Val began her career in a tax accounting firm, was soon discovered and scooped up by Warner Bros, and quickly rose to Director of Financial Reporting for their Filmed Entertainment Division. After several years of overseeing the finances of 32 different operations within the division, she left the studio and began to work with private clients. Soon she realized that no one was educating small businesses about how to understand their finances and run their companies — and so, in 1997, Valerie Lee + Associates was born.

Val is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a BA in Economics with a special emphasis in Accounting from UCLA. She likes to read British murder mysteries, loves to sing and play the piano, and makes a mean chocolate chip cookie.

Originally from New York, Mike moved out West to Los Angeles after college for better weather (and worse pizza).  He began his career as a Program/Project Manager at Boeing, and then joined to PwC as a Management Consultant for Fortune 500 Clients, primarily in Entertainment, Media, and Communications industries. Since going independent, Mike continues partnering with clients to solve problems and improve their businesses.

With over 25 years of experience in Operations Strategy, Performance Management, and Business Intelligence and Analytics, Mike continues to consult both big and small companies with the precision of an Aerospace Engineer and the expertise of a Big 4 Consultant.

Mike holds a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and an MBA from Pepperdine School of Business and Management. In his spare time, Mike enjoys music, plays several musical instruments, and travels (anywhere).

Born into an entrepreneurial family, Ernie was exposed early in life to the unique challenges faced by small business owners every day. He was drawn to the fast-paced operations of his family’s restaurant and interactions with customers from all walks of life.  Some might say client service is practically in his DNA.

This early exposure to small business coupled with over 20 years of Fortune 500 management consulting, finance/accounting experience, backed by business intelligence analytics, makes Ernie uniquely positioned to help businesses of all shapes and sizes.

Ernie is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive) and Certified Business Intelligence Professional.  He holds two degrees from the University of Southern California, including a BS in Business Administration with an emphasis in entrepreneurship and a MAcc, Master of Accounting. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, son, and dog.