Get to know Danny Wald

Danny Wald, CPA, is MNP's Cloud Accounting Services Leader for Quebec and brings more than 20 years of industry experience to his role. An excellent communicator, he uses his strong accounting and change management analytical skills to help clients reach their business goals. We caught up with Danny in his Montreal office to learn more about him and why he loves his job.

Tell us about your background.

I graduated from McGill University in 2000 with a bachelor of commerce in finance. I then switched to accounting, and completed a bachelor’s degree in that field in 2005. I received my accountant designation in 2006.

I began my career in a firm focused on entrepreneurs and private businesses, where I rose through the ranks and ultimately made partner. We were bought out by a major firm, where I ended up running the small business department. I moved to MNP in January 2022, and I’m the ease Service Leader for the province of Quebec.

What do you like about your work?

I obviously love numbers, but what I appreciate the most about my job is working with people. In my opinion, they come first. But I’m very interested in the story that numbers tell. You can never forget the impact that can have on an entrepreneur. Their business is their baby!

We have to listen to our clients and understand their needs, because they change as their business grows. At MNP, ease allows us to adapt to the needs of small businesses and to give them access to professionals. I really appreciate MNP’s philosophy — it’s a big national firm but it focuses on personal relationships with clients.

How would describe your value add?

My added value is without a doubt my lengthy professional experience and my deep private business accounting expertise, which allows me to give good advice to our clients. I understand their needs and know how to win their trust. I take the time to sit down with them and have a discussion. I’m also very involved in technological change, including financial statement automation and document management. I love to solve problems, find solutions, and help our clients grow.

What trends have you noticed throughout your career?

I’ve witnessed several important changes over the years, especially on the technology front, including the impact of technology on processes. We have to work faster and more efficiently. That’s what technology allows us to do today. There have been great leaps forward these past few years, for instance in artificial intelligence. Also, with digitalization, paper documentation has all but disappeared.

That said, I don’t believe quicker execution means compromising on quality. We must always be responsible and transparent.

There can be resistance to change. My job is to help clients understand the benefits technology can offer. In the past, they could only see their financial results once a year. With ease, they can be more proactive since they now get a clear picture of how their business is doing in real time, not just at the end of the financial year when it’s too late to make changes that could impact their success. That’s a huge advantage.

The team also works closely with our partners, which allows us to bundle our services and gain a holistic view of a client’s situation.