From March 6-19, 2015, Collins Barrow is highlighting the achievements of several women who continually strive to create value, break equality barriers and empower others.
International Women’s Day celebrates the women who make it happen all around the world. The women of Collins Barrow make it happen every day because ours is a workplace environment that fosters the careers of Canadian women. Over the past 20 years, the accounting profession has seen a positive shift in attitudes concerning female advancement. At Collins Barrow, we’re proud to report that we have a higher percentage of women partners, and growing, than the industry norm. Meet Tracey Strauss, MA, MBA, PDO.
As practice leader of Corporate Finance at Collins Barrow Toronto, a group created by Tracey on joining the firm as partner just over three years ago, she provides investment banking services to businesses throughout Canada and worldwide on both the buy and sell side, advising on deal-making and succession-planning strategies ranging from IPOs, acquisition financing and recapitalizations to mergers, divestitures and buyouts.
“Great achievements happen daily in this business,” says Tracey. “Being in a position to advise entrepreneurs and management teams on how best to evolve their business is very rewarding. Whether they’re changing the status quo in their market or pivoting to make a change of another kind, it typically means the company is seeking to create added value for their clients, while minimizing their transaction risks.”
Of special interest to her are companies determined to make a difference by helping people live longer, happier and healthier lives, and innovators who are changing the game in their industry for the better in sustainable ways.
The causes Tracey supports reflect these same values: the Canadian Women’s Foundation, which empowers girls and women to break free of poverty and violence; the Cystinosis Awareness and Research Effort, a foundation dedicated to finding a cure; and Yoga Stops Traffic, which holds events to raise awareness about human trafficking. What’s more, as a practitioner of Ashtanga yoga and fountain of wisdom on physiology, she is often consulted about best practices by fellow partners, employees and clients.
Collins Barrow, says Tracey, is dedicated to providing its clients with valuable insights and clarity and encourages its professionals to be all they can be. Her advice to women thirsting for the same sense of fulfillment: “Make sure your everyday role allows you to live on purpose and with direction, while contributing in a way that is meaningful to you and the causes you care about.” Also key, she adds, “is to aim, target and execute, choosing the paths to spend time on.”
Women Tracey admires
“I would love to travel back in time to meet with Catherine Moser and Katherine Kaiser, relatives of mine who immigrated to New York from Europe in the 1800s. I would like to learn what they hoped for and how they felt coming to this new land.”
Clarity is seeing the path to your potential. Learn how Tracey can help your business by contacting her directly by phone at 647.729.2644, or by email at tstrauss@collinsbarrow.com.
About Collins Barrow
Recognized as Canada’s mid-market leader for audit, tax and advisory solutions, our association of 26 independent member firms comprises the eighth largest public accounting group nationally by revenue. Through our strong network infrastructure, shared expertise, resources and offices from coast to coast, we provide clients ranging in size from large, publicly traded companies to owner-managed and emerging businesses with a full complement of professional services across every major industry sector.