A record of recognition
In 2025, BDO Canada LLP’s (BDO) workplace culture and people practices were recognized through several external employer awards. These honours reflect our continued focus on creating an environment where our people can grow, contribute, and feel supported across their careers, while strengthening the programs and practices that shape a positive employee experience.
- Canada’s Top 100 Employers: An annual editorial competition published in The Globe and Mail that highlights employers with exceptional HR programs and forward-thinking workplace policies.
- Greater Toronto’s Top 100 Employers: BDO was recognized in this annual editorial competition, distributed online in a special magazine by The Globe and Mail, for the fourth consecutive year. It recognizes top employers in the city that offer exceptional workplaces.
- Atlantic Canada’s Best Places to Work: For the third consecutive year, BDO won this award from Atlantic Business Magazine, recognizing employers in the Atlantic provinces that exemplify HR excellence.
- Canada’s Top Employers for Young People: An editorial competition recognizing employers across Canada that lead their industries in offering exceptional workplaces and programs for young people starting their careers.
- Canada’s Future Workforce Top Employers: More than 24,000 university and college students across Canada evaluated and ranked the employers they would most like to work for.
- Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Awards: Among the most prestigious global honours in learning and talent development, these awards celebrate organizations that demonstrate measurable results through innovation, strong program design, and business impact. We received three Gold Awards and one Silver Award, marking the first external recognition for our Learning and Development programs.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Accessibility (DEIA) nominations and awards:
- Best Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace in Canada: BDO was nominated for recognition as a 5-Star DE&I Employer by the Canadian HR Reporter, acknowledging the firm’s structured approach to DEIA, including executive sponsorship, governance through our National DEIA Advisory Council, and a pillar-based strategy supporting inclusive talent practices across the organization.
- Workplace Benefits Award: BDO was nominated in Benefits Canada’s Absence Management Program category which recognizes organizations that have developed best practices in their approach to absence management.
- DEI Rising Star Award: We were recognized as a DEI Rising Star by The Prosperity Project in our first year of participation in the organization’s Annual Report Card, acknowledging progress in advancing gender equity and inclusive leadership practices.
Highlights for our 2025 employee engagement survey
Overall employee engagement score: 88%
Maintaining a consistently strong overall employee engagement score at the same level as the previous year, demonstrates a positive trend of sustained engagement within our workforce.
What our people say engages them about working and growing their careers at BDO Canada:
- Our approach to DEIA: 91%
- Our approach to supporting their growth and development: 89%
- Our approach to flexibility and well-being: 89%
- Our approach to sustaining their pride in and commitment to BDO Canada: 88%
- Our approach to innovation: 91%
- Our approach to leadership: 90%
Note: This category of the survey focuses solely on people leaders and no other types of leadership levels.
Maintaining highly engaged teams is a crucial part of achieving our vision. Based on the survey results, we’ve identified the following firm-wide priorities to further enhance the experience of our people and partners:
- Strengthening BDO as an employer of choice
- Building a stronger culture of recognition
- Enhancing compensation education
A firm belief in every voice
At BDO, DEIA is embedded in everything we do, from how we build our teams to how we show up for our clients and communities. We believe that fostering a truly inclusive workplace isn't just the right thing to do; it is a source of strength, creativity, and resilience that makes us a better firm.
Our approach to DEIA goes beyond representation. We are focused on creating the conditions where every person, regardless of background, identity, or lived experience, can contribute fully and advance without barriers. Inclusion, to us, means that difference is not simply tolerated, but genuinely valued.
This year, we continued to deepen our understanding of where we are and where we need to grow. By investing in more robust data, broadening our listening efforts, and holding ourselves accountable to measurable progress, we are building a firm that reflects the richness of the world we operate in.
National DEIA Advisory Council
Our National DEIA Advisory Council plays a central role in advancing our DEIA priorities, providing the direction, resources, and accountability needed to drive meaningful, lasting change. Each of our DEIA pillars (which are mentioned below) is led by a sponsor from our Senior Leadership Team who champions the pillar's goals, builds senior-level support, and removes barriers to progress.
