AboutEstablished in 2001 as CNY Business Advisors LLC, Jason Lesch, CPA ( www.nysed.gov/coms/op001/opsc2a?profcd=07&plicno=074543&namechk=LES), provided consulting services to approximately 60 businesses during that time period. In 2014, he was recruited by one of his hospital clients. During the next 3.5 years he lead a financial turnaround of approximately $10 million (excluding State Grants) as the Chief Financial Officer (2015_char500_includes_audited_fs.pdf, 2016_char500_includes_audited_fs.pdf). Having accomplished the turnaround with two profitable years in a row, 2016 and 2017, he decided to go back to his previous life, working for himself and serving multiple clients establishing Jason Lesch Associates as a DBA under CNY Business Advisors LLC.
A LeMoyne College Graduate, Jason Lesch started his career working for one of the Big 6 at the time, KPMG Peat Marwick. After being laid off, he met Hank Fust, one of the partners at Fust Charles Chambers during the 1993 Ashe Golf Tournament in Syracuse. We both shot 72 at Tuscarora on the first day. I was interviewed by the paper; (1993_article_1st_day_syracuse_ashe_article.pdf) . Hank offered me a job as an audit associate and I worked for the firm for 4 years and am grateful for the opportunity they provided during my time there and since. After leaving Fust Charles Chambers and prior to establishing CNY Business Advisors LLC, Jason worked for T. Gschwender & Associates (tgschwender-assoc.com/) , a small turnaround consulting firm in Syracuse where he worked closely with business owners and their bank creditors learning the business operations side and commercial banking business. Jason Lesch has worked with hundreds of businesses during his career, and that experience can help you. |
Our Team
Jason Lesch, CPA
President and Owner
Mr. Lesch Graduated from LeMoyne College in 1992 and began his career in public accounting as an external auditor working for two Syracuse area firms (KPMG and Fust Charles Chambers). Client types included not-for-profits, hospitals, manufacturers, financial institutions and a school district.
In 1997, he left public accounting and started working as a financial turnaround consultant for a small company in Syracuse, NY; T. Gschwender & Associates. The Company’s client base mainly consisted of financial institutions. The bulk of the work involved dealing with the bank’s business customers who were having financial difficulties by going into the business on behalf of the bank, determining the financial situation of the business, and then coming up with a plan to insure that the bank would recoup as much of the outstanding loan balance as possible. The end result could be a restructure of the debt, assisting the business exit the bank, or working with the bank’s customer to turn the business around.
In 2001, Mr. Lesch started his own business, CNY Business Advisors LLC. This business focused on Business Consulting and Accounting Services. Client engagements were either project oriented or on-going, depending on the need of the business. He served as Interim CFO, Interim Controller, Interim Revenue Cycle Director and Internal Auditor and has provided services to the following types of businesses: healthcare, banking, life insurance, transportation, manufacturing, distributors and not-for-profits. A significant portion of the business consisted of rural health systems. Overall, he served over 60 clients during the 13 years.
Mr. Lesch finished a three year Board term on the Auburn Enlarged City School District effective June 2013. He was Vice President of the Board for the 2012-2013 year and was selected as the 2012-2013 Outstanding School Board Member by the Cayuga-Onondaga School Boards Association. He led the advocacy effort locally and in Albany (additional_state_aid.pdf) to get the GEA cut restored to Auburn through a change in the State Aid formula made by our State Senators (bus_trip_to_albany.pdf). He also established a relationship between the school district and local employers thru the Manufacturers Association of Central New York that is benefiting students today. He served as a board member of the Central New York School Board Association from 2011-2017 and was asked to stay on as a member of their finance committee.
Mr. Lesch made a short lived attempt at running for Congress in early 2014 (q_a_for_congress.pdf), at the recommendation of one of the New York State Senators he had worked with while a school board member. It was a great learning experience for him, and he gained a greater understanding of the political process.(bowing_out_of_race.pdf)
In August 2014, Mr. Lesch began work at Auburn Community Hospital as Assistant CFO/Controller.
He was appointed CFO in November 2014. The hospital experienced a $10 million financial turnaround under his leadership between 2014 and 2017, including two profitable years in a row. The hospital also established a collaboration agreement with two large hospital systems in November 2017. Significant capital upgrades were completed for new clinical equipment, information technology and plant investment exceeding $1.25 million in depreciation between 2015 and 2017 while outstanding debt was reduced by $6 million from 2014 to 2017. Effective April 13th 2018, Jason has returned to his former life as a consultant to bring the experience he has gained turning around Auburn Community Hospital to other entities.
