Shawn Friesen, CPA, CA
Partner, Canadian Tax
Executive summary
Shawn is a Tax Specialist serving clients of the Portage la Prairie and Pembina Valley BDO offices. He joined BDO shortly after obtaining a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) degree from the University of Manitoba in 2003, where he was named to the Asper School of Business Dean's Honour List. Shawn attained his Chartered Accountant designation in 2006 following completion of the Uniform Evaluation of the Chartered Accountants of Canada exam in 2005, for which he was awarded the Medal of Excellence for the highest standing in Manitoba and achieved Honours standing as being one of the top 50 writers across Canada. To better service our clients, he completed the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants In-Depth Tax Program in 2009.
He specializes in tax planning and corporate structuring for all of our clients, covering a diverse range of industries including building construction, retail sales, agribusiness, and manufacturing. He advises on tax filing and compliance issues working closely with clients to ensure all tax requirements are fulfilled and also act as the consult with respect to identifying any tax planning strategies and opportunities to provide proactive planning.
Due to his extensive knowledge in his chosen specialty, Shawn has been frequently called upon to address both BDO audiences and as a speaker to events across Manitoba. Some of these opportunities include the Manitoba Young Farmer Conference, Central Bar Association of Manitoba, Will Week events in communities across Central Plains area, Manitoba Ag Days, Canadian Association of Farm Advisors, and Keystone Agriculture Producers. Along with speaking engagements, Shawn has also contributed to Grainews magazine.
Shawn has been involved at various levels with the CPA UFE and CFE process since 2009. He also has presented topics at BDO's National Tax Specialty Conferences and is instrumental as an instructor for tax issue training for a number of the Portage and Pembina Valley staff. He also lends his time to Manitoba's BDO committees, most notably Best Practices Committee, which ensures efficient and exceptional client service.
Shawn currently serves on the North Norfolk – MacGregor Foundation and volunteers with the Community Assisted Living initiative for the MacGregor area.
Professional affiliations
Member of CPA Manitoba (2004)
Professional designations and education
Bachelor of Commerce (Hons), University of Manitoba (2003)
Asper School of Business Dean's Honour List (2003)
CICA In-Depth Tax Program (2009)