This article is part of the Bright Leaders of Calgary series, which features prominent corporate leaders and their insights on the local business community and vision for the future.
Companies and talent from around the world continue to see Calgary as a place of opportunity.
RSM Canada LLP, a leading provider of assurance, tax and consulting services, is bringing global expertise to local businesses to help them grow and thrive.
We sat down with Doron Neuman, Partner, Transaction Advisory Services at RSM Canada for his perspective on what makes Calgary the best place to build a life and a career, both priorities in the community’s economic strategy.
What makes Calgary a unique place to live?
Living in Calgary offers a unique way to strike a good work-life balance.
You can enjoy the outdoors, the diverse population reflected in cultural events, festivals and culinary offerings, and at the same time, embrace being part of a major metropolitan city with great professional and business opportunities.
Calgary offers a strong sense of community.
My family and I are based in a vibrant and close-knit Calgary neighborhood, just outside of downtown. We got to know our neighbours shortly following our move here and were welcomed as family. It’s the unique small-town feeling in a large city that we appreciate.
What are the advantages of Calgary’s business environment?
The support and collaboration of Calgary’s business community are what sets it apart. I see a lot of cross networking between events, and it feels like everybody knows each other, which brings a lot of strength to the community.
The city also has a strong focus on economic diversity.
More technology companies and startups are coming up, and there are programs and incentives that help founders and entrepreneurs think outside the box and create their own businesses.
Calgary is home to a really strong pool of talented individuals. We need to ensure we create additional employment opportunities and build infrastructure that will allow people to flourish and thrive in different sectors.
What opportunities do you see for RSM in Calgary?
RSM has an opportunity to support local businesses and enterprises with our global capabilities and participate in Calgary’s continuous economic growth.
Our firm has 64,000 employees across the globe in 120 countries, with a presence in each of the top 40 major business centres in the world, including Calgary. We've built tremendous capabilities and teams of industry experts that can help our clients solve problems.
RSM also has a unique integrated service model across North America. This means growth opportunities for our employees, and the ability to seamlessly support our clients’ needs by leveraging skilled colleagues across Canada, the US and around the globe as necessary.
For example, as a professional living in Calgary that’s part of the RSM consulting TAS practice, you can build expertise working on cross-border M&A deals with world-renowned private equity clients.
Where do you see Calgary in 5-10 years?
Calgary has many natural advantages that attract talent. We’re already seeing the inbound immigration rates far surpass other provinces – thanks to competitive quality of life, job opportunities and cost of living.
In the next five years, Calgary will experience continuous inbound immigration that drives innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit, further building on the diversity of our sectors.
We’ll likely see more success in Calgary’s tech and innovation community – which hosts a lot of events that support founders and help them grow, secure financing, develop a business model, etc. Calgary is home to great entrepreneurs and founders who are building startups that will contribute tremendously to economic growth in the next few years.
What about Calgary gives you optimism?
Calgary has a very resilient and vibrant community. We’ve survived the highs and lows of the oil and gas industry, expanded into new and exciting sectors and always adapted and found ways to thrive.
We have an inspiring community that supports one another, and we will continue to come out of tough situations better together.
About Team Calgary: The Team Calgary corporate partnership program engages our community’s visionary thought leaders to influence Calgary’s economic growth and create long-term prosperity and opportunities for all Calgarians.
Together, we advance the economic strategy, Calgary in the New Economy, as the path to make Calgary the place where bright minds and big ideas come together with an unmatched spirit to help solve global challenges.
