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The accounting and finance profession Liz Murphy entered in 1993 barely resembles the one she leads today. But she adapted.
Murphy runs global finance for Oxford Properties Group, an $83 billion real estate company with operations around the world. A graduate of UWaterloo's Mathematics/CPA program, she came equipped with something most accounting graduates didn't: math, computer science and accounting under one degree.
The technical skills evolved. The judgement didn't.
"All of those disciplines really helped me better understand, change and adapt," Murphy says. "Right now we're in the AI bubble, and it is really important to be able to adapt and change quickly." Her message to students isn't one of anxiety, it's one of advantage. "You are trained to think differently, and you will be able to use that thinking to really enhance your career."
As a member of the Director's Advisory Council at the School of Accounting and Finance (SAF), Murphy works alongside school leadership to ensure what students learn today reflects where the profession is actually headed. "I want to bring that back to the School so they can understand, change curriculum and help future leaders really excel."
For students wondering what an accounting and finance degree can take them, Murphy's career is just one of many possibilities.
"What you can take from the accounting designation is way broader than what a business student maybe originally thinks. It is the foundation of how business runs. Once you understand that, you can really broaden your roles."
"Boards look at these credentials. Senior management looks at these credentials. It's very important to have that behind you before you really try to move up in the organization."
"What Waterloo gave me was the confidence in knowing that I had the education and the ability to do more."