LOS ANGELES, CA (May 12, 2022) – GHJ, a leading accounting and advisory firm, is pleased to announce that Nonprofit Tax Practice Leader Lizbeth Nevarez, Audit and Assurance Practice Leader Satpal Nagpal and Corporate Tax Practice Leader Evonne Chen were recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal (LABJ) as 2022 Leaders of Influence: Minority CPAs. This is Lizbeth and Satpal’s third recognition and Evonne’s first.
“I am thrilled to congratulate Lizbeth, Satpal and Evonne, who are all incredibly deserving of this recognition,” said GHJ Managing Partner Tom Barry. “They are all trailblazers and champions in our industry and communities in their own unique ways.”
LABJ’s 2022 Leaders of Influence: Minority CPAs recognize outstanding professionals in the industry and are selected based on their personal achievements, community leadership, professional milestones and notable accomplishments during the past 12–18 months.
GHJ prides itself on its commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA), which allows employees of all backgrounds to thrive and live the Firm’s #BeMore mission. The Firm believes diversity of thought helps to better serve clients and the communities they serve.
“Our DEIA efforts are woven into the fabric of our strategy, execution and talent efforts,” Tom said. “It is an honor to once again have three outstanding team members be recognized.”
ABOUT LIZBETH NEVAREZ
Lizbeth was born in Mexico and moved to the U.S. at the age of five. She was a recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which allowed her to be the first in her family to finish college and gain employment after graduation.
She found her first accounting job at GHJ in 2008, and she has become a pivotal leader at the Firm, where she provides tax and consulting services. Lizbeth leads GHJ’s Nonprofit Tax Practice and is the Secretary for GHJ Foundation, which is the Firm’s vehicle for purposeful and proactive giving to the community. Additionally, she co-leads GHJ’s Women’s Empowerment Cohort, which is part of GHJ’s DEIA initiative.
Her commitment to diversity and dedication to the Los Angeles nonprofit community make her a force to be reckoned with. An emerging industry leader, Lizbeth is a highly sought-after expert in the field and a frequent guest speaker on nonprofit tax issues. She has completed the Riordan Leadership Institute’s Board service program through the Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce, which aims to develop and cultivate business professionals for lifelong service in the nonprofit community.
“Lizbeth is known throughout the firm and the industry for her dedication to mentoring others, especially minorities and women,” said Donella Wilson, GHJ Nonprofit Practice Leader. “Her focus on DEIA has made her an inspiration for both her colleagues and those looking to enter the accounting field.”
ABOUT SATPAL NAGPAL
Satpal comes from Mumbai, India, and is fluent in Hindi and Punjabi. He is GHJ’s Audit and Assurance Practice Leader and has more than 20 years of public accounting experience in providing audit, accounting and business consulting services.
His dedication to his clients, employees and the accounting profession have helped to take GHJ’s Audit Practice to the next level. Satpal’s passion for innovation and collaboration encourages employees to #BeMore and has transformed how GHJ does business. He is highly regarded as a mentor within the Firm and encourages his team members to solve problems creatively.
In addition to helping clients grow their businesses and assisting them on complex audit issues, Satpal has led the implementation of new technologies that have helped the Audit and Assurance Practice become more efficient and effective. When the pandemic hit, the Firm heavily relied on Satpal’s expertise to develop a remote audit framework and Satpal even helped GHJ partner with another firm in India from GHJ’s accounting network HLB to help provide his team additional resources. With Satpal’s guidance, GHJ was able to use the framework developed for remote team members and apply it to the wider team in India as well as across other departments in the firm by incorporating simple but effective tools.
“Satpal is a remarkable member of our team and helps inspire and mold young leaders every day,” Tom said. “He is committed to building a next-generation firm that encompasses our core values of Bright Minds, Brave Hearts and Bold Actions.”
ABOUT EVONNE CHEN
Born and raised in Shanghai, China, Evonne moved to the U.S. alone at 16 as part of a high school exchange student program. She completed her high school education in Wisconsin before moving to California for college. She is fluent in Mandarin and Shanghainese, and her family is still based in Shanghai.
Evonne has over nine years of accounting experience and leads GHJ’s Corporate Tax Practice. She focuses on corporate tax compliance and consulting across a range of industries, including manufacturing and distribution, food and beverage and health and wellness. Her dedication to helping clients and colleagues, along with her ability to break down complicated topics, is what makes Evonne stand out as a CPA.
Evonne works closely with clients to provide proactive tax planning, and her attention to detail delivers consistently high-quality work. Her experience includes providing U.S. inbound tax due diligence, transaction planning and deal structure optimization to cross-border clients.
“Evonne is a true role model within our Firm,” said Akash Sehgal, GHJ Tax Practice Leader. “She believes that a person should be the kind of leader they would like to follow, and she has lived by that adage as she builds and develops her Corporate Tax Team. We are lucky to have her at GHJ.”
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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 Place to Work” by the Los Angeles Business Journal eight times, 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 157 countries across the globe.
Ranked as a top-20 largest accounting firm on the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Book of Lists, GHJ has 21 partners and approximately 200 staff members that serve thousands of 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).
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