Chief Executive Officer
Schellman Compliance, LLC
Avani Desai is a Chief Executive Officer at Schellman, the largest niche cybersecurity assessment firm in the world that focuses on technology assessments. Avani is an accomplished executive with domestic and international experience in information security, operations, P&L, oversight, and marketing involving both start-up and growth organizations. She has been featured in Forbes, CIO.com, and the Wall Street Journal, and is a sought-after speaker as a voice on a variety of emerging topics, including security, privacy, information security, future technology trends, and the expansion of young women involved in technology.
Also passionate about strategic philanthropy, Avani sits on the board of Arnold Palmer Medical Center, Philanos, Audit Committee chairwoman at the Central Florida Foundation, and is the co-chair of 100 Women Strong, a female-only venture capitalist based giving circle that focuses on solving community-based problems specific to women and children by using data analytics and big data. Avani is also an avid runner, always looking to sign up for the next Disney marathon.
With all that being said, Avani still considers her greatest accomplishment to be personal rather than professional—she is the proud mother to her 13-year-old son, Sahil, 10-year-old daughter, Sareena, and 3-year-old son, Hastin.
The first wave of private equity in accounting was defined by platform investments and first-time transactions. The next wave will be defined by what happens after the deal.
As the pioneering private equity investments in accounting mature, firms and investors are beginning to navigate continuation vehicles, secondary transactions, recapitalizations, evolving ownership structures, and even buybacks. Research shows that nearly two in ten PE-backed firms expect their investors to sell equity within the next two years, signaling that the profession is entering a new phase of the private equity lifecycle.
This session brings together firm leaders, investors, and advisors to explore how PE firms exit investments, what those transitions mean for partners and leadership teams, and how firms are preparing for their next chapter.
Attendees will gain insight into the realities of second transactions, lessons learned from early PE partnerships, and how firms are thinking about ownership, governance, and growth as private equity in accounting continues to evolve.