LOS ANGELES, CA (Oct. 18, 2021) – GHJ, a leading accounting and advisory firm, is excited to announce that Partner Donella Wilson, Managing Director Anita Wu and Principal Frances Ellington were recognized as the “Most Influential Women in Accounting” by the Los Angeles Business Journal. This marks the fifth time being honored for Wilson and the fourth for Wu.
“It is truly wonderful to once again see these women recognized for their influential leadership in accounting,” said GHJ Managing Partner Tom Barry. “They serve as pillars of strength and are respected by both colleagues and those looking to enter the accounting field. They continuously inspire other future leaders at GHJ to #BeMore.”
Each year, the Los Angeles Business Journal publishes its “Top Women in Accounting” list that profiles an impressive array of LA’s top female accountants who practice with distinction.
“Their efforts empowering women at the Firm, along with their contributions in the community and the accounting industry make this ‘Leaders of Influence’ honor incredibly well-deserved,” Barry said. “As a firm that values diversity, equity and inclusion, we are proud to have them on our team.”
DONELLA WILSON, CPA, PARTNER
Donella leads GHJ’s Nonprofit Practice and is President and Chief Philanthropy Officer of GHJ Foundation. She is also a leader of GHJ’s Women’s Empowerment Initiative. A sought-after industry leader, Donella was recognized as a 2018 “Women Executive of the Year” and a 2017-2021 “Most Influential Women in Accounting” by the Los Angeles Business Journal. In 2018, she was also awarded the “Soroptomist Award” by Soroptimist International of Los Angeles. Committed to ending homelessness for women, Donella served on the Board of Directors of the Downtown Women’s Center for 13 years. She is a member of Southern California Grantmakers Audit Committee and Southern California Grantmakers Corporate Leadership Council.
ANITA WU, CPA, CFE, MANAGING DIRECTOR
Anita is a leader in GHJ’s Profit Participation Services Practice. An experienced accountant in the entertainment industry, Anita is a regular speaker and writer and was a co-author for GHJ’s entertainment and media whitepapers. Additionally, Anita enjoys working with innovators and pioneers in the entertainment industry and collaborating with clients as a means towards getting the best results. Anita is also a leader of GHJ’s Women’s Empowerment Initiative and a mentor and role model for younger members of the Firm. Previously, she was recognized as Los Angeles Business Journal’s “Most Influential Women in Accounting” and “Most Influential Minority CPA.” Anita is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Fraud Examiner.
FRANCES ELLINGTON, DBA, CPA, PRINCIPAL
Frances is GHJ’s State and Local Tax Practice Leader as well as a leader of GHJ’s Women’s Empowerment Initiative, which works to motivate and inspire women at GHJ and in the community. Frances’ outside community involvement includes the “Principal for a Day” program of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and serving as a career advocate for Fulfillment Fund Destination College. She also a board member at CalCPA and volunteers with the Junior League and the City of Santa Monica. Additionally, Frances is a lecturer for the University of North Carolina’s Master of Accounting program. Due to her significant contributions, Frances was a recipient of The Accountant’s and International Accounting Bulletin’s 2020 “Young Accountant of the Year Award” and CalCPA’s 2019 “Women to Watch” award in the Emerging Leader category.
…
ABOUT GHJ
GHJ is an accounting and advisory firm that specializes in nonprofit, food and beverage, entertainment and media and health and wellness companies. Previous recipient of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Employee Champion For Life Work Harmony Award and named a “Best Places to Work” by the Los Angeles Business Journal eight times since 2008, GHJ is passionate about helping clients and its people #BeMore by focusing on building thriving businesses and creating a better future.
GHJ works as a business advocate for its clients — providing personalized service and building long-term relationships to help position our clients for growth. Through its affiliation with HLB International, a global network of independent professional accounting firms and business advisers, GHJ is able to partner with other top firms across major cities throughout the U.S. and the world. GHJ’s audit, tax and advisory teams leverage the HLB network to partner with its clients and give clients access to member firms in over 158 countries across the globe.
Also ranked as a top-20 largest accounting firm on the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Book of Lists, GHJ has 15 partners and more than 170 staff members that serve over 3,000 clients. GHJ is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the AICPA Governmental Audit Quality Center (GAQC), the California Society of CPAs and the California Association of Nonprofits (CalNonprofit).
###
