I am a Tax experienced senior associate in the International Tax Services (ITS) practice. I started as a Core Tax Services (CTS) senior associate at BDO through a merger with my previous firm in 2020 and eventually moved to ITS. I love being part of the ITS team, but also enjoy helping the CTS team from my home office.
Satya Ambati
Specialized Tax Services Experienced Senior Associate
Tell us about your role at BDO and career path to date.
To be honest, I have felt respected and valued during my time in the American accounting profession. However, I have noticed people taking interest in learning more about AAPI cultures and customs, which feels good.
How has the outlook changed for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the accounting profession over the years?
Personally, it has helped me understand different perspectives of other cultures in Asia outside my home country of India.
Has this month taken on renewed importance to you, given the anti-AAPI hate over the last two years?
If so, how?
Being away from my home country of India taught me to always keep an open mind when I come across something new and different. That includes learning to interact and bond with people and cultures that are unfamiliar to me.
What are you looking forward to learning during
this month?
My comfort food is Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani. It’s a dish from my home city Hyderabad, which is in southern India. There are various versions of it, but the authentic one is prepared in my hometown. I grew up eating it and savor every bite when I can find it. The dish is made with a lot of different spices and herbs with layers of rice, chicken, yogurt and fried onions, making it very flavorful. It always reminds me of home and family.
What’s your favorite comfort food?
Dumplings are my favorite. They not only represent the Lunar New Year, but they remind me of family. I learned how to make and cook dumplings when I was a kid at big family gatherings, which were so much fun.
What’s your favorite comfort food?
My experience with Ascend makes me proud to be a member of the AAPI community. One moment that stands out is reading an email from Anna Mok, president of Ascend, who recognized the collective resilience of our community. I also love reading stories from community members via Ascend, especially from those who open up about life’s challenges or provide advice to other community members.
What or who are you most proud of as a member of the
AAPI community?
I registered for the Employee Resource Group (ERG) forum, “Fostering Workplace Belonging Through ERGs” from Ascend. It focuses on building communities and creating development opportunities for a diverse workforce. I hope learning from this can help me with Multicultural Alliance team build-up and improvement.
What are you looking forward to learning during
this month?
In 2016, Chris Rock used Asian American stereotypes to make a joke at the Oscars. It happened before I started my master’s in accounting. After hearing his comments, I told myself that being an Asian accountant is not a joke. I was an accounting major because I like it and want to be a good professional CPA. It is not about race. With all that said, I think the perception of AAPI professionals has changed a lot in these years since I don’t hear any other “jokes” like the one told by Rock. Speaking from first-hand experience, I have seen more companies and organizations take AAPI community concerns more seriously while providing resources to help address those concerns.
How has the outlook changed for Asian Americans
and Pacific Islanders in the accounting profession over the years?
I’m an Assurance experienced senior associate at the Denver office. I started at a BDO Alliance firm in January 2019 that joined BDO on Aug. 1, 2020.
Tell us about your role at BDO and career path to date.
Assurance Experienced Senior Associate
Isabella Zhu
The Vietnamese sandwich also known as bánh mì. I attended elementary school in San Francisco’s Chinatown, and my mother would always buy a bánh mì from a little eatery called Little Paris before my school field trips. Being of both Chinese and Vietnamese descent, those experiences encapsulate my mixed heritage through the food I ate and the school I attended.
What’s your favorite comfort food?
Growing up as a kid, the most prominent AAPI figure was Bruce Lee. But nowadays, there are numerous influential members of the AAPI community who span across different industries. For instance, I’m a fan of pro basketball player Jeremy Lin, who played in the NBA. There are also prominent figures in activism, politics, business, entertainment, media and technology. I am most proud of the fact there are more members of the AAPI community who use their influence to make positive changes.
What or who are you most proud of as a member of the AAPI community?
This is a very complicated issue with many nuances. But we can start by changing the narrative that AAPI professionals can’t be good leaders. We can do this by affecting policy changes by voting and being more active in our local communities. We can also carve a better way forward for future generations and consider the multi-generational impact of our decision making. All this can be done while shedding the model minority myth and the perception of AAPI people as perpetual foreigners.
Research shows, as a whole, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are underrepresented in leadership positions across corporate America. What can be done to address this problem?
To be completely honest, I wasn’t made aware that May was Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month until recently. Despite growing up in San Francisco, I don’t remember it being taught in school. But my heritage isn’t something I ever shied away from. Historically, anti-AAPI sentiment in this country has spanned further than the past two years. Examples include the Chinese Exclusion Act, the internment of Japanese Americans and the unjust killing of Vincent Chin. Paradoxically, the pandemic shined a spotlight on these issues and galvanized the AAPI community. More than ever, I’ve seen AAPI activism at play — especially in the U.S. — and hope that momentum continues far into the future.
