In the Spotlight with Joel Babich
Tell us about yourself.
I was honoured to be admitted to the partnership just recently – 2020 as circumstances would have it! A year none of us will soon forget. But unexpected challenges, sometimes even repeated challenges, bring an opportunity to demonstrate resilience and to live the words of Frost, “I can see no way out but through.” This year I observed that quote being applied by our entire leadership team. A year that began full of challenges has been faced with determination, with action, and when appropriate, with humour and levity, and has returned a year of memorable experiences and lasting rewards.
If you were not an accountant what would you have liked to be and why?
Definitely a Formula 1 driver. And coincidentally, the combination of speed, skill, precision, and opportunities for world travel as a racing driver is very similar to a career in accounting. (Or so I told my future wife in the years she supported my articling!)
What does "Now, for tomorrow" mean to you?
A question we would often ask at our Standards Committee and our Education Committee, when considering an advancement in methodology or best practices, was - “if not now, when?” This has been refined - throughout our Firm - to “now, for tomorrow”. It’s about seizing the opportunity in the time available with creativity, care, and strategy so that our decisions and solutions provide returns for many, many tomorrows.
What is the best advice anyone has given you?
A senior partner once told me, “I promise you that my door will be open often, and I will always invite your questions, but make sure you arrive at my doorway with at least one possible solution to the question you have. It may be a topic you’ve never tackled before but make your best attempt. We’ll always come up with a better result for our clients when we both start with a solution in mind.”
What opportunities do you foresee for the firm in the next few years?
‘Data is a game changer’ may be a phrase used in (too) many tech cycles, but it has always been a matter of course in professional services. Data drives our procedures, our decisions, our reporting. I’m excited to be a part of the Firm’s investment to integrate digital technology as an active solutions-focused presence, and elevate it from a passive verification tool. The technical breadth and depth of our Standards Group combined with our team of experts in Data Analytics, Valuations, and Tax provides a comprehensive platform for our clients to further develop and expand locally, nationally and globally. I see our diverse range of clients in Vancouver and Toronto achieving their objectives and even their stretch goals knowing their course has been expertly tuned by Baker Tilly WM.
