Rick Belgarde

Founder and CEO

Ever since Rick Belgarde took an intro accounting course in high school, he’s wanted to work in accounting. After graduating with a business degree in accounting, he got his start as the accountant for Capital Drive In, one of the most profitable drive-in movie theaters in the US at the time.

Rick’s passion for contract negotiation began when he was Revenue Manager for Paramount’s Great America, negotiating multimillion dollar contracts. In 1996, Rick changed direction – to professional sports – when he managed payroll and accounts receivable for the Oakland A’s. A few years later, Rick Worked for KPMG in the High Net Worth CFO Division in San Francisco. Ultimately, all these positions culminated in 2003 when he founded CFO Rick, which has since been enormously successful.

Rick loves traveling almost as much as he loves crunching numbers. In his lifetime, he’s visited over 42 countries.

Karen Keller, Tax Director

Tax Director

Karen Keller began her career at KPMG working with high-net worth individuals and various entities including partnerships, trusts, estates, and non-profit organizations. Karen has over 30 years of experience in making the tax compliance process as painless as possible and strives to save clients money through planning as well as efficient and accurate tax preparation for all types of entities.

Karen has known Rick since college and finally joined CFO Rick more than twelve years ago as Tax Director to lead the tax side of the business which offers high-level tax services to all of our small business and individual clients.

After tax season, Karen greatly enjoys travelling especially to Disneyland and various wine tasting regions.

James Lansangan

Accounting Supervisor

James Lansangan, brings more than five years of accounting experience specializing in financial reporting, bookkeeping, and client accounting services. With a strong background in accounting supervision and process management, he helps businesses stay financially organized and compliant. James is committed to accuracy, professionalism, and building trusted relationships through dependable financial support.

Keeps every engagement focused on outcomes that show up on the P&L.

Melina Herrera

Accounting Manager

Melina is an Accounting Manager at CFO Rick with experience working with clients across a diverse range of industries. Since joining the firm in 2019, she has developed extensive experience in accounting operations, client management, and financial reporting, helping businesses navigate their accounting and financial needs with accuracy and efficiency.

She received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from San Francisco State University and is proud to be a San Francisco native.

Nikki Zhang

Enrolled Agent

Nikki is an Enrolled Agent with six years of tax experience, focused on making complex tax matters clear and manageable for individuals and businesses. Over the course of her career, she has worked with a wide range of clients—from small business owners and growing entrepreneurs to individuals facing complicated tax situations. Nikki specializes in tax preparation, and IRS representation.

Jeanni Pena

Staff Accountant Supervisor

With over 6 years of experience in accounting and financial management, Jeanni specializes in bookkeeping, payroll, and financial reporting for small and mid-sized businesses. Known for accuracy, integrity, and personalized service, Jeanni helps clients make informed financial decisions while staying compliant and organized. She earned her degree from San Francisco State University and is passionate about building trusted relationships while helping businesses grow with confidence. In her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with her 2-year-old child and creating meaningful memories with family.

Paulina Huerta

Managing Director CFO Rick Mexico

Paulina brings executive and financial experience to her Managing Director role providing efficient, compliant support in our Mexico office.

Her approach eliminates surprise filings by anchoring every recommendation to forward-looking clarity and continuous data synchronization.

LD Herrera

Staff Accountant Supervisor

JLD Herrera (aka David Herrera) is a Staff Accounting Supervisor at CFO Rick with more than 14 years of experience in accounting, payroll, and client management. He brings a
unique combination of expertise as a Licensed Health and Life Insurance Broker (Small Group and Individuals/Families), Notary Public, and fluent in Spanish.