Rick Schenkel oversees work with clients in the Entertainment Industry, as well as leading the Business Management and Personal Financial Planning Departments. The firm’s Business Management department also includes family office outsourcing and accounting/CFO outsourcing services. He has additional responsibilities based on his role as Managing Shareholder of the firm.
Rick has a special place in his heart for clients in the Entertainment industry. It’s a passion that comes from a lifelong appreciation and a little personal experience as well.
During his college years, Rick used to hang out at the Comedy Store watching performers like Richard Pryor, Steve Martin, and his all-time favorite, master impressionist Rich Little. Rick was even fortunate enough to take that same stage and perform on amateur nights at the Comedy Store. He also worked at the Busch Gardens Theater and emceed events at CSUN and private parties.
The pinnacle of this enthusiastic, yet all-too-short career as a performer, came as the disc jockey in the Tam O’Shanter Room at the Holiday Inn in the heart of beautiful downtown Van Nuys, on those wild nights known as “Disco Samba.”
From the start, Rick’s professional career has been driven by the people side of accounting. It’s a rare talent in an industry that focuses mostly on numbers. And it should be of no great surprise that Rick spearheaded the development of the firm’s Entertainment Division. After all, he used to be in the business.
Over the years, Rick has formed long-lasting relationships with clients as well as outside professionals who are experts in their respective fields. “I learn from the pros about their area of expertise,” he says. “Then I form a bridge spreading that information to my clients.” One of the most enjoyable aspects of Rick’s work is removing financial stress from his clients’ lives.
“I feel great after working with clients and seeing them reach their goals. That might mean being more profitable, or it might mean spending less time at the office and more time pursuing their passions and being with their family.”
Degrees, Certifications, and Memberships
- Bachelor of Science in Accounting, California State University, Northridge
- Admitted to Beta Alpha Psi, the National Accounting Honor Fraternity
- Certified Public Accountant, 1980
- Member: American Institute of Certified Public Accountants “AICPA”
- Member: California Society of Certified Public Accountants
- Recipient: AICPA Certificate of Educational Achievement in Personal Financial Planning
Appointments
- Accountant with large Los Angeles firm in 1978
- Joined Sobul, Primes & Schenkel in 1981
- Shareholder in 1985
Beyond the Office
- Lives in Porter Ranch with his wife, Isabel, and has two adult children, Heather and Adam
- Grandfather to triplets: Emma, Jake, and Dylan
- Treasurer and Past President of the Water Buffalo Club, a fundraising organization supporting various LA-based children’s charities
- Enjoys food, wine, golf, and travel, especially to Italy
Specialties Include: Business Management, Family Office Outsourcing, Accounting/CFO Outsourcing, Entertainment Industry, High Net Worth Individuals, Personal Financial Planning.
In the News
- Rick Schenkel Named in Los Angeles Business Journal Top 100 Accountants of 2022
- Business Managers Guard and Grow Assets of Showbiz Stars
- Water Buffalo Club Spreads Holiday Cheer to Local Children
- SPS Once Again Lands on Variety’s List of Business Manager Elite
- LA Business Journal Names Rick Schenkel in Top 100 Accountants (Again!)
