Story by Stephen Wilson
Image by Holly Fasching
34 years of success at Deloitte for Dipti Gulati ’90.
During Greek Week in 1986, first-year student Dipti Gulati ’90 agreed to sit on a bed as a few fraternity members pushed it down South Mountain. She’s not sure if she knew back then exactly what she agreed to, but as she soared downhill on a rickety bed, she did more than hold on for dear life: She recognized the importance of this moment in the culture at Lehigh. This spirit of adventure, this honor of tradition, and this willingness to test boundaries are traits that seem to define Gulati as she navigates her Lehigh journey, shapes a successful career at Deloitte, and steers an industry into the future.
Tradition
As a child, Gulati’s father immigrated to the United States in search of a better life. After a year of finding his footing in a new culture, he sent for his wife and daughter. Together, they settled around New York City. Gulati was raised in a traditional Indian household, where her parents nurtured her growth and pushed for her to excel in school.
When college approached, the complicated college application process forced the Gulati family to put their trust in the high school guidance counselor. Gulati wanted to attend a strong business school that was student centered and close to home. Lehigh had plenty to offer. When Gulati pulled up to Alumni Memorial Building for an admissions interview, she was drawn to the beauty of the tall stone tower. She immediately fell in love with the campus and felt a connection with everyone she met.
Gulati’s time at Lehigh was filled with historic moments, like watching the final Rivalry game played in Taylor Stadium and being part of the excitement at the opening of Goodman Stadium. She pledged Alpha Gamma Delta, where she served as an officer and made many friends and fond memories.
Like most first-year students, the first semester was challenging for Gulati as she took rigorous courses, participated in campus life, learned to be on her own and sought helpful resources. A big part of the initial journey was deciding on a major.
Gulati’s father was an accountant. While she knew she wanted to study business, she wasn’t sure if it would be finance or marketing. Luckily, Ken Sinclair, emeritus professor of accounting (who rarely taught introductory courses), taught Gulati’s first accounting class. She loved the material. Much to her father’s delight,
Gulati followed in his footsteps and became an accounting major. That experience taught Gulati a lesson that has stuck with her, “Open minds create open doors.”
Adventure
In September 2024, Gulati will celebrate her 34th year at Deloitte, where she serves as CEO of U.S. Audit & Assurance. When she was a junior at Lehigh and working with career services to find an internship in accounting, there were eight large firms to pursue. She secured a 10-week summer internship at what was then called Deloitte,
Haskins & Sells. That internship opportunity turned into a full-time offer she accepted during her senior year.
Over the next three decades, Gulati had the opportunity to develop multiple careers inside the same firm as she took on a variety of assignments and worked with a range of clients. Through Deloitte, she completed her MBA at Columbia and served for three years in the London office. She made partner at the firm in 2001.
Gulati explains that Deloitte cares about its employees and giving back to the community. The firm highly encourages partners to become involved in nonprofit leadership opportunities. Gulati has been excited to help people in the cities she loves. She has volunteered in the school district of her hometown. She also served on the board of directors for the United Way in New York City. Her volunteer work at the United Way was especially impactful when she helped the organization navigate the complexities presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Navigating change is common in the accounting field. Gulati sees boundless opportunities for students who enter the profession, through the use of advanced technology and access to emerging areas like blockchain and environmental, social, and governance reporting.
“Accountants today are being asked to use their skill sets to serve in many new capacities in order to successfully execute audits and engage clients,” she says. “Lehigh gives them strong building blocks on which to move forward in the accounting arena.”
Break Boundaries
Gulati can remember her early days in the industry, when she relied on a ten-key calculator to complete her work, tape spilling across her desktop. Then came computers, laptops, the cloud, and the emergence of artificial intelligence. The topic of AI often comes up with companies seeking assistance in leveraging it.
“AI can augment and accelerate current practices, making our work more efficient and effective. With AI, we are better equipped to provide insights and to quickly decipher and analyze data,” she explains.
According to Gulati, Deloitte has made significant investments in AI—embedding it in the audit platform, piloting a variety of use cases in client organizations, ensuring the firm’s professionals have AI knowledge and fluency. They are also focused on the frameworks, controls and guide rails that engender trust in how and when AI is used.
“It is an exciting time as professionals in accounting to use AI to help protect capital markets and to bring efficiency gains, allowing us to focus on higher value work in delivering effective, high-quality audits,” she says.
Knowing what’s important matters to Gulati. She sees her title of mom as most important. Raising three children isn’t easy, but Deloitte gave her the space to have flexibility so she could be a successful working mom.
Maybe it helped that Cathy Engelbert ’86 ’23P blazed a trail for Gulati and other women at Deloitte. Englebert was Deloitte’s first female CEO. As a fellow Lehigh graduate and Deloitte leader, Gulati was delighted when she was asked to introduce Engelbert’s 2018 commencement address.
“Coming back to Lehigh, most recently for the Segal Accounting Distinguished Speaker Series, I am reminded about how grateful and thankful I am for all the university did to prepare me inside and outside the classroom,” Gulati says. “I enjoy giving back to Lehigh, engaging with students, and seeing how this vibrant academic community continues to grow and transform.”