Who is Jonathan Banford?

Regional Managing Partner for MNP’s Advisory Services across Québec, Jonathan Banford has more than 20 years at the helm of a specialized team delivering high-performance business solutions, primarily within the manufacturing sector. His services cover areas such as financing, sales and acquisitions, recovery and restructuring, and business succession.

Jonathan is a trusted advisor known for his fairness and integrity. He has earned the loyalty of many business leaders and owners thanks to his sound recommendations and effective solutions to support their organizational, strategic and financial objectives.

He is an elite competitive athlete who has completed nine Half Ironman^[1] events. He is also the father of two children, and says family is one of his top priorities.

What has changed for your team and your clients now that you're part of MNP?

We’re still providing the same range of services with the same quality standards. We have such strong relationships with our clients that they were the ones checking in to make sure the transition went well for us. Most of our clients see themselves as dealing with people — not just a company — and since those people haven't changed, service has continued without interruption. This smooth transition has shown us how considerate, generous, and loyal our clients are.

In the advisory services team, we still have the same members. I feel they are as happy as before. They say MNP treats employees with an incredible level of consideration. This is reflected in methods, communications, and the human-focused approach. It shows at all levels of the firm.

We have access to the tools we need to best serve our clients and our colleagues. MNP is well adapted to our market and our people-focused reality as a team. The firm’s values also aligned with mine personally.

How does MNP get involved in the community?

We’ve noticed MNP is very active in terms of marketing and community involvement, which is great because many of the partners in our team already have deep connections with various local initiatives and organizations. We’re highly motivated to take part in the community and that dedication reflects in our strong social networks and the commitment we show in each and every initiative.

In practical terms, we are active in chambers of commerce, optimist clubs, several charitable organizations, sports associations, and more. I personally have been serving as treasurer of the Chicoutimi golf club for quite a few years.

What motivates you the most in your work?

At the end of the day, I really love working with my team. I’m lucky to be surrounded by top-notch individuals who challenge and motivate me every day. I also enjoy the type of hands-on work we do — especially business acquisitions and sales. We take part in a key stage in a business’ lifecycle and a critical point for owners and managers. Emotions run high for everyone involved in a transaction, including us. We feel strongly about making sure all parties are happy with the outcome, and as a result develop even stronger and deeper relationships with our clients.

The pandemic underscored that I needed to actually see people; I would much rather have in-person meetings than connect via technology.

We also do a lot of business succession work where family meets employer-employee relations. This, too, often inspires strong emotions. As these types of transactions progress, the accountant’s role changes and we find ourselves working much more as business advisors. These experiences are part of what makes our profession so interesting.

One of my main personal values is integrity. As a team, we strive for fairness, equity, honesty, and integrity in all we do. These qualities and values have brought us a long way over the past 18 years ago and helped us become the strong, committed 16-member team we are today. In the transactions we support, whether it be for the seller or the buyer, we aim to find win-win solutions that make everyone happy. We feel strongly about operating with integrity, regardless which side we represent. This has helped us build an excellent reputation in the market.

^[1] Ironman: Multidisciplinary race consisting of swimming (3.8 km), cycling (180.2 km) and running (42.195 km) events, over a total distance of 226.195 km. For a Half Ironman, also called Ironman 70.3, the distance of each of the three disciplines is divided in half, for a total of 113.195 km, or 70.3 miles.