From Ukraine to Canada, Larry Makarikhin found his passion by helping clients succeed

If you had asked Larry Makarikhin (Business Administration, ’15) more than a decade ago whether a CPA designation in Canada was on his radar, you probably would have been met with some scepticism.

Larry, who is now articling as a CPA at MNP LLP in Brandon, returned to post-secondary studies 12 years after achieving his master’s degree in Ukraine. He found a natural fit at Assiniboine.

“I had a pretty long break before I went back to school and was thinking about an MBA degree. I came across Assiniboine’s website and spoke with multiple people about the Business Administration program, and realized it would give me an ample amount of required knowledge and experience to enter the workforce.”

He now calls Brandon home and had long dreamed of entering the accounting field. Larry’s day-to-day duties have him working with clients from various industries, assisting them in the preparation of annual financial statements, tax returns and reviews and audit engagements; all tasks that have kept him busy, while working towards completing the required hours on his CPA designation.

“This career allows me the opportunity to realize my vision of becoming an accountant,” he says.

“Having the opportunity to assist clients in making the right business decisions is tremendously rewarding. At MNP LLP we are able to be good advisors and provide the clients with great value – that is what makes this career so appealing to me.”

Larry joined one of Canada’s most prominent business advisory firms right out of college. MNP LLP was started in Brandon in 1958 and now boasts 4,200 team members across 70 locations nationwide. It frequently tops the list of Canada’s most recognized employers and is celebrating 60 years of client success in 2018.

Larry, like so many others, found his way to Assiniboine during a second phase of post-secondary life. He is part of a growing trend of students who pursue college studies after finishing a university degree.

As a business student, he was heavily involved in student life, working to build a positive experience for his peers. He served on the college’s Students’ Association as vice-president and then president. Larry credits those student experiences for playing a significant role in his choice to remain connected with the college community after graduation, becoming a leader on the college’s Alumni Association board.

He is quick to acknowledge the instruction he received for much of his success.

“There are always opportunities out there,” he says. “With Assiniboine, however, those opportunities are closer.”

“For me, it was not only the instructors who helped shape my decision to become an accountant, but they also provided a number of chances to participate in job-hunting events and speak with potential employers in the field,” all of which Larry notes provided him opportunities to be successful in the program.

If he could give any advice to potential students looking to go down a similar path, it would be to plan for success.

“It does not matter which field you are interested in; you must have a plan. You need to know what the best way is to succeed in your career and what courses you need to take,” he says, adding that “if you follow that plan and have a passion for what you are pursuing, there is no way you could not succeed.”