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Once an intern, always a mentor. This could be the motto of Pascale Tessier, whose story illustrates the importance of mentoring.
Pascale Tessier joined Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton in 2009 as an intern and never left the Firm. She is now an Assurance Partner at the Brossard office where she is particularly involved in recruiting and supporting new talent.
“Providing personalized support and guidance over the years also helped me to thrive,” she explains.
After her first few months as a trainee, she obtained a position as an intermediary, a role in which she accompanied a team of file managers during audits, which enabled her to discover her vocation for coaching.
“That’s when it fell into place for me. By helping new interns, I could see how far I had come and the skills I had acquired,” she recalls.
This experience convinced her to pursue her career development within the Firm. She then spent four years in the role of Senior Auditor, during which time she continued to train and coach our field teams. This naturally led to her current position of Senior Assurance Manager.
Recruitment: a personal commitment
In her current role, Pascale Tessier is actively involved in recruiting interns during our annual recruitment drives in September and Spring in particular. This mission is very important to her and she thinks back to her own internship. “I know what helped me to grow and develop and what connected me to the Firm. I try to share these key elements with the interns.”
She laughs as she highlights a unique aspect of her role. “I’ve aged since I started working at the Firm, but all my interns are 25 years old! This keeps me young and connected to the younger generations.”
Sound advice for the next generation
With extensive experience under her belt, Pascale can share valuable advice with future interns. “I’d advise candidates to choose an employer that allows them to grow and develop while respecting their values,” she recommends. “There’s a focus on team collaboration at the Firm. Every day, three or four of us are working together on an assignment. Therefore, you must have a strong team.”
Her pride in belonging to the company is obvious: “It’s really unusual for a large-scale firm to have such strong Québec roots and links to its community.”
A strong corporate culture
What is her greatest achievement? “It’s having a mobilized team of people who want to excel and are proud to serve our clients,” says Pascale. “We don’t sell products. We sell expertise. As a result, we must create a positive atmosphere and build a solid team of people who want to be part of the Firm.”
This corporate culture is supported by a committed management team. “We’re lucky to have a President who is actively involved. Even though it is a large firm, he’s based in Québec and he communicates with us. The Firm’s values are shared and put into practice. This allows us to bring our vision to life at every level of the organization.”
Excellence through expertise
Pascale Tessier’s greatest source of pride is her professional growth and the work environment that motivates her every day. “Discipline is the cornerstone of this profession. The role of a CPA auditor and Senior Manager requires being an expert in your field. Our clients call on us because they need our expertise and our advice.”
It’s a source of pride that we’re keen to share with the next generation of professionals.