Get to know Lise Deleurme

Lise Deleurme always knew she wanted to work in accounting — and started her career in the profession soon after graduating high school. Lise is now a Chartered Professional Accountant and a Partner at MNP with more than 25 years of experience supporting clients. We caught up with Lise recently to learn more about her and her approach when it comes to helping business owners and agriculture clients.

What is your role at MNP?

I’m a partner with MNP based out of our Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes office in Manitoba. I primarily support agriculture clients and have helped businesses at every stage of their lifecycle — from initial setup to succession planning.

How did you get into accounting?

It’s pretty much in my blood, I think. My mother did a bit of tax return work, and I’ve always loved the math and business side of this profession. I started my first accounting courses right out of high school and worked for a firm before I began my first year of university. After I did my articling and received my designation, I worked independently for about 20 years until I merged with MNP in 2021. I’ve been in accounting for a long time.

What do you like about it?

I work with a lot of small- to medium-sized businesses, and I love seeing a new business get set up and helping them grow, succeed, and transition. It’s enjoyable to watch a business grow from the ground up.

Another aspect of my work that I enjoy is supporting family farms throughout the succession process. We’re getting into multi-generational farms now and just seeing that these farms can continue to stay in the family for more than 150 years is inspiring. One of my clients just reached their 125-year mark and it is exciting to support them on their journey.

What is your approach to helping clients?

My approach is tailored to meet the needs of each client. I often act as a mini-CFO for clients who don’t have anybody to handle the finances on staff, which is very personal and requires significant involvement in day-to-day operations.

I also spend time building personal relationships with each client. I know my clients and their families — and often see them walking down the street. So, I take more of a personal approach to helping each of my clients.

What does it take to run a successful business?

It takes a lot of strategic planning. In my experience, the businesses that don’t make it are the ones that didn’t sit down to formally plan things out. Planning and open communication throughout every step of the journey is necessary to run a successful business.

What have you learned about yourself on your professional journey?

I worked on my own for many years, and I think it’s important to understand that you can’t be an expert at everything. That’s why I joined MNP — it allowed me to work with people who have knowledge and expertise in a wide range of areas and who can provide a variety of services to support clients.

How do you enjoy life outside of work?

I enjoy being outdoors and spending time at my family’s cottage. I’ve also been travelling a lot more now that my kids are older, and we visited Portugal and Spain last year and go south for a few weeks each winter. This year we want to see more of Canada and maybe head out to Montreal and Ottawa.