Alumnus Shares Accounting Expertise with Students Who Follow His Path
Zohaib Qamar, C.P.A. ’06TCB, ’09MBA, had limited accounting knowledge when he began his undergraduate studies at St. John’s University. However, he quickly discovered that the University offered a treasure trove of opportunities to explore in that field and several other areas he had never previously encountered.
“There were so many things that I learned about during my undergrad years—religion, philosophy, ethics, and different career paths,” recalled Mr. Qamar, of Valley Stream, NY, who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and a Master of Business Administration degree with a major in Accounting from The Peter J. Tobin College of Business. “St. John’s does a great job of giving you all of these opportunities for discovery—but it is up to you to act on those opportunities.”
St. John’s gave me everything I wanted and needed for a successful career and life: a strong academic program and a chance to have a full campus experience as a commuter student while living near my family.
One of his most valued experiences as a graduate student at St. John’s was serving as Graduate Research Assistant for five professors at Tobin. He assisted them in performing research on various projects and took on tasks such as tutoring, teaching, grading homework, and preparing and grading exams.
Mr. Qamar is the first in his family to earn a college degree from an American university. He is currently a Partner in the Professional Standards Group at Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP, one of the nation’s largest accounting services firms. In this role, Mr. Qamar serves as an engagement quality reviewer—a technical resource for accounting and auditing matters related to financial reporting—and assists with regulatory issues.
Before joining Citrin Cooperman in 2021, Mr. Qamar spent more than five years in the interim broker-dealer program at the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). In that role, he specialized in inspecting audits of broker-dealers. Before joining the PCAOB, he worked for eight years on audits of financial statements at PwC, or PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, a multinational accounting firm.
Mr. Qamar is passionate about helping students achieve their full potential, learning about different career paths, and sharing tips for success in college and careers. “I’ve always tried to give back to others, and that’s something that St. John’s emphasizes,” he said.
To that end, Mr. Qamar is Cofounder and Director of Muslim Youth Mentors, a nonprofit organization that helps minority students succeed in their careers through mentorship. He also served on the Advisory Board for the Accountancy Department at St. John’s University, where he provided feedback to the department to bolster the College and its students. Mr. Qamar has previously volunteered with organizations such as iMentor to help students achieve their full potential.
In addition, he worked as an adjunct professor at Baruch College, Berkeley College, and Queens College. Mr. Qamar taught hundreds of students in his more than 10 years at the postsecondary level. He has more than a decade of experience developing and teaching accounting, auditing, and industry-specific curriculum in the financial service industry at PwC, the PCAOB, and Citrin Cooperman.
Now married, with three loving children, Mr. Qamar reflected, “St. John’s gave me everything I wanted and needed for a successful career and life: a strong academic program and a chance to have a full campus experience as a commuter student while living near my family.” “The University also instilled in me a desire to lift up others and I plan on continuing to give back and be part of the larger St. John’s family for many years to come.”
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