Brewster

    What does it take to defend a tax credit once the IRS decides to take a closer look? Andrew Brewster is a Senior Director at Alvarez and Marsal Tax in Washington DC, where he leads work across research and development tax credits and IRS examination defense. Before A&M, Andrew clerked in the Department of Justice Tax Division, interned at the IRS, and spent nearly a decade at Deloitte building his expertise in R&D credit studies from the inside of both the government and the profession. Together they explore what actually qualifies as research activity under Section 41, the documentation mistakes that turn a clean credit claim into an audit problem, and how the R&D incentives landscape keeps shifting as states and the federal government change their rules. They also get into what it is like to sit across the table from the IRS after having worked inside it, and how that perspective changes the way Andrew approaches examination defense today. Andrew has spent his career on both sides of the tax incentives equation, from interpreting the rules at the DOJ and IRS to helping companies claim what they are actually owed at Deloitte and now A&M. Tune in for a conversation about what it really takes to build a credible, defensible tax incentives practice in a field where the rules rarely stay still.

  2. 6d ago

    Why Nobody Wants to Build the Closed Loop - Kintsugi, Filed and Abacor

    What happens when three founders, each betting on a completely different piece of the accounting stack, end up needing each other to win? That's the setup for this episode of Bizora Brews. Pujun Bhatnagar is founder and CEO of Kintsugi, a sales tax compliance platform serving over 7,000 clients across 102 countries, built after watching his father and grandfather navigate the same compliance mess as CPAs and after his own stint at Meta. Leroy Kerry is cofounder and CEO of Filed, an AI tax return preparation platform based in Stockholm, previously part of the founding team at Juni. David Lam is cofounder and CEO of Abacor, an AI meeting assistant built for accounting firms, previously at Gusto after starting his career as a practicing accountant. Together they explore why none of them are trying to build a closed ecosystem that does everything, how pricing in this space is shifting away from flat seat based software toward usage and outcome based models as AI output becomes the actual deliverable, and what it takes to earn trust with firms who have been burned by tools that weren't built for their profession. Pujun explains why Kintsugi gives away its Nexus study for free rather than charging thousands for it the way Big Four firms once did. Leroy talks through what he calls tax engineers, the CPAs and EAs on his team who build the rules for each firm by hand, and the CPE eligible course Filed built with Miles Masterclass. David shares the story of generating forty demo signups in five minutes off a single industry webinar. Tune in for a conversation about what it actually takes to get an accounting firm to trust AI with its clients.

  3. Jul 6

    When Do You Know You're Onto Something? - David Wyle

    What happens when your first product actually gains traction, and you have to decide whether to bet everything on it? David Wyle is the founder of SurePrep, where he built one of the most widely used platforms in tax automation. Before that, he spent years in the trenches of early software development, cold calling pilot firms in 1997 and building ePACE, one of the first paperless audit tools to take hold in a profession that did not want to change. Together they explore what product market fit actually looks like from the inside, the subtle signals that told David he was onto something before the market agreed with him, and the negotiation and leadership lessons that came from scaling a company through private equity involvement. They also get into where automation and AI are actually headed in accounting, and why David does not believe the big firms are heading toward a quick rip and replace of their systems. David built the Word and Excel integration using VBA that helped ePace win its early market, at a time when most of the industry still ran on paper. He also talks about his passion for history, lessons drawn from biblical leadership, and the story behind Casa Aurora, the house he bought in a fairly unorthodox way. Tune in for a conversation about what it takes to build disruptive technology inside one of the most conservative industries in business.

  4. Jun 29

    Am I Going To Regret This In 5 Years? - Sean Keegan

    What does it actually take to leave a 25-year career in Big Four tax and build a national practice from nothing in a country where your firm had never operated? Sean Keegan is the Managing Director and Head of Tax Australia at Alvarez and Marsal, where he leads a full-service national tax practice built from the ground up in under two years. Before A&M, Sean spent nearly eight years as a Transaction Tax Partner at EY in Sydney, advising private capital investors and corporate groups across some of Australia's most complex M&A transactions. Sean built a team of practitioners across Sydney, Perth, and Melbourne after walking away from one of the most established transaction tax platforms in the country. He has advised on domestic and cross-border M&A, corporate restructures, carve-outs, and distressed situations across financial services, technology, mining, and healthcare. Tune in for a conversation about what the next chapter of M&A tax advisory in Australia actually looks like.

  5. Jun 22

    Understand The Business Perspective - Oleh Fedusiv

    In this episode, Adam sits down with Oleh Fedusiv, Director and Head of APAC Tax at Uber, where he oversees the tax function across one of the most complex regional footprints in the gig economy. Before Uber, Oleh spent nearly seven years climbing through EY across two countries, working his way from transfer pricing consultant to senior roles in Amsterdam. His path started in Kyiv, running through private equity, banking, and Big 4 before landing at a company that operates in almost every major market on earth. Together they explore what international tax looks like inside a platform business operating at Uber's scale, how transfer pricing has evolved in the era of digital services and gig economy regulation, and what it actually takes to navigate tax across APAC jurisdictions that each come with their own rules, regulators, and risk profiles. From in-house counsel at a Ukrainian bank to leading APAC tax at Uber, Oleh's career is a masterclass in building international expertise one jurisdiction at a time. Tune in for a conversation about what tax leadership looks like at a global platform and what the next generation of international tax professionals needs to understand about operating at that level.

