The second annual AL DÍA 40 Under Forty event will serve to highlight and showcase some of the most diverse and impactful young professionals across the Philadelphia region.

At the event, taking place on August 27, 2021, Melvin Smith will be one of the 40 honorees. He is an accounting supervisor at the Pennsylvania Convention Center/ASM Global.

Smith is a finance and accounting professional with more than seven years of experience in the industry.

Currently, he works at the Pennsylvania Convention Center under ASM Global as an accounting supervisor. He started at ASM in June of 2014 as a junior accountant. 

Before ASM, Smith was an advisory intern at KPMG, and he got the internship from his experience at Temple University’s Fox School of Business, where he graduated in 2014 with a Bachelors of Business Administration in Finance and Financial Management Services.

He is currently an MBA candidate at Fox for General Finance with an expected graduation year of 2022.

Prior to Temple, Smith was a graduate of North Philadelphia’s own George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Science.

Here are Melvin Smith's responses: 

The biggest professional challenge I’ve faced during my career is learning how to pivot when things don’t go as planned. Life is full of ups and downs, but it’s important to maintain your faith. Over the course of my career, I’ve learned how to deal with setbacks which has made me wiser and more successful.

As a person of color and finance professional, I’ve always felt that it’s important to pay it forward. Much of my success and knowledge is owed to the mentors and colleagues that have invested in my development. In turn, I’ve found ways to help other young professionals accomplish their goals. This has included mentoring members of affinity groups at my university and volunteering with the youth in my community. Not only is this work moving, but it is necessary. Workplaces are much better when there is a pool of diverse talent.

Leadership means several different things. Being a leader means motivating and supporting the people around you to be the best versions of themselves. Being a leader means taking accountability for your actions. Being a leader means showing respect and trust to the people you lead. More significantly, good leadership isn’t something that you develop overnight. It takes time and patience and a lot of listening, but the payoff is incredibly rewarding.

In five years, I see myself continuing my work as a financial leader with an eye toward the retail industry. It’s also my hope that I further develop my business acumen and managerial skills. I would be able to fulfill my dream of seeing my career cross paths with a hobby of mine and diversifying my investment portfolio.