Katerina Starkova, CPA

Bio

Katerina has more than 18 years of public accounting experience in the United States and Canada. She serves SEC and private companies and works extensively with clients in the life sciences, technology and manufacturing industries. She advises clients on various technical matters, including revenue recognition, business combinations and stock-based compensation. Katerina is currently a member of the Firm’s Board of Partners, and she was a founding member of Armanino’s Women’s Advancement Network.

Katerina is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. She earned a combined BS and MS from Moscow State Pedagogical University. She completed her accounting coursework at Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.

I have several clients that are virtual companies; instead of having a physical office, their employees all work remotely from different locations. I think this will become increasingly common, particularly in the technology sector. This will impact the way we serve clients. Instead of sending a team to a specific location, for example, we will be doing audits remotely as well.

Leaving my family and moving from Russia to Canada in my early twenties was really difficult. I was starting a new life and going back to school, and I also had to adjust to living in a new country. But it was the right decision, and I have no regrets. I learned that to succeed, you need to be open to change, seek new opportunities and take risks.

We need a universal accounting standard. Although the industry is moving in that direction, there are still significant differences between U.S. GAAP and international standards, and this makes life difficult for companies with global operations.

I love working with tech startups because of their dynamic, innovative culture. They’re never content with their current product. They’re always trying to develop new features and new products, and they’re not afraid to take risks to succeed. It’s similar to the culture here at Armanino.

I am a big believer in building relationships. I invest time in getting to know my clients, learning about their business and what matters the most to them. That helps me serve them better and also makes my job much more interesting and fun. Relationships with my teams are also very important. I encourage open discussions and critical thinking, and I am always open to new suggestions and ideas.