- Indigenous Peoples
- Persons with Disabilities
- Pride at BDO
- Racialized Groups
- Women
DEIA celebrations
Throughout the year, our DEIA celebrations serve as touchpoints for learning, reflection, and community. From panel discussions to storytelling events, each moment is intentionally crafted to foster connection, broaden perspectives, and remind us of the richness that comes from embracing who we are and where we come from. These gatherings are more than events. They are an expression of our culture and a commitment to ensuring every person at BDO feels seen and valued.
- Feb. 13, 2025: Black History Month
- March 6, 2025: International Women’s Day
- May 22, 2025: Mental Health Awareness
- July 15, 2025: Pride Season
- Sept. 23, 2025: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
- Oct. 23, 2025: Disability Employment Awareness Month
Diversity by the numbers
| Under 30 Years | 30 to 50 Years | Over 50 Years | Not Declared | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Workforce | 28.3% | 51.6% | 20.1% | 100.0% | |
| Client Facing | 32.7% | 49.4% | 17.8% | 100.0% | |
| Partner | 56.6% | 43.4% | 100.0% | ||
| Director | 40.0% | 60.0% | 100.0% | ||
| Senior manager | 2.2% | 77.0% | 20.7% | 100.0% | |
| Manager | 20.8% | 65.6% | 13.5% | 100.0% | |
| Non-management staff | 51.9% | 37.1% | 11.0% | 100.0% | |
| Non-Client Facing | 14.9% | 58.0% | 27.1% | 100.0% | |
| Partner | 56.3% | 43.8% | 100.0% | ||
| Director | 63.6% | 36.4% | 100.0% | ||
| Senior manager | 75.0% | 25.0% | 100.0% | ||
| Manager | 2.9% | 69.9% | 27.2% | 100.0% | |
| Non-management staff | 20.4% | 58.5% | 21.1% | 100.0% | |
| Administration | 19.1% | 49.7% | 31.2% | 100.0% | |
| Board | 50.0% | 40.0% | 10.0% | 100.0% | |
| ELT | 50.0% | 50.0% | 100.0% | ||
| SLT | 54.5% | 45.5% | 100.0% |
| Female | Male | Non-binary | Not Declared | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Workforce | 59.2% | 40.4% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 100.0% |
| Client Facing | 52.4% | 47.2% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 100.0% |
| Partner | 29.2% | 69.9% | 0.9% | 100.0% | |
| Director | 43.3% | 56.7% | 100.0% | ||
| Senior manager | 53.8% | 45.8% | 0.4% | 100.0% | |
| Manager | 53.2% | 46.1% | 0.7% | 100.0% | |
| Non-management staff | 57.2% | 42.5% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 100.0% |
| Non-Client Facing | 79.7% | 19.8% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 100.0% |
| Partner | 43.8% | 56.3% | 100.0% | ||
| Director | 66.7% | 30.3% | 3.0% | 100.0% | |
| Senior manager | 67.3% | 31.7% | 1.0% | 100.0% | |
| Manager | 76.9% | 23.1% | 100.0% | ||
| Non-management staff | 66.2% | 33.6% | 0.2% | 100.0% | |
| Administration | 95.9% | 3.6% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 100.0% |
| Board | 30.0% | 70.0% | 100.0% | ||
| ELT | 50.0% | 50.0% | 100.0% | ||
| SLT | 27.3% | 69.7% | 3.0 | 100.0% |
- Approximately 33% of our client-facing employees are under 30 years old, 49% are between 30 and 50 years old, and 18% are over 50 years old. Among non-client-facing employees, approximately 15% are under 30, 58% are between 30 and 50, and 27% are over 50. Across the total workforce, approximately 28% are under 30, 52% are between 30 and 50, and 20% are over 50.
