IRENE MARIE PLAVCIC, CPA, Professional Corporation "Money Sense"
Irene Marie Plavcic, CPA
Are you seeking someone skilled and qualified to assist you with your accounting, taxation, or strategic needs? Or perhaps fraud prevention, risk management, and improved governance?
If the answer is yes to any or all of these, Irene Plavcic may be the person you’ve been looking for. With bona fides that include working in the Assurance & Advisory Group at Pricewaterhouse Coopers, one of the ‘big four’ professional services firms – to working in an impressive variety of industry sectors including: automotive, construction materials, consumer packaged goods, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, real estate, retail and telecommunication – to consulting on corporate governance, operational effectiveness, risk management and strategic matters – to now running her own professional accounting practice.
Among her many qualifications, she holds a Chartered Professional Accountant designation (legacy Chartered Accountant) from the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario; a Certified Internal Auditor certificate from the Institute of Internal Auditors; and a Certified Fraud Examiner certificate from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. She also has a Master’s degree in Business Administration, specializing in Strategic Management from the Schulich School of Business, where she graduated on the Dean’s Honour List.
These credentials and more have compelled many to invite her to lecture on a number of topics of her expertise, at various college and university institutions.
In addition, she facilitates numerous modules for the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario, for candidates enrolled in the chartered professional accounting program. In fact, she is often called upon to mentor candidates preparing to write their chartered professional accounting exams, and to write various educational materials. For these reasons and others, it’s easy to see why she’s been chosen, and trusted by, a vast and varied cross section of clientele.
My Business Magazine asked Irene about why it’s important to have a good accountant, her work ethic, and what she can impart to other female entrepreneurs….
MBM: Who are your typical clientele?
Irene: My practice provides professional accounting and consulting services to small businesses, entrepreneurs and other professionals. Our accounting services concentrate in two technical areas: financial statement preparation and reporting; and taxation – individual and corporate filing, tax planning and representation. Clients appreciate partnering with a business advisor that can integrate individual and business accounting and consulting needs.
Whatever the life circumstances, we add value by working with clients to address their individual and family tax needs, whether they may be working on their education goals, participating in the workforce, starting a business, filing for divorce, transferring property to family members, selling a business or other assets, or in need of estate or succession planning.
With respect to our business and corporate clients, businesses go through various stages, and the accounting and strategic needs differ at each one. We work with clients on improving efficiency, increasing profitability and minimizing risk.
Having a background in fraud prevention and deterrence, there’s the unique value of consulting on business controls, which is extremely important given the governance and compliance concerns businesses have today. Each corporate and individual client receives professional accounting advice with discretion, personal attention, and comprehensive excellence.
MBM: Why is it important to have a good accountant?
Irene: A misconception about the role of an accountant exists: to crunch numbers on a calculator. However, a professional accountant is an invaluable strategic partner. For an individual, having a professional accountant should provide a peace of mind, as you have a trusted practitioner who can guide the tax planning process.
For a new business and entrepreneurs, it means having an advisor who can manage the financial data and use it strategically to guide better business decisions, while you, the business owner can focus on what it is you do best. Especially for new entrepreneurs, it is overwhelming having to build the business, keep track of performance, and make the necessary changes. It’s also not why you got into business in the first place.
For existing businesses, it means taking your business to the next level in terms of profitability. You need a professional with comprehensive accounting, tax and strategic knowledge to evaluate the business holistically and make recommendations that will continue to grow your business.
MBM: What do you love about what you’re doing, and how have you developed your work ethic, your drive and energy, and the perspective you have today?
Irene: I’m competitive by nature. I was a competitive figure skater until age seventeen. It shaped my work ethic today because it taught me how to persevere as well as the level of dedication required to deliver a seemingly perfect product. The takeaways are prevalent in how I run my business today, because a tremendous amount of research, planning, and analysis is done prior to advising any client.
I have a boutique practice, our clients expect professional accounting advice with discretion, personal attention, and comprehensive excellence.
MBM: And finally, what advice would you offer other female entrepreneurs?
Irene: You must have confidence in your ability, trust your instincts, and love what you do. You will have friends and colleagues that will support and motivate you; sift through that trusted circle and find a mentor. A mentor is a must for bouncing off ideas, offering support and encouragement and sharing experiences and best practices.
Undoubtedly you will also have friends and colleagues who may not extend the level of support you expected. Be prepared for this, and continue to move forward. Don’t lose perspective of why you started in the first place. At the end of the day, you are only competing against yourself, and any measure of success should be bench marked against your individual goals and aspirations.
Dave Gordon has penned more than a thousand articles, and more than five hundred editorials, on every topic imaginable. He writes regularly on domestic and international politics, current events, culture, relationship issues, and much more.
He has spent time in the newsrooms of the Toronto Sun, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Baltimore Sun, National Post and eye Weekly.
Westbury Corporate Centre
2275 Upper Middle Rd E, Suite 101
Oakville, Ontario, L6H 0C3
905-491-6898