Alumni Stories

Dr. Steve Fortin, (PhD '99, CPA, CA, ICD.D) took the helm in leading the School of Accounting and Finance on September 1st, 2018. Steve is an active researcher in the areas of financial instruments, hedge accounting, fair value measurement, related party disclosures, and audit quality. Steve's goal is to continue SAF's trajectory of success in leading the transformation of the professions through world-class research and experiential education.

Hear from Steve what he feels future accounting and finance professionals will need to be successful.

Adnan Khan (BAFM, MAcc '17), attributes his accounting and finance education in providing him with the foundation and confidence to launch a social endeavour, EduGate. A social start-up that is close to Adnan's heart, is one step in fulfilling his goal to improve the quality and accessibility of education around the world.

Hear how Adnan was able to use his accounting and finance foundation to launch his social endeavour.

Aruther Wang (BAFM, MAcc '16), attributes the pressure of his accounting and finance studies, coupled with co-op in helping him succeed academically but also paving the way for him in creating a career in finance that's challenging and rewarding.

Hear how Arthur moved his career focus from accounting to finance.

Shubham Data (BMath, MAcc '13) discovered his love for entrepreneurship while still going through the Mathematics/CPA program at Waterloo. Waterloo's innovative eco-system and entrepreneurial spirit encouraged Shubham to explore a career path that worked with start-ups and entrepreneurs. This interest morphed into a career in finance, working for Shopify.

Hear how Shubham navigated his career from accounting to finance through a love of entrepreneurship.

Misconduct is inevitable, but scandal is not.

José R. Hernandez (MAcc '98), author of Broken Business, is an internationally recognized expert on crisis management, business integrity, and corporate misconduct. He is the founder and CEO of Ortus Strategies, a firm dedicated to addressing the strategic needs of organizations faced with complex legal, regulatory, and reputational challenges.  

Read more about José and his book, Broken Business, here.

 My degree has allowed me the opportunity to pursue a designation that has truly been life changing. I've travelled the world, working in some exciting places and met people that have become like family to me. 

Advice to students from Shikha Gandhi (MAcc 2004), Senior Manager in Deloitte

It's all relative. What may seem like the most important decision of your life today, may not be once you look back and examine the series of decisions you make over a lifetime. So please don’t stress and miss out on the exciting stuff that each day has to offer! 

Read more about Shikha's international experiences here.

Masters of Accounting (MAcc) and Waterloo's reputation opened doors for me early in my career. The analytical, problem-solving, and people skills I gained helped to move my career beyond the world of accounting and finance and into senior levels of not-for-profit management. 

Advice to students from Tracy Elop (MAcc 1989), CEO of Carizon Family and Community Services

Work hard, play hard, and get involved in your community. SAF has allowed me to combine my passion for not-for-profit work with a strong foundational skill set to do what I love.

Tracy was nominated for the 2013 Alumni Award, and went on a trip of a lifetime with her family. Read how international exposure has impacted Tracy's career. 

The SAF curriculum opened doors to career opportunities in every industry for me. 

Advice to students from Paul Langill, Executive Vice President, TD Bank Group COO, TD Securities

I highly recommend the Accounting and Financial Management (AFM) program. Graduates are fully prepared to become professional Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA), and are highly regarded within the business community for being knowledgeable, experienced, hardworking, and collaborative professionals. 

The MAcc and co-op were catalysts for my career progression. These competitive advantages allowed me to leverage my academic and professional experiences to build my career quickly and dramatically.

Advice to students from David Cates, President & CEO, Denison Mines

I can’t imagine a school or a program that could offer students more leverage than SAF. If you want a career in finance, accounting, or tax, SAF will put you on the direct line to achieving this objective. Choose SAF and make a leap rather than just a first step toward your career goals!

The combination of technical and business skills and leadership qualities I picked up at SAF have afforded me the flexibility to explore and excel in a variety of industries and career options.

Advice to students from Meng Wang, Head of Strategy, UBEREats: Video 1, Video 2

Don’t be afraid to jump off the bandwagon and carve your own path to success!

Meng was a winner of the 2015 Young Alumni Award. 

Read more about Meng's role with UberEATS.

My Waterloo degree provided me with an easy pathway to transition to full-time work from my co-op job at a Big Four accounting firm. From there my career only further accelerated!

Advice to students from Chester Dawes, CFO & Treasurer, The Catalyst Capital Group Inc.

Waterloo has an excellent reputation and brand, but it’s also a great place to meet new friends, get involved, and along the way, pick up a great education.

"It's somewhat embarrassing!" What Cynthia McIntyre [Loeffen] (MAcc '96) is talking about is the kind of faux pas we've all done or imagined doing. Years ago at Waterloo, she ticked the wrong box on a co-op job application form. "I think she did it 'accidentally on purpose,' "suggests her sister Heather Wright [Loeffen] (MAcc '98). Both are tax experts — and their career choices have proved to be exactly right.
Read more.

If the license plate of the car ahead says "A TRIGUY," you're behind ace triathlon competitor and UW Accounting grad Scott Slaven (BA '82). And that could be fellow triathlete Bernie Linseman (BMath '81) beside him. Triathlons enable the London, Ontario duo to build their physical strength, focus their minds — and rekindle their youthful vigour. "The great thing is the inspiration you receive," Bernie reports.
Read more.

"My career path has been anything but linear, which comes as a bit of a surprise even to me!" says Sharon Ng (MAcc '04). There's a back story and a front story here. Her daytime job as a merchandise planner is one thing, her nighttime job is quite another — and that's the front story for this posting: the popular "Backseat Stylers" fashion blog that she and her sister created. Their casual exploration of the fashion world spiraled into an addiction. Read more.

When she was a student at Waterloo, Cindy Kottoor (MAcc '97) never envisioned running her own company. "I assumed I'd work for established global organizations," she recalls. "Working for myself wasn't an option I was exposed to — or even recognized! So, when I started my business, I really had to figure out everything from scratch." 
Read More.

"I started True&Co. in my living room, with 500 bras and a pen-and-paper survey that reminded me of the Cosmo quizzes my friends and I loved in high school," explains the company's CEO and co-founder, who concedes that she and her colleagues never imagined becoming bra experts. "But we love what we do, helping women find their perfect fit. We created a brand new way to fit women online in two minutes with no fitting rooms, no measuring tape!" Read more.

Preparing to launch the enterprise was both nervous and exciting, she admits. "It felt like jumping off a cliff! Accountants are typically risk adverse, and starting a new business from scratch was completely opposite to what I was used to."
Read more.

There are many stories of couples meeting on campus, we wanted to share a few of them with you this Valentine's Day.

2018 Valentine's Day Story

2016 Valentine's Day Story