Get to Know Jennifer Saville
A science major who spent a decade teaching dance in studios across the world isn’t the usual suspect when thinking of an accountant. In fact, Jennifer Saville herself never thought she’d wind up as one. Find out what changed and how Jennifer now applies her disciplines to finding creative solutions for her Okanagan clients.
How did you end up in accounting?
Funny story actually. My dad was a certified general accountant and as a teenager, I insisted I would never be an accountant like him. After university, armed with a Bachelor of Science degree, I still had no idea of what I wanted to do. So, as I had been taking dance classes since I was three, I went into teaching dance. I travelled around the globe teaching for about 10 years before moving back to Canada. I took a job with a friend of my dad who was looking for an accounting student, thinking I’d stay there only until I got back on my feet. They offered to pay for all my accounting courses, and I agreed, figuring free education was always a good thing. I found out fairly quickly I had a knack for accounting, and that’s how I ended up in the Chartered Professional Accountant program.
What’s the number one piece of advice you give to clients?
At the end of the day, you need to do what’s best for your company. We can make all the plans and analyze things in various ways, but at the end of the day it’s the business owner making decisions for their company, and they have to do what's right for them. I can provide the options and some advice along the way.
What do you like most about working at MNP?
So many things! After working in other accounting firms, MNP has such a great culture where you really feel valued for your contributions. I also love being able to use my teaching skills to help train the staff and help mentor the students through the CFE. And having flexible work hours so I can also have a good work / life balance.
What advice would you give someone who was considering the same career path as you?
Assurance is the best! It’s way more interesting in practice than it is in the classroom. No two files are ever the same, and I really get to know my clients quite well. I think its quite interesting to learn about their businesses, look for opportunities to help them out, and get a better understanding of industry at the same time.
What keeps you busy outside of work?
Things in my house are never boring! Between my son, a hubby who can’t sit still and always has a project he needs help with, and an ever-growing farm (we started with two dogs when we moved in, now we have three dogs, six rabbits, 22 chickens and two pigs) you’d think that was plenty.