Empowered women empower women

In 1949, Dorothy Reid became the first woman in Alberta to receive her professional accounting designation. In doing so, she forged a previously uncharted path for women to become professional accountants and pursue what was largely seen as a career exclusive to men.

2019 marks the 70th anniversary of when Dorothy Reid demonstrated that women could make an impact in accounting, and we’ve come a long way since: from one female professional accountant in a cohort of men then to 45% of Alberta’s CPAs today being women. Alberta currently has more than 29,500 CPAs. That is more than 13,275 female CPAs blazing trails and continuing Dorothy Reid’s legacy of empowering women by example and leadership. That empowerment takes many forms and includes making women feel their very best through inclusive fashion, role modelling in the C-suite, and facilitating safe and affordable housing for the less fortunate.

It is a commonly known fact in business that first impressions matter. So, it’s more important than ever that women look and feel confident—no matter their size. This is one of the many reasons why Aymie Rondeau CPA, CA was motivated to start an inclusive, online boutique for plus-size women called The Curvy Shop.

“I was finding it incredibly frustrating to find clothing that fit me and that suited my style and personality,” recalls Aymie. With her idea for The Curvy Shop, Aymie then entered into ATB Financial’s Build Her Business competition, an innovative crowd-sourcing competition for women to start and grow their businesses. People quickly rallied behind her idea: “I started connecting to online communities and talking to women in the area. It was a common complaint, especially among professional women. They said, ‘I can’t find cute things to wear to work, and I don’t want to go to work in a potato sack.’”

Aymie ended up doubling the crowd-sourcing goal she set for herself and ultimately won the competition. She launched The Curvy Shop’s online store in summer 2019. “I want there to be equality for plus-size fashion. I don’t want women to feel like they have to hide at home to buy their clothes, or it’s only acceptable to go to a store that is in a suburban strip mall. There’s a place for plus-size fashion in mainstream spaces where we’re not put in a corner or that sends a message that we don’t equally belong,” says Aymie.

Aymie’s passion for inclusive spaces extends beyond where women shop for clothing; she is the founder of the Females in Finance networking group in Calgary. The group is open to any woman who works in business and finance—“as long as you work with numbers in any capacity,” says Aymie and events are held on a quarterly basis.

She was motivated to start the group after attending a networking event targeted at professional women and observing she didn’t make any connections specifically relevant to her work in accounting and finance. “When I was coming up through the ranks, there wasn’t a lot of importance placed on networking and building up a support system of women in the profession. It has been invaluable to be part of a group filled with people of very diverse backgrounds and skillsets. We can lean on each other when we’re having challenges or questions; we can refer business back and forth to one another,” says Aymie.

One need only look at Aymie’s career to see that she has a talent for helping underserved and underrepresented groups—first women in finance who are looking for networking opportunities and, most recently, plus-size women. Developing new initiatives not only puts Aymie’s CPA training to good use, it also taps into her passion for creating opportunities for women to forge community
and a support system.

“I want women to feel empowered and I want them to have equal space and voice at the table,” remarks Aymie. “I’ve been reading a lot lately about the things women do that keep them playing small, and I just hope in some way that I’ve inspired other women to not play small, but to play big.”

Dr. Kara Mitchelmore FCPA, FCMA, DBA is no stranger to playing big and inspiring other women to follow suit. A professional “change agent,” Kara is brought into organizations during times of transition to execute and lead new processes that help those organizations advance.

She is currently CEO of the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education and is working to build a new harmonized bar admission course for Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. In her first 16 months in the role, Kara built a pilot program that launched in August 2019. “From concept to delivery in 16 months is a bit like drinking out of a fire hose, but it’s exciting. It’s fun,” she says with a laugh.

A change agent may seem like an unusual role for a professional accountant, but Kara points out that it is the perfect fit for the strategic and problem-solving skills she gained from her training: “My designation has always allowed me to know enough to ask the right questions. I use that knowledge, leadership, and strategy to move organizations forward.”

Recent stats show that women hold less than 10 per cent of C-suite positions at Canada’s 100 biggest publicly traded companies. However, one area that bucks those numbers is right here in the Canadian accounting profession: Of the 12 national, provincial, and regional accounting bodies that make up the Canadian CPA profession, 11 are led by female Presidents and CEOs (including right here in Alberta with Rachel Miller FCPA, FCA at the helm).

But elsewhere, although women are fighting against the glass ceiling and slowly making progress, the reality is that a lack of diversity at the top can hinder the entrance of women into those top roles. “You have a hiring board that is primarily male. You have men making that decision and there is no female voice. And there is still a misconception that women are not as good at making those tough decisions as men are,” says Kara.

An absence of diverse opinions at the top is not only limited to gender. People of colour, LGBTQ2S individuals, people with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups have valuable opinions that would be of great benefit to organizations. “You miss out on valuable opinions by having one group of like-minded individuals. That is when you get a lot of groupthink and don’t think about things from every angle. The more diverse the board can be, the more complete the solution can be,” says Kara.

