Michael Baratta, CPA, CA
Partner, Campus Recruiting & Audit
Montréal
mbaratta@kpmg.ca
Michael joined the KPMG team in 1996 as an Audit intern. Over the years, he has climbed the ranks, becoming Partner in the Audit practice in 2007.
Michael prides himself on the long-standing relationships he has built with his clients and his role as a business adviser, aided by the many tools and vast knowledge at his disposal at KPMG. In addition to becoming a Chartered Accountant, passing the UFE exam in 1996, Michael has achieved KPMG's highest level of accreditation in US GAAP/GAAS, IFRS experience and training requirements. He is experienced in integrated audits and well acquainted with US SEC practices and standards. His focus has been in the Consumer market industry and he is the industry leader for Montréal.
For several years, Michael provided training to KPMG employees on auditing techniques. The considerable training experience he has acquired over the years has made him capable of training everyone – from interns, to managers and partners. Michael was also responsible for the KPMG Volunteers program for 2 years where he successfully increased the participation rate of the Montréal office to the highest in the country. Being a strong believer in the Firm's People programs, Michael took on the role of People Leader in its initial 2-year roll-out in 2006-2007.
Michael truly believes in giving back to the community. In 2011, he became a director on the Board of the Centaur Theatre, a non-profit organization, and also supports many other charitable organizations in Montréal.
An active participant in campus recruiting since 2000, he was promoted from Prime Recruiter to Partner-in-Charge of the anglophone side of campus recruiting in 2008.
Throughout his career with KPMG, Michael has been busy building a second career as a father. He has two little boys who have brought new meaning to his life and make him appreciate the time he spends with his family.
Bruce Guerriero, CPA, CA
Partner, Audit
Montréal
bguerriero@kpmg.ca
Bruce is a Senior Audit Partner in charge of the manufacturing, retail and distribution group in the Montreal office. During his years with the firm, Bruce has acquired a strong expertise in audit and financial consultation with medium and large scale businesses at the local, national and international levels. Bruce has served as the lead audit engagement partner on a variety of clients in different business sectors including Consumer Markets, Retail, Industrial Markets, Transportation, Aerospace, and Media & Entertainment. This has given him direct experience and insight into the governance structures, audit committee workings and skill sets necessary for leading finance executives to succeed in today's environment.
Bruce has assisted clients with their Public Offerings on Canadian and US exchanges as well as providing them with assistance in meeting their on-going financial reporting requirements with the Canadian and US securities regulators.
Bruce served on KPMG Canada's Partnership Board of Directors for 7 years, including Chairman of the Partners' Admission Subcommittee of the Board for 4 years. Bruce holds a Bachelor of Commerce, Honors with Distinction, from Concordia University and a Graduate in Public Accountancy from McGill University.
Bruce appreciates that people are the firm's biggest assets. He has been actively involved in the firm's recruitment process over the years to attract the brightest and the best candidates to KPMG. Bruce enjoys spending time mentoring new recruits as they progress in their professional development within the firm.
Gino Cordi, CPA, CA
Partner, Audit
Montréal
gcordi@kpmg.ca
Gino, a graduate of McGill University, is a designated Chartered Accountant and Certified Management Accountant. In 1997, he became a Partner at KPMG, where he provides Auditing services to a wide variety of clients, consisting primarily of public corporations and entrepreneurial companies. Over the years, he has demonstrated superior project management skills and in-depth knowledge of Canadian and American auditing and accounting standards. He has been involved in some of the most complex accounting and auditing engagements and has worked with some of the firm's most important clients.
Since 1998, Gino has been the HR Partner- in-Charge for his Audit group, and in 2007 he became a People Leader, working to strengthen and support performance advisers and other leaders to encourage a sense of belonging within employees at all levels. Actively involved in employee evaluations, performance, and compensation, etc., he uses his finely-tuned listening skills to help employees make good career decisions.