- Approximately 52% of client-facing employees identify as female, 47% identify as male and 0.1% identify as non-binary. Among non-client-facing employees, approximately 80% identify as female, 20% as male and 0.2% as non-binary. Across the total workforce, approximately 59% identify as female, 40% as male and 0.1% as non-binary.
- Our firm has no Board, Executive Leadership Team (ELT), or Senior Leadership Team (SLT) members under 30 years of age. Members aged 30 to 50 make up approximately 50% of our Board, 50% of our ELT, and 55% of our SLT. Members over 50 years old make up 40% of our Board, 50% of our ELT, and 46% of our SLT.
- Our Board consists of 30% employees that identify as female and 70% employees that identify as male. Our ELT consists of 50% employees that identify as female and 50% employees that identify as male. Meanwhile, our SLT consists of approximately 27% employees that identify as female and 70% that identify as male.
Embedding DEIA into talent acquisition
Throughout 2025, our talent acquisition and campus teams collaborated with a variety of schools across Canada to support student associations aligned with our DEIA pillars. These collaborations enable us to engage with diverse student communities, strengthen relationships with emerging talent, and support initiatives that reflect our commitment to inclusion, belonging, and representation.
| Host school/Organization | Event/Sponsorship name | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Queen’s University | Q+ Conference | January 2025 |
| Laurier | Asian Students in Business x Black Students of Lazaridis x LazSoc Breaking Barriers Workshop | February 2025 |
| University of Waterloo | Navigating Your Career – Women in Mathematics | March 2025 |
| Toronto Metropolitan University | Black Business Students Association – Women of Colour in the Industry | March 2025 |
| Toronto Metropolitan University | Women in Technology Management – EmpowHER | March 2025 |
| Toronto Metropolitan University | Luminous Conference | March 2025 |
| Indspire | Soaring – Indigenous Youth Gathering | April 2025 |
| Toronto Metropolitan University | Black Business Students’ Association – 30 Under 30 | April 2025 |
| BDO Canada | Women in Advisory | July 2025 |
| Concordia University | John Molson Women in Leadership Annual Sponsorship | September 2025 |
| Start Proud | Out on Bay Street | September 2025 |
| Concordia University | John Molson Women in Leadership - Ignite Networking Conference | November 2025 |
| Toronto Metropolitan University | Women in Consulting Night | October 2025 |
| Toronto Metropolitan University | Women in Technology Management Annual Sponsorship | September 2025 |
Indigenous Peoples Pillar
We launched BDO’s Truth and Reconciliation Framework during the September firm-wide webcast. The framework is anchored in three core areas:
- Community: BDO is committed to showing up with integrity in our relationships with Indigenous Peoples. We value Indigenous voices, embrace allyship, and support both organizational and personal reconciliation journeys. Guided by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, we aim to foster learning for all staff, support Indigenous self-determination, and prioritize inclusive procurement and engagement practices.
- People and culture: Within our firm, we are creating a workplace where Indigenous peoples are respected, supported, and meaningfully included by opening recruitment pathways, expanding mentorship and career development opportunities, and strengthening retention strategies. We are also deepening cultural humility across the firm to ensure reconciliation is part of how we work every day.
- Indigenous partnerships and economic development We are committed to building respectful, values-based relationships with Indigenous communities and aligning our services with their priorities, including the National Indigenous Economic Strategy. By upholding free, prior, and informed consent, we ensure our interactions are collaborative and community-led, with the goal of supporting capacity building, sustainable growth, and shared prosperity.
Indigenous Bursaries
BDO is proud to partner with Indspire to support the success of Indigenous youth and students. In 2025, BDO sponsored and attended Indspire’s Soaring 2025: Indigenous Youth Empowerment Gathering and the Indspire Awards. Through our partnership with Indspire’s Building Brighter Futures program, we funded bursaries for 10 Indigenous students, helping to reduce financial barriers and support their educational journeys.
