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<h1 class="post-title" itemprop="headline"> ‘It’s critical to have diverse representation at the table’ </h1>
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<span id="lockedcontent_0_maincontentsingle_1_postheaderba31d14157544440a5cf6e5164c51912_2_author" itemprop="author">Denise Deveau</span>
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<p class="post-excerpt" itemprop="description"> Three female CPAs at different stages in their careers share their insights and accomplishments </p>
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<p><img alt="Headshots of three businesswomen are shown" src="/-/media/cpa-digital-hub/featured-images/2022/03/hub_03_03_intwomensday_700x525.jpg?h=525&w=700&la=en&hash=FA116341812524166DCEA7A279C9D0BF0FF47F8D"
style="height: 525px; width: 700px;"><em>From left: Kamille Español, Janice Fukakusa and Jenny Okonkwo (Images provided) </em></p>
<p>In honour of <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.internationalwomensday.com/" target="_blank">International Women’s Day</a> on March 8, we spoke with three CPAs at different stages of their careers to share insights on
their accomplishments, challenges and future opportunities.</p>
<p>A recent recipient of the <a href="/en/news/accounting/the-profession/2021-01-19-news-roundup" target="_blank">Order of Canada</a> and an FCPA with over 30 years of experience, <strong>Janice Fukakusa</strong> is the
chancellor of Ryerson University. She was previously RBC’s Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Financial Officer.</p>
<p><strong>Jenny Okonkwo</strong>, president of Transform Consulting Inc. and founder of the <a href="/en/news/atwork/2021-02-17-black-history-month" target="_blank">Black Female Accountants Network</a> (BFAN), earned her CPA
designation through a mutual recognition agreement in 2014, after she immigrated to Canada as an internationally-trained accountant.</p>
<p><strong>Kamille Español</strong>, a <a href="/en/news/accounting/the-profession/2021-08-13-cfe-gold-medallist" target="_blank">winner of the Governor General’s Gold Medal</a> for the highest standing on the May 2021 CFE, is a
financial reporting accountant at Ovintiv in Calgary.</p>
<h2>CPA CANADA: WHAT CHALLENGES DID YOU EXPERIENCE STARTING OUT?</h2>
<p><strong>Janice Fukakusa (JF): </strong>The challenges were the same many women face in the profession: balancing workloads and long hours with exams. Then I was finishing my MBA and CPA credits while working in auditing at the same
time.</p>
<p><strong>Jenny Okonkwo (JO):</strong> It was the lack of role models in the top layers of the profession. Even though enrolment was fifty-fifty when I was starting out, there were very few women in CFO, finance director type roles.
</p>
<p><strong>Kamille Español (KE):</strong> My biggest challenge was feeling unheard in the workplace—not because colleagues or leaders didn’t listen to me, but because I didn’t feel confident enough to share my ideas with people who
were more senior than me.</p>
<h2>CPA CANADA: WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE BEEN UNIQUE TO YOU IN THE CPA PROFESSION?</h2>
<p><strong>JF:</strong> For me it was all sorts of things, such as seasonal work, being unable to plan your days because of longer hours. When I started a family, the hours became too onerous, so I decided to move into banking.</p>
<p><strong>JO:</strong> It can be a huge challenge for immigrant professionals to reconnect with their careers at the same level. I am pleased that BFAN has been successful in helping some of its members in that regard. Accountants in
marginalized or underrepresented groups have additional challenges aside from gender.</p>
<p><strong>KE: </strong>I’m pretty new to the profession, but I do remember that, even though my classes were fifty-fifty male/female, males tended to be more vocal in contributing to discussions.</p>
<h2>CPA CANADA: WHAT HAVE BEEN THE MOST MEANINGFUL SUCCESSES IN YOUR CAREER?</h2>
<p><strong>JF:</strong> It was passing the CPA exams and becoming the first female and first diverse person to be named CFO of RBC. Another real honour was receiving the Order of Canada. It was a great surprise.</p>
<p><strong>JO:</strong> Growth in my public speaking portfolio, co-authoring <em>21 Resilient Women</em> and creating and launching the BIPOC Women CPA Summit program last year that focused on helping BIPOC women CPAs brand themselves
for professional advancement in the workplace.</p>
<p><strong>KE:</strong> The Governor General’s Gold Medal was the most exciting success I have had. At work, the most meaningful success is being able to contribute to the company in both financial reporting and internal auditing
