Our People: Dianne McMullen
I’m often asked how I find the right balance between my personal and professional life. Sometimes the question is asked by people wondering about a career in accounting. Other times it’s just someone curious about how I juggle a professional career with the responsibilities of motherhood.
I’m fortunate that my chosen profession – accounting – is very accommodating when it comes to finding ways to strike that balance.
Of course, you have to want to make it work. I was 19 years old when I started at BDO as a co-op student from University of Waterloo. In 1984, a month after I passed my UFE, I married my husband Chris. Six months later I became a qualified CA, and three years after that gave birth to my daughter Janet. Two years later my son Andrew was born.
Throughout it all I haven’t had to choose between being a good accountant and being a good parent. I enjoy my work. I love the intellectual challenge of working in the field of tax. And I’m glad being an accountant allows me to have a career and a family. One has never detracted from the other. In fact, I was promoted to senior manager while I was on maternity leave with my daughter. And over the years I’ve also had the chance to build on my qualifications – earning my designations as TEP, CFP and completing the CICA In-Depth Tax Course. I was very proud this year when I was named Chair of the firm’s Policy Board.
I believe making it work all comes down to personal choices – both at the office and at home. It’s important to make the most of the hours in the day, to manage your time carefully. For instance, I try to be very effective with my time in the office by looking for tasks that I can take home. Reading is one such task. Since I can read reference material anywhere, I save it to read at home. This has also helped my children learn time management. When I’m home doing my homework, they’re doing theirs.
I’m also fortunate that my profession allows for the flexibility. If I need to find the time to be with my family, my colleagues understand when I re-work my schedule. If I have to attend a school event in the afternoon, I come into the office earlier that morning.
Being part of a strong team also helps. One of the benefits of being part of a larger firm is the colleagues who help out with the workload when you have family commitments. Of course, in tax there are those times of the year when you can’t avoid putting in the extra hours. Luckily my husband is also a CA, so he understands.
To find the balance you have to decide: Where do I want to be? What do I want from life? I always tell those who wonder about how I juggle my various responsibilities that it is something you choose to make happen.
Dianne McMullen is the Managing Partner in charge of BDO Toronto Region Tax Group and incoming chair of the Policy Board. Along with her CA, Dianne is also a TEP (Trust and Estate Practitioner), CFP (Certified Financial Planner) and has her CICA In-Depth Tax Course.
