Schellman appoints Indian American Avani Desai as new President

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NEW YORK – Schellman & Company, LLC has appointed Indian American Avani M. Desai as their new President, according to a press release.

As President of Schellman, Desai is now the only minority leader of a “Top 100” CPA firm along with becoming the youngest leader of a major accounting firm at the age of 37 as well as a female leader.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to lead one of the most innovative companies in our space. I look forward to partnering with our talented team in our pursuit of providing the highest quality professional services to our clients.” Desai stated in a press release.

Desai joined Schellman in 2012 and was seen most recently as the company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer.

Desai has also played an instrumental role in helping the company achieve many distinctions, including being the only CPA firm ever named to Gartner’s “Cool Vendor” listing, as well as being named a top five consulting firm to work for by Consulting Magazine.

Desai will succeed Chris Schellman, who co-founded the company in 2002 and has served as its President since 2009 and decided to step down one the company became one of the largest accounting firms in the United States.

Earlier this year, Accounting Today ranked Schellman & Company as the 89th largest American CPA firm, permanently memorializing the company as the largest CPA firm in history that does not provide traditional accounting services, such as financial audit or tax preparation.

“Avani is the most dynamic professional that I have ever worked with. Her charisma inspires our team and her knowledge garners the trust of everyone she encounters. She is, by far, the best person to shape the future of this company,” Schellman stated in a press realease.

In her new role, Desai will be tasked with further expanding Schellman’s market leadership in compliance and attestation services.

Desai was a certified public accountant prior to joining Schellman and still is.

She has spent over a decade at KPMG, where she led IT risk management and privacy initiatives across national service lines.

Desai was recently named a global leader in the consulting industry by Consulting Magazine.