Her Story
About Purvi
Purvi Shah is a CPA specializing in Client Accounting Services (CAS) at Sikich in Chicago, Illinois. With nearly 25 years in the field, including early roles in international tax at PwC and McGladrey followed by five years as a tax writer, she has spent the past decade focused on CAS. Shah earned her accounting degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2003 and maintains an active CPA license in Illinois (0650V8259). She is a member of the Illinois CPA Society and serves clients through both execution and operational leadership, managing relationships for 10 to 20 clients while overseeing a team of 25 in the U.S. and 65 in India. Shah attributes her success to family support, particularly her father's early guidance, and values integrity and trust above all in her work. She advises young professionals to network consistently, stay current with technology such as AI, and ask boldly for what they want.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Purvi
01What do you attribute your success to?
I have a lot of family support. Initially, my dad was the guiding light for the profession. Throughout every career change, my husband and family members supported decisions made with the right intentions.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Doesn't matter what stage of life or career you're at, make sure that you stay in touch with people and network. Stay in touch with individuals, connect them to other people, help them out, and it always pays off in the long run.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Be bold, be confident. Don't give up on your dreams. Ask for what you want openly. The worst that can happen is somebody will say no, but if you don't ask, then you won't get it.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is how AI is going to impact us. New professionals should figure out how to elevate themselves to stay marketable. We need to keep ourselves up to date on changing technology. AI is also a great opportunity if we stay on top of it.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity and trust. Gaining somebody's trust takes time, but losing it only takes a moment. In this profession, it is important to maintain that trust by giving the right information with confidence and truth instead of sugarcoating it.
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