COME TOGETHER


CPAs are typical Canadians: a diverse group. And many have formed ethnic professional associations in order to share their common threads and encourage the next generation in the profession


by Lisa van de Geyn photo by Ruth Kaplan


EMBERS OF THE BLACK FEMALE ACCOUNTANTS NETWORK (BFAN) meet bright and early on a Saturday at a community centre in Mississauga, Ont. On this warm June morning, 25 women in business attire sit around tables in a U-shape facing a screen as presenter and BFAN founder Jenny Okonkwo, who hails from England and emigrated to Canada 11 years ago, chats about


recruiting newcomers to join their growing network. It doesn’t take long to notice that the women share a host of commonalities — sure, they’re all black female accountants, as their group’s name so proudly expresses, but they’re also keen to build their personal and profes- sional networks, learn best practices that they can take back to their firms and converse with like-minded peers who are passionate about their careers and their communities. Lucille Radcliffe makes her way to the front of the room to talk about a small business con-


ference she recently attended. She mentions the ways in which she got out of her comfort zone — she thanks BFAN for the ease she felt meeting other conference attendees during network- ing sessions. Radcliffe, a senior accountant at Grant Thornton in Beamsville, Ont., learned


44 | CPA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2017


BFAN members, left to right: Shavon Hyatt, Oluwabu- sola Ahanmisi, Diedra Dick, Jenny Okonkwo, Lucille Radcliffe and Stella Okoh


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