WHY ACG?
ACG focuses entirely on the financial services industry. We provide responsive, straightforward, and personal service to each of our clients. We have a diverse financial industry background allowing us to assist a variety of financial institutions’ needs efficiently and effectively. We offer consulting services to meet your strategic and tactical needs.
Our expertise across all functional operational areas and trading products within the financial services sector allows us to approach your business holistically. Our diverse knowledge of, and experience with, the vendor applications that support those products ensures that you get the right application for your shop.
From execution to final trade reporting we understand the regulatory landscape and all the changes as they happen. Use our financial compliance expertise to ensure you comply with the latest rules and regulations
The ACG management team has over 100 years of combined financial services experience and knowledge. We take pride in customizing our approach to each project in order to meet our clients’ expectations.
OUR MISSION IS TO EMPOWER
100
Years of Combined Leadership & Advisory Experience
100+
Strategic Engagements Delivered
100%
Client Retention Rate
At ACG, our mission is to empower business owners and leadership teams with the clarity and confidence needed to lead effectively. We believe that strong organizations are built on clear strategy, disciplined execution, and accountable leadership. Through structured advisory and practical frameworks, we help businesses move beyond uncertainty and operate with purpose. Our focus is not just on identifying challenges but on building the capability to overcome them. Empowerment, for us, means equipping leaders to make informed decisions that drive lasting progress.
We work closely with our clients as trusted advisors, guiding them through growth, change, and operational improvement. Every engagement is tailored to the unique goals and realities of the organization. By strengthening leadership alignment and improving performance systems, we help businesses unlock their full potential. Our mission is fulfilled when leaders gain clarity, teams work with direction, and results become measurable and sustainable.
Executive Team
Mr. Shipp has 30 years of experience as a financial services specialist supporting Institutional Retail Brokerage, Banks, Hedge Funds, Trust Companies, Thrifts, Registered Investment Advisors, Market Makers, and diversified financial institutions. He has led Compliance departments at Security Settlements Corp, Citibank, ADP, and SunGard, overseeing a range of capital markets products and regulatory reporting systems. His expertise includes Anti-Money Laundering, Trade Reporting, Written Supervisory Procedures, Regulatory Approval for new broker dealers, and extensive financial services vendor knowledge.
Licenses acquired: Series 4, 7, 14, 24, and 63.
JAMES SHIPP
Founder/Principal
jim@ableacg.com
40 Wall Street, 28th Floor, New York, NY 10005
Mr. Donohue is a highly accomplished financial services specialist with over 40 years of experience supporting Institutional and Retail Brokerage, Banks, Hedge Funds, Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs), and Fintech companies. He has held executive leadership roles including CEO, COO, and CCO at major institutions such as Fidelity Investments, State Street Global Markets, and LaBranche Structured Products. During his seven-year tenure as Chief Compliance Officer and Senior Vice President at SunGard Financial Systems, he managed regulatory relations with the SEC, FINRA, and the Federal Reserve for a $500MM software portfolio.
His expertise spans the full trade lifecycle across front, middle, and back-office operations. Mr. Donohue is a specialist in Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC), with extensive experience in FINRA NMA/CMA applications, AML/KYC design, and regulatory financial reporting. He has led large-scale technical implementations for systems including Phase3, InTrader, and GMI, and has served as a FINRA Qualified Arbitrator.
Professional Core Competencies:
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Regulatory & Financial Reporting: Expert oversight of Net Capital (15c3-1) and Customer Reserve (15c3-3) calculations, FOCUS filing, and CCAR/DFAST testing.
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Governance & Risk (GRC): Design and audit of 1LOD/2LOD compliance programs, AML/KYC frameworks, and Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) internal controls.
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Operational Infrastructure: Extensive experience in clearing operations, self-clearing conversions, and business process reengineering for complex capital markets products.
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Systems & Technology: Implementation of SunGard, Broadridge, and Bloomberg modules, specializing in automated workflow and disaster recovery (BCP).
Licenses & Certifications:
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Certifications: Certified Regulatory Compliance Professional (CRCP) – Wharton/FINRA.
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Licenses: Series 7, 9, 10, 14, 14A, 24, 27, 53, and 99.
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Memberships: FINRA Qualified Arbitrator; Member of the MSRB Compliance Advisory Group.
Managing Director
JOHN J. DONOHUE
Mr. Karp brings over 40 years of experience as a financial services specialist with a core concentration in Financial Markets Accounting. He began his career with a seven-year tenure at J.P. Morgan , followed by accounting roles at Bankers Trust and Scotia Capital Markets . Mr. Karp served as Controller at Schonfield Securities for six years before joining FIS (SunGard) , where he spent 14 years as Senior Product Accounting Head spearheading new development and implementations for dozens of global clients. Prior to joining ACG Consulting Group LLC , he served as Executive Director of Accounting at Daiwa Capital Markets.
His expertise includes SunGard Phase3 implementations, General Ledger mapping and reconciliations, and comprehensive regulatory reporting. He provides high-level guidance on SEC requirements, including 15c3-3 Customer Reserve Calculations, 15c3-1 Net Capital computations, and FOCUS filing.
Mr. Karp holds a Graduate Degree in Business Management from Adelphi University and a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology from the City College of New York
Managing Director
MICHAEL KARP
Mr. Hickey brings a wealth of broker-dealer and banking technical expertise to fi rms seeking high-level systems assistance, primarily focused on regulatory products. A veteran of J.P. Morgan and SunGard Financial , he has a proven track record of managing complex application designs and delivery protocols for member fi rms of all sizes and technology stacks. Most recently, Mr. Hickey led the validation and implementation of a new Blue Sheet processing system for one of the world's largest clearing firms.
His expertise centers on the intersection of back-office operations and technology, ensuring that conduct rules drive efficient process management. Mr. Hickey specializes in creating robust validation frameworks—encompassing format, referential integrity, and data source comparisons—that allow fi rms to maintain due diligence and ensure compliant reporting. He is recognized for his ability to translate regulatory requirements into automated, high-ROI workflows that provide hands-off processing and consistent audit trails.
Chief Technology Officer
MICHAEL HICKEY
jd@ableacg.com
40 Wall Street, 28th Floor, New York, NY 10005
mk@ableacg.com
40 Wall Street, 28th Floor, New York, NY 10005
hick@ableacg.com
40 Wall Street, 28th Floor, New York, NY 10005