Howard Schilit

Howard Schilit has been called the Sherlock Holmes of accounting because of his track record in detecting the manipulation of financial results. Whereas most forensic accountants come in after the fact for the investigation and litigation, Schilit is the rare exception who comes in to detect accounting manipulation before it is widely discovered.

Howard was the founder and CEO of CFRA until the business was sold in 2003. He has been a leading spokesman before the US Congress, regulators, and global media outlets about accounting tricks and the early warning signs of business deterioration in public filings.  Dr. Schilit began his career as an Associate Professor of Accounting at American University and continues to teach and lecture all over the world.  Dr. Schilit holds a doctorate in Accounting from the University of Maryland.

Once an academic who taught accounting, Schilit is the lead author of Financial Shenanigans: How to Detect Accounting Gimmicks & Fraud in Financial Reports.