Meet your Colleagues

In her own words, Amanda Cappiello is "born and bred" at Crowe BGK. She was hired by the firm in 2009 right out McGill University, where she completed her Commerce degree. While working at the firm, she did her Diploma in Accountancy at Concordia and then got her CPA designation. She credits the climate at Crowe BGK with providing her with the support to enable her to grow her career.

"The partners and managers help you to succeed and achieve goals with confidence," Amanda says, reflecting that the firm provided her with support throughout her accounting schooling and in her career. As she rose through the ranks from junior to manager, she discovered that it was not all about the work, but more importantly the relationships that she built.

"I meshed well with the team, and made best friends here. People make the difference," she says. That personal approach explains why she enjoys working with clients to help them understand and deal with the sometimes difficult accounting concepts that they face. Amanda enjoys using her combination of knowledge and people skills "to put people at ease about accounting.

"When thinking about how young professionals should face the challenge of working at Crowe BGK, she adds: "Put your heart into it and show people that you belong. Get involved with co-workers, socialize and develop relationships. Already think and act like you are part of the team; the firm is investing in you, so you should show that you want to be here."

Véronique Laporte discovered her interest in accounting early on. While studying management at Sherbrooke University, she decided that a bachelor's degree in business alone was not enough to open doors for her. She quickly made the change into accounting, which led to her earn her CPA and work at one of the "big four" firms for several years. However, even though her career path at that point in time was typical, she realized that working at a large firm was not for her. Véronique wanted a smaller firm, one where the ambiance was more collegial and it was somewhat "like a big family".

Fortunately, she found just an environment at Crowe BGK, where she began in 2014. Véronique enjoys the challenges that she has found at the firm. She finds that the work varies from client to client and year to year. She appreciates learning about new clients and new industries as she is exposed to them, crediting Crowe BGK's size and client mix with giving her the opportunities to be exposed to a wide variety of work and business owners.

Véronique has this to offer new accountants and students: "Ask lots of questions, and be open to understanding the answers. Real practice is very different from school."

Jean-François (J.F.) Senécal is a Notary by trade, now practicing as one of Crowe BGK's commodity tax specialists. While he enjoyed the basic structure of law school and becoming a notary, he discovered that the day-to-day tasks of that profession lacked the challenge he was looking for. When he went back to school to earn his Masters in Tax, he found that he enjoyed the subject very much, and thus found his new career path. His first step on that new path was to work for one of the "big four" accounting firms as a commodity tax specialist. However, he was quickly recruited by Crowe BGK, who was looking for just such a specialist.

"I liked the opportunity to expand my practice," J.F. says. The move to Crowe BGK in 2007, he explains, "expanded my skills in tax practice, expanded my horizons."

J.F. stresses that a firm the size of Crowe BGK gave him the right opportunity to diversify his clientele and his skill set. He also enjoys the individual contacts and types of clients that he advises at the firm. J.F. feels that his practice has become mostly about the personal relationships that he has built with clients, partners, staff members and professionals in Canada and across the world.

His advice to young professionals: "Dream big. From the start of your career, have objectives. Think about where you will be in five or ten years. Every decision should take into account your ultimate objective."

Catherine decided to major in accounting as early as her last year of high school after taking an elective in business & law. Understanding the fundamentals of what helps organizations make better decisions was intriguing to her. Wanting to provide that insight to business owners is what motivated her to set the goal of obtaining her CPA from the very beginning of her studies.

Catherine started her career in public practice at a much larger firm. While the exposure to such large audit mandates was great, she knew that in order to become a well-rounded practitioner, she needed more diversity in her portfolio. Catherine attests that one of the benefits of working at Crowe BGK is collaborating with colleagues and partners with such diverse sets of experiences and expertise on various types of mandates. “Because of the wealth of knowledge that the people I am surrounded by have, I am continuously learning and passing on what I have learned to the next generation of CPAs. The firm fosters a knowledge sharing culture, which helps us grow as professionals”. 

She enjoys working at the firm because it is a friendly and supportive environment: “The people I work with on a day-to-day basis make going to work enjoyable. We are a true team, where everyone pitches in and cares about one another”.

Catherine’s advice for young professionals is simple: “Opportunities to grow and develop oneself are always available to those willing to put in the effort. Build relationships, show you care, and don’t forget to enjoy the ride as you work towards your goals”.

Catherine is also a Crowe BGK Foundation committee member, which allows her to learn more about cancer research, the people it affects and those who support the cause.