Crowe names Bhavin Bharakda as partner in consulting wing

Audit, tax, advisory and consulting firm Crowe has appointed Bhavin Bharakda as a partner. Joining its consulting practice, Bharakda will also lead Crowe’s financial services internal audit offering.

Nigel Bostock, chief executive at Crowe, commented, “Bhavin’s deep expertise will help our clients in the financial services sector as they grapple with sustained regulatory and public scrutiny alongside increasing digitisation, and operational resilience requirements.”

Bostock noted that the accelerating use of AI in particular was a factor in this regard, with firms continually reassessing the design and effectiveness of their control environments. As a result, internal audit is playing an increasingly strategic role, with executive teams looking beyond traditional compliance assurance, seeking insight that strengthens governance, enhances risk management maturity and supports long-term resilience.

Appointed partner within Crowe’s consulting practice, Bharakda will lead the firm’s financial services internal audit offering, delivering assurance services across insurance, banking, and wealth and asset management. Among the key responsibilities in his new role, Bharakda’s focus will be on building a scalable, regulatory-ready internal audit platform that supports clients through growth, transformation and heightened supervisory expectations.

He joins Crowe from BDO, where he was an advisory director. He previously also spent four years with the banking and capital markets internal audit practice of PwC. He also held roles with Citigroup in its corporate functions internal audit team, where he delivered local and international audits.

Bharakda stated, “I am delighted to join the partnership and to lead the Financial Services Internal Audit proposition at Crowe, contributing to the firm’s continued growth at both regional and national levels. I look forward to driving strategic development, strengthening collaboration across our teams, and delivering a high-quality, value-driven service that consistently meets the evolving needs of our clients.”