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PROFESSIONAL ISSUES

provide more transparency around their supply
chains. “We drive confidence in supply chains by
helping manufacturers identify, assess, and address
supply chain risks,” Mehta said. “This framework
helps us perform attestation engagements on these
efforts.”
Businesses are more secure because CPAs
and CGMA designation holders can incorporate
technology for risk mitigation, cybersecurity, and
effective internal controls.

STEPPING FORWARD TOGETHER
Mehta believes that accounting and finance
professionals have a role to play in helping others
grow personally and in their careers, in diversify-
ing the accounting field, and in preserving trust in
the profession. He invites accounting and finance
Anoop Natwar quality management systems. The Dynamic Audit practitioners to step forward with him, stating, “It is
Mehta, shown Solution, a joint project of the AICPA, major firms, our responsibility to represent the opportunities the
here preparing and technology providers, is aimed at creating an profession has given us and to provide these same
a meal at home, innovative cloud platform that would allow finance opportunities to others.”
says cooking is professionals to transform the financial statement Mehta steps into the role of chair with enthu-
one of his favorite audit. “The new Dynamic Audit Solution enables siasm and views challenges as opportunities. And
hobbies. us to use the power of technology to transform the as everyone who has had the pleasure of volunteer-
financial statement audit,” Mehta said. ing with, being coached by, or working with him
The AICPA also developed the SOC for Supply knows: Anoop Natwar Mehta does not waste
Chain framework as a way of helping organizations opportunities. ■

An encouraging role model

Anoop Natwar Mehta, the 2022–2023 AICPA chair, has a lot of began his career.)
practice inspiring others. Heidi Schweingruber, Ph.D., director for the Board on Science
As his friend and colleague Mauricio Peredo, Ph.D., chief Education at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering,
scientist at Analytical Mechanics Associates in the Hampton and Medicine, in the Washington, D.C., area, knows Mehta as a
Roads, Va., area, reflected, “He was always extremely supportive friend, teacher, and a leader in philanthropic work designed to
of me. I started as deputy program manager; I’m now chief pique children’s interest in STEM. Like Rakesh Shah, she is very
scientist at a leading aerospace firm. I achieved all of this with his familiar with Mehta’s encouragement.
encouragement and support. Not just in words, but in action.” Schweingruber met Mehta at a taekwondo studio 16 years
Rakesh G. Shah, CPA, owner of Desai & Shah, PC, CPAs, in ago when she signed her son up for karate classes. Her then
Germantown, Pa., has also known Mehta for 25 years. In the 5-year-old felt apprehensive about the class, so she signed
recent past, when Shah held an online seminar for 400 clients, herself up, too — undeterred by the fact that she was pregnant.
Mehta gave the closing remarks, offering encouragement and As a volunteer instructor, Mehta thoughtfully taught the
guidance for 20 minutes. And in 2020, during the height of mother-son duo.
the pandemic, Mehta asked Shah to join him at a food bank “Anoop teaches in a very supportive manner. Even
so they could chat while organizing and distributing food to when offering corrections, he would say, ‘You can do this,’ ”
community members. Schweingruber chuckled as she remembered. “In fact, when I
“Anoop shares knowledge and gives time, even though he was struggling to achieve my black belt, he noticed my fatigue
will be given nothing in return,” Shah said. “He’s my accounting and said to me, ‘You can do this ... and this is hard. If it were easy,
role model — my accounting guru.” (Mehta, in turn, extends everyone would do it.’ ”
gratitude to Shah’s partner, the late Raman R. Desai, for the “Anoop wants people to challenge themselves, and he never
support and encouragement he provided Mehta when he first hesitates to give encouragement along the way,” she said.

10 | Journal of Accountancy June 2022