Creating a career with purpose

A little bit about me

My professional journey started in Mexico where I graduated with a degree in international relations and political science. My first job was in a Canadian consulate in Mexico helping Canadian companies find business partners in Mexico. That is also where I participated in my first system implementation. Since then, my career has taken several twists and turns leading me back to technology. When I moved to Canada, I had several different roles; first as a waiter (not very successfully as I kept dropping trays), then I worked at a bank, followed by another accounting firm. I then completed my MBA at McGill University which led me to join PwC Canada as an associate on the Workday team (Enterprise Applications - Consulting). The constant thread throughout my career has been a love for solving problems and getting involved in technology implementations.

A passion for helping our clients succeed

I’ve been with the Workday team since 2016 and have had the opportunity to constantly learn and be part of successful projects. I’m a financial architect which means I get to design the conceptual model behind how clients structure their financial data in Workday, and how functional areas come together to deliver a unified solution. Our team has implemented Workday at companies as small as 500 people to some of the largest and most well known companies in Canada. Over the last two years we’ve seen growth in collaborating with other lines of service, such as tax, change management, risk assurance, finance and HR transformation, bringing the whole firm together to find solutions for our clients. One of the most rewarding parts of what we do is seeing clients come back to us after a few years asking for additional guidance, or for us to help them expand their Workday footprint. It speaks to the quality our teams bring to these engagements and this would never be possible without the strong sense of teamwork within our practice. 

Embracing technology to deliver differently 

From the time I joined, the Workday team has always had a remote setup. I came into the office when I wanted to see colleagues, but for the most part, I worked from home. This opened up a world of flexibility in being able to balance my professional and personal commitments. I remember speaking with my coach in early 2020 right before the pandemic, telling her that “other than seeing clients and colleagues face to face, I don’t think working remotely all the time will change much of how we deliver projects”, and that’s held true thanks to the tools and technology we use to stay connected. 

My first upskilling experience after joining PwC Canada was to get certified in Workday. Every 6 months everyone on our team goes through a recertification process to ensure that we’re knowledgeable on the latest Workday release. I’ve also improved my Excel skills and learned how to use Google applications, Alteryx and Tableau/Power BI. I don’t know what the next step will be, but I won’t be surprised if in another 4 years we’re all working with a whole new set of technologies.

Building a culture of belonging

In addition to my work in consulting, a colleague and I founded our Montreal LGBTQ2S+ inclusion network, Shine. When I started my career we didn’t have inclusion groups and being out was tolerated at best. Being involved in a diversity and inclusion network has provided me with many opportunities to learn how to lead authentically, without having to hide part of who I am. I also get the chance to work with and learn from other leaders and lines of business in the Canadian firm, as well as colleagues across our global network.

From starting our local LGBTQ2S+ inclusion group, to creating a professional network, collaborating with nonprofits and attending PwC Canada’s first ever global LGBTQ2S+ inclusion summit in NYC in 2019, I’ve had the opportunity to see how PwC Canada truly walks the walk when it comes to diversity and inclusion. Through my work with Shine, I feel that I’m contributing to something larger and more meaningful, which I didn’t have in the early years of my career. It’s been a lot of work, but it’s work that’s incredibly rewarding on a personal level. We’re lucky to have people within Shine and across the firm that back us up and invest their time and energy into what we do.

Find a career that’s rewarding

My advice to someone starting out in their career is that it’ll likely evolve in ways they wouldn’t expect and that it’s all about the long game. There’ll be challenges along the way, which is why it’s important to have a coach you can trust to have real conversations with when you hit a rough patch (and we all go through several in our careers). Fostering good relationships with your teams and across the firm will help you succeed. And finally, get involved in something you’re passionate about. It’s important to feel like what you do is rewarding.