One of my career goals was always to work abroad. I studied economics at Cambridge, but at the time I didn’t know what I wanted to be afterwards. Getting an accounting qualification seemed like a great option – both for the flexibility I wanted, by giving foundational training and real experience in how businesses work, and as a passport to work globally.

In the summer before my final year at university, I worked at PwC, which offered a huge amount of training and exposure to a range of industries. I recognised there were a variety of places a career starting at PwC could take me, so I did my training contract with the firm.

I trained in audit in the Midlands but quickly realised that wasn’t for me, so when I qualified, I transferred to the restructuring team in London – just in time for a quiet summer before the financial crisis in 2008. That led to a phenomenally interesting and challenging few years. After six years working in London, the idea of working abroad came up again.

I’d had conversations about moving overseas a few times previously, but there had always been a more interesting option put in front of me to help me develop. Before moving, a few things had changed in my life. Most notably, my wife and I, who were living in a shoebox in central London, had twins, so the conversation about relocating, and taking on a secondment abroad with PwC, became more pressing. We felt if we didn’t do it then, it would become more difficult as the kids got older.

I’d heard on the grapevine that PwC Canada was looking for someone who sounded like me. They wanted to bring in someone with experience working directly with companies in distress, rather than working for their stakeholders, as was more traditional. We’d looked at multiple options globally, but Toronto seemed the best of the options available for my career, my wife’s career as a lawyer and our life as a family.

Seasons change

The first shock on arriving in Canada in March 2016 was, inevitably, the weather. I remember being absolutely terrified by an ice storm on our first or second night, but now I really enjoy the four seasons. It can be -35°C in winter and 35°C in summer, so the city undergoes incredible change throughout the year.

Culturally, Toronto is a friendly, positive and family-focused place. It feels genuinely multicultural, with a good mix of everything a big city has to offer, and the great outdoors is readily accessible. We take the kids skiing in the winter – the runs here are great for beginners – and ice skating on communal rinks. On the nearby lakes, you can go kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, boating or fishing. It’s also great for urban mountain biking, with 64km of trails. My son loves mountain biking, although I’m not great on balance so I tend to slow him down!

One of the things that surprised me most about the city is the abundance of wildlife. We live centrally and yet we’ve had a cornucopia of creatures on our street: skunks, raccoons, coyotes, opossums and even eagles.

I am currently working as Director & Vice President, Deals, at PwC Canada. My role is broader now than it was in the UK. While working with distressed businesses is still my focus, I also work with companies going through transactions, particularly in sectors where cash needs are more of a focus, such as tech and cannabis [cannabis was legalised for recreational use in Canada in 2018]. I advise businesses and their stakeholders in a range of situations, including buying and selling businesses or divisions, carve-outs, working with businesses experiencing stress, distress or underperformance, and managing change.

This means I enjoy a wide variety of work across a range of businesses operating in different sectors. For example, my work over the past couple of years has taken me from moving Silicon Valley Bank (Canada) into a receivership process, recovering stolen assets in Northern Ontario, to actively supporting early-stage businesses to manage their sustainable growth through strategic acquisitions.

The work culture is different here. There is less respect for weekends and holidays in Canada compared with the UK. One thing I struggled with was language. North Americans have very set terminology, and I’ve been caught out a few times using British terms when presenting to Canadians, who were too polite to tell me they didn’t have a clue what I was talking about!

In terms of salary, housing and living costs, Toronto is probably now comparable to London. The city has been hit by cost-of-living and house-price inflation over the past decade or so. But I think the biggest challenge is learning the basics such as tax rules, local culture and laws.

“There’s a lack of experienced two- to five-year-qualified accountants here – if you fit that category, it could be a good time to apply”

On a personal level, starting a new network of friends and peers can be intimidating, but the local ICAS network can be a big support for CAs moving over. I became the ICAS Ambassador for Toronto in 2024, and I’m working on reinvigorating the network and getting people to mix again. As well as engaging with the long-standing community, we are looking to welcome those newer to the area and help them get into Canadian life.

Current climate

It’s an interesting time in the market right now. After the Covid pandemic and the rise of AI, people are unsure how many accountants to train. There’s a lack of experienced two- to five-year-qualified accountants, so there’s increased demand for an ‘engine room’ of people who know what they’re doing and are looking to step up to the next level. If you fit that category, it could be a good time to apply.

Moving to Toronto has been wonderful – we’ve had a whale of a time. Living abroad and enveloping yourself in a new culture is a great opportunity to challenge yourself both personally and professionally. My biggest piece of advice for anyone making the leap is to speak to as many people as possible to grow your network quickly, ease your landing and create opportunities. And invest in a proper winter coat.

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