With nearly two decades of experience in her field, Robyn is dominating in her career as a partner at KPMG, a fiercely competitive athlete, caring mother, and an active board member for some of the city’s most notable charitable organizations.
“To be successful, you need to speak with conviction and importance...”
“To be successful, you need to speak with conviction and importance...”
Day job:
Accountant / auditor by day (mom by night).
What I'm reading:
Crazy Rich Asians.
What I'm listening to:
The 80’s.
Workout of choice:
Spin class, running, personal training.
What I'm doing when I'm not at work:
I love to be in the kitchen or in my yard, spending time with my son, family and friends, and volunteering.
Unpopular opinion:
Chocolate is a food group.
The What
What is the best piece of career advice you have ever been given?
I have been given lots of great career advice over the years (some solicited and some not), but one thing has always stuck with me is to speak with confidence. To say it differently, you need to buy what you’re selling. To be successful, you need to speak with conviction and importance, resisting the urge to be apologetic or to feel like you’re wasting someone’s time by being on the agenda.What was the worst?
I would say the worst advice was being told that I can have it all. That’s simply not true. Of course, there were plenty of paths I could have taken or opportunities to pursue but to think I could have it all is a cruel recipe for disappointment.
What do you love most about your career?
I like that every day is different. As much as I’m a planner and an organizer, the daily variety keeps me engaged and interested. I also love that I’m not alone – we have a great team of professionals that I get to work with every day. I also really enjoy the types of clients I get to serve – most of them being in the non-profit or charitable sector. I love seeing the impact they have in our community.What motivates you to put your all into your work each day?
I have lots of sources of motivation – firstly, I just love the sense of satisfaction that comes from a job well done. What could be better than crossing items off your to-do list?! I’m under no delusions that auditing is going to change the world, but I do have a lot of clients who are making a difference. My clients are dedicated to things like helping people become homeowners, providing safe places for women and children, supporting excellence in health care, and welcoming new Canadians – the list goes on! Being just a fractional piece of their success story is a huge source of motivation for me.
What one thing would you like to see change in the modern workplace to make it better for women?
More ladies and more working mamas!! Nothing against the gentlemen, but to me, there is just something so fantastic about working with an energetic group of women. Being a mom myself, and knowing the pressures of managing a household and a career, I have a ton of respect for all the ladies out there who are doing the same, day in and day out. We may be overscheduled, underslept and fueled by caffeine, but there’s no denying that we get things done!
