Arla Lach

Executive summary

Arla has more than 18 years of experience in public accounting. She has extensive experience in providing auditing and accounting services, as well as in the review and improvement of internal control systems. Throughout her career, Arla has worked with both public and private companies with revenues over $1 billion.

She is also highly skilled in the review of SEC filings, including annual and quarterly filings, securities registrations and proxy statements. She has assisted a variety of companies with the implementation and maintenance of their internal control systems.

Experience From 2008 through 2010 Arla served as Chief of Staff to the U.S. firm CEO. This prestigious, two-year appointment represents a secondment and affords invaluable insight into leadership, management and business.

This role provided her with unique, in-depth experience in the development, execution and communication of firm strategy, contingency planning, budgeting, senior management transition and many other areas in the day-to-day operations and long-term planning of the firm.

Always pursuing challenges aimed at broadening her experience and gaining additional business acumen, Arla’s Chief of Staff position was her second secondment. Her first, in 2003, provided international experience with Grant Thornton Australia. In that role, she served a variety of clients, both Australia-based and global. Through this experience, she gained an understanding of Australian Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and Australian financial reporting, and she performed Australian GAAP to U.S. GAAP reconciliations.

Industry experience Arla has served clients in a number of industries, including manufacturing, distribution, technology and professional services. She especially enjoyed working on securities registrations and public-debt offerings for both manufacturing and technology companies. Currently she focuses her time working with companies in the industrial manufacturing and consumer products industries.

Professional qualifications and memberships

• Arla is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Illinois CPA Society (ICPAS) and the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD)
• Awards In 2011, Arla was honored by the Illinois CPA Society, and received the “Women to Watch” award in the emerging leader category.
  
  

Community involvement

• Arla currently serves on the Board of Directors and Audit Committee Chair for Gateway Foundation. Previously she served on the board of Step Up Women’s Network. Prior to that she served on the board of Theatre Building Chicago as the Treasurer.
   

Education

• Arla received her Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from the University of Illinois.