Bissett Insider

Bissett Accounting Finance Department hosts Bringing Voices Together: Diversity and Inclusion in Accounting and Finance

Sponsored by the CPA Education Foundation, the Bissett Accounting & Finance Department, spearheaded by Assistant Professor Nicole Edge, hosted “Bringing Voices Together: Diversity & Inclusion in Accounting & Finance” on March 16, 2018. A group of ~ 50 registrants including experienced professionals, alumnae and students came together over lunch to share stories about experiences working as women in a male-dominated profession.

Robin Taub,  author, speaker, writer, “solopreneur” and former Chair of CPA Canada’s Women’s Leadership Council, provided current Canadian context on gender diversity and the business case for why Canada needs to take action to address gender diversity. She and Ruth McHugh, current COO of the Alberta Office of the Auditor General, then shared their stories of what it was like for them to enter this discipline and carve out their own space as CPAs. The conversation then moved to small round-table discussion where students had an opportunity to engage with professionals and discuss a range of questions and ideas about gender diversity and inclusion in the profession.

Nicole reports that based on positive feedback – particularly from students who felt this was one of their first opportunities to hear directly from the “on-the-ground” practitioners about these issues, options for follow-up events are being explored.

Special thanks to Nicole for spearheading this event and ensuing this timely issue is at the forefront of the faculty.