Having held various C-suite positions for the past decade, Kara admits she has faced discrimination based on gender. But she looks at the adversity she experienced as an opportunity to develop tenacity and determine the types of organizations she really wanted to work in: “I have faced issues where I almost had to try twice as hard to show I could do the same amount of work as male colleagues. I have faced stigmas where male counterparts were underperforming and paid higher wages than I was. It just made me want to persevere more. I work almost primarily in associations and non-profit spaces, and I do that because I like to work for things I really believe in.”

She emphasizes that a CPA designation is a strong springboard that allows you to work in any industry, however. “It gives you a solid underpinning, and it also gives you an implied level of trust when you’re dealing with people,” explains Kara.

Kara’s advice for women facing challenges in the workplace is: “Know your own worth. Women tend to let others decide what their worth is, and I feel for them. It takes a long time to get comfortable enough to know what your worth is and to not back down on that.”

Finding a strong, female mentor they can talk to—particularly if they have their sights set on the C-suite—is also important. Not only can a mentor share what has worked for them, they can help women navigate instances where demonstrating assertiveness is misconstrued as aggression by others. “For years I was told I was aggressive. It was only in finding my own worth that I realized I’m not aggressive, I’m assertive. There’s a difference,” explains Kara.

Ellisha Sharma CPA agrees that strong female advocates are vitally important to creating environments in which other women can thrive. “Women are often held back when it comes to career progression due to men in leadership positions possibly having unintentional, subconscious gender biases against women,” says Ellisha. She notes that one way of addressing these biases is through gender inequality awareness and training. “It’s important to have those advocates because you don’t always get those promotions just by working hard. You need someone rooting for you. That’s where a lot of women face challenges.”

Advocating for female colleagues is something Ellisha takes seriously in her professional life. She encourages junior team members to speak up, provides mentorship, and recommends them for assignments. But Ellisha acknowledges that not every woman is striving for the same goal—while some want to get promoted, others simply want to take on new challenges. “I make sure I give them the resources and tools that empower them to go ahead and do things their own way,” explains Ellisha.

She believes that seeing others achieve success and observing women in leadership positions can be hugely motivating. “You need those role models. It’s easier to do something when you know this particular woman has done it before,” says Ellisha.

Role modelling is an issue that has become increasingly important as Ellisha progresses in her career. She recalls seeing a woman of colour with the tagline “Top floor. Corner office. I want it,” on the cover of a past CPA publication while she was in post-secondary. Ellisha has known since she was 15 that she wanted to become a CPA, but seeing herself represented on the cover of a CPA publication not only reaffirmed her belief that this was the career for her, it also instilled confidence that she can achieve success in the profession as well. “It’s so important to see women that look like you, who have similar paths, similar challenges. Seeing their various approaches to careers and learning from their leadership styles are empowering,” says Ellisha.

Ellisha’s passion for role modelling is equalled by her passion for providing affordable housing for Albertans and reducing homelessness in the province. While in post-secondary, she participated in the Five Days for Homeless campaign, which opened her eyes to the widespread impact of youth homelessness. She channelled that desire to help into additional volunteer experiences with shelters and a previous role with the Capital Region Housing Corporation in Edmonton. Ellisha is currently Finance Consultant for the Calgary Housing Company, which administers rental and rent supplement programs on behalf of the City of Calgary and Alberta.

“I am able to use my skills with numbers to help provide safe and affordable housing for Calgarians. It’s an important role: without that finance piece, everything would break down. I’m proud to use my knowledge as a CPA to add value to the social and affordable housing sector,” says Ellisha. “Whenever I get a chance to talk to tenants who live in the units, it’s so meaningful to hear how grateful they are to be given the opportunity to have a place to call home.”

CPA Leadership

CPA Alberta is led by CEO Rachel Miller FCPA, FCA. Capitalize Magazine caught up with Rachel and got her perspective on women in the profession, developing leadership skills, and the qualities of great leaders.

On female leadership in the accounting profession

“It’s no secret that the accounting profession has traditionally been male-dominated. However, I have seen a shift in recent years towards gender equality and balance. I could not be more proud to be part of this progressive shift and movement, and proud to be part of a profession that is making major inroads towards creating welcoming spaces for women to take on leadership roles.”

Advice for students on how to develop leadership skills

“Keep trying new tasks that challenge you and require you to learn. Get out of your comfort zone. Real growth only happens with continuous learning and improvement.

“Make things happen. Work with others to create plans, especially when there are obstacles, and get things done. People will witness how you respond while under pressure, which says a lot about your leadership skills.”

On what makes great leaders

“Responsible leadership means being accountable, authentic, and respectful in all interactions—whether it’s with clients, board members, colleagues, or staff. Effective leadership means having a clear vision and communicating it well.”

A look back in the archives! This article originally appeared in the Fall 2019 print issue of Capitalize.