Topic: Do you have the right auditors?

Speaker: Hitesh Shah, Business Development Director, BDO USA, LLP

Presentation:

- Why do you need an audit firm – there are many reasons a company why a company needs an audit firm and it is important to know why.

- What do you want from your audit firm?

- Are you being “Rewarded” by your audit firm – Recruit, Retain and Reward

- Does your audit firm have the right industry expertise?

- Does your audit firm provide relevant thought leadership?

- Does the audit firm have an SEC practice, a National Office, IPO qualifications, etc.,

- Does your audit firm have a full service, global practice?

- Can your audit firm customize their audit solution base on your company’s business and size?

- How does the firm add value beyond the audit itself?

- Does the audit firm have a specific plan or approach to employee growth?

- Do they maintain staff/team continuity on the audit engagement?

- Who do you know at your audit firm?

- How often do you meet with your audit team and when?

- How current is the audit firm with their use of technology and tools in executing the audit?

- Does your audit firm engage the audit in a collaborative manner? 

Speaker’s bio: 
Hitesh Shah has more than 30 years of experience spanning startup through venture financing and eventual M&A exits in multiple high technology companies. He has in-depth experience in people management, finance, venture capital, business development, product management, business planning and customer service. Hitesh has raised over $100M in venture capital for four different startups. 

Prior to joining BDO, Hitesh has served in multiple executive roles as CFO, COO, and CEO. He was the Chief Operating Officer at Solum an Andreessen Horowitz, Khosla Ventures and Google Ventures funded company which was acquired by Monsanto. Hitesh also served as CEO and COO at Fat Spaniel Technologies acquired by Power-One and CFO at iPolicy Networks which was acquired by Tech Mahindra in India. 

Hitesh serves on the Executive Leadership Council of Parents Helping Parents (PHP), an organization whose mission is to empower families to build bright futures for children with special needs. He also serves as a board director of Human Needs Project (HNP), an organization focused on alleviating poverty.
 
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:
- Board Member, Human Needs Project 
- Board Member, Parents Helping Parents 
- Board Member, Conscious Capitalism, Inc. 

EDUCATION: 
- M.B.A, University of California, Berkeley – Walter A. Haas School of Business 
- B.Sc. (Engineering), Western Michigan University