News Release Details

Charles River Associates (CRA) Announces Vice President Promotions

March 12, 2024

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar. 12, 2024-- Charles River Associates (NASDAQ: CRAI), a worldwide leader in providing economic, financial, and management consulting services, today announced the promotions of four new vice presidents. Andrea Asoni in the Antitrust & Competition Practice; Rachel Berk in the Risk, Investigations & Analytics Practice; Anant Kumar in the Energy Practice; and Quenton Wright in the Labor & Employment Practice have each been promoted to the level of vice president.

“Andrea Asoni is an extraordinary economist and an integral part of CRA’s global Competition Practice,” said Vice President and Global Practice Leader Margaret Sanderson. “Andrea has showcased exceptional leadership of large teams, as well as thought leadership, in many matters including high-stakes litigated mergers,” added Elizabeth Bailey, CRA vice president.

“Rachel Berk’s ability to understand and unravel complex accounting issues, undertake sophisticated financial analysis, and communicate her findings in a clear and accessible way often sits at the heart of the most challenging investigations undertaken by the Risk, Investigations & Analytics Practice,” said Practice Leader Peter Nolan.

“Anant Kumar is a consultant who brings deep expertise in energy infrastructure and markets to help clients solve complex strategic questions around the energy transition,” said Vice President Jim McMahon, CRA vice president. “He is a versatile consultant who works effectively across multiple client bases including utilities, sector investors, and large energy consumers.”

“Labor and Employment’s new vice president, Quenton Wright, brings a keen entrepreneurial spirit combined with an ability to identify innovative approaches to drive value for our clients and open growth opportunities for the practice,” said Labor & Employment Practice Leader Matthew Thompson. “Providing materials in a user-friendly format has made her a favorite among clients, and spending the extra time to discuss the details has endeared her to junior staff.”

Dr. Andrea Asoni is a seasoned antitrust economist with extensive expertise in M&A investigations before the antitrust agencies. Specializing in the application of quantitative analyses and economic models to competition issues, he directs his expertise across diverse industries such as digital platforms, consumer goods, retail, entertainment (including video gaming and music distribution), and healthcare insurance and services, among others. Dr. Asoni’s client-centric approach aids antitrust counsel in pre-deal risk assessments, regulatory review, and engagement with the agencies. Dr. Asoni has authored and managed expert testimony, supporting testifying experts for plaintiffs and defendants alike.

Rachel Berk is a leader in providing forensic accounting, financial analysis, and consulting services to law firms, boards of directors, and corporate clients. She specializes in investigations and disputes involving complex accounting issues and financial analysis and has led dozens of financial crime investigations involving financial statement fraud, asset misappropriation, accounting irregularities, Ponzi schemes, and bribery and corruption. She is a testifying expert and has also presented evidence as a fact witness in cross-border matters involving allegations of fraud and asset misappropriation.

Anant Kumar is an expert in market and regulatory due diligence, integrated resource planning, and transmission analysis, with 20 years of economic and management consulting experience in the energy industry. Mr. Kumar provides advisory services to electric utilities, financial investors, and large customers on power markets, generation and transmission planning, and regulatory issues. He has led consulting teams, advised at board and senior executive levels, and participated in public stakeholder sessions on diverse engagements, including integrated resource planning, transmission and distribution planning, M&A due diligence, decarbonization strategies, and reliability analysis.

Quenton Wright assists her clients with proactive consulting, compliance, and litigation support that may involve Equal Employment Opportunity discrimination litigation, annual pay equity studies, Diversity & Inclusion monitoring, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs affirmative action compliance, and federal and state wage and hour litigation. Ms. Wright is frequently engaged in class action employment discrimination matters where she designs and implements statistical analyses that model the employer’s processes to assess equity in pay, promotions, performance, hiring, and attrition that assist counsel in developing a strategic defense.

About Charles River Associates (CRA)
Charles River Associates® is a leading global consulting firm specializing in economic, financial, and management consulting services. CRA advises clients on economic and financial matters pertaining to litigation and regulatory proceedings, and guides corporations through critical business strategy and performance-related issues. Since 1965, clients have engaged CRA for its unique combination of functional expertise and industry knowledge, and for its objective solutions to complex problems. Headquartered in Boston, CRA has offices throughout the world. Detailed information about Charles River Associates, a registered trade name of CRA International, Inc., is available at www.crai.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.

SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT
Statements in this press release concerning CRA’s Antitrust & Competition Practice; Risk, Investigations & Analytics Practice; Energy Practice; Labor & Employment Practice, the expansion of these practices, and any future business CRA’s new vice presidents may generate for CRA, are “forward-looking” statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon management’s current expectations and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties. Information contained in these forward-looking statements is inherently uncertain, and actual performance and results may differ materially due to many important factors. Such factors that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements made by CRA include, among others: the failure to generate engagements for us; the potential loss of clients; the demand environment; global economic conditions; foreign exchange rate fluctuations; and intense competition. Additional potential factors that could affect our financial results are included in our periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those under the heading “Risk Factors.” We cannot guarantee any future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievement. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements after the date of this press release, and we do not intend to do so.

Media Relations
CRA International
media@crai.com
617-425-6453

Nicholas Manganaro
Sharon Merrill Advisors
crai@investorrelations.com
617-542-5300

Source: Charles River Associates