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Kam's journey at BDO has taken him from a Staff Accountant to Tax Partner. After leaving BDO and joining a Big 4 as a partner for a few years, Kam was drawn back by BDO's entrepreneurial culture and the flexibility to shape his own career path.
“While it was the most difficult career decision I've ever made, I'm grateful I had the opportunity to explore an alternative firm and return to BDO. It brought into focus that I missed the people, the clients, and predominantly, the approach to business and client relationship…” he laughs “it's almost as if I had to leave to realize what was unique about BDO.”
Since he's been back, Kam has quickly returned to what energizes him—face time with a diverse range of clients and the business community at large. He's clear that today's accountant needs to understand the ever-changing business landscape as well if they are to find solutions that really work.
Deep-seated technical knowledge is a baseline client expectation, but he's realized, for him, the BDO culture of encouraging team members to learn how to identify and solve problems independently was empowering.
"In this profession, it's important to get your foundations right at every step of your career because it'll be much harder to handle larger, more complex issues as you climb up the career ladder. BDO was my first professional career just out of college and while the partners set a high bar, they believed in learning through doing. We were supported in the process of course, but that approach developed my confidence in my ability to tackle any problem that came my way."
Beyond the skills, Kam acknowledges that his peers, managers, and mentors at the firm have impacted who he is as a person. “BDO's culture has always been more humble, kind, and laid-back. Now that I've ventured outside of BDO and explored another opportunity, I have realized those values have stayed with me, and I've carried them into my other roles.”
After almost 14 years at BDO, it's inevitable the firm has shaped him but he's comfortable with that knowledge, seeing it instead as setting a strong foundation.
"I know that I have the skills, discipline, and values that will support success no matter where my career takes me. There will be setbacks along the way, but the important thing is to keep striving to improve as both a professional and a person. Having resilience and determination is crucial to achieving, and BDO has helped me understand that."
He adds “The last few years have also given me the space to understand how professional satisfaction is linked to personal authenticity. Fit is everything.”
So, what's next? Kam is clear, he wants to grow his practice. He mimics rolling up his sleeves and getting to work. “In my previous role, I remember someone said to me that I didn't need to 'knock on doors', but it was in that moment that I realized how much I loved doing just that. At BDO, I'm encouraged to 'knock on doors', seek out new business opportunities, and actively engage with clients. This aligns with my passion for building relationships and contributing to the growth of both clients and the firm.”