Huzeifa Unwala, Founder and Sr Partner, JHS and Associates, LLP
The Brand Called You welcomes senior finance professional from Mumbai, Huzeifa Unwala on the podcast today. Huzeifa is the Founder and Sr. Partner at JHS and Associates, LLP.
Podcast
Overview
The Brand Called You welcomes senior finance professional from Mumbai, Huzeifa Unwala on the podcast today. Huzeifa is the Founder and Sr. Partner at JHS and Associates, LLP. In this very interesting interview with our host, Huzeifa shares his professional journey into accounting and the story of successfully setting up his own firm.
The setting up of JHS and Associates, LLP:
A determined Huzeifa started JHS and Associates, LLP about nineteen years ago! Working from a small residential apartment, Huzeifa had to struggle through the challenges that most startup Founders face. He built the firm from scratch and worked diligently to convince clients to hire his company. Huzeifa also slowly built his own team and scaled up his company to a good position
In his own words,
“We have still got miles to go. I look at it as a ship that we have managed to construct and have started the voyage. We still have to crisscross the seven continents”
His scope of work:
As the Founder and Sr. Partner at JHS and Associates, LLP- Huzeifa works towards strategic and transformational growth of the company. He leads by finding ways to expand the company’s in various territories and geographies. Huzeifa also looks over product innovations and scale up strategies.
Huzeifa speaks about the distinct qualities of his firm that make it stand out from the others. He also throws light on the challenges he has to face being in the profession.
About startups:
Being a board member of Startup Ventures, where he sits on the boards of various startups. Huzeifa shares that he learns a lot about these startups and their digital and technological backgrounds. His experiences have given him a great knowledge about startup businesses. He advises businesses on their financial stability and pushes them in the right direction.
Huzeifa opines about some very important aspects of a startup business.
His advice to young accountants:
Huzeifa believes that as an auditor/accountant, one writes the financial history of a client. Writing this with utmost honesty and the clearest of intentions will not only make them a respected professional but also contribute to a fairer society.
Tune in to TBCY for more!
Profile
Huzeifa Unwala- Senior Partner
FCA, CISA, NISM(DP), ISO2700
I strongly believe in virtues of compassion in action, volunteering to set an example and taking on challenging tasks that lead to greater achievements.
Huzeifa is a persuasive leader who has 22 years of experience as a Chartered Accountant. As a founder & senior partner at JHS, he drives the group strategy, organizational transformation, growth of the practice, and practice innovations efficiently. He oversees select groups of clients and manages teams on key project executions, he appears as a man of people.
Huzeifa initiated the idea of creating a multi-disciplinary and multi-location firm in the year 2012 and consulted several like minded audit & consulting firms across the country to combine their goodwill. JHS was established largely on account of leadership and pursuassive efforts of Huzeifa.
As a Trustee Director at Dixon Asia Pacific Pvt, Huzeifa is serving the organization in professional capacity. And as an expert member of the Technology Committee of a leading Asset Management Company, he puts his expertise forward with excellence based on his 22 years of consulting experience.
Huzeifa also advises CEOs and sits on the Boards of Start Up Ventures in an advisory capacity. He acts as a close buddy of CEOs guiding them on governance and management philosophies. Huzeifa strongly believes in contributing back to the society and holds the position of Treasurer of a Trust involved in charitable activities. His recent voluntary initiative involved partnering with a special task force set up by the President of ICAI to launch the National Financial Literacy drive of ICAI on 1st July 2021 called the “Vittiya Gyaan Abhiyaan” through a dedicated website.
Huzeifa has experience of handling versatile industries and people with International, large and medium-sized clients. As he has been dealing with Corporate Governance, Business Advisory, Fraud Investigations, Internal Audits, IT Advisory, SOX/ ICOFR implementation assistance and, SSAE attestations, Enterprise-wide Risk Management for ages.
Prior to JHS, he was Partner & National Leader of Risk Advisory Services practice of BDO, India. There he crafted and led a large team of 250+ people. Huzeifa also had a stint with the Business Risk Services division of Grant Thornton at the Mumbai office in the capacity of Client Service Director. He brought stability to the business unit and created a critical client mass in a short span of time.
He has always been passionate about his work which helped him achieve the milestone of being the youngest partner at Haribhakti & Co. There he led Information Systems & Risk Management Division. He was instrumental in setting up the first overseas office of the firm in the middle east region.
There is a hidden mentor in Huzeifa’s personality. He is always ready to share his knowledge, whatever he has learned from his experience. He has already mentored many large project teams, serving global clients, and developing professional practices.
In the past he has assisted state and government agencies in large value fraud investigations and has provided expert testimony in a State Vs. Corporate litigation case.