Indigenous awareness
To recognize the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we commissioned custom orange shirts in collaboration with Indigenous partners. The design was created by Mikaila Stevens, a Mi’kmaq artist based in London, Ont., and the shirts were printed by Nish Tees, an Indigenous-owned and operated business.
The Indigenous Book Club collaborated with the BDO Reads book club in September to read 52 Ways to Reconcile: How to Walk with Indigenous Peoples on the Path to Healing by David A. Robertson.
Persons with Disabilities Pillar
In 2023, we launched our Accessibility Plan, a milestone that reflects our deep commitment to accessibility and inclusion. As we work toward becoming a fully accessible firm by 2040, we continue to identify barriers and take meaningful steps to address them through our Accessibility Implementation Plan. Key highlights of our progress over the past year include:
- More than 3,000 employees participated in the ‘Neuroinclusion Includes You: Unlock Strengths and Build an Inclusive Workplace’ session as part of the 2025 SkillUP Summit.
- BDO was recognized as a Purple Star Employer by Western University for its commitment to inclusive hiring and equitable opportunities for persons with disabilities.
- Mandatory annual accessibility training was launched for all employees nationwide.
- Event registration forms now include the option to request accommodations, supported by a new internal process that introduced a tracking system for accommodation requests and regular HR-led check-ins with employees.
- Recruitment and onboarding practices were updated to encourage early disclosure of accommodation needs and ensure support from day one.
- Online learning standards were revised to include considerations for neurodivergent learners, based on employee feedback.
- Weekly accessibility reviews of the external website were implemented to maintain inclusive design as new content is added.
- A transition to web-based content from PDFs is underway to enable easier navigation and improved accessibility.
- Firm-wide communications, templates, and reports, including the Annual Sustainability Report, were reviewed for screen reader compatibility and alternative formats.
- Client feedback on the accessibility of programs and services is now monitored and analyzed to identify trends and guide improvements.
- Accessibility considerations have been embedded into all real estate decisions.
Our Accessibility Team drives accessibility improvements from within, while also working with clients across Canada to advance inclusion more broadly.
Pride at BDO Pillar
Our alliance with Pride at Work Canada, a leading organization championing 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion in Canadian workplaces, remains a cornerstone of our DEIA efforts. Pride at Work Canada supports employers across the country in creating environments where all employees are celebrated, regardless of gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation. This partnership reflects our ongoing dedication to meaningful, measurable progress on diversity, equity, and inclusion, not just within our walls, but across the broader communities we serve.
In practice, this collaboration continues to shape how we attract and retain talent. As of 2025, our job postings are now automatically listed on the Pride at Work job board, giving prospective candidates a clear signal that BDO is an employer committed to DEIA and to building a culture where everyone belongs.
Pride in action
- Two panels and networking events were hosted at our Montreal office in partnership with QueerTech, a national not-for-profit advancing 2SLGBTQIA+ talent, entrepreneurship, and inclusive technology across Canada's tech ecosystem.
- A lunch and learn with Planned Parenthood in St. John's, N.L. brought together team members to hear directly from a community educator about the experiences of queer individuals, the challenges they face, and practical ways to show up as an ally.
- Group mentoring sessions were offered to support 2SLGBTQIA+ employees across three topics:
- Career advancement for 2SLGBTQIA+ employees
- Coming out at work: Personal journeys & decision-making
- 2SLGBTQIA+ mentorship & sponsorship
Racialized Groups Pillar
The Racialized Groups Pillar focused on advancing mentorship, learning, community building, and campus engagement throughout 2025 through the following initiatives:
- To strengthen mentorship and tailored learning opportunities for racialized employees, the pillar participated in Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) Community of Practice events to support continuous learning and knowledge sharing.
- To increase awareness and foster a stronger sense of community for racialized groups at BDO, the pillar expanded its presence at campus and community events, including supporting the Black Founders Network at its 2025 Leadership Retreat.
- To support the growth and formalization of the DEIA Champions Network, the pillar collaborated with other National DEIA Council members to help establish the network and enhance local office initiatives.