Gino has been involved in campus recruiting since 1990 and is on the Board of Directors for the Santa Cabrini Hospital Foundation. Over the years, he has built up a valuable network of contacts in the area of customer service.
Philippe Grubert, CPA, CA
Partner, Audit
Montréal
philgrubert@kpmg.ca
After his second year in Accounting and Finance at McGill University, Philippe made his first impression at KPMG as a summer intern in May 1994. Freshly graduated from McGill, he joined the firm full-time in October 1995.
Philippe's career began with the Audit practice. His talent and interest in resolving accounting problems allowed him to begin his senior years on a solid foundation.
Over the years, Philippe's clientele continued to grow. At the end of his second year as a Senior, he was appointed Manager in the Audit practice, then Senior Manager just 2 years later. A Partner since 2005, Philippe is an important member of the University Campus Recruiting team.
Despite a heavy schedule, he devotes a great deal of time to his team. He is a well-appreciated Performance Manager who is recognized for his great willingness to listen and his commitment to his team members. His professional qualities and interpersonal skills have allowed Philippe to advance quickly within the firm and to meet his professional objectives.
Toni Dilli
Partner Audit
Montréal
tdilli@kpmg.ca
Toni, a Partner in the Audit practice, joined KPMG as an intern during the summer of 1998 and returned as a full-time employee in 1999 after graduating from McGill University with a Bachelor in Commerce, Major in Accountancy. After completing his studies in Accounting and obtaining his CA designation in 2001, Toni broadened his knowledge base by obtaining his CFA designation in 2003. For the past 14 years, he has developed strong competencies in auditing Canadian and US public and private companies. He has extensive experience in US GAAP, US GAAS, PCAOB and SEC matters, and has worked on numerous Canadian and US public offerings. He is also well versed in International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and will play a role in helping Canadian public companies transition to the new standards.
Since he began his career at the firm, Toni has been involved in campus recruiting in several roles over the years for both McGill and Concordia Universities. Toni is a Prime recruiter for the Anglophone University Campus Recruiting Team. Toni was a professor at McGill University in the CA and undergraduate programs for approximately four years. Toni also taught various topics for the firm's in-house training courses.
Toni is the Chairman of the KPMG Volunteer committee for the Montréal office. The committee selects and organizes volunteer activities for KPMG employees at approximately 30 organizations per year. KPMG has had a participation rate of over 85% every year for the past 3 years. In addition, Toni is a People leader in the Audit practice. The role of a People leader entails helping, mentoring and coaching others within his group in dealing with HR-related matters. Furthermore, in 2011, Toni was nominated as the Learning leader for the Montréal office. The role of a Learning leader entails coordinating all learning sessions and trainings involving members of our Audit Group.
Toni is able to find a good balance between his professional and personal life. Toni is a proud father of a beautiful 4-year old little girl.
Aaron Fima, CPA, CA
Senior Manager, Audit
Montréal
afima@kpmg.ca
Aaron joined KPMG as an intern during the summer of 1999 and returned as a full-time employee in 2000 after graduating from Concordia University with a Bachelor of Commerce, Major in Accountancy. He spent his first 3 years at KPMG auditing both public and private companies in the consumer markets, publishing, and manufacturing sectors.
After obtaining his CA designation in 2005, Aaron took advantage of KPMG's Global Opportunities program to begin a 2-year secondment with KPMG in the UK's London office. The secondment allowed him to expand his network of contacts outside of and within KPMG, while living in a European city with a different business and social culture.
Since 2005, Aaron has also been part of the recruiting team as a Prime Recruiter for Concordia and McGill.
Frank Maselli, CPA, CA
Senior Manager, Audit
Montréal
fmaselli@kpmg.ca
Frank graduated from Concordia University in 1999. He began his career at KPMG in the summer of 2003 as a Senior In-Charge, having heard only great things about the firm from a KPMG employee with whom he studied at Concordia University when preparing for the UFE, which he successfully passed in 2001.
