A growth partner for all seasons

Rosa Maria Iuliano, tax partner at Baker Tilly Ottawa, sums up the accountancy and business advisory firm’s fit into the local market this way.

“Our largest client today started out as a personal tax client in 1962,” she said. “You just don’t know from where a client may come and how large their business might grow. But it’s our role to focus on what is needed at every stage of their growth.”

While other audit, tax and advisory teams may come and go, Baker Tilly has been serving mid-market clients for six decades. The firm’s unique blend of local insight and global reach continues to prove that it is ready to serve and here to stay.

The team understands what it means to be an entrepreneur or a growth-minded executive – Baker Tilly’s offices across Canada are independently owned and operated. Partners drive their own growth trajectories and don’t report to a head office.

What truly is the mid-market?

The mid-market means that an entity is mid-sized for their industry – a gauge that will obviously vary. In the accounting world, the mid-market encompasses privately owned companies with a range of employees and a wide range of revenues.

The Baker Tilly Ottawa team has clients with revenue in the hundreds of millions. It also has clients with “small” owner-operated businesses who have a high personal net worth. These clients span industries – real estate, construction, high tech, manufacturing, not-for-profit/charities, private-sector consulting, retail and franchise, dental, medical and other professionals.

What they have in common is that none of them are publicly traded entities. They also benefit equally from Baker Tilly’s client service approach. It’s all about playing the long game – a mindset that has been passed from the firm’s founders to the next generation.

That younger generation includes audit and assurance partners Erica Clapp and Mario Côté.

In the relationship business

“We are in the relationship business – long-term relationships, not transactional ones,” Clapp said. “This sets us apart from other firms. I have clients that I have worked with since I joined Baker Tilly out of university 17 years ago – many of us have grown as professionals as we have helped our clients grow.”

“We have the expertise in-house and that relationship focus to always be right-sized for what our clients need today, and to resize as clients’ needs and circumstances change,” Côté added. “Every partner is hands-on – when you call with an issue to resolve, a partner works directly with you to see it done.”

With a smaller or earlier stage client, that may mean handling day-to-day tax, accounting and assurance work. As that client grows and staffs up its own internal capacity, Baker Tilly will come to serve in a more strategic role to handle complex situations, like a merger or acquisition, a wealth transfer, a succession plan or an exit strategy.

“We provide a wide range of services, including valuations, financial advisory, U.S. tax and data analytics,” Clapp said. “And we have a global network that can help a client who is expanding into pretty much any market.”

Ultimately, the Baker Tilly team is there for you – every day, not just during tax season.

“We often act as a sounding board for our clients beyond the core service that we provide,” Côté said. 

Bench strength that spans the country

If the Baker Tilly partner that you are working with doesn’t have the answer, they will work with their colleagues who do. That extends to listings on the public markets, corporate finance, tax expertise in foreign jurisdictions or cybersecurity solutions. Baker Tilly offices in Canada support one another. 

“We have a truly holistic approach,” Côté said. “Our structure is set to always put the client first – each partner has every incentive to pull in whatever other expertise is needed from across the firm to deliver the best possible outcome to you.”