  6. Jun 15

    Live With Ambiguity - Jorge Gallardo

    In this episode, Adam sits down with Jorge Gallardo, Global Head of Tax at Airwallex, where he is leading the transformation of the tax function across 26+ jurisdictions. Before Airwallex, Jorge served as Head of Finance and Tax at Fazz and Senior Manager International Tax at PwC Singapore, bringing a career that spans Big 4, fintech, and high-growth startup environments across Europe, Latin America, and Asia. Together they explore what it means to own global tax at a company expanding at that pace, how transfer pricing works in a cross-border payments business, and what separates tax leaders who get a seat at the table from those who don't. From his early days as a litigation counsel and court officer in Mexico to navigating some of the most complex international tax environments in the world, Jorge brings a perspective that is genuinely rare in this profession. Tune in for a conversation about what global tax leadership looks like inside a company that is rewriting how money moves around the world.

  7. Jun 8

    The More I Know - Clara Navalón Valero

    What does it take to build a global tax function from scratch, not once, but multiple times, across some of the world's most complex business environments? In this episode, Adam sits down with Clara Navalón Valero, a global tax leader whose career spans Deloitte, Repsol, Adevinta, Amazon, and Sandoz. Clara has built tax functions from the ground up at multiple companies, navigating IPOs, billion-dollar acquisitions, cross-border M&A, and digital service tax in some of the most heavily scrutinized regulatory environments in the world. Together they explore what it actually means to lead global tax at a company going through rapid transformation, how transfer pricing has evolved in the era of digital business models, and what separates a tax function that just files returns from one that shapes business decisions at the board level. From managing multi-jurisdictional audits with zero exposure to advising C-suites on structuring billion-dollar transactions, Clara brings a perspective that is equal parts technical depth and executive leadership. Tune in for a conversation about what global tax leadership really looks like and what the next generation of tax professionals needs to understand about operating at that level.

  8. Jun 1

    Everything Is A System - Bobby Stover Jr

    What does it take to build and lead a world-class family office advisory practice across three decades at two of the world's most respected firms? In this episode, Adam sits down with Robert "Bobby" Stover Jr., former Americas Family Office Leader at EY and current Executive Director of the Family Office Initiative at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. With over 13 years at EY and nearly a decade at Grant Thornton before that, Bobby has spent his career at the intersection of family wealth, legacy planning, and professional services leadership. Together they explore how the family office landscape has transformed, what it really means to serve ultra-high-net-worth families as a trusted advisor, and why the future of family enterprise requires both technical rigor and deeply human judgment. From building national practices to shaping the next generation of family office leaders through academic research and education, Bobby shares lessons every tax and advisory professional should hear and stories that remind us why longevity in this profession is built on relationships, not transactions. Tune in for a conversation that blends decades of real-world advisory experience, leadership insight, and a front-row view of where family wealth is headed.

  9. 12/11/2025

    Just Fix It - Michael Tufts

    What happens when a tax professional grows into a finance leader who oversees both tax and treasury at one of the fastest-growing consumer brands in the country? In this episode, Adam sits down with Michael Tufts, VP of Tax & Treasury at Ruggable, whose career path spans ITW, KPMG M&A, and an 8-year journey through Mattel, where he rose from Tax Manager to Finance Director. Michael shares the pivotal lessons that shaped his leadership style from supporting global supply chains and managing IP-driven tax structures at Mattel to navigating rapid growth, international expansion, and cash strategy at Ruggable. Whether you’re early in your tax career or on the path toward executive roles, Michael’s journey offers a roadmap for building versatility, leading through change, and staying ahead in a rapidly evolving industry.

  10. 12/04/2025

    Always Be Curious - Renato Carneiro

    What does it take to build a world-class international tax function across industries as different as media, consumer goods, and real estate tech? In this episode, Adam sits down with Renato Carneiro, Vice President of Tax at eXp World Holdings, whose career spans KPMG, WarnerMedia, and Newell Brands. Together they explore how global tax strategy has evolved, the leadership lessons behind managing cross-border teams, and what the future looks like for tax in a digital-first world. From navigating transfer pricing challenges to scaling tax functions in hyper-growth environments, Renato shares insights every tax leader should hear and stories that remind us why adaptability and curiosity remain the most valuable skills in our profession. Tune in for a conversation that blends technical depth, leadership wisdom, and a refreshing global perspective on the future of tax.

    Always Be Curious - Renato Carneiro
  • 10 Episodes

About

Welcome to Bizora Brews, the podcast where tax professionals share the stories behind their careers. Guests open up about their early beginnings, the turning points that defined their expertise, the challenges they’ve overcome, and the wins they’re proud of. You’ll hear practical advice for young accountants, insights on how technology is reshaping tax work, and thoughtful perspectives on the future of the industry. It’s real conversation, real experience, and real guidance for the modern tax professional.

Information

  • Creator
    Adam Tahir
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Adam Tahir
  • Show Website
    Bizora Brews

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