Elevate Your Next Partner Retreat

Gary Shamis

Chief Executive Officer

Gary Shamis assumed responsibility for his father’s accounting firm in 1981. Over the thirty-five years that followed, he took revenues from $225,000 to approaching $100 million and employees from a dozen to 600. He built the 37th largest independent accounting and consulting firm in the nation, before combining SS&G, Inc. with BDO USA, LLP in 2014.

Today, as principal of Winding River Consulting, a business advisory services company, Gary is a highly sought after speaker, facilitator, and consultant.

In its inaugural list of Managing Partner Elite in Accounting in 2012, Accounting Today identified Shamis as one of only ten people recognized for qualities required of a person in a firm’s leadership role.

He is the “very model of the modern managing partner, and this list is more or less unimaginable without him,” it stated, adding “he invented, codified, or popularized most of the strategies and best practices that are now taken for granted.”

David M. Toth

Chief Growth Officer

David M. Toth

Chief Growth Officer

David Toth is a distinguished consultant recognized for his strategic expertise in fostering growth and enhancing practice management within the accounting and advisory sectors. With almost two decades of leadership experience, he has become a vital strategic partner to numerous firms, specializing in digital transformation and strategic growth, leadership development, management consulting and strategic facilitation.

Recognized as one of the youngest and most forward-thinking advisors to managing partners and niche/office/practice leaders, David has earned a reputation for being a candid, dynamic strategist. His ability to bridge the gap between the broader business world and the accounting profession has led to the creation of impactful programs that set firms apart from the competition.

In his pivotal role with Winding River Consulting’s premier program, MPB | Leadership Accelerated, David enhances communication and collaboration among firm leadership, partners, and growth teams, ensuring alignment and fostering an environment conducive to shared success. Furthermore, he is the founder of the Digital Deep Dive Summit, an influential annual seminar that has successfully convened leaders from over 50 firms in the past three years to advance digital strategy through robust peer-to-peer engagement.

David’s contributions to the field have earned him numerous accolades, including being named one of CPA Practice Advisor's '20 under 40 Top Influencers' in 2022 and a 'Notable Leader in Accounting & Consulting' in 2023 by Crain's Cleveland Business.

Trisha Daho

Consultant - Culture & DEI

Trisha Daho

Culture and DEI Consultant

With a law degree from Case Western Reserve University and a business degree from Miami University, Trisha brings practical results-driven insights as well as leadership acumen. She regularly writes and speaks on a variety of topics, including authenticity in leadership, high impact teams, creating growth cultures, diversity and inclusion, and many more.

Trisha is married to a Frenchman named Bachir, whom she met while on vacation in Paris. They plan to travel the world together as soon as he is permanently stateside. In her spare time, Trisha fosters Labrador Retrievers, travels to faraway places, and watches lots of foreign films.