join the network. Olubobokun, a tax specialist at MNP LLP in Waterloo, Ont., was also invited to the group via LinkedIn. She says one of the many benefits of being a member of BFAN is that she’s part of a larger group of women who empower one another. “As a woman of colour and an immigrant, I realized that women who fall within my social and cultural group have not always been well represented in the professional world,” says Olubobokun, who studied in Nigeria and England. “BFAN provides me with an opportunity to be part of a unique group of underrepresented accounting professionals who come together to share knowledge and experiences that I can relate to on a personal and professional level. I have benefited from the experiences of women like me, especially when you see them breaking the glass ceiling at their jobs. Being part of BFAN gives me hope. I leſt my first meeting feeling so pumped up and very encouraged. I didn’t feel I was alone anymore.” It’s a sentiment that accountant Reynaldo Urbano can relate


of the network,” she says. Now, with more than 500 registered members, Okonkwo says BFAN’s current primary goal is to “bring on board ‘change agents’ and use varying forms of engagement to find breakthroughs that enrich the whole network.” Radcliffe says in the short time she’s been a member her personal development has thrived. “One of my favourite parts of being an accounting professional is connecting with clients and colleagues to reach a common goal. I love network- ing one on one, but I have a horrible fear of public speaking,” she admits. “I feel safe and supported speaking and standing in front of this group of ladies.” Mora Olubobokun is the friend who suggested Radcliffe


to. When he emigrated to Canada from the Philippines in 2011, he went online and Googled Filipino accounting associations in the Greater Toronto Area with the hopes of finding a group that would be supportive and offer assistance in his move from over- seas. He came across the Association of Filipino Canadian Accountants (AFCA) — a nonprofit organization that he soon discovered “promotes the professional development of its members through conducting seminars and workshops. I thought, this is a great organization,” he says, adding that some- thing that struck him the most about the AFCA was its scholar- ship program. “It was designed to provide financial aid to encourage Filipino students to pursue a career in accounting. I applied and was selected as one of the recipients.” Urbano, a senior auditor in the internal audit department at TD Bank Group in Toronto, says one of the main reasons he reached out to AFCA and eventually joined was to create a network of accounting professionals and increase his chance of landing his first gig in a new country. “As a newcomer to Canada, finding a job that matches your skills and work experience as an accoun- tant is very challenging. Often, employers are looking for Canadian experience, which is unrealistic for someone who has just arrived in the country. As a result, most newcomers who are experienced accountants are underemployed,” he says. “When I came to Canada, I realized how difficult it was to get a job similar to what I had in my home country and I found networking was the best method to help find the right job that matched my skills and work experience.” So he jumped right into AFCA. His first meeting with its members was the panel interview with the scholarship selection committee. “They were very friendly, welcoming, respectful and professional,” Urbano says. “At the end of the interview, I got a chance to talk to one of the panelists, who was a partner at a Big Four auditing firm, and I asked her if I could submit my resumé for future opportunities. That conversation opened the door to my first accounting job in Canada.” Urbano adds that ethnically diverse accounting associations act as a “home away from home


SEPTEMBER 2017 | CPA MAGAZINE | 47


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