roles.</p>
<h2>CPA CANADA: WHAT POSITIVE CHANGES HAVE YOU SEEN FOR WOMEN IN THE PROFESSION DURING YOUR CAREER?</h2>
<p><strong>JF:</strong> I’m glad to see there’s a better balance and support for women in the profession. Also, we are seeing a lot more diverse representation. It’s critical to have that at the table.</p>
<p><strong>JO:</strong> Definitely, the networking forums. There are many more events that now cater to the needs of diverse women in the profession.</p>
<p><strong>KE:</strong> Seeing women in my company taking on any role they want and be treated as equals shows me that gender is not being factored into my worth.</p>
<h2>CPA CANADA: WHAT CHANGES WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE FOR WOMEN IN THE PROFESSION?</h2>
<p><strong>JF:</strong> There should be more emphasis on women role models in the profession. There still needs to be more representation of women and diversity in total. I also think there needs to be more profiles on women who are
not in accounting firms but in other business and not-for-profit sectors.</p>
<p><strong>JO:</strong> Much greater access to mentors and sponsors.</p>
<p><strong>KE:</strong> More women voicing their ideas, taking on leadership roles and making a difference in the workplace.</p>
<h2>CPA CANADA: WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS MOVING FORWARD?</h2>
<p><strong>JF:</strong> After I finish my role as chancellor in two years, I will be quite busy working with foundations and boards that are specific to my interests. I will also continue to engage in mentorships for women.</p>
<p><strong>JO:</strong> I want to continue to support companies in advancing workplace diversity, equity and inclusion.</p>
<p><strong>KE:</strong> I want to take on more new roles and become the youngest female VP in our company. Maybe I’ll surprise myself.</p>
<h2>LEADING INTO THE FUTURE</h2>
<p>Find out about this year’s <a href="/en/career-and-professional-development/conferences/2022/november/aicpa-womens-global-leadership-summit-2022" target="_blank">AICPA women’s global leadership summit</a>, which will be held
in-person and online November 9 to 11. Plus, read why <a href="/en/members-area/profession-news/2017/september/c-suite-gender-equality-makes-business-sense" target="_blank">C-suite gender equality makes good business sense</a>, the
<a href="/en/news/atwork/2021-06-02-women-leadership-tips" target="_blank">four Ps to finding your voice as a leader</a> and
<a href="/en/news/atwork/2021-03-08-negotiation-tips-women-racialized-groups" target="_blank">negotiating tips</a> to get the deal you want.</p>
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Skip navigation CPA Canada Please choose between the following three options for navigation. Skip to global navigation. Skip to site navigation. Continue to page content. THE CANADIAN IDEAL OF GOOD BUSINESS. 1. Home 2. News 3. Accounting 4. The Profession 5. ‘It’s critical to have diverse representation at the table’ Accounting | The Profession ‘IT’S CRITICAL TO HAVE DIVERSE REPRESENTATION AT THE TABLE’ 3.3.2022 | Denise Deveau Three female CPAs at different stages in their careers share their insights and accomplishments Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email From left: Kamille Español, Janice Fukakusa and Jenny Okonkwo (Images provided) In honour of International Women’s Day on March 8, we spoke with three CPAs at different stages of their careers to share insights on their accomplishments, challenges and future opportunities. A recent recipient of the Order of Canada and an FCPA with over 30 years of experience, Janice Fukakusa is the chancellor of Ryerson University. She was previously RBC’s Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Financial Officer. Jenny Okonkwo, president of Transform Consulting Inc. and founder of the Black Female Accountants Network (BFAN), earned her CPA designation through a mutual recognition agreement in 2014, after she immigrated to Canada as an internationally-trained accountant. Kamille Español, a winner of the Governor General’s Gold Medal for the highest standing on the May 2021 CFE, is a financial reporting accountant at Ovintiv in Calgary. CPA CANADA: WHAT CHALLENGES DID YOU EXPERIENCE STARTING OUT? Janice Fukakusa (JF): The challenges were the same many women face in the profession: balancing workloads and long hours with exams. Then I was finishing my MBA and CPA credits while working in auditing at the same time. Jenny Okonkwo (JO): It was the lack of role models in the top layers of the profession. Even though enrolment