Rusty A. Planert, CPA

Rusty Planert is a senior manager in Wipfli's financial services practice with more than 15 years of public accounting and assurance experience. He manages audit engagements for investment partnerships from engagement to delivery, with a particular focus on start-up and emerging hedge funds — guiding them through the audit and regulatory requirements of the investment partnership industry. Across the broader financial services space, he supports organizations in navigating complex accounting, audit and risk considerations, especially where new products and technologies intersect with regulatory expectations.

Rusty serves as Wipfli's firmwide subject matter expert for engagements involving digital assets, advising teams on accounting and reporting implications, control design, audit readiness and governance considerations. He brings a practical, executive-focused perspective to how digital money — including stablecoins and wallet-based experiences — impacts trust, customer expectations and institutional decision-making.

He also serves as Wipfli's Audit Innovation Liaison, where he evaluates and pilots emerging technologies — including AI and automation tools — for the audit practice and drives firmwide adoption across audit teams through training and change management. The role gives him a practitioner's perspective on how firms are evaluating and implementing AI, with a focus on practical adoption, workflow change and the future of professional services.