Jason Lesch’s experiences with different industries and as a Chief Financial Officer, external auditor, internal auditor, consultant, accountant, interim manager, and elected board member, have allowed him to understand how businesses operate, the flow of information within businesses and the information that is required to be generated and communicated internally and externally. That experience resulted in a different perspective and approach to decision making that helped turn Auburn Community Hospital around. He has worked with employees at all levels and within different departments of these organizations, communicated results to stakeholders, and dealt with external parties such as auditors, vendors, consultants, executive management, insurance companies, bankers, attorneys, elected officials and regulatory agencies.
In 1997, he left public accounting and started working as a financial turnaround consultant for a small company in Syracuse, NY; T. Gschwender & Associates. The Company’s client base mainly consisted of financial institutions. The bulk of the work involved dealing with the bank’s business customers who were having financial difficulties by going into the business on behalf of the bank, determining the financial situation of the business, and then coming up with a plan to insure that the bank would recoup as much of the outstanding loan balance as possible. The end result could be a restructure of the debt, assisting the business exit the bank, or working with the bank’s customer to turn the business around.
In 2001, Mr. Lesch started his own business, CNY Business Advisors LLC. This business focused on Business Consulting and Accounting Services. Client engagements were either project oriented or on-going, depending on the need of the business. He served as Interim CFO, Interim Controller, Interim Revenue Cycle Director and Internal Auditor and has provided services to the following types of businesses: healthcare, banking, life insurance, transportation, manufacturing, distributors and not-for-profits. A significant portion of the business consisted of rural health systems. Overall, he served over 60 clients during the 13 years.
Mr. Lesch finished a three year Board term on the Auburn Enlarged City School District effective June 2013. He was Vice President of the Board for the 2012-2013 year and was selected as the 2012-2013 Outstanding School Board Member by the Cayuga-Onondaga School Boards Association. He led the advocacy effort locally and in Albany (additional_state_aid.pdf) to get the GEA cut restored to Auburn through a change in the State Aid formula made by our State Senators (bus_trip_to_albany.pdf). He also established a relationship between the school district and local employers thru the Manufacturers Association of Central New York that is benefiting students today. He served as a board member of the Central New York School Board Association from 2011-2017 and was asked to stay on as a member of their finance committee.
Mr. Lesch made a short lived attempt at running for Congress in early 2014 (q_a_for_congress.pdf), at the recommendation of one of the New York State Senators he had worked with while a school board member. It was a great learning experience for him, and he gained a greater understanding of the political process.(bowing_out_of_race.pdf)
In August 2014, Mr. Lesch began work at Auburn Community Hospital as Assistant CFO/Controller.
He was appointed CFO in November 2014. The hospital experienced a $10 million financial turnaround under his leadership between 2014 and 2017, including two profitable years in a row. The hospital also established a collaboration agreement with two large hospital systems in November 2017. Significant capital upgrades were completed for new clinical equipment, information technology and plant investment exceeding $1.25 million in depreciation between 2015 and 2017 while outstanding debt was reduced by $6 million from 2014 to 2017. Effective April 13th 2018, Jason has returned to his former life as a consultant to bring the experience he has gained turning around Auburn Community Hospital to other entities.
Jason Lesch’s experiences with different industries and as a Chief Financial Officer, external auditor, internal auditor, consultant, accountant, interim manager, and elected board member, have allowed him to understand how businesses operate, the flow of information within businesses and the information that is required to be generated and communicated internally and externally. That experience resulted in a different perspective and approach to decision making that helped turn Auburn Community Hospital around. He has worked with employees at all levels and within different departments of these organizations, communicated results to stakeholders, and dealt with external parties such as auditors, vendors, consultants, executive management, insurance companies, bankers, attorneys, elected officials and regulatory agencies.
Future Associates and Strategic Partners
We are looking for people with life experience and collaborative skillsets to work with our clients. Accounting, revenue cycle, human capital and information technology backgrounds are needed. This could be a great way to get back in the workforce on a part time or job specific basis. Please contact us.
We are also looking for Strategic Business Partners to help deliver value added software and services to our clients.
We are also looking for Strategic Business Partners to help deliver value added software and services to our clients.
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