The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is #EmbraceEquity, calling people to imagine a world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where differences are valued and celebrated. Today and every day, the School of Accounting and Finance is proud to celebrate the contributions and achievements of women in our community.
The School of Accounting and Finance (SAF) caught up with Alba Navarro (MAcc '21) to discuss her career since graduation and the gap in support for 2SLGBTQIA+ students that she experienced in university.
Alba, a Master of Accounting graduate, is energized by the work that she does as a Consultant in Deloitte Canada’s Finance and Performance team. Alba helps companies bridge technology-enabled transformation with leading practice business processes for their finance functions.
Tisha King is a professional accountant and earned her Ph.D. from Wilfrid Laurier University. Professor King specializes in behavioral research that largely focuses on ethical judgments and decision-making within the context of taxpayers and tax professionals. Her recent studies investigate how advances in technology, penalties, and fairness influence tax compliance. In her free time, Professor King enjoys running, biking, and hiking with her family.
This Valentine’s Day, we are sharing the story of Candy and Francis Lanois (MAcc '12), two graduates of the Master of Accounting program who may not agree on the story of their first date but agree that they saw something special in one another from the start. After fatefully meeting in their fourth year of studies, their love was sparked with romantic star gazing dates in St. Jacobs, and many bubble tea and ice cream outings. Now happily married, their advice is to never stop dating.
Sisters Stephanie Nguyen and Jessica Nguyen celebrate graduating from the Master of Accounting (MAcc) program and passing the CPA Common Final Examination (CFE) together. During their time at the University of Waterloo they had in each other a built-in best friend, study partner and cheerleader.
The 2022 University of Waterloo Accounting Conference (UWAC) was held at Hagey Hall on Saturday, November 19, 2022, and included a case competition, workshops, and networking, providing 160 first-year School of Accounting and Finance (SAF) students with the opportunity to apply their in course knowledge, develop crucial soft skills, and grow professionally.
Matthew Roman is a partner at KPMG LPP, serving as a trusted business advisor to privately owned businesses in the Region of Waterloo. Within KPMG, Matthew is the National Tax Learning & Development Leader. He and his team contribute to the creation and delivery of internal resources to improve the technical and professional skills of KPMG tax professionals. He is a recipient of the CPA Canada Gold Medal for achieving the highest standing in Ontario on the Common Final Examination (CFE) of the CPA Profession.
Erica La’s (MAcc ’10, CPA) career journey started quite traditionally from an accounting perspective. As an Accounting and Financial Management (AFM) student, La completed her co-op work terms and began her career after graduation with PwC. After exploring and taking on diverse roles within audit, La left PwC as a senior associate, to work for Borealis Infrastructure, now known as OMERS Infrastructure. La’s next career move brought her to RealStar, a past audit client from
Blake Phillips is the Director of the School of Accounting and Finance (SAF, September 1, 2022 - ), the ninth director since the School was established in 1980. From 2018 – 2022, Blake served as the Deputy Director for the SAF.
Sheilaah Guthrie, associate director of advancement at the School of Accounting and Finance had the chance to sit down with alum Lana Paton (BMath ’93) whose generous donation established the Lana Paton Women in Finance Scholarship in 2020. Lana is vice-chair and managing partner of the Greater Toronto Area and South Western Ontario Region at PwC Canada and a member of their Extended Leadership Team. The Lana Paton Women in Finance Scholarship was created to encourage and support aspiring undergraduate women to strive for leadership roles. Historically, leadership roles in the finance industry have been dominated by men. The School hopes the scholarship will act as encouragement to bridge the gender gap in leadership roles within finance, accounting, and business in general. Amazingly, Lana’s scholarship has already inspired other alumni to establish similar undergraduate scholarships that will further break down gender disparity and inclusivity barriers.