was fifty-fifty when I was starting out, there were very few women in CFO, finance director type roles. Kamille Español (KE): My biggest challenge was feeling unheard in the workplace—not because colleagues or leaders didn’t listen to me, but because I didn’t feel confident enough to share my ideas with people who were more senior than me. CPA CANADA: WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE BEEN UNIQUE TO YOU IN THE CPA PROFESSION? JF: For me it was all sorts of things, such as seasonal work, being unable to plan your days because of longer hours. When I started a family, the hours became too onerous, so I decided to move into banking. JO: It can be a huge challenge for immigrant professionals to reconnect with their careers at the same level. I am pleased that BFAN has been successful in helping some of its members in that regard. Accountants in marginalized or underrepresented groups have additional challenges aside from gender. KE: I’m pretty new to the profession, but I do remember that, even though my classes were fifty-fifty male/female, males tended to be more vocal in contributing to discussions. CPA CANADA: WHAT HAVE BEEN THE MOST MEANINGFUL SUCCESSES IN YOUR CAREER? JF: It was passing the CPA exams and becoming the first female and first diverse person to be named CFO of RBC. Another real honour was receiving the Order of Canada. It was a great surprise. JO: Growth in my public speaking portfolio, co-authoring 21 Resilient Women and creating and launching the BIPOC Women CPA Summit program last year that focused on helping BIPOC women CPAs brand themselves for professional advancement in the workplace. KE: The Governor General’s Gold Medal was the most exciting success I have had. At work, the most meaningful success is being able to contribute to the company in both financial reporting and internal auditing roles. CPA CANADA: WHAT POSITIVE CHANGES HAVE YOU SEEN FOR WOMEN IN THE PROFESSION DURING YOUR CAREER? JF: I’m glad to see there’s a better balance and support for women in the profession. Also, we are seeing a lot more diverse representation. It’s critical to have that at the table. JO: Definitely, the networking forums. There are many more events that now cater to the needs of diverse women in the profession. KE: Seeing women in my company taking on any role they want and be treated as equals shows me that gender is not being factored into my worth. CPA CANADA: WHAT CHANGES WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE FOR WOMEN IN THE PROFESSION? JF: There should be more emphasis on women role models in the profession. There still needs to be more representation of women and diversity in total. I also think there needs to be more profiles on women who are not in accounting firms but in other business and not-for-profit sectors. JO: Much greater access to mentors and sponsors. KE: More women voicing their ideas, taking on leadership roles and making a difference in the workplace. CPA CANADA: WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS MOVING FORWARD? JF: After I finish my role as chancellor in two years, I will be quite busy working with foundations and boards that are specific to my interests. I will also continue to engage in mentorships for women. JO: I want to continue to support companies in advancing workplace diversity, equity and inclusion. KE: I want to take on more new roles and become the youngest female VP in our company. Maybe I’ll surprise myself. LEADING INTO THE FUTURE Find out about this year’s AICPA women’s global leadership summit, which will be held in-person and online November 9 to 11. Plus, read why C-suite gender equality makes good business sense, the four Ps to finding your voice as a leader and negotiating tips to get the deal you want. RELATED ARTICLES Accounting | The Profession TECH STOP: RESOURCES FOR BUILDING YOUR DIGITAL SKILLS 3.1.2022 | Margaret Craig-Bourdin These publications, courses and webinars can help you develop your tech knowledge and bring you up to date in emerging trends. Accounting | The Profession ‘TECHNOLOGY IS A WAY OF LIFE’ 3.1.2022 | Margaret Craig-Bourdin KPMG’s Stephanie Terrill explains the kinds of technology involved in a digital transformation—and what CPAs should know Accounting | The Profession COMPETENCY MAP 2.0: OUR PATH TO THE FUTURE 3.1.2022 | CPA Canada The CPA profession’s new guide to certification will prepare CPAs for a changing environment, while maintaining their core capabilities ABOUT THE AUTHOR Denise Deveau Denise J. Deveau is a Toronto-based freelance writer specializing in business and technology related topics. 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