Image
Name: Susanna Trevisan, BBA, CMA
Kwantlen Program: Bachelor of Business Administration – Entrepreneurial Leadership
Grad Year: 2008
Employed as: Accounting Manager at Bentall Kennedy
Employer website: www.bentallkennedy.com
What are your primary responsibilities at your job? I manage a team of accountants who handle the financial statements for retail properties across Western Canada. In this role, I help my staff through training and professional development. I also ensure they have all of the tools and information needed to get their jobs done in a timely and accurate manner. Together we work with all internal clients related to our properties through asset management, operations, and leasing. The accounting part of the job involves interpreting lease agreements, managing recoveries (the process of allocating property costs to tenants), and preparing statements according to client requirements.
What is your favourite part of your work? My favourite part of my work is the diversity. Every day holds new challenges working with new people on interesting projects.
How do you like to unwind/handle stress? My favourite ways to unwind are running and yoga. They put my mind in a completely different place so that I can be more productive.
Greatest advice for life. Talk less and listen more. People have lots of amazing things to say.
What is the worst advice you ever got? I was once told, “Sometimes you need to make people cry to get through to them.” Poor leaders can hold positions of power; you need to understand which leaders you want to follow.
Favourite Kwantlen moment. My favourite time at Kwantlen was spent in Business Leadership and Strategy. My professors were fantastic; they loved what they did and pushed us to think outside the norm.
What's the last book you read? The Speed of Trust, by Stephen M. R. Covey
What is something that you had to learn on the fly? Despite having plenty of accounting experience, I had to learn property accounting quickly. I was hired during Bentall’s busiest season and nobody had time to hold my hand.
What was the biggest risk you ever took? The biggest risk I took was quitting my job as an assistant controller to return to school full time. By working on my education full time I was able to complete both my BBA and CMA quickly; this gave me the tools I needed to remain competitive in the market.
Always listen to: Always listen to your gut instinct. It is usually right.