Adam Brown loves problem solving.
“It’s where I get the most satisfaction from my work, day to day,” he says. “Having a complex challenge to work through for clients is always fun.
“It’s a big part of client service and building client relationships. They are two aspects of my job that I pride myself on.”
Adam’s client base is primarily in construction industries and real estate and the move to GGFL’s partner table brings client service and client relationships into sharper focus.
“Knowing the assurance and tax sides of accounting is obviously beneficial for clients,” he says, “but being a partner involves higher level conversations, higher level planning and, in layman’s terms, explaining what the numbers mean.”
Managing Partner Josh Engel praised Adam for his ability to communicate often complex aspects of accounting and for his hard work in building relationships with clients to get a deep understanding of their business challenges.
“Adam works equally hard at training and teaching our own GGFL staff. He enjoys the respect of all who work with him and will be another fresh voice and great asset at our partner table.”
Adam was raised in Newmarket, about 50 kilometres from Toronto. Throughout his younger life, the thought of a career in accountancy never entered his head. None of his family members were, or are, accountants.
“I was very involved in sports,” he recalls. “I played a lot of baseball, and other team sports and it was only when I decided to go to university that I started to find my way.”
Adam and his girlfriend (now wife) Caitlin decided to go to the University of Ottawa.
“We thought it would be a nice place,” he says. “That was in 2010 and we never left.’
Adam had taken a couple of accounting classes in high school and during his first year without a major at UofO he took some more. By his second year he decided that accountancy was the career he wanted to pursue.
“I found that it came naturally to me,” he says. “I just found the logical way of thinking aligned with how I think. So it was all kind of a natural and gradual progression.”
Adam did co-ops at small firms in the Trenton and Belleville areas and joined GGFL in 2014 as a junior accountant after passing his final exams.
He credits GGFL training and professional growth opportunities for reaching the partner level.
“I’m in this new partner role,” he says, “but I’ve been training for it for several years. It’s not something that happens overnight.
“As you progress towards becoming a partner, you’re able to listen and learn from senior partners because you’ve been part of their meetings and have had many other interactions with them. I’ve learned a lot from them and will continue to learn from them.”
Adam and Caitlin have two daughters, Catherine, four, and Hannah, two.
He’s still a sports fan but watches instead of playing—other than the occasional round of golf.
“The girls take up a lot of our time, but when they’re asleep you can probably catch me watching whatever sports game is on TV.”
