Annual industry awards recognize the best accounting and bookkeeping professionals in Canada
TORONTO, ON–Sage, the market leader in cloud business management solutions, announced the 2021 Sage Circle of Excellence Accounting Awards winners.
Over the past 20 months, many businesses have shifted to serving their clients virtually and in new ways. Accountants and bookkeepers not only embraced remote working during this time, they were also committed to providing advisory services to guide clients through changing government regulations and what it meant for their business.
The 2021 awards program celebrates accountants and bookkeepers in Canada and their important role for small businesses, as they provided valuable counsel and support to help businesses not only navigate the financial impact of the pandemic, but redefine the future together.
Now in its third year, the Sage Circle of Excellence Awards champions the best of Canada’s accounting and bookkeeping community, recognizing how they went above and beyond to strategically help their clients through their second challenging year since the pandemic.
The 2021 award recipients include:
– Alan Salmon Lifetime Achievement Award: Clyde Harris, Alwyn Enterprises (Scarborough, ON) Above
– Accountant Partner of the Year: Laurie Rauk, Lauranne E Rauk Professional Corporation (Calgary, AB)
– Bookkeeper Partner of the Year: Debrah Burleigh, Debrah Burleigh & Associates (West Kelowna, BC)
– Innovator of the Year: Emmanuel Lucas, CDEC de Québec, (Québec City, Québec)
– Trainer of the Year (tie): Shelley Rudiger, Leashing Your Ledgers Bookkeeping Inc. (Edmonton, AB)
– Trainer of the Year (tie): Christine Hontoy, Tout Compte Fait Consultants (Montréal, Québec)
– Rising Star of the Year: Jennifer Desiar, DESIAR Accounting & Bookkeeping Services (Fort St. John, BC)
“Sage is proud to support small businesses and the accountants and bookkeepers who help them perform at their highest level. In a country where 98 percent of the workforce is employed by small or medium-sized businesses, we’re excited to recognize the best of Canada’s accountants and bookkeeping community with the Sage Circle of Excellence Accounting Awards,” said Steve Ryujin, VP, Small Business Segment, Sage Canada. “Each of this year’s winners demonstrate an unwavering commitment to superior client service, ongoing professional development, in-depth knowledge of their profession, and is an inspiration to their local communities and the industry at large.”
The judging panel received nearly 100 nominations for the 2021 program across five award categories. Each award is given to a Canadian accountant or bookkeeper, who, whether a solo practitioner or senior partner, has exemplified high standards of excellence in client service, training, entrepreneurship, and advancement of the accounting profession in Canada.
Recognizing an important mentor for bookkeepers everywhere
This year’s Alan Salmon Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Clyde Harris, founder and owner of Alwyn Enterprises based in Toronto, Ontario. Established in 2000, Alwyn Enterprises is a bookkeeping practice that specializes in serving communities of faith.
Every year for the past 18 years, Clyde has facilitated workshops for church treasurers, helping ensure their financial reports meet the latest government and church compliance standards. During the pandemic, his workshops moved online, but his support for the community never wavered. Clyde is always willing to help overwhelmed staff, whether it means answering questions or lending a hand with administrative tasks.
Over the past year, more church treasurers than ever have relied on Clyde’s guidance to take advantage of the many government initiatives designed to support non-profit organizations, including churches, which had relied on in-person attendance for their donations.
Clyde continues to be an active participant in Sage events, relishing any opportunity to learn something new about bookkeeping or to network with other bookkeepers, accountants, and Sage colleagues.
Members of the 2021 judging panel include:
– Mandeep Bains CPA, CA, Principal, Audit and Assurance,
Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada
– Neal Cranna, VP Marketing, Canada, Sage
– Rick Johal, CAE, Chief Executive Officer, Certified Professional Bookkeepers of Canada
– Elizabeth Kohl, Director of Communications & User Experience,
TaxCycle, Trilogy Software
About Sage
Sage is the global market leader for technology that provides small and medium businesses with the visibility, flexibility and efficiency to manage finances, operations and people. With our partners, Sage is trusted by millions of customers worldwide to deliver the best cloud technology and support. Our years of experience mean that our colleagues and partners understand how to serve our customers and communities through the good, and more challenging times. We are here to help, with practical advice, solutions, expertise and insight.
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