No. 2: Lara Abrash

Listen to this article

Abrash is chair and CEO of Deloitte & Touche LLP, based in Parsippany. Beginning in June, she became the chair of Deloitte US. She is responsible for overseeing the firm’s U.S. Audit & Assurance practice, including the execution of its quality, innovation, growth and talent strategies. Abrash has held roles in which she oversaw significant client responsibilities as a global lead client service partner for large multinational entities. She also is a member of the U.S. Executive Committee and U.S. Management Committee.

“I am honored and humbled by the confidence our partners have placed in me to lead the Deloitte board,” Abrash said when her latest appointment was announced. “I look forward to continuing the effective, transparent governance of our partnership while collaborating with Jason and the management team to build upon our legacy as the world’s leading professional services firm — one that is defined by solving the most complex and unique challenges facing our clients and society.”

Also in June, Abrash was named by AICPA and CPA Practice Advisor as one of the 2023 Most Powerful Women in Accounting. “The accounting profession is at a pivotal moment,” she said in an online interview accompanying the release of the list. “Our profession will undergo more transformational change in the next five years than in the past 50 years. Transformation is key to our profession’s continued success. At Deloitte, we are embracing new behaviors, new processes, new technologies, and new talent models, all while sustaining quality as assessed by our regulators.”

Previously within the U.S. Audit & Assurance practice, Abrash served as its deputy CEO, national managing partner of audit innovation and client service delivery, and chief operating officer. According to the firm, Abrash’s leadership philosophy is based on her understanding of multinational clients in various industries, her leadership roles and experiences, and her passion for advancing innovation and inclusion in the profession.