Howard Silverstone is managing director at Forensic Resolutions and a CPA with more than 35 years’ experience in public and forensic accounting. He is also a Chartered Accountant (England and Wales) and has experience on both sides of the Atlantic. Howard is a certified fraud examiner and is Certified in Financial Forensics by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He has concentrated on forensic accounting since 1985. Howard regularly presents programs to the legal, accounting and insurance industries on the calculation of damages in financial disputes and corporate fraud.
Howard has been involved with the BABCPHL almost since day one and has been a board member for more than 25 years. He originally joined the BABCPHL for social rather than business reasons. However, as his career progressed and as the BABCPHL developed its extensive business-to-business network, the Organization became a valuable resource for Howard and allowed him to help others network on both sides of the Atlantic. Howard’s most memorable moment was being honored by Her Majesty the Queen as a Member of the British Empire in recognition of his work with the BABCPHL and going to Buckingham Palace for his investiture. The investiture was conducted by Prince William, who spoke to Howard about the BABCPHL and his role with the Group. On another occasion, Prince Charles visited Philadelphia and the BABCPHL was told he would have no time to talk to anyone individually. Everyone wore name badges, but Howard also chose to wear the Prince of Wales tie that had been presented to him a few months earlier by members of a trade mission from Wales who had visited Philadelphia. Prince Charles was leaving the event and as planned was not able to engage anyone in conversation, until he stopped, extended his hand and said, “Mr. Silverstone, what a wonderful choice of tie!” Howard’s memories with the BABCPHL are both extraordinary and a reinforcement of the positive impact we can make through affiliation with the Organization.
Like most people, Howard has missed in-person events and the ability to meet with people one-on-one or in small groups. He has missed putting on a suit and tie and heading downtown for lunches and networking events. There are some silver linings of the pandemic though. The development of Zoom technology has allowed the chance to have some interaction with others virtually, and to connect with people we never had access to before. Once pandemic restrictions are lifted, Howard is going to take his family out for dinner in town and not need to feel stressed. Then he is going to get on a plane and go back to London, where he has not been able to visit since 2018.