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Following her instincts, Marie-Claude Pépin Verdo successfully moved from the restaurant business to accountancy. Let’s listen to her story.
After 20 years in the restaurant business, five of which was spent running her own restaurant, Marie-Claude decided to change direction. Now a senior accounting technician at Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, she combines her passion for numbers with a new life balance.
When the Lac-Mégantic tragedy struck in 2013, Marie-Claude lost her restaurant—an integral part of her life. Yet she refused to let this event define her. Instead of dwelling on what she had lost, she saw it as an opportunity to reinvent herself.
Accounting had always interested her and she was used to managing her restaurant’s books. So she decided to train to become a technical accountant. Our Firm, which handled her company’s accounts, offered her a job.
A unique link with clients
How did the transition go? “Of course, at first I didn’t think I was very good,” admitted Marie-Claude, laughing. “I’m a perfectionist, I like things to be done well. In the restaurant business, I knew my job inside out, but I had to work hard to master my files.”
However, the Firm saw great potential in her. “My future boss warned me that the first year would be difficult, while I got my bearings. He was very understanding and never pressuring.”
Marie-Claude’s great strength is her ability to connect with her clients. Many of them were regulars at her restaurant, which of course made it easy to develop a bond of trust. Her unique background as an entrepreneur gives her a perspective that few technicians have. She is able to explain accounting in simple terms to new entrepreneurs who are less familiar with these concepts.
Flexibility and balance
One of Marie-Claude’s major apprehensions during her transition was adapting to a more rigid schedule. As an entrepreneur, she enjoyed a great deal of freedom, allowing her to squeeze a personal appointment into her working day or take time off to take her daughter to school.
She soon discovered that the Firm offered unexpected flexibility. As she enthusiastically notes: “At Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, we can create our schedule as we see fit, as long as our objectives are met and our clients are satisfied.” What’s more, after years of working atypical hours in the restaurant business, she was happy to have her evenings and weekends back!
Passion and commitment
At the Firm, she found not only a job, but also a supportive family. “When I first began, I had a wonderful colleague who took me under her wing and showed me a lot of patience.” This mentoring and caring environment has been essential for her.
What advice would she give to those who would like to do what she does? “I would tell them to go for it. We’re always learning here. And if you want to take on a challenge, you’re not left to your own devices. On the contrary, we’re encouraged and well supported.”
For anyone hesitating to change their career path, Marie-Claude is living proof that passion, commitment and determination can open up doors you never thought existed. She is the perfect example of how it’s never too late to rethink your career, find a new path and, above all, continue to learn and grow.