CPA Leah Turner shares the career path she took to become a leader in the accounting field.
Leah Turner has come a long way since her days as a self-proclaimed “cocky” student at Deloitte. “I thought I could do no wrong back then,” she admits.
At Tourmaline, her main responsibility is to make sure all statutory and regulatory requirements are in place, including quarterly and annual reports, tax, Canadian Sarbanes-Oxley (CSOX) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).
“I believe in ethics, and I also think that if you do good things, you will be rewarded. Looking after your staff will pay back in multiples.
“I am proactive and decisive and I’m not afraid to speak up. Most important, though, I believe in looking at the big picture. Good leaders don’t get caught up in the details,” she says from her office at Tourmaline, an oil and gas exploration and development company founded two years ago.
Ultimately, she says, it’s a “delicate balance of empathy, understanding and toughness,” that leads to success at the helm.
In a small company like Tourmaline, advancement can be limited. Turner’s immediate boss is the CFO. She has no plans, however, of moving on.
To satisfy her need to grow professionally and develop skills as a director, she will volunteer on various boards, including both not-for-profit and profitable companies.
This year, Turner and her husband became parents, adding a whole other dimension to their lives.
In February, Turner was back at Tourmaline in her role as Financial Analyst after a second maternity leave. She has been volunteering “a lot,” and co-founded the Alberta CA Community Ambassadors, which connects chartered accountants who want to offer their financial expertise to not-for-profit organizations. “So far, it has been a really positive experience,” she says.