Chizoba (Chichi) Bhene, CA(SA)

During her accounting career, Chizoba (Chichi) Chichi Bhene has grown to appreciate that change is inevitable, and professionals can either keep up or get left behind. An audit manager at Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell (CBM) who supports the firm’s real estate and construction clients, she enjoys the rapidly changing nature of the profession and staying current with industry trends. In addition to audit experience, she provides accounting, review and compilation engagements, a range of budgeting and reporting tasks, and works hard to cultivate effective client relationships.

She is also proud to have demonstrated her passion for understanding the way finance drives entities’ operations by pursuing and achieving her Chartered Accountant (CA)SA designation from the South Africa Institute of Chartered Accountants, the leading accountancy body in South Africa. The experience also widened her range of technical and managerial talents.

A professional with nearly 10 years of audit and accounting experience serving clients from South Africa, England and the United States, Chichi believes outstanding service comes from listening closely to clients. The more questions you can ask, the clearer the client’s vision becomes, providing an increased ability to deliver the right strategy to achieve goals. Her most memorable engagement experiences occurred in just that type of situation where clients were impressed with Chichi’s and her team’s ability to anticipate strategic needs that improved the organization’s performance and efficiency.

Before joining CBM, Chichi developed her talents serving as an assistant manager for an international accountancy in London with specialized support for the firm’s real estate and construction clients. She also delivered an array of outsourced accounting and consulting services for multiple clients from two firms in South Africa.

Chichi’s passion for sustaining strong organizational finances for her clients is matched by a dedication to strengthening access to nutrition in food insecure communities. Before moving internationally, she prepared and delivered hundreds of meals to individuals in Cape Town, South Africa. She currently serves CBM’s clients from the Washington, DC metropolitan region.