March 06, 2019
In honor of Alloy Silverstein’s 60th Anniversary, our Alloy spotlight this quarter is on Managing Shareholder Ren Cicalese, CPA, PFS, CGMA.When he was younger, Ren aspired to play in the MLB. He was a college athlete—a second baseman and pitcher for Rutgers University–Camden. But when he knew he wouldn’t be drafted, he turned to what he always excelled at—math—diligently earning his bachelor’s degree in accounting.
That work ethic and drive has been the foundation of his career. So too, was the impact of his father’s passing, when Ren was just nine years old. “I’ve been handling money ever since,” he explains.
And with that, handling money became his professional purpose. Ren joined the Alloy Silverstein team in February 1980 as a tax season temp, was a full-time accountant by the following month and promoted to Partner five years later. He became Alloy Silverstein’s Managing Shareholder in the 1990s. Recognizing a need to better serve the firm’s tax and accounting clients, he established Alloy Silverstein Financial Services, Inc. and Abacus Payroll, Inc. in 1999.
Throughout his nearly 40 years in accounting, Ren has advised business owners in a variety of industries including technology, law, medicine, manufacturing, retail and wholesale, real estate, and professional sports. He is a CPA in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and has also achieved the AICPA PFS (Personal Financial Specialist) and CGMA (Chartered Global Management Accountant) designations.
Ren is known as a leader in both the accounting industry and the community. He recently served two terms as President of INPACT Americas, an international alliance of over 130 independent accounting firms, and is a former chair of INPACT’s Global Board of Directors. He is a member of the Dean’s Executive Advisory Council of Rutgers University, was an adjunct accounting professor at RCBC (formerly Burlington County College), and has been involved with numerous Chamber, professional, and civic organizations.
When it comes to giving back locally, Ren embodies the firm’s core values of integrity, passion, and responsibility as he spearheads many of Alloy Silverstein’s charitable endeavors. He initiated the firm’s annual Adopt-A-Family drive, led the award-winning Go Red for Women fundraiser for 10 years, and most recently, introduced Alloy Cares, a paid-time volunteer program for Alloy’s team members. “Maybe one act of kindness on our part will give a child the opportunity to have a better future,” he says.
In recognition of his contributions, Ren received the inaugural Volunteer Award from the New Jersey Society of CPAs (NJCPA). He has been recognized as a “50 over 50” by the NJCPA and a two-time Top CEO/CFO by South Jersey Biz. During their 50th anniversary, Rutgers University–Camden honored Ren as a “Fifty Finest” graduate and a “Top Ten Outstanding Alumnus.” He also received the Scarlet Oak Meritorious Service Award from the University’s Alumni Association.
Most important, Ren wants to be a positive role model for his grandson and three sons, two of whom also work at the firm. When he’s not working, Ren enjoys golfing, attending PGA and LPGA Tour events, going to the gym, listening to classic rock, traveling, watching movies, and spending time with his family. With his college baseball roots, Ren is an avid sports fan and will always have a soft spot in his heart for the Philadelphia Phillies.