Women’s Pillar
This year, we formally launched Women in Search of Excellence (WISE), a new community at BDO dedicated to empowering women and allies across all levels of our firm. Bringing together regional efforts under a unified brand and strategy, WISE was established to grow firm-wide engagement, elevate the visibility of our Women's Pillar, and create a consistent, connected experience for women across the organization. The launch event in October was an inspiring milestone, bringing together colleagues from across the country to celebrate connection, mentorship, and leadership.
- 43 launch event attendees
- 2+ hours of structured networking
- 1,000+ LinkedIn impressions
The WISE Awards, our national recognition program celebrating the leadership and contributions of women across our firm, continued to be a cornerstone of this work. Aligned with the broader WISE brand launch, this year’s program featured expanded nomination outreach and a scaled national webcast format, further strengthening a culture of recognition and allyship.
- 1,300 webcast attendees
- 380 nominations
- 15% increase in nominations year-over-year
Our group mentoring program continued to support learning, connection, and career development across the firm in 2025. Of the 87 sessions delivered, 44 were dedicated to our women’s group. These sessions created space for women to share experiences, build relationships, and support one another’s growth.
Promoting a healthier workplace
Health and well-being are foundational to how we support our people and sustain a strong, caring culture. Our ongoing goal is to strengthen our existing offerings while exploring new opportunities that align with our objectives and provide our people with accessible, inclusive supports. We recognize that well-being is shaped by both individual needs and the environment people work in, including workload, flexibility, and the support available when challenges arise. The initiatives outlined below highlight how we are listening to our people and using what we learn to improve programs, reduce barriers to access, and reinforce a culture where everyone can feel safe, supported, and be able to do their best work.
In collaboration with the DEIA team, we conducted a firm-wide health and well-being check-in survey, which had more than 1,100 respondents and offered a variety of valuable and actionable insights. Some of the highlights include:
- My manager seems to care about me as a person: 92% agree or strongly agree
- My relationships with colleagues contribute positively to my well-being: 94% agree or strongly agree
- I am supported by my team when I face challenges or setbacks: 91% agree or strongly agree
We introduced our Psychological Safety Commitment statement, reflecting our core values and reinforcing our belief in a thriving, innovative, and inclusive workplace. Through proactive efforts and clear policies, we aim to bridge communication gaps, address hierarchical disparities, and create a supportive, inclusive environment of trust where every voice is valued and respected. To support this commitment, we incorporated discussions on psychological safety at our service line conferences this year.
Enhanced employee benefits for 2025
- Employee & Family Assistance Program (EFAP) and virtual care provider: BDO members and their families gain access to a new digitally focused EFAP and virtual care provider and platform. This benefit offers integrated, whole-person care by bringing primary care, mental health support, chronic condition management, and specialty care together in one place. Utilization so far has been positive with approximately 500 sponsored-counselling hours used and 930 virtual primary care consultations completed.
- Adoption, Surrogacy, and Donor Benefit: Building on our existing fertility treatment coverage, BDO expanded its family-building benefits in 2025 to include adoption, surrogacy, and donor coverage, recognizing the diverse paths our people may take in family planning. The benefit provides financial assistance up to a lifetime maximum for adoption and surrogacy and donor-related expenses.
Signature employee reimbursement programs
- Wellness reimbursement: Employees can claim eligible wellness expenses each year up to a defined maximum, including fitness, wellness, home office equipment, adult/elder care, emergency childcare, prenatal classes, and financial planning.
- Employee experience reimbursement: This taxable reimbursement provides employees with the opportunity to engage in meaningful activities that support their overall wellbeing. It is designed to be flexible and personalized, allowing employees to pursue experiences that align with their interests and goals – whether that’s trying something new or deepening an existing passion. These experiences may include travel (e.g., airfare, accommodations, other travel-related items), events (e.g., shows, concerts, sporting events), recreational admissions (e.g., zoos, science centres, museums), dining and experiences, and classes (e.g., cooking, dance, or other skill-building activities).
