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work for free for six months and aſter the first day, the company hired him as an accountant at minimum wage. He was eventu- ally promoted to controller and in 2000 he became CFO. Throughout it all he continued his CGA studies and earned his designation. “That was a big moment for me as I was now a qualified professional here,” he says. “I realized you have to take challenges and be adaptable so your weaknesses become your strengths.” Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, Thakkar went on to


start his own business again. In 2003, he opened a boutique consulting firm with five full-time employees and a number of outside partners called Excelsior Financial Group, specializing in South Asian markets. In addition, he recently started a land development business. “I love seeing the fire of entrepreneurs


and I help advise them on starting their businesses,” says the 48-year-old, who has a 19-year-old daughter, Nikita, and a 15-year-old son, Mayank. He is also an active volunteer in com- munity business groups and mentors others in entrepreneur- ship. “Ultimate success is when you help others and give back to the community,” he says. With a reciprocal membership agreement now in place


between the accounting bodies in India and Canada, Thakkar says it’s easier for accountants from his home country to earn their Canadian designation than it was for him 20 years ago. In fact, he meets many accountants from India who have done just that. “The beauty of today’s technology is that you can connect with your professional bodies even before you arrive and find ways to fast-track,” he says.


JUNE/JULY 2016 | CPA MAGAZINE | 41


Ruth Kaplan


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