How To Survive And Grow As A Finance Professional In The Digital Age? Three Insights From Disha Patel

The world of finance is changing right before our eyes. Accountants are no longer limited to papers and spreadsheets. They work in the cloud, use automation, and coordinate teams remotely. Just this month, the State Bank of India posted a record $9.2 billion profit for Fiscal Year 2025, crediting its digital strategy as a major driver. Thriving in this environment requires agility, cross-border fluency, and a digital-first mindset.

Disha Patel knows this firsthand. A senior Accounting & Tax manager at Rogg & Kejriwal LLP in New York and a Cases & Faces 2025 Awardee, Ms. Patel began her career at Thomson Reuters (Sureprep India Pvt. Ltd), where she mastered U.S. tax forms and trained junior staff on IRS compliance. In the U.S., she rose from Senior Associate at KKM CPA to Accounting Manager at Rogg & Kejriwal LLP, where she now leads a team of 11 and manages tax reporting, payroll, and financial planning. Her success reflects technical skill and the ability to navigate cultural and regulatory differences across continents. Reflecting on this path, she shares three observations that can help shape someone’s role in global finance.

Tax software doesn’t replace tax thinking.

Cloud-based Platforms really speed up calculations and make reporting easier and more understandable. But, as practice shows, the effectiveness of these tools depends on how well the specialist understands the tax structure - without this, even the most convenient system does not give the desired result.

When Disha Patel started her career in the Indian office of Thomson Reuters (Sureprep India Pvt. Ltd), she had to prepare declarations and undergo training on other key tax forms. She remembers how different the frameworks felt at first. “In India, the training tends to be rule-driven — more procedural. In the U.S., it starts with client context. What changed in their income? What deductions apply? That shift taught me to think beyond the form and toward the reasoning.”

While preparing live returns, Disha also mentored junior staff and tracked legislative updates. This combination of technical skill and systemic awareness became the core of her approach. “Software is a tool. It helps to submit everything on time,” says Disha. “But if you understand how the form works, you start to see mistakes earlier and can clarify important points with the client before they become a problem.”

Now managing a U.S.-based team and training new hires in New York, Disha continues to apply lessons first learned in Mumbai. “I still teach team members to slow down and read the form line by line, which gives structure to our work today.”

Rhythm builds reliability — even across time zones.

Today, financial teams often work remotely, in different time zones, and at different paces. In such conditions, it is not strict regulations that are important, but a clear and stable work rhythm. This helps everyone understand their area of ​​responsibility and at what stage they join.

As a Senior Accounting Associate at KKM CPA Associate PLLC in the U.S., Disha Patel worked on tasks that shaped the firm’s stability during high-pressure tax seasons. She handled federal and state returns, conducted year-end planning, reconciled financial statements, and supervised junior accountants. Her contributions helped streamline processes and ensured that team performance remained consistent even during tight deadlines.

Her experience managing work across time zones and responsibilities gave her a distinctive perspective on leadership in distributed teams. Instead of relying on constant oversight, she focused on establishing structure and predictability within the workflow, a method that continues to guide her team management today.

“Every team has its own rhythm,” Disha says. “When professionals understand what’s expected and how their task fits into the overall timeline, they move with confidence. I’ve seen that clearly in cross-border settings. Deadlines become less stressful when the team knows how to manage the pace. In my experience, the real efficiency comes when people connect their work to the value it creates.”

To manage means to be inside the process

The pace of work in financial departments is higher than ever. Automation speeds up processes, but it is leadership that sets the tone. It is important for a manager to understand how each stage is structured, from rough calculations to the final report. Involvement makes it possible to notice overload, maintain quality and help the team adapt to changes.

At Rogg & Kejriwal LLP, a company that enjoys a stellar reputation as a trusted advisor to leading corporations and high-net-worth clients, Disha Patel oversees key areas: taxes, salaries, training, and financial planning. She leads a team that operates under constant load without failures, thanks to a clear structure and task distribution.

Disha’s leadership played a pivotal role in strengthening Rogg & Kejriwal LLP’s market position. Her leadership style focuses on staying present throughout the workflow. She engages directly with team members, especially during complex periods, and ensures that challenges are addressed through shared problem-solving. 

“Coherence appears when everyone understands why they are doing their part. I try to be with the team in moments of uncertainty, analyse mistakes together, and explain how each detail affects the result. We use technology, but team awareness gives real stability. People work better when they understand why they are here and what is behind their decisions. Then there is not just a result, but confidence in every step.”