Passionate about numbers from an early age, Maxime Dufour threw himself enthusiastically into the world of accountancy.

His career with the Firm reflects a unique combination of ambition, determination and a deep commitment to his clients.

His father was an accountant. So, naturally Maxime became interested in numbers early on. This is why, on career day in high school, he chose to spend a morning at Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton. He wanted to see what it was like to work for a large firm.

A passion that takes shape

“I thought it was very glamorous at the time,” Maxime recalls with a laugh. “I had seen the agenda of the partner I was with, and what impressed me was the fact that he sometimes had to take clients out for lunch and he also had Happy Hour or golf tournaments for the office… I was well aware of the workload that this job represented!”

That day he caught the accounting bug and he enrolled in accounting at university. When the time came for his first internship, he naturally turned to Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton… and he’s still there! He became a partner last January, after just 13 years with the Firm. “This is what I wanted. I knew it right from the start.”

A fighting attitude

To climb the ladder, you have to show that you have the aptitude and motivation. It doesn’t happen overnight. There were many obstacles along the way, but Maxime decided to work twice as hard to get there. He had a fighting attitude.

His efforts were rewarded, as he was promoted to manager some time after his arrival and has now achieved his goal of becoming a partner. He is living proof that perseverance is a great quality.

The importance of client relations

Maxime places great importance on building strong relationships with his clients. Always attentive, he makes sure he fully understands the challenges they face. Whether it’s with his clients or in-house teams, he prioritizes collaboration for overcoming obstacles and delivering high-quality service.

He takes pride in helping local businesses succeed. He uses his expertise to support organizations at every stage of their development, guiding them towards achieving their goals. For example, he and his team recently helped a client who wanted to acquire a business. “We put her at ease and worked with her every step of the way, right up to the final transaction. Becoming the owner of an SME is a life-changing experience! It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to support people and businesses through this kind of change.”

He is also very generous with his time. For many years, he was an ambassador for the Firm’s Centraide campaign. Furthermore, he plays an active role in recruiting and training young talent within the organization. He knows just how early vocations can emerge!

From Maxime’s stories and experiences, one thing remains constant: his passion for his job. He is a perfect example of how, despite the challenges along the way, determination and perseverance can lead to the fulfilment of your professional aspirations.

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.

Our firm has been a driving force in the accounting profession since 1948. The combined experience of three generations of the same family provides some insight into 75 years of history and how this Québec jewel has changed over this time.

Raynald, Dominic and Hugo Deslandes have passed the torch, from one generation to the next. They tell us about their inspiring career paths as well as how they view working for Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton.

Strong roots

Dominic Deslandes was appointed partner in the Recovery and Reorganization Group at the age of 32, and he now has more than 27 years of seniority in the firm. A licenced insolvency trustee and newly appointed member of the Insolvency Institute of Canada (IIC), Dominic has some impressive credentials. When he was a child, his father Raynald often found him reading the economic section in La Presse or looking at financial statements! Needless to say, Raynald was very happy when Dominic decided to become an accountant!

Dominic admits that, for a while, he thought about becoming a doctor. “I liked the idea of helping others and dealing with critical situations, but this is sort of what I do as a restructuring expert. I may not be saving lives, but I’m helping companies that are often in a very difficult financial situation. My team and I ask questions, analyze information to arrive at the best possible diagnosis, and then propose the best solutions.”

Helping others

Dominic worked hard to get where he is today. Many of his partners think that he works too hard. “It must be in my blood. But there are some benefits. I met Andrée, my wife and the mother of our three children, during all those long hours at the office.”

Dominic remembers a pivotal moment in his career. He was just starting out and was assigned his first major file: a sawmill in the Abitibi region. “There I am, in a suit and tie, and everyone else is in jeans and checked shirts. It was so cold and I didn’t even have any boots,” he remembers with a laugh.

Gilles Plante, a former partner in the region, took Dominic under his wing and helped him steer this project. “Gilles was the Vice-President for his region, he had his own clients to serve, and yet he still took the time to monitor my progress and answer my questions. I can say that this helped me to build a successful career. One of my biggest regrets is that Gilles passed away before I had a chance to tell him how much his support made a difference for me,” Dominic says with sadness.

Passing the torch

That is why Dominic makes it a point of honour to help his partners as well as younger professionals by sharing his knowledge and his network of contacts. He is extremely pleased to monitor the progress of his son, Hugo, who is studying business administration at McGill University while working as a junior auditor at Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton. “I’m very proud of my three children. I hope that they’ll do something that makes them happy—whether they become CPAs or not.”

Hugo, for his part, has received his fair share of academic awards. He has been involved in a host of committees and all sorts of associations. In fact, he is an ambassador for the firm at McGill. “My role is to talk to students and show them the type of firm we are. Within the company, helping others is more important than being in competition.”

Looking towards the future

Since the birth of his son, Noah, a few months ago, Hugo has re-thought his priorities. He had been thinking about doing a Master’s degree abroad, but has decided to wait for a better time. He has also taken some time off from his committee work to focus on his studies and his family.

“When I look at my son, of course I don’t want to work 70 hours a week. I want to spend time with him. And, what’s more, it wouldn’t be fair to my partner, Charlotte, who has already taken a semester off after Noah was born.” His colleagues are very accommodating at work. Hugo emphasized that “people here understand the reality of employees who have children.”

A generation of builders

This was not the reality when Raynald Deslandes joined the firm in 1965, while taking night classes at HEC. Raynald is from the generation of builders who made Québec what it is today. He was also involved in many different committees. Among other things, he chaired the professional practice committee and served on the executive committee for the Montréal region as well as the national executive board to get a solid grasp of internal management.

Raynald is fully aware of how lucky he was to have a wife who took care of the family. “Without her, I would never have been able to have the same career.” He remembers with emotion the day that he learned that he had become a chartered accountant. “Back then, the UFE results were posted by the Ordre des comptables agréés. I was so nervous that I stayed in the car while my pregnant wife went to see the list of people who passed. When she came out, she was waving her arms, laughing, and screaming ‘you passed!’ It was one of the best days of my life, he says smiling.

A highly adaptable firm

He understands fulIy well that working 70 hours a week is not considered ideal for his grandson, Hugo. “Society is changing, and that’s a good thing. I’m proud to see that the firm is adapting as an employer.” He remembers that it was always like this. He, himself, saw this respect for employees as he worked alongside the firm’s founding partners. In particular, he recalls that when he was a young trainee and ill, his boss, Jacques Paré, phoned his own family doctor to look after him.

The next generation of accountant?

These three men are part of a long tradition of accountants who truly embody the firm’s values, namely collaboration, leadership, agility, integrity, respect and excellence.

The question is this: are Noah’s father and grandfather secretly plotting for him to pursue his career with Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton one day? Hugo laughs and says “it’s no secret that they are plotting. It’s already common knowledge that they’re getting ready to pass the baton to my son”.