After 37 years of dedicated service and leadership as the Founding Partner of Christianson CPAs and Consultants, John Christianson is beginning an exciting new chapter. His retirement from Christianson PLLP allows him to focus on his software company Beyond and Christianson Benchmarking, LLC.
John earned his Bachelor of Science – Accounting from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. He began as a CPA sole proprietorship in 1985 and founded the Firm in 1987. During this time, John gained experience and made meaningful connections during the challenging farm crisis years.
In the 1990s, he was approached by a group of local farmers wanting financial consulting to start an ethanol plant, one of the first in Minnesota. The launch was a success. Soon Christianson & Associates was known as part of the ‘Minnesota Model’ and were supporting ethanol start-ups and clients across the nation. His company was instrumental in developing dozens of ethanol plants during the construction boom of 2000s.
John was instrumental in developing and delivering Biofuels Benchmarking™ for ethanol plants to access industry data, insights, and reports. Representing 45% of all North American ethanol producers, Biofuels Benchmarking™ empowers plant leaders get the information they need and improve operational and financial performance. He remains heavily involved with Biofuels Benchmarking™, serving as President of the company.
Over the decades of his career, Christianson PLLP has blossomed into a full-service firm providing accounting, tax, attestation, compliance, and business advisory services. Because of those early connections in renewable fuels, Christianson PLLP has global expertise in carbon markets and validations for low carbon fuel standards. Christianson PLLP is often consulted to provide suggestions for improvements as governing bodies develop or modify programs in renewable fuels.
John left his managing partner role at the firm to become a director in 2021. He remains President at Beyond, A Christianson Company. Beyond leads software solutions connecting plant operations and accounting. Additionally, he is also a member of the Minnesota Governor’s Biofuels Council and a current board member and Treasurer of ACE.
