Partner Spotlight: Todd Kamelhar

This feature was initially posted in February 2022.

Born and raised in New York’s Queens, Managing Director Todd Kamelhar recalls how his family’s affinity for math inspired him to pursue a career in accounting over engineering. 

Both of his parents were good at crunching numbers, after all, and Todd watched his older brother thrive at a Big 8 CPA firm. He knew he would eventually follow in their footsteps.

Todd completed his education at The State University of New York at Albany (SUNY Albany) with a Bachelor’s in Accounting and a Master’s in Taxation. While pursuing his studies, he joined his mother’s boutique business management firm where she had been working as a Bookkeeper. 

A few years after finishing his studies, Todd moved on to another business management firm that focused on entertainment. 

One day, a recruiter called him about an opening at Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman, LLC. The rest, he says, is history.

“I really didn’t know anything about the firm, aside from what I heard from friends in my network,” Todd says. “I knew a little bit about the industry from my mom, and I thought it was pretty interesting that everyone we worked on was famous or getting there. You didn’t necessarily know if you were helping anyone in those big companies at a traditional CPA firm, but you can see how much of an impact you actually make with clients daily in our space.”

Upon joining the firm, though, Todd remembers overcoming a culture clash with his then-Manager that continues to affect how he leads and guides his team today.

“I was always a confident person, but I think she took it to mean I was arrogant. I had to prove to her, and to the partners, that I was a team player and that they could count on me.” Todd shares.

“Someone’s impression of you is something you have to overcome. Anytime you go to a new place, your team has to learn about you and you have to learn about them. Establishing that trust is crucial.”

Todd successfully won over his Manager and solidified his place in the firm as a Staff Accountant. When opportunity arose, he asked to be put on the firm’s largest client at the time: a major American singer-songwriter. This proved to be a valuable learning experience for Todd, as it offered him the chance to learn about the industry as a whole.

“When you work with a client like [this singer-songwriter] who does everything in the business, you learn how to do a lot behind-the-scenes and then you can transfer that knowledge to other clients,” Todd says. “I learned so much just by working closely with these professionals, their representatives, and the partners who oversee their accounts.”

Once he became a Manager, Todd used his relationship-building skills to create a pipeline for business development via the fashion industry in New York. One day, he dropped by a small modeling agency that already represented a client of his and built a lasting friendship with the owner of the agency. 

The agent referred a number of clients to the firm for Todd, which he acknowledges was instrumental for his own growth.

“The willingness to go that extra step and create relationships is important for your own career advancement. You can come in, work, and go home. That’s okay, too. But if you really want to learn and grow, you have to put yourself out there and strive for more,” Todd shares. 

“You may not have opportunities to create new business before you get to the senior level, but at least being willing to get to know the client and their representatives – really, to develop relationships with people in the industry – that’s a great way to show you’re looking to get ahead.”

Todd joined Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman, LLC, as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), but emphasizes that solid soft skills and relationship management strengths are just as important as a professional accreditation in entertainment business management.

“It’s good to have the education behind you – it’s a building block, it’s a foundation, it’s a piece of the puzzle,” he says. “It’s not essential to do what we do, though. You don’t have to be a CPA to be successful.”

So, what does one need to be successful?

“A good attitude. I focus on attitude more than anything else,” Todd says. “I know it’s more difficult to train someone without experience, but having a good attitude is much more important to me than just having the technical skills. Your attitude generally won’t change, but there’s enough of us to train you on everything there is to learn.”

Looking back on his journey from Staff Accountant to Managing Director and member of the Executive Committee, Todd believes that the firm’s people is what sets Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman apart from the rest. He points to the team’s dedication to their work and to the firm’s many clients for continued success through the decades, despite unprecedented times and workflow changes.

“Given the pandemic, the Executive Committee did a lot of planning and transitioning for the firm and for our many clients,” Todd says. “Our priority was our team’s well-being and getting our clients to a comfortable place, despite the times." 

"Thankfully, I enjoy what I do every day. No matter what job you have, you should always enjoy your work and the people you work with.”

The “Partner Spotlight” series introduces our firm’s Managing Directors, highlighting their continued learning and development through the years. We hope their stories serve to motivate and inspire the next generation of Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman leadership.