People often ask me, "So what is it you do as an assurance manager at Shimmerman Penn?" There is no quick answer. One of the reasons I was attracted to this job was the variety of services it allows me to provide and also the opportunity to always learn new things. Every day is different. Our actual work is far less "crunching numbers" than many expect when you tell them you're an accountant. As managers we look at the bigger picture and ask questions like: does everything make sense as a whole for the business? Are we taking advantage of the best tax options and treatments? Do the financial statements properly reflect the operations of the business?
As an assurance manager, I deal with a range of year-end financial statement engagements, including Notice to Readers, Reviews and Audits. A Notice to Readers is a compilation of information provided by the client, while Reviews and Audits provide different levels of assurance to the users of the financial statements, essentially providing them comfort that the statements have been prepared in accordance with the appropriate accounting framework. These assurance engagements entail much more work than a standard Notice to Reader engagement. Assurance engagements require a significant amount of planning which is why clients often hear from us well in advance of their year end to co-ordinate things such as inventory counts and interim audit testing work.
Of course some days are more routine then others. If I don't have a special project that day, then I will usually spend the day checking on the status of files that staff are working on, assist with any questions or issues they may have, review completed files and provide comments back to the staff for clarification and/or corrections, and mentor junior staff members.
Much of my time is spent interacting with clients. There could be calls, e-mails and/or meetings with a variety of members of our client's team such as owners, controllers, CFOs and bookkeepers, depending on the size of their company or organization. One of the great aspects of my job is keeping in touch with our clients on a regular basis to understand how things are going throughout the year.
Working with partners is another crucial aspect of the role. Routine things take place most days, like complete reviews of files and associated tax returns to provide to partners, scheduling upcoming files, responding to calls and e-mails from clients, and clearing any queries from partners. Other days involve more variety such as working with partners to complete special projects related to re-organization of corporate structures, declaration of dividends and the associated documentation and filings required, special audits required for government funding or other purposes, tax planning for both individuals and corporations (among many others). Learning from partners how to consistently add value for our clients is a very important aspect of the role of a manager.
I also participate in many networking and business development events throughout the year. This is a nice change to get us out of the office, meet clients and colleagues, and be involved in our community. One recent event I attended was the BEAT (Building Equality in Architecture Toronto) Cross Pollination party.
Managers are also involved in various committees at Shimmerman Penn, such as the social and marketing committees. We also attend conferences, professional development events and other activities on behalf of the firm. We're actively involved in the PrimeGlobal community, attending conferences such as the upcoming Women's Leadership conference that I will attend with one of our senior managers, Noha Yahia, this fall. These are a great opportunity to speak with and learn from our peers, hear about best practice and ideas we can implement at our firm, and importantly, have fun!
