Michael Constance Paranal

Prof. Michael C. Paranal is a CPA and a lawyer admitted to practice law in New York, California, and England & Wales, and is a multi-awarded faculty at the Marshall School. He has an extensive career in finance and law, working at Deloitte before joining Latham &Watkins as a capital markets attorney in London, UK. His expertise insecurities regulation, law, and accounting led to his work as the only non-EU citizen at the Finance Law Division of the European Central Bank (ECB) at the height of the European Debt Crisis.

Prof. Paranal holds a Master of Business Taxation from the University of Southern California, a JD and MBA from the Wharton School of Business and the University of Pennsylvania, and a Post graduate Diploma in Law from the University of Oxford.

At USC, he serves as the Director- Office of Culture and Community Success for the Leventhal School of Accounting and is the founder and director of the Guiding Exceptional Minds to Success (GEMS) program, a prestigious human leadership initiative for high-performing students. He is also the founder and director o fthe Real-World Ready financial literacy program, which has empowered over hundreds of high school students in Los Angeles with essential financial skills.

Prof. Paranal is the creator of "Accounting Without Walls" Festival, the first of its kind celebration of community and belonging in the accounting industry, which was nationally recognized by Diversity Inc. Magazine and the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Recognized for his leadership and impact, Prof. Paranal was named a 2023 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion by the State of California Treasurer’s Office and was honored with the 2024 Filipino Young Leader Award by the Philippine Government and the U.S. Embassy for his exceptional contributions to education, equity, and leadership development. At USC, Prof. Paranal has been awarded numerous teaching, mentoring and service awards.

Over the course of his career, Prof. Paranal has held key leadership roles and has worked at some of the world’s leading organizations,including Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, SpaceX and the NFL.