Leena Patel

Executive summary

Leena Patel is a managing director and the chief of staff to CEO Seth Siegel. Her role covers ample terrain: She provides daily guidance to the CEO, helping him advance strategic priorities; she works with teams across the firm to enhance quality and excellence through effective project management and strategic thinking; she leads her team to identify and prioritize value creation opportunities enterprise wide; and she works alongside senior leaders to execute firmwide strategy, among many other responsibilities. Patel has been a crucial part of multiple transformations and achievements within the firm.

Prior to her current role, she was a senior director for the firm’s People & Culture (P&C) function, focusing on strategy and operations in support of Grant Thornton’s talent and growth goals. Her prior consulting experience, quantitative analysis skills, and breadth of experience proved invaluable, leading to new efficiencies and greater employee engagement throughout the firm.

Patel joined Grant Thornton in 2014 after more than nine years of successive leadership roles at Capgemini, a global information technology company. 

Professional qualifications and memberships

Patel was a Level 1 software engineer, and she was previously a certified Professional in Human Resources. 

Community involvement

Patel is passionate about raising funds for and awareness about blood cancer treatments. She was nominated for the Manhattan Executive Challenge for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and she was a member of the society’s Executive Leadership Council for multiple years. She continues to volunteer as well as raise awareness and funds for the organization.

Education

Patel earned bachelor’s (with distinction) and master’s degrees in systems and information engineering from the University of Virginia.