FORVIS, a leading public accounting and consulting firm, has hired Dr. Rachel Pauletti as a director and leader of its higher education consulting practice. Pauletti’s addition bolsters the firm’s well-established higher education team as it expands its consulting service line for clients nationwide.
Pauletti has more than 10 years of experience as a quantitative and qualitative researcher and consultant, helping institutions make data-driven decisions that are both innovative and sustainable. An academic by training, she brings insights from her time as a professor in the classroom to her consulting work. Prior to joining FORVIS, she led engagements for a higher ed consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and market analysis following eight years as a member of the faculty at Lynn University in Florida. She holds a Ph.D. from Florida Atlantic University.
“Rachel brings a wealth of on-the-ground academic experience to a team that already includes robust expertise in evaluating the financial health of higher education institutions,” said Adam Smith, partner and leader of the firm’s Higher Education Center of Excellence. “I know our clients will truly enjoy working with her.”
“I am very excited to continue serving higher ed alongside my FORVIS teammates,” Pauletti said. “Their passion for serving the industry comes through every day and it’s contagious!”
Consulting Services Bolster Existing Offerings
FORVIS, the eighth largest public accounting firm in the United States, has long been a leading provider of audit and financial analysis services to higher education institutions. The firm is the No. 1 provider of audits to colleges and universities in the country, according to federal data, and the leading preparer of Form 990s for higher ed institutions nationally, according to data available from nonprofit database CauseIQ.
The firm recently released its annual Higher Education Outlook for 2024, detailing industry trends and insights gleaned from surveying college presidents and business officers.
New or expanded consulting services now available from FORVIS include:
- Program economic analysis to help identify cost savings among academic programs and strategies for implementing potential changes
- Financial and scenario modeling providing real-time insights on current business models and planned initiatives
- Strategic planning
- Market analysis
- Student body analytics
- Faculty and staff compensation studies
- Workshops and specialized training, and more
“Our higher education practice has continued to grow and consistently earn the trust of new clients because of the experience and passion of our team members,” said Tondee Lutterman, partner and national industry leader for the Education Practice at FORVIS. “I can’t wait to see the ways in which our newly expanded consulting services will help clients unlock their full potential during this time of change and challenges across the industry.”
For more information about higher education consulting services visit forvis.com.
