Jeffrey Hildreth

Jeffrey Hildreth is a senior M&A and tax advisor, corporate-tax educator, and former Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) whose career bridges top-tier public-accounting firms and private-enterprise leadership. Today, he runs an independent advisory practice delivering consulting services across due diligence, deal structuring, quality-of-earnings analysis, ASC 740, and complex tax strategy—supporting transactions, compliance, and long-range planning for both corporate and investor clients. Clients ranging from Fortune 500 strategics to founder-led businesses rely on his ability to translate technical nuance into decisions that preserve value and keep deals moving.

A faculty member in the University of Southern California’s Master of Business Taxation program, Jeffrey teaches graduate courses on corporate taxation, grounding academic concepts in the realities of practice through insights shaped by years of advising on high-stakes transactions and complex business structures. He holds a CPA license and earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Southern California—completing a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance and Business Economics and a minor in Political Science, concurrently with a Master of Business Taxation.

Jeffrey’s earlier tenure at Big Four and middle-market advisory firms saw him launch and lead M&A and tax groups across Southern California, mentor rising professionals, and advise on transactions totaling several billion dollars. Before public accounting, he served as CFO of his family’s multi-state media company, steering financial strategy, treasury operations, and an international subsidiary network. That operator’s perspective informs his pragmatic, execution-first approach to advisory engagements. He also lends his expertise to corporate and nonprofit boards, offering strategic guidance on financial oversight, governance, and long-term planning.

Rooted in a California family long active in the state’s civic and business life, Jeffrey pairs professional rigor with community engagement. Through his life he has partnered with nonprofit initiatives through USC and the Southern California Leadership Network, supporting enrichment and leadership development.

Inside and outside the boardroom, Jeffrey values environments where judgment matters, excellence is assumed, and conversations look three moves ahead. Colleagues describe him as calm under pressure, detailed in analysis, and generous with knowledge. Whether structuring a carve-out, guiding a student team, or volunteering expertise to a nonprofit board, he aims to create lasting value through clarity, conviction, and shared purpose.