Has this month taken on renewed importance to you, given the anti-AAPI hate over the last two years?
If so, how?
My role at BDO is an experienced associate in the Specialized Tax Services-Research & Development/Business Incentives group. I formerly worked in the biotech/medical device industry in San Diego before making a career change into an accounting and consulting.
Tell us about your role at BDO and career path to date.
Specialized Tax Service Experienced Associate
Michael Tat
Everything my mom makes in terms of Chinese/Taiwanese food is amazing. I say that because it is 100% true, and if my mom finds out I answered differently, I will hear about it for the rest of my life. When my mom gets tired of cooking, my dad makes the best pork tonkatsu. I eat it with a giant bowl of rice and a side of A.1. sauce. I’m sure some tonkatsu traditionalists winced at the A.1. sauce reference — but maybe that’s where the “American” part of AAPI kicks in for me. Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it!
What’s your favorite comfort food?
It’s worth repeating that AAPIs aren’t a monolith. I know the path I traveled is not a universal experience shared by every other member of the AAPI community. I look forward to hearing and learning from other AAPI professionals’ experiences in this industry and listening to their triumphs and challenges to better understand how to support the next generation of accounting professionals coming up the ranks.
What are you looking forward to learning during
this month?
Increasing representation requires work from AAPI professionals as well as existing leadership. There were several times throughout my career where I felt frustration over the lack of AAPI role models in leadership positions. I’d be lying if I said I’ve never been tempted to quit and find a new job as a professional viewer of cat videos on YouTube. One of my biggest motivators was the thought that I could potentially be a role model for the next generation of AAPI professionals. But, the AAPI community must be met halfway; current leaders must not succumb to old biases or only promote folks that remind them of themselves.
Research shows, as a whole, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are underrepresented in leadership positions across corporate America. What can be done to address this problem?
The increased representation and prominence of AAPI professionals in this industry has been exciting to witness since I started my public accounting career nearly 20 years ago. Many of the historically perpetuated stereotypes emphasize a strong work ethic and discipline as a team player, which, ironically, haven’t always been viewed as key indicators of executive presence and leadership ability. That outdated thinking has shifted in recent years as more people genuinely embrace diversity in leadership roles. It’s not just diversity in terms of checking boxes ― like ethnic background or gender ― but in how we choose to communicate, problem solve and tackle challenges.
How has the outlook changed for Asian Americans
and Pacific Islanders in the accounting profession over the years?
I joined BDO’s National Tax Office in 2016 from another global professional services firm. In this role, I work with folks from different groups all over the country, which I find so interesting and rewarding – it keeps me on my toes. I’ve loved meeting people face-to-face and learning about each BDO office/region. My job is fun because I get to work with some of the smartest, nicest and most highly motivated tax professionals in the industry.
Tell us about your role at BDO and career path to date.
Tax Partner
Connie Cunningham
RICE! In the Philippines, most people eat rice three meals a day. When my brother and I first came to the U.S. for college, most dining places at our university didn't serve rice. We then created our own Asian ritual in our residence hall. Each Friday, we would get together with our Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai friends and use our rice cooker to make delicious meals in the kitchen. We would then invite our American friends to join us and introduce them to different Asian cuisines. Because of this, we made a lot of great friends and built a stronger community.
What’s your favorite comfort food?
Growing up as a Chinoy/Tsinoy (Chinese Filipino) in the Philippines, I was able to embrace and learn a lot from a multicultural environment. Now, as a member of the AAPI community for more than 15 years, that appreciation extends to our ancestors, who went through immense hardships and sacrifices to build this community. The best way to show our respect is to continue making the community bigger and better.
What or who are you most proud of as a member of the AAPI community?
I am always fascinated by people’s unique stories; sometimes they inspire me to think about life in a different way. The stories remind me how lucky I am to have what I have today, while motivating me to continue learning and finding ways to give back to our community.
What are you looking forward to learning during
this month?
I strongly believe a professional can find success if they have a positive influence supporting them early in their career. Companies can establish groups that mentor and encourage Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) as they work toward leadership positions. Additionally, transparency is the key to building trust. The level of fairness and transparency on assessing a company’s leadership position could impact the retention of its AAPI professionals.
Research shows, as a whole, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are underrepresented in leadership positions across corporate America. What can be done to address this problem?
I joined BDO in February 2020 and am a senior manager in our Third-Party Attestation practice. Prior to BDO, I was with another global professional services firm for nine years in their IT Advisory practice.
Tell us about your role at BDO and career path to date.
SOC Third Party Attestation Senior Manager
Anthony Ting