Frank has since gained extensive experience serving private clients with extensive international operations, and auditing financial statements for organizations in the commercial, service, and industrial markets. He was promoted to Manager in 2005, and then to Senior Manager in 2007.
Frank has been involved in recruiting since 2005. In his current role as a Prime Recruiter, Frank takes great pride in shaping the future of the firm and in maintaining its reputation as an Employer of Choice.
Catherine Morfopos, CPA, CA
Senior Manager, Audit
Montréal
cmorfopos@kpmg.ca
Catherine, a senior manager in the audit practice, joined KPMG as an intern during the summer of 1996 and returned as a full-time employee in 1997 after graduating from McGill University with a Bachelor in Commerce, Major in Accountancy. She obtained her CA designation in 1999. Over the years, she has developed an expertise in auditing Canadian and US public and private companies. She has extensive experience in US GAAP, US GAAS, PCAOB, and SEC matters and has worked on numerous US public offerings.
Since she began her career at the firm, Catherine has played various roles in university recruiting and has been a prime recruiter for the McGill and Concordia Universities for many years.Catherine has taught at the firm's in-house training courses and was a lecturer at McGill University.
In order to maintain a work life balance, Catherine is taking advantage of the firms flexible work arrangement program and is working four days a week.
Jason Paseli, CPA, CA
Manager, Audit
Montréal
jpaseli@kpmg.ca
Jason joined KPMG as a summer intern in 2005 and returned as a full time member of the firm in the fall of 2006. He completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree at McGill University in 2006, earning a double major in both Accounting and Marketing.
In 2008, he completed the Graduate Diploma in Chartered Accountancy at the John Molson School of Business and passed the CA designation examination. He is a Manager in KPMG's Audit practice, and has had the opportunity to audit both public and private companies in the transportation, shipping, pharmaceutical, aviation, manufacturing, and financial sectors.
Having played hockey at a very competitive level for many years, Jason is someone who enjoys a team environment and who likes to get involved. As a student at McGill University, he was President of the Management Undergraduate Society (MUS). As a Manager at KPMG, Jason is actively involved with KPMG's training and education programs, providing training to new full time members of the firm. Additionally, Jason is the head of the Social Committee of his audit group.
Jason has been an active member of KPMG's campus recruitment team for several years. He is a Prime Recruiter for Concordia and McGill University.
Annik Amireault
Talent Attraction Manager, Montréal Campus Recruiting
aamireault@kpmg.ca
After studying mechanical engineering at Montréal's School of Advanced Technology (ETS) and obtaining her Engineering Degree, Annik worked for an industrial engineering consulting firm as Project Manager for 4 years, optimizing work methods and production processes for various manufacturing companies.
In 2004, Annik decided to take on new challenges and signed a 2-month contract with the Campus Recruiting team at KPMG's Montréal office. In that position, she got to know KPMG employees and discovered a work environment and corporate culture that fit her values and aspirations.
In early 2005, Annik accepted a permanent position as Montréal Scheduling Coordinator within KPMG's Audit practice —a major career change! Her solid grounding in engineering allowed her to quickly propose and make changes to the process in place. Barely 7 months after taking up her duties, Annik was offered a Human Resources administration position, which she eagerly accepted; she took part in a variety of HR projects, particularly in the area of campus recruiting. In 2007, she began a new position entirely focused on that area. Currently in charge of campus recruiting for KPMG's Montréal office, Annik also promotes national projects as a member of the Canadian firm's Campus Recruiting team.
Marise Drapeau, CPA, CA
Senior Accountant, Audit
Montréal
mdrapeau@kpmg.ca
Marise originally comes from the Quebec City area and decided to move to Montréal to complete her Bachelor's degree in Commerce at McGill University. In 2008, she joined the KPMG team for a summer internship, which persuaded her to return to the firm full time in the winter of 2010. She then completed the CA program at Concordia University on a part-time basis while working full time for the firm. Marise passed the UFE in 2011 and received her CA designation in May 2012.
