DMPS Welcomes New Chief Financial Officer

Shashank Aurora, DMPS Chief Financial Officer

Des Moines Public Schools is pleased to welcome Shashank Aurora as the new DMPS Chief Financial Officer. He takes over following the passing of Thomas Harper earlier this year.

While Aurora is new to the public sector, his corporate finance experience is both international and local, dealing in urban and rural business matters. Aurora started his career in India where he served as an auditor with A.F. Ferguson & Co., a financial accountant with Larsen & Toubro, Ltd., an accounting manager with Otis Elevator Co. and a finance executive for Nestle. From there he progressed to DuPont Pioneer as a finance director, where his financial leadership included working as a business partner in Asia, Africa, Latin America, Canada and the United States. Most recently, Aurora was the Global Chief Financial Officer for Origin Agritech and later chief financial officer for Brokers International, both in Des Moines.

“The public and private sector are not so different,” said Shashank Aurora. “I plan to apply multinational best practices, modified to fit the dynamics of public education, in the service of students who are the future of our community and our nation.”

Aurora received his Bachelor of Life Sciences from Nizam College in Hyderabad, India. He is a Certified Public Accountant, Chartered Accountant from India, and finished Mergers and Acquisitions training at Northwestern University.

“Shashank Aurora comes to us from the private sector as an executive with extensive international experience leading a wide range of financial operations within multiple industries,” Superintendent Dr. Thomas Ahart said. “He has a record of success in effectively mobilizing human, financial, and operational resources to streamline existing operations, and we will look to his leadership as we navigate continued budget challenges.”

Aurora’s appointment was approved by the school board on Oct. 1.