Hot off the press
- BDO’s Benefit Specialist, Erin Evans, was featured in the magazine article titled How is disability management evolving amid remote work and technological change, highlighting BDO’s approach to disability management and evolving workplace support.
- Brooke Schwarz, Manager, Total Rewards, was featured in the magazine article Breast Cancer Awareness Month: How employers can support employees through treatment and recovery, discussing how breast cancer can affect an individual’s experience at work and the importance of clear, compassionate employer support throughout treatment and recovery.
- For the fourth year in a row, BDO was named a finalist for the Benefits Canada 2025 Workplace Benefits Awards. This annual awards program recognizes employers and plan sponsors that are leading the way with their approaches to supporting the mental, physical, and financial well-being of their employees.
Mental health matters
We recognize that mental health is an essential part of overall well-being, and that access to timely, confidential support can make a meaningful difference. To help our people and their families navigate life’s challenges, we offer a range of mental health resources that provide preventive support, counselling, coaching, and crisis services. These supports are designed to be accessible, practical, and responsive to varying needs across different life stages and circumstances:
- Mental health paramedical practitioner allowance for all employees and their families
- EFAP offers a range of BDO-sponsored, confidential support services to include:
- Individual counselling
- Couples counselling
- Health coaching
- Life coaching
- Career coaching
- Legal consultations, as needed
- Financial consultations, as needed
- 24/7 crisis support
- People leader consultation support.
- Virtual healthcare support and platform
- Confidential mental health counselling through our main benefit provider
- Preferred pricing for cognitive behavioural therapy
- A well-being resource portal featuring tools and community resources such as Not Myself Today, Stronger Minds by BEACON, Mind & Body Break videos, HeadsUp Guys, etc.
- Mental health training offered through various benefit providers
Mental Health Week took place from May 5 to 11, followed by a firm-wide webcast on May 22. The 2025 theme focused on unmasking, with an emphasis on understanding and addressing masking that can occur due to stigma.. Guest speaker Alexandra Petrisano from the Canadian Mental Health Association also facilitated a workshop aligned with the theme.
Building skills for the future
The Learning and Development (L&D) team at BDO is driven by a forward-thinking strategy that reimagines how we support the ongoing growth of our people, the firm, and our clients. With a focus on fostering a culture of continuous learning, we are committed to providing top-tier development opportunities that empower our talent to thrive. By offering a blend of formal, social, and experiential learning solutions, we bridge the gap between current skills and future needs, ensuring our teams are equipped to drive business performance. Guided by the principle of ‘never stop learning,’ our purpose is to embed continuous learning as a core part of how we work, grow, and serve clients.
- 67,463 learning completions across digital and live learning
- 2,742 coaching sessions provided
- 73% of the firm engaged in one of our voluntary learning programs
New initiatives and programs for 2025
Business Growth Academy (BGA) Partner Sales Academy: This program equips nominated partners with the mindsets, skills, and tools needed as part of building the engine for growth at BDO. It aligns with the shift towards prioritizing a sales culture as part of our broader firm strategy and is aimed at developing high-potential leaders.
- Ivey Partner Leadership Academy:A bespoke four-month program co-designed with Ivey Executive Education to strengthen the leadership capabilities of BDO partners in direct alignment with the firm’s strategic priorities. Blending academic rigour with practical application, it combines an immersive week at Ivey with structured reflection, real-time application, and collaboration back at BDO. Participants explore what it means to lead a modern professional services firm through faculty-led sessions, case discussions, simulations, and integration exercises focused on enterprise thinking, client-centric growth, and future-focused leadership mindsets.
- Power Skills: A series of courses on soft skills available to all levels and service lines covering the following topics:
- Developing Emotional Intelligence: This session focuses on strengthening emotional intelligence as a core capability for thriving in a volatile, complex, and fast-changing environment. Participants build greater self-awareness and relationship effectiveness, learning practical strategies to navigate everyday interactions with confidence, expand influence, and strengthen collaboration.