Marise works in the firm's audit group, serving private and public companies operating primarily in the manufacturing and food sectors. Working on clients of different sizes that operate in different industries has enabled her to become more adaptable.
Since her first university recruiting experience in 2007, when she was a candidate, Marise has always loved the process and has been involved in recruiting each year ever since. She believes that it is a very rewarding experience at the start of a career that allows candidates to get to know themselves better and to meet people active in their desired profession. Marise will be happy to join the official recruiting team this year and to share her experience with candidates.
Emilie Neveu, CPA, CA
Senior Accountant
Montreal
eneveu@kpmg.ca
Emilie joined KPMG in May 2008 for a summer internship to get more hands-on knowledge of the accounting and auditing profession. After completing her Bachelor's degree in business administration at HEC Montréal, Emilie went on to do her graduate diploma in public accounting in 2010 and passed the UFE in the same year.
Emilie works in the Audit practice, serving public and private companies operating in the manufacturing, clean energy and information technology sectors. She is also involved in the Junior Chamber of Commerce of Montréal in connection with the "University Springboard" initiative and does corrections for HEC Montréal. She also sits on the Board of Directors of a dance troop and helps with their bookkeeping as well as issuing financial statements.
Since joining KPMG, Emilie believes that getting involved in activities and causes maximizes a person's job market and community experience. Moreover, by being involved in recruiting she is happy to meet people who are passionate about the business world as well as students motivated to pursue an exceptional career.
Ariane Cloutier
Staff Accountant, Audit
Montréal
acloutier@kpmg.ca
Ariane joined KPMG for a summer internship in 2009. She completed her Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, as well as her specialized accounting diploma, with HEC Montréal, before passing the UFE in September 2011. Ariane has been back full time with KPMG since October 2011.
Since joining KPMG, Ariane has had the opportunity to work on many projects in a variety of areas, such as the manufacturing, distribution and pension fund sectors.
Ariane is involved in the firm's mentoring program to share her experience and support her colleagues writing the UFE. She also plays on some of KPMG's sports teams.
Ariane has been involved in campus recruiting since joining KPMG and is now a member of the official recruiting team for the first time. She was very enthusiastic about accepting this challenge.
Toronto
Sean Bailey
Partner, Enterprise
Toronto
seanbailey@kpmg.ca
Sean is a Chartered Accountant with an Arts degree with a major in accounting from the University of Waterloo. He has 14 years of experience, among which 6 as a KPMG Audit Partner, in providing assurance services to Canadian private companies and their owners.
Sean is a member of KPMG Canada's National Audit Leadership team and the National Enterprise Leadership team both groups consisting of approximately 20 partners that are responsible for the strategic decisions of each practice. Sean's primary focus is serving private companies in the Real Estate Sector. His clients include many of the largest home builders in the country and commercial and residential property companies. In recent years, he has held the following positions within our practice in Toronto: Partner in charge Enterprise delivery, Recruiting partner. Sean has spoken at seminars on accounting issues impacting the Real Estate Sector including revenue recognition and transitional issues when adopting Accounting Standards for Private Enterprises at real estate industry events.
Ali Akbar
Analyst, Corporate Finance
Toronto
aakbar@kpmg.ca
Ali first joined KPMG in the summer of 2008 in our Montreal office after completing his 3rd year at McGill University. After completing his Bachelor of Commerce, Ali began full-time in 2009 joining the Toronto Audit practice with a focus in Energy, Mining, & Industrial Markets.
After successfully passing his UFE in 2011, Ali joined the Corporate Finance practice primarily working in Mergers & Acquisitions, divestitures, debt & equity financing, and fairness opinions.
While working with KPMG, Ali has been heavily involved in recruiting and has recently participated in a KPMG-Free the Children trip to Kenya.
