Member-only story
4 simple ways women can advance their careers
Avani Desai is president of a CPA firm and insists that women don’t need to choose between motherhood and a successful career.
By Nick Dauk
Avani Desai insists that women in the workforce do not need to choose between becoming a wife and a mother or having a successful career.
With two children and a husband with a demanding career, Desai was determined to find the flexibility required to continue advancing as a professional as her family grew — which meant stepping away from her position as a director of risk consulting.
“I started working for KPMG right after college and left after 10 years when my firstborn turned one,” she said.
Though Desai loved working in her field, she sought out a role that would let her prioritize motherhood as she progressed through her career. Schellman & Company, a niche CPA firm specializing in cybersecurity auditing, provided that opportunity.
She’s proud of her accomplishments, but Desai acknowledges that her career story is an anomaly.
“Someone told me that I’m the only female minority running a Top 100 CPA firm and that devastated me,” she said. “I cannot believe that there aren’t more women out there to look up to.”
