A business valuation expert, Mary Ann Lerch loves analyzing data. Numbers and charts speak to her, and she finds the constant quest for knowledge to be exciting and enlightening. Ms. Lerch is currently lending her skills to her professional community on a consulting basis, which she’s done since 2005. She also contributes what she’s learned to professional journals, webinars, and presentations. Some of the highlights of her career include being the first woman to publish in the Business Evaluation Review and being one of the first women to get an ASA with the American Society of Appraisers.
Ms. Lerch didn’t start out with the goal of pursuing a career in math and business, however. It wasn’t until she took a finance course from Edward Modca, PhD, in college that the idea began to take shape. Dr. Modca encouraged her to pursue the field as her major, and she accepted his proposition. Ms. Lerch ended up graduating from George Washington University with a Bachelor of Science in 1971 and getting a job at a brokerage house that same year. A girl who worked there as a junior analyst showed her how to do the job, and recommended Ms. Lerch obtain an MBA. Ms. Lerch did so in 1974 at her undergraduate alma mater. The degree propelled her to positions as a financial analyst at the IRS in Washington, D.C. and as a valuation expert at Valuation Consultant Group, Inc., in Virginia. She stepped down in 2005 in favor of branching out on her own. In addition to her two aforementioned degrees, Ms. Lerch also holds a Master of Arts in economics from California State University at East Bay and certification as a chartered financial analyst, an accredited senior appraiser, and an accredited business valuation litigator.
When Ms. Lerch isn’t working, she enjoys finding new ways to connect with her peers. She is a fellow of the Association for Investment Management and Research, an accredited senior member of the American Society of Appraisers, and a member of the Washington Society of Investment Analysts, and CFASF. She has also been a librarian in the Christian Science Reading Room at the San Francisco International Airport since 2017.