- Growth Mindset: This session is designed to build a growth-oriented approach to learning and performance—helping participants reframe challenges as opportunities, learn productively from setbacks, and strengthen resilience in the face of change.
- Open to Think with Dan Pontefract: This interactive, firm-wide workshop is designed to strengthen how we think, not just how we work, by helping participants move from reactive ‘constant doing’ to more deliberate, higher-quality decision-making. This session was to support reflection and application between modules. The program equips learners with practical tools to improve problem solving, make more purposeful choices in day-to-day work, and balance creative, critical, and applied thinking.
- Generative AI: We advanced our firm-wide Generative AI curriculum by launching foundational learning paths, providing accessible, self-directed learning for employees at all levels. To reinforce expectations and enable safe adoption, we also introduced a Responsible Use of AI course grounded in BDO’s internal policy, which was assigned firm wide as a mandatory requirement.
- New Joiner Connect: A quarterly 60-minute virtual session designed to welcome new hires to BDO, helping them build early connections, understand our strategy and culture, and feel supported from day one. Through leader insights and small-group breakouts, participants begin forming relationships and gain clarity on how they can grow and thrive within the firm.
SkillUP Summit
The SkillUP Summit is a dynamic, coast-to-coast virtual learning experience where every session is carefully curated to tie back to key skills we need to cultivate as a firm, such as AI, leadership and business development.
- 3,258 attendees
- 6 keynote speakers
- 8 sessions
- 12 hours of learning
Sustainability learning
To mark Earth Month in 2025, we launched Sustainability at BDO: Our collective impact, a new course designed to help our people translate sustainability commitments into day-to-day actions. Building on 2024’s ESG training, the course shifts from foundational concepts to practical steps employees can apply both at work and at home. It reinforces that meaningful progress depends on consistent behaviour change over time, and encourages small, repeatable actions that support our efforts to reduce our environmental footprint and advance BDO’s sustainability goals.
Hot off the press
We are proud to share that our Learning and Development team earned four 2025 Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Awards, recognizing innovation, leadership, and impact in human capital management.
The Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Awards are among the most prestigious global honours in learning and talent development, celebrating organizations that demonstrate measurable results through innovation, strong program design, and business impact.
BDO received three Gold Awards and one Silver Award, marking the first external recognition for our Learning and Development programs. The accolades highlight our commitment to building a culture of continuous learning and leadership excellence.
- Gold - Best Unique or Innovative Learning and Development Program for Speak with Impact
- Gold - Best Coaching and Mentoring Program for Talent Coach Academy
- Gold - Best Learning Leader awarded to Dr. Keith Keating, Chief Learning and Development Officer, BDO Canada
- Silver - Best Learning Team for The Chrysalis Effect: Five-Year Road to Excellence
Investing in our communities
Community impact is an important part of how we live our values and contribute beyond the workplace. In 2025, our people gave back through hands-on volunteerism and sustained support for organizations and causes that matter locally. Together, we contributed more than 2,500 volunteer hours and more than $3.5 million to our communities through donations and sponsorships, helping advance initiatives that strengthen social outcomes and build more resilient communities.
Drive Away Hunger
We are proud to continue our partnership with Farm Credit Canada in our annual Drive Away Hunger campaign. For more than 17 years, we have actively raised awareness about food insecurity across the country while leading fundraising efforts to help drive local impact.
Through this campaign, our firm continues to support local communities by helping to alleviate food insecurity and promoting a shared sense of support. In 2025, we raised $254,225, equivalent to 508,450 meals for our fellow Canadians.
Our staff across the country came together in a big way to support the campaign, bringing energy, laughter, and heart to offices nationwide. From braving pies in the face to getting their hands dirty at potato pickings, employees threw themselves into the cause with enthusiasm. Food drives filled collection bins to the brim, friendly soccer tournaments packed the pitch with competitive spirit, and physical challenges pushed teams to dig deep—all in the name of fighting hunger.
