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In a ledger of their own

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Richard’s position requires him to oversee the financial and operational aspects of all the studio’s projects. This includes budgeting, performing cost analyses, managing studio logistics regarding building leases and equipment contracts, and strategic financial planning for present and future projects. Given the demands of the job, his military training has come in almost as handy as his accounting degree.

In 2001– 02, Richard did a tour in Bosnia as the Controller and interim Chief of Staff for the Canadian Army. “Bosnia was a good experience,” he recalls. “Here in Canada, you have support for every aspect of your job and life. In Bosnia, it’s back to basics. There’s no family to fall back on and limited resources in general. You have to be creative and do more with less.” This do-it-yourself style of problem solving came in very handy when setting Ubisoft’s plans into motion. But it was his training as an accountant that Richard depended on for the nuts and bolts of his job.

“Taking the numbers and matching them to operational goals is what makes great managers,” Richard says. “More than any other designation, the CMA gives you the edge to analyze and challenge as opposed to just compute.”

Because accountancy essentially looks at the history of an organization, Richard emphasizes that young accountants with managerial aspirations must understand how crucial it is to have “the capacity to analyze results, then use them to project your company into the future, adjusting as you go along.” This is what leadership is all about, according to Richard.

Richard has one last piece of advice for up-and-comers: “Question everything. Don’t assume the way things are is right. Put everything in perspective, analyze, and improve. This way, you add value to your business — because accountancy is creative, not mechanical.”

Simon Brault, CGA

As Director General of the National Theatre School of Canada, Simon Brault is a CGA who knows the value of good people skills. In fact, this 1992 alumnus of HEC Montréal’s accounting and law programs considers accountants to be in a unique position to observe human nature.

“Basically, you always deal with people who have money issues,” says Brault. “On the surface it’s about money, but in fact it’s always really about where one human being wants to go. Accountants are in a very interesting position to go beyond the surface of things, and it’s when they do that they develop their ability to support, counsel or lead.”

Besides learning about human nature, Simon also stresses the need for accountants to keep their minds open: “When I was studying at HEC, we used to joke about ‘creative accounting.’ We were told to respect the rules. In truth, I think it’s important to study the rules very carefully so that you can be creative about solutions to problems you may encounter, because there’s always room for interpretation and development.”

Along with looking for creative solutions to financial puzzles comes dealing with risk. According to Brault, the trick is to evaluate risks not with the goal of avoiding them, but in order to take the right risks at the right moments. “Accountants have a certain sense of what risk means,” he says. “They can put a figure on it. But if you want to do something more with your knowledge and training, you need to be able to grasp the consequences of risks that cannot be represented by numbers. Things like the political context of a decision, the culture of your institution. These elements are beyond accounting.”

Bringing all the elements together is what Brault excels at. In his current position at the National Theatre School of Canada, he’s in charge of creating and promoting the institution’s vision. As a result, he is involved in all aspects of private and public fundraising and responsible for all employees. In addition, he sits on the school’s Board of Directors.

Just in case he didn’t have enough to keep him occupied, Brault also holds a five-year posting as Vice-Chair of the Canada Council for the Arts, the country’s main funding body for the arts. Plus, he’s the founding member and first elected chair of Culture Montréal, an organization that rallies hundreds of arts professionals who advocate for cultural policies at the city level. While juggling all of these commitments is certainly a lot of work, it also goes to show just how applicable Simon’s basic accountancy training is to a vast spectrum of enterprise.

Three dynamic accountants, three one-of-a-kind careers. These examples make it clear that training as an accountant can be a stepping stone to just about any career you wish. Chris Marcofelas let his instinct be his guide while leveraging his accounting credentials to explore new challenges in industry. Luc Richard used his designation to transform his military service into an exciting, cutting-edge career in private-sector video games, and Simon Brault proves that there is nothing mundane about knowing how to work a spreadsheet. All three men had the vision to see beyond the numbers. How about you?

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