Carrie Cheung
Staff Accountant, Audit
Toronto
carrie.cheung@mail.mcgill.ca
Carrie Cheung joined the KPMG team as a summer intern in 2011, and completed a rotation in the Enterprise Audit practice and the other in Campus Recruiting. Upon graduating from McGill University in June 2012 with a BCom from the Desautels Faculty of Management, she started full-time in September 2012 with the Financial Institutions and Real Estate Audit practice. During her summer internship, she had the opportunity to work with a variety of non-profit organizations.
As a summer intern, Carrie was actively involved with a number of community outreach initiatives. Along with her fellow summer interns, she completed the World Partnership Walk, and also took part in riding the "Big Bike" with the Heart and Stroke Foundation. When she returned as a final year student after her summer experience, she remained connected with KPMG and became a campus ambassador.
When she is not at school or at work, Carrie enjoys karaoke, hot yoga and had recently picked up on golfing!
Laird MacDonald, CA
Talent Attraction Manager, GTA Campus Recruiting
Toronto
lcmacdonald@kpmg.ca
Laird joined KPMG in 2005 after obtaining his Bachelor of Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University. Laird began his career with KPMG in the Waterloo Audit practice working on clients in various industry groups including Consumer Markets and Energy and Natural Resources. Laird obtained his Chartered Accountancy (CA) designation in 2008.
In the summer of 2008, Laird participated in a four month secondment to Johannesburg as part of a short term exchange program with KPMG South Africa. Laird recently returned from a 36 month secondment to KPMG Amsterdam as part of the Global Opportunities program where he travelled extensively across Europe and Asia for clients gaining knowledge of IFRS.
While working with KPMG Canada, Laird has been involved with recruiting and most recently transitioned to the Talent Attraction Team as Manager of Campus Recruiting. Laird also maintains a client portfolio in the Enterprise practice with a focus on real estate. In his personal time Laird enjoys skiing, swimming and travelling.
Stephen Novalski, CA
Talent Attraction Manager, GTA Campus Recruiting
Toronto
stephennovalski@kpmg.ca
Stephen Novalski joined KPMG in 2005 after obtaining his BBA from the Schulich School of Business. Stephen began his career with KPMG in the Financial Institutions and Real Estate (FIRE) Audit practice, where he gained experience working with a wide variety of clients and industries including banks, real estate and construction companies.
In 2008, Stephen obtained his Chartered Accountant (CA) designation and that same year accepted a secondment into KPMG's National Campus Recruiting team providing support for offices from coast to coast. This secondment led to a permanent move into Talent Attraction where Stephen joined as a Manager on the Employer Branding team. In over two years in this role, Stephen was responsible for designing and developing national campus recruiting programs including the Ace the Case Competition and Fast Forward Leadership Conference among many others.
Since 2011, Stephen has been in the role of Talent Attraction Manager for GTA Campus Recruiting and has enjoyed the new challenge of being more involved on campuses and in the recruiting efforts of the GTA offices.
Mary Freitas
Talent Attraction Specialist, GTA Campus Recruiting
Toronto
mfreitas@kpmg.ca
Mary Freitas joined the KPMG team in October 2010 after completing her Honours Bachelor of Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University. Mary began her career in the Toronto Audit practice as part of the Financial Institutions audit group where she has worked on clients in various industries including banking, broker/dealers, and funds. She has also had the opportunity to work in several of KPMG's other groups including energy, mining, and private clients.
Mary wrote and passed the UFE in September 2011 and is acting as a UFE mentor for one of this year's writers through KPMG's Study Buddy program as well as a marker for KPMG's internal marking pool. While working with KPMG, Mary has been actively involved with recruiting and has most recently accepted a short-term secondment in Campus Recruiting as a Talent Attraction Specialist.
Outside of work, Mary enjoys baking, reading, and travelling to new places.
Pankita Patel, CA
Talent Attraction Specialist, GTA Campus Recruiting
Toronto
pankitapatel@kpmg.ca
Pankita Patel joined the KPMG team as a summer intern in 2007 and started full-time in September 2008 with the Enterprise Audit practice, where she specialized in working with non-for-profit organizations and municipalities. Pankita graduated from York University in 2008 with a BBA from the Schulich School of Business. Pankita has worked with a variety of non-for-profit organizations, municipalities, and real estate companies since joining the firm.
Pankita has been actively involved in recruiting since joining KPMG as a summer intern where she was a campus ambassador and after two years in the audit practice in September 2010 Pankita took on a new role in the Talent Attraction Group as a Talent Attraction Specialist, Campus Recruiting.
Since beginning her career at KPMG, Pankita has had the opportunity to be involved with the UFE process through KPMG's Study Buddy program, allowing her to mentor CA students through their CA exams as well as being a professional marker and seminar leader for the SOA since passing the UFE in 2009. For the past three years, Pankita has also had the opportunity to give back to her university through being a TA at Schulich School of Business for first and third year students.
Through this opportunity, Pankita has been able to keep her passion of teaching and be an active member of the Schulich alumni. Recently in 2012, Pankita joined the Ontario UFE group's internal marking centre and has been actively involved in facilitating CKE and SOA technical sessions.
Pankita is an active participant in KPMG's community initiatives as a key member on the Free the Children steering committee who works to raise internal firm awareness and organize events in support of the organization. In 2012, Pankita took on a new role as the Team Champion for the Talent Attraction Group to support the KPMG GTA World Partnership Walk Team. Outside of work, Pankita enjoys hot yoga, travelling, and baking!
Rory MacPherson, CHRP Candidate
Talent Attraction Coordinator, GTA Campus Recruiting
Toronto
rmacpherson@kpmg.ca
Rory MacPherson joined KPMG's campus recruiting team in March of 2012. Prior to KPMG Rory worked in campus recruiting for a global reinsurance firm where he assisted in recruiting actuarial science students. Rory's interest in campus recruiting began while working in Vancouver, BC for one of Canada's Big 5 Banks, and decided to move to Toronto for an opportunity to gain experience in the industry. Rory's main goal since joining the GTA team is striving to provide all campus candidates with the best possible recruitment experience.
Despite Rory being new to KPMG, he has enjoyed getting involved with local campus events and planning activities for KPMG's interns and co-ops. Rory's most memorable moment so far has been attending a community leadership workshop that Free the Children facilitated for the KPMG 2012 Summer Interns.
In his spare time Rory enjoys traveling, cycling, volunteering, and learning how to cook!
Jaleh Afrooze
Talent Attraction Manager, GVA Campus Recruiting
Vancouver
jafrooze@kpmg.ca
Jaleh joined the KPMG Enterprise practice in September of 2008 as a full-time staff accountant. Throughout the past four years, Jaleh has worked with a variety of private and public business clients including those in the real estate, education, retail, investment industries, and not-for-profit organizations. Jaleh has also been greatly involved with campus recruiting in the last four years and she loved it so much that she decided to take on the GVA Campus Recruiting Manager role in June 2012.
Jaleh earned a bachelor of business administration with a concentration in accounting honours at Simon Fraser University in 2008 and a Master of Professional Accounting (MPAcc) from the University of Saskatchewan in 2010. She wrote the UFE in September 2010 where she earned a spot on the National Honour Roll. Jaleh believes that the key factor to her success on the UFE was the KPMG National UFE and mentorship program.
Jaleh has a passion for giving back and being involved in the community. She was able to pursue this passion by joining the KPMG Burnaby UFE Committee and GVA Mentorship Committee. She was also able to pursue her passion for the community and outdoor activities by completing a triathlon in benefit of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and cycling with the KPMG team for the Ride to Conquer Cancer in benefit of the BC Cancer Society.
Jaleh also enjoys travelling. She has visited over 25 countries and describes herself as an adventurous traveler. Her most adventurous and recent trip was trekking to the Everest Base Camp and a place she will definitely go back to is Greece!