With great sadness, K2 Integrity mourns the passing of Alan S. “Al” Bernikow. Al, a partner and co-founder of K2 Integrity, passed away on 26 September 2023 at the age of 82. Al was critical to the formation of K2 Integrity (then K2 Intelligence) in 2010 and served as a trusted colleague, valued leader, and pillar within the organization. Those fortunate enough to have worked with Al have not only lost a mentor, an inspiring practitioner, and business strategist but also a caring human being who extended a hand to anyone who needed help.
In addition to his work at K2 Integrity, Al made a lasting impact on thousands of professionals, whether at Deloitte, where he rose to the level of deputy chief executive officer; at Kroll Bond Rating Agency, of which he was an original investor; or in the many board director roles he served in across public companies such as Revlon, UBS Global Asset Management, Florida Community Bank, and Mack-Cali. Al was a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. According to K2 Integrity Global Co-Managing Partner and Chief Risk Officer Bob Brenner, who had the opportunity to work alongside Al since 2014, “Al was fiercely loyal—never afraid to take on a fight to support a colleague or defend a client. At the same time, he had high expectations for those around him and held us to them. In all those ways he made us better at business and better people.”
Philanthropy was at the core of the Bernikow family and the extensive impact made by Al and his wife of 50 years, Joan, has been preserved through the dedication of the Joan & Alan Bernikow Jewish Community Center of Staten Island, which stands as a testament of their altruistic devotion. Al also was a member of the boards of the Jewish Communal Fund, United Jewish Communities–The Jewish Federations of North America, UJA–Federation of Jewish Philanthropies, and Richmond University Medical Center.
K2 Integrity Global Co-Managing Partner and Chief Strategy Officer Juan Zarate had the benefit of working with Al after Financial Integrity Network and K2 Intelligence merged in 2019. He notes: “Al was a rock—living a rich and meaningful life which we were privileged to witness until his closing days. We are blessed to say that Al was a part of our lives. May his memory be a blessing, and may he rest in peace.”
Along with Al’s family, friends, and colleagues, K2 Integrity mourns the loss of a caring and generous human being and an irreplaceable business and community leader.
