About
Shepherd Search Partners is a small team of friends who met through our children in a class called "Shepherds." Our families keep us anchored in the Kansas City area. We love our community and are pursuing business ownership in that community. We want to continue the unique legacies that small businesses have that make our home great. We are excited to pair with a driving CFO & CPA whose experience enables us as a team to embark on business ownership within the financial and accounting services industry.
Meet Our Team
Andrew Fennell, MBA
Co-Founder
Andrew is a co-founder and partner of Shepherd Search Partners (SSP). He brings extensive, operational leadership with commercial and non-profit experience to the team. Prior to SSP, Andrew served over ten years as an Army officer across the globe. As an Army officer, Andrew has an array of experience from flying combat missions and managing extensive operations involving thousands of military personnel to implementation of Aviation Restructuring Initiative (ARI) to replace over $1.3B of equipment on Korean Peninsula. Andrew also managed a $1B R&D program for the Department of Defense - Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP) between General Electric and a joint venture between Honeywell and Pratt & Whitney.
Since leaving the Army, Andrew planted roots in Kansas City and began his civilian career at Cerner where he led multifunctional organizations and established net new revenue opportunities in excess of $85M in new markets and partnerships.
Since Cerner, he was the business partner for the Critical Care Division at Children’s Mercy Hospital, and due to exceptional performance, took on 5 additional physician-business partnership across Children’s Mercy.
His most recent experience has been as a COO of a small commercial business where Andrew was able to run the dad-to-day operations and make financial decisions with a significant P&L responsibility. As a COO, Andrew enjoyed working with a B2B Fractional CFO and accounting firm and realized the value they provide small business owners.
Andrew and his wife Kasey love being immersed in family life. They have four children who keep the household warm and vibrant. He and his wife offer much of their time to their community through their children's sports teams, school, and church community. They are happy to call Kansas City their home.
Brent Felten, MS
Co-Founder
Brent is the co-founder of Shepherd Search Partners, a firm dedicated to identifying and partnering with accounting and financial planning practices seeking thoughtful succession solutions. Recognizing the challenges firm owners face when planning their transition or exit, his personal goal with SSP is to provide options that preserve client relationships, support employees, and honor legacies built over decades of work.
With a strong foundation in business strategy and organizational growth, Brent brings nearly two decades of experience as a Principal at Henderson Engineers, where he focuses on strategic growth and business development. His entrepreneurial drive extends beyond engineering - he has successfully acquired and grown small businesses and is active in residential and commercial real estate investing. This blend of experience has cultivated a deep understanding of business operations and transition planning, as well as a robust professional network within the Kansas City community.
Brent has had a front row seat to the world of accounting and finance. His wife, Catherine, is a graduate of University of Kansas with a business degree in Accounting. Catherine is a CPA and is currently the CFO at a local Kansas City company. She began her career as an auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Catherine has worked at large, public companies, as well as small to mid-sized private companies. She has 19 years of accounting and finance experience.
Brent and Catherine are the proud parents of three young boys. Outside of work, they dedicate much of their time to coaching youth sports and volunteering at their children's school. With a strong foundation in their professional careers, they are excited to pursue the acquisition of an existing business they can grow together. Their goal is to build on its success, reflecting their shared values while providing a meaningful service and product to their community