I was born and raised in Moldova, one of Europe’s poorest countries at that time. After high school, I decided to pursue a degree in finance as I believed this would provide me with more opportunities.
One of my university teachers encouraged me to apply for an internship with a Big Four firm. This was an opportunity to kickstart my career in a fast-paced environment with a strong work ethic. For five years, I audited various companies across many industries, primarily focusing on financial services. A move to Canada followed, where I continued in audit, engaging in mergers and acquisitions, consulting and forensic work, and travelling to a number of countries.
I believe nothing is impossible to achieve with the right amount of commitment, ethics and hard work
After 12 years in practice and a year with a corporate I moved to the Alberta Securities Commission (ASC), a regulatory agency responsible for administering the province’s securities laws. Its mission is to foster an efficient capital market in Alberta and to protect investors. The main advantage of working for the ASC is that besides overseeing finance, financial reporting and other tasks, I participate in discussions related to regulatory matters and market oversight. This keeps me updated with the most recent regulatory developments and global accounting and reporting requirements.
The ASC plays a crucial role in the province’s economy by its regulation of the capital market and the protection it gives to investors. Its challenges include monitoring local and global trends and considering all the possible implications for Alberta’s capital market. We support innovation and, with emerging technologies in financial products, the ASC engages with entrepreneurs and businesses to help them identify capital-raising options while working within our securities regulations. The ASC also provides effective guidance and education on the newest ways of investing, raising capital and disclosure requirements.
A favourite saying of mine saying is ‘The eyes are scared, but the hands are doing’
A favourite saying of mine saying is one my grandfather liked: ‘The eyes are scared, but the hands are doing.’ This is similar to the Latin ‘labor omnia vincit’, which means that hard work conquers all. One should be bold and dive into the unknown. I believe nothing is impossible to achieve with the right amount of commitment, ethics and hard work.
My biggest achievement has been moving to Canada and successfully balancing my professional career and personal life. Being born in Eastern Europe and the hardship my parents had to go through in the post-Soviet era significantly impacted my adult life, and has been my primary driver to succeed and provide for my family.
What I enjoy most about my job is the opportunity to work with knowledgeable and talented people from different professional backgrounds, including lawyers, accountants and investigators. The ASC also has a supportive environment, which helps me to continuously develop my professional skills. With over 16 years of professional experience, I like to share my knowledge with my team and support the people I work with by engaging with them on different projects.
If I weren’t a finance professional, I would have pursued my love for music and tried to become a music producer. Music has been one of my biggest passions ever since childhood; it is my remedy for when I have to keep myself going or when I need to take a break.
When I am not at work, I enjoy spending time with my family and especially doing activities with my son, our favourites being swimming and playing with Toby, our puppy. I also like surprising my wife with my fresh-baked pastries at the weekend, when I can also be found spending time with friends, watching movies, reading, skiing and collecting vinyl records.
