Former MACPA and AICPA Chair Anoop Mehta has worked tirelessly to strengthen the accounting and finance profession by inspiring the next generation of CPAs in classrooms throughout Maryland and beyond.

Now, he's hoping to do the same for the business community at large.

Mehta has been named an executive-in-residence at his alma mater, the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business. The 1984 Smith School graduate will share his practical knowledge and successful business experiences with the entire Smith community by collaborating with school faculty and administrators to develop strategic partnerships and programs with private industry organizations and the federal government, further advancing the school’s initiatives toward reimagining learning and investing in people and communities.

“My personal and professional success is intertwined with how many people I can help advance their careers and become leaders in the field," Mehta said. "Over the past two years, I have spoken to over 11,500 students. In today’s dynamic world, staying connected and lifting each other up is more critical than ever. I look forward to contributing to the Smith School’s mission by mentoring, sharing insights, and fostering connections that empower the next generation of business leaders.”

A tireless volunteer with a stellar reputation throughout the accounting and finance profession, Mehta served as chair of the MACPA's Board of Directors from 2012-13 and as AICPA chair from 2022-23, during which time he also served as chair of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, which combines the strengths of the AICPA and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, or CIMA.

He is just the second Maryland CPA to chair the AICPA’s Board of Directors. He follows Kimberly Ellison-Taylor, a Baltimore native and former MACPA chair who served as AICPA chair from 2016-17 and chair of the global Association of Certified Professional Accountants from 2017-18.

Mehta is chief strategist of the aerospace firm Analytical Mechanics Associates. Before taking that position, he spent more than four decades at Science Systems and Applications, Inc., eventually rising to CEO. During his time there, the company grew from a two-person firm to an organization with more than 1,000 employees. Mehta actively supported NASA and NOAA programs in his executive management capacity at SSAI.

Mehta is a member of Smith Dean Prabhudev Konana’s Advisory Board and the Accounting and Information Assurance Department's advisory council. His new appointment as executive-in-residence furthers his involvement with the school and supports his mission of helping students build their careers by preparing them to be “future-ready.”

He joins Dr. Wendy Sanhai, senior healthcare executive and specialist leader of Deloitte Consulting's Strategy and Analytics team, as the Smith School's two newest executives-in-residence. Together, they join the ranks of four other recognized Smith School alumni and faculty members — Albert Krall; Bill Longbrake, Ph.D., senior policy advisor for the Center for Financial Policy; William MacDonald, adjunct faculty member; and Clifford Rossi, professor of practice.