Insight in Indian Country Podcast
Trusted Expertise to Serve Tribal Nations
Mergers and acquisitions are known to have a high probability of failure. Are they worth the risk?
This episode, REDW Principal and National Tribal Practice Leader Wes Benally is discussing three primary reasons why prospective mergers or acquisitions fail with in-house valuation expert Braden McClintock, REDW Valuation & Related Financial Services Manager. From overpaying to overestimating and the post-merger integration process, Braden is laying out how to prevent buyer’s remorse in M&A transactions with financial due diligence. Tune in to gain the expert perspective and learn how to make more informed decisions when the risk is high.
Have a question or want to request a discussion topic for our podcast? Connect with Wes.
REDW LLC is proud to bring you the Insight in Indian Country Podcast, covering important advisory, accounting, and finance topics that impact Tribal Nations and business affairs. Thanks for listening!
Meet Your Hosts
Wesley Ryan Benally, CPA
REDW Principal and National Tribal Practice Leader
As the leader of REDW’s National Tribal Practice, Wes is committed to improving financial literacy throughout Indian Country and hosts the Insight in Indian Country Podcast. He oversees audits of a wide range for Native American communities, state and local government agencies, and non-profits, nationwide, is a member of the Arizona State Board of Accountancy’s Peer Review Oversight Advisory Committee and serves as an instructor with Arizona State University’s American Indian Policy Institute. In addition, as a Board member for a tribal gaming entity that operates in two states, Wes keeps up with regulatory issues important to tribal gaming operations. Wes is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation.
Braden McClintock, CPA, CVA
REDW Valuation and Related Financial Services Manager
With a comprehensive understanding of accounting, tax, finance, and valuation, Braden is skilled at conducting thorough research, performing data analysis and financial modeling, and presenting well-substantiated reports to clients in such matters as transaction advisory, shareholder disputes, economic damages, exit planning, and marital dissolution. He’s focused his experience in public accounting on providing business valuations for mergers and acquisitions, estate and gift tax, and financial litigation. Braden is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Illinois CPA Society, as well as the National Association of Certified Valuators & Analysts (NACVA).
Compensation Studies—Your Key to Hiring & Retaining Top Talent.
It’s important to attract—and retain—the best employees to ensure the long-term success and sustainability of your tribal organization. And given an exceptionally competitive labor market and the usual budget constraints, this means basing your employee compensation and benefits programs on relevant and reliable data.
More from Insight in Indian Country
- “Tribal Finance Is Much More Than Just Budgeting.” Inside OSU’s Tribal Finance & Accounting Certificate with Lindsey RayWhat does it take to truly prepare a professional to work in Tribal finance and governance? For Lindsey Ray, Senior Tribal Programs Manager at Oklahoma State University, the answer started with a needs assessment, a gap in the market, and a partnership that grew into something much bigger than anyone expected.
- 3rd Annual Tribal Leadership ConferenceREDW is proud to be a Gold Sponsor of the 3rd Annual Tribal Leadership Conference, June 1–4, 2026, in Chandler, AZ. Join our National Tribal Practice team in the exhibit hall and at four expert-led sessions covering technology, audit, HRstrategies for tribal leaders.
- “We’re all fighting for our people.” Economic Growth, Diversification, and the Future of Indian Country with Chris JamesChris speaks candidly about the role gaming has played as a transformational economic driver — and why Tribes are increasingly looking beyond it to federal contracting, technology, agriculture, tourism, and citizen entrepreneurship.
- Spring 2026 Single Audit ReadinessIf your organization receives federal funding — whether you’re a Tribal government, local government, or nonprofit — 2026 is a year to pay close attention to your Single Audit readiness.
- NAFOA 44th Annual ConferenceREDW is proud to return as a Gold Sponsor of NAFOA’s Spring Conference, taking place April 27–28 at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, NV. Join us as we connect with tribal leaders and industry experts to discuss the economic issues shaping Indian Country — and don’t miss REDW Principal and Cybersecurity expert John W. Graham’s session, “What Could Go Wrong? Cybersecurity Essentials for Tribal Governments,” on April 28.
