Crowe Soberman proves that diversity drives success

Since joining Crowe Soberman LLP in 2018 as a co-op student, Tanvir Lamba has found a true professional home.

“From the very first interview I was drawn to the firm,” Lamba recalls. She spent all three of her co-op terms as a University of Waterloo student at the Toronto accounting consultancy, growing and learning with each experience.

With the firm’s support, Lamba pursued and obtained her chartered professional accountant (CPA) designation while working as a staff accountant, opening up new avenues for her career.

“The firm had a secondment opportunity in its valuations, forensics and litigation department which I applied to and thankfully got the position. This opportunity allowed me to explore my other interests, and I really enjoyed the work,” Lamba says. “I was able to transition over to the team full time and I really enjoy it.”

She’s now working towards her Chartered Business Valuator (CBV) designation. On top of that, she sits on the company’s Culture and Engagement Collective (CEC), which organizes programs and events and advises management on implementation of the firm’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policy.

“It’s been a very rewarding experience to be part of a firm that not only embraces inclusivity but also celebrates and values the richness of diverse cultures,” Lamba says.

“We had long been embracing a lot of the core principles of DEI, even if we hadn’t explicitly labelled them as such,” says Adam Scherer, who introduced the policy after becoming managing partner three years ago. “We came to it with the knowledge that the wider and more diverse our perspectives were, the more it would lead to better problem solving.”

Today, alongside technical training, employees are trained in soft skills, including recognizing and modernizing traditional thinking methods to uncover and address any inherent biases, ultimately helping them see value from different perspectives. As a testament to these efforts, surveys confirm that employees feel comfortable, safe and respected in their work environment.

Last year, Scherer received the Pinnacle Award from the Crowe Global network, representing over 200 member firms around the world, which he sees as acknowledgment of the firm’s leadership in developing best practices. Several initiatives, like the Superstar Awards employee recognition program, have been embraced by other national organizations.