BDO Partner Bryndon Kydd demonstrated exceptional commitment to community impact by participating in the BC Bike Race, a week-long event held annually where riders tackle a new course each day. He completed 275 km of mountain biking across Vancouver Island, raising more than $3,000 for Food Banks Canada in the process. His impressive efforts garnered national attention, including a feature in The Globe and Mail as well as the Winter 2025 edition of CPA Canada’s Pivot magazine.
Local action, broader impact
- BDO Cedars CanSupport Dragon Boat Race: BDO was the title sponsor for the Cedars CanSupport Dragon Boat Race in Montreal on Sept. 6, marking the event’s 20th edition. Two of our 20-paddler teams also participated in the race. Cedars CanSupport delivers programs and services that support cancer patients and their families, with a focus on improving quality of life throughout diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.
- Movember: Teams across the firm participated in Movember to raise awareness and funds for men’s health initiatives. Participation supported important conversations around mental health and suicide prevention, as well as prostate and testicular cancer, while strengthening a culture of openness and peer support.
- Coldest Night of the Year: BDO teams across the country participated in the Coldest Night of the Year, a community walk that raises funds for local charities serving people experiencing hurt, hunger, and homelessness. Through fundraising and team participation, we supported organizations working to deliver essential services and improve outcomes for vulnerable individuals in our communities.
Elite Sponsor of Golf Canada
As a multi-year Elite Sponsor of Golf Canada, we support tournaments that showcase top golfing talent from across Canada and around the world. Beyond the competitive stage, our sponsorship helps support programs like First Tee – Canada, a youth development initiative working to remove barriers to the game by making golf more accessible, inclusive, and enriching for young people. By creating opportunities for youth from diverse backgrounds, including those who may face financial, social, or structural barriers to participation, the program helps foster confidence, belonging, and valuable life skills both on and off the course. Through this sponsorship, we help bring together more than 3,000 domestic and international athletes who, despite their diverse backgrounds and skill levels, share a common passion for the sport.
Advancing through innovation
Our approach to innovation
The Innovation and Change (I&C) team advances BDO’s evolution through disciplined innovation across people, processes, and technology, grounded in governance, professional standards, and long-term value creation.
In the context of emerging technologies, including AI, our focus is clear: Technology must enhance quality, reinforce trust, and support our people while preserving professional accountability.
In 2025, our work focused on three priorities:
- People enablement: Strengthening AI literacy, reinforcing professional judgment, and supporting ongoing skill development so colleagues can use emerging technologies responsibly.
- Operational modernization: Improving workflows to enhance quality and consistency. Efficiency gains are directed toward building advisory capability and workforce development under established governance policies.
- Responsible innovation: Continuing to reinforce expectations for appropriate oversight, professional judgment, and review of AI-enabled work, with further governance enhancements progressing into 2026.
Year-over-year innovation progress
Capabilities featured in our 2024 Sustainability Report continued to mature in 2025, with a deliberate shift toward operational rigour and governance refinement.
Key developments included:
- Continued use of AI-enabled productivity and knowledge capabilities within firm-wide acceptable use policy.
- Refinement of internal digital platforms to strengthen reliability, transparency, and quality controls.
- Ongoing reinforcement of responsible AI standards that outputs are reviewed and validated by qualified professionals.
The emphasis in 2025 was strengthening foundational controls, data stewardship, and oversight. Sustainable impact requires discipline as much as creativity.
Other innovation-related achievements included:
- Continued expansion of firm-wide AI literacy and responsible technology learning initiatives.
- Strengthened collaboration across Innovation and Change, IT, Risk, and service lines to ensure coordinated oversight and reuse of proven approaches.
- Ongoing refinement of governance frameworks to address emerging risks and regulatory expectations.
These efforts reinforce our commitment to scaling capability through accountability and people.