Five in five: Denise Jones
What’s your background?
I grew up on a family farm in Prince Edward County, developing a strong work ethic from a young age and a practical common-sense approach to life. I also developed a love for family and everything outdoors. A university professor at McMaster convinced me that the CA designation would open lots of doors and she wasn’t wrong.
What is your proudest professional accomplishment?
Receiving my FCPA, CPA. I’m also proud of my volunteer endeavours – which have been my way of contributing and giving back – and my mindset for continued personal growth and education. All the leadership roles I’ve taken at Baker Tilly KDN have given me the opportunity to assist others, in order to develop a firm we can be proud of and enjoy coming to work at each day. To be recognized by my peers as a valuable contributor to the profession, firm and community was an absolute honour, but I still feel like I have a lot more contributing left to do.
If you weren’t in your current job, what profession would you pursue?
I would be an educator, most likely in a post-secondary environment. I love education, collaboration and the energy on campus – in fact, I think it could be the fountain of youth! But we also have many of those qualities at BT, which is one of the reasons I’m still here.
What are the qualities that make Baker Tilly Canada unique?
We are autonomous and can change direction quickly, to ensure we provide everything our team and clients need now. In addition, our national and international networks are quick to collaborate whenever necessary. I have worked with offices across Canada and internationally, assisting with tax issues, staffing for engagements and brainstorming about various issues. I just finished a sales transaction for a client with the assistance of one of our U.S. offices. That kind of support is the best of all worlds for our team and clients.
What does the future hold for you and your profession?
A world of opportunity – the pandemic has only highlighted what we can do with technology and collaboration. We have a business analytics manager in our office who has taken it to the next level with analytics, visualization and more. I am excited to see where it all leads, as we continue taking our client service to the next phase of its evolution.
Denise Jones
Denise Jones