2017 Ascend National Convention & Career Fair

SPEAKERS & MENTORS

DAPHNE GULCU JULIE HO ANANDA
Financial Planning Director, Partner, Deloitte KANAPATHY
Praxair Senior Director, Gas Field
DR. FLORENCE Operations, North, Public
MICHAEL GUO HOLLAND Service Electric & Gas Co.
Assurance Partner, RSM Lead Manager, Pipeline (PSE&G)
US LLP Initiatives, Association
of International Certified TARIQ KHAN
WILLIAM GUO Professional Accountants Founder & Chief Executive
Vice President, Asian Officer, Global Diversity
Employee Network (AEN); WES HOM Marketing; Adjunct
Production Engineer, Mid- Vice President of External Professor, Marketing, New
Continent BU, Chevron Affairs and National Board York University
Member, Ascend; Former
S. K. GUPTA Vice President & Managing ALFRED KO
Managing Director & Co- Director, IBM Consulting Director, RSM
Founder, Ascend Pinnacle US LLP
MICHAEL HUANG
SANDEEP GUPTA Deputy Editor, ESPN SUDHIR
Partner, Deloitte; Vice KONDISETTY
President of Chapter Principal, RSM US LLP
Affairs, Ascend
ADNAN ISLAM DUY-LOAN LE
CHRISTINE HA International Tax Director, Board Director, National
Celebrity Cook & Author RSM US LLP Instruments, Ballard
Power Systems, eSilicon,
Medigram

KAREN JONG For bios, see the Convene App or visit:
Tax Partner, RSM US LLP www.ascendleadershipconvention.org/
conv2017speakers
or scan QR code:

2 017 A S C E N D N AT I O N A L C O N V E N T I O N 51



SPEAKERS & MENTORS

JUDY LE VINCE MERCADER PRIYA PANDIT
President, TakeRoot Director, Transaction Director, Segment
Leadership Training and Services, Grant Thornton Marketing, Prudential
Coaching LLP

JAKE LEE ANNA W. MOK KATIE PATEL
Vice President – Co-Founder, Ascend Diversity Talent Acquisition
Information Security Pinnacle; National Recruiter, PwC
Manager, Wells Fargo Executive Vice President,
Ascend; Partner, Deloitte & DENISE PECK
DEREK LEUNG Touche LLP Executive Advisor, Ascend
Manager, Fraud
Investigation & Dispute ANN NANDA
Services, EY Vice President, Prudential
Financial
VIRGINIA LI
Tax Partner, Private Client LISA ONG THOMAS PHELPS
Services, RSM US LLP National Director, Office of Vice President of
Diversity & Inclusion, PwC Corporate Strategy and
DARCY LOPES Chief Information Officer,
Assurance Partner, EY DAVID ONO Laserfiche
News Anchor, ABC7 Los
JACYNDA MARBURY Angeles BINITA PRADHAN
Vice President, BNY Mellon Partner, BDO USA, LLP

SAMIR PANDIRI For bios, see the Convene App or visit:
Executive Vice President, www.ascendleadershipconvention.org/
BNY Mellon conv2017speakers
or scan QR code:

2 017 A S C E N D N AT I O N A L C O N V E N T I O N 53

SPEAKERS & MENTORS

DEEPA RICHARD SEO MANOJ VARUGHESE
PURUSHOTHAMAN Partner, Crowe Horwath Senior Area Director,
LLP Medtronic
Principal, Deloitte
MAMMEN VERGHIS
KALPANA JOHN SPARGER Vice President, Prudential
RAMAKRISHNAN Senior Vice President, Targa Financial
Principal, KPMG Resources

JUDY RAVIN THEAR SUZUKI ANDREW VO
President and Founder, Advisory Leader, Southwest Managing Director,
Accents International, LLC Region, EY Accenture

ELAINA RODGERS FRED TAN JEAN WALDRIP
Vice President, BNY Mellon Managing Director, Grant Managing Director, BNY
Thornton LLP Mellon

ANITA SEHGAL RANDY TANAKA TRACEY WALKER
Senior Vice President, Managing Director, ISA National Senior Director of
Marketing and West, BDO USA, LLP Government Affairs; Culture
Communications, Houston Diversity and Inclusion,
Astros RSM US LLP

KATE SEITZ CECILIA TSE For bios, see the Convene App or visit:
Partner, RSM US LLP Director, PwC www.ascendleadershipconvention.org/
conv2017speakers
or scan QR code:

54 C O N N E C T. I N S P I R E . A S C E N D.

Prudential is proud to support the
Ascend 2017 National Convention & Career Fair

We join you in celebrating the largest gathering of Pan-Asian business leaders and
professionals in North America. Senior executives along with MBAs and undergraduate students
participate in three days of leadership, professional development & networking.

Prudential is honored to sponsor events such as these that empower and strengthen
the communities in which we live and work. We are
here to help you achieve your aspirations
and goals for long-term financial success.

© 2017 Prudential, the Prudential logo, the Rock Symbol and Bring Your Challenges are service marks prudential.com
of Prudential Financial, Inc. and its related entities, registered in many jurisdictions worldwide.
0306810-00001-00

SPEAKERS & MENTORS

JENNY WEI EMERALD YANG
Managing Director, PwC Talent Acquisition Manager,
PwC

JIM WEN DR. SOYEON YI
Manager, Strategic Federal Biotechnologist, Astronaut
Tax Services, Grant
Thornton LLP KEN YOON
Vice President, Finance,
CHRISTOPHER Synchrony Financial
WILKINSON
Principal, Crowe Horwath S. SHARIQ YOSUFZAI
LLP Vice President, Global
Diversity, Chevron
JANET S. WONG Corporation
Executive Advisor, Ascend;
Partner (Retired), KPMG FARHAD ZAMAN
Partner, PwC
MICHAEL WONG
Associate Principal Counsel,
ESPN

JASON WU For bios, see the Convene App or visit:
Managing Director, PwC www.ascendleadershipconvention.org/
conv2017speakers
or scan QR code:

56 C O N N E C T. I N S P I R E . A S C E N D.

Diversity
speaks louder
than words

As a founding sponsor, PwC is proud of our longstanding
relationship with Ascend.
We want to take this opportunity to thank Farhad Zaman,
PwC partner, for all he does to help our people, our workplace
and our communities thrive. Farhad is an active Ascend
member who raised 3 daughters, lived in 7 countries and
served countless clients over the last 20 years.
And congratulations to Ascend for all you do to advance
Pan Asian leaders.
www.pwc.com

© 2017 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership. All rights reserved.

Innovation
stems from a
variety of ideas.

We’re proud to cultivate
a culture of inclusion
and diversity.

At KPMG, we believe our people must be as diverse
as the clients and communities we serve and that
their unique backgrounds, experiences, and talents
are essential to our success. We’re proud that at every
level of our firm, our professionals take ownership of
creating a diverse and inclusive culture.
We appreciate our alliance with Ascend, and value our
shared commitment to develop next generation leaders.
Learn more at KPMG.com/us/careers.

Anticipate tomorrow. Deliver today.

©2017 KPMG LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership and the U.S. member firm of the
KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative
(“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. Some of the services or offerings provided by KPMG LLP
are not permissible for its audit clients or affiliates. NDPPS 663970