Get to Know Marc Pharand

Marc Pharand, CPA, CA, a Partner with MNP Hawkesbury’s Assurance and Accounting team, finds deep satisfaction in helping his clients achieve their goals. Read on to learn more about Marc.

Who are the clients you serve?

I help clients in the agricultural, retail, construction and financial sectors, as well as not-for-profit organizations. My services include audits, reviews, compilations, and tax compliance.

What led you to specialize in your area? 

I always enjoyed accounting, from my first accounting class in high school, and I still enjoy it to this day - even with all of the new added complexities. My career has given me the opportunity to work in multiple fields, including auditing large public companies, performing information technology control audits, and assisting in due diligence audits for acquisitions in the U.S. and Canada. What I have always enjoyed the most is providing audit and assurance audits to small to mid-sized companies, as I get to know and help my clients throughout the years.

What do you like about working with clients in this sector?

I truly enjoy the work. I enjoy helping my clients with what they need, whether it’s compliance, consulting with projects or something else. I find it satisfying knowing I’ve helped them and they’re achieving their goals. I enjoy providing them with a service and it helps them save money or reach their goals - or just providing them with the services they need.

How do you work with your clients? 

It’s very much a casual approach, with a good balance between being casual and professional at the same time. I enjoy working with clients in person whenever possible. Due to the new reality, it’s good to work remotely as well. When we do audits, it’s a nice, casual conversation and a nice relationship with the client.

How would you characterize your professional self?

Focused on delivering quality to my clients and meeting deadlines.

What do you like most about being a partner at MNP, and what do you like most about what you do?

MNP provides great support for small and mid-sized clients. My previous firm was mostly focused on large corporations, and the tools provided were always either designed for large corporations, or adapted from programs designed for large corporations. With MNP, the structure of each office is designed as a small corporation, allowing local partners to have a greater impact in their community.

What are the benefits of joining an accounting firm with deep agricultural roots?

I’m from Marionville, a small town in eastern Ontario, which has historically been a farming community, near Embrun. I spent my high school and university years working on a dairy farm. At MNP Hawkesbury, it’s great to be involved in the agricultural community again.

I’m bilingual in French and English. I’ve been working in Hawkesbury for nearly two decades, and living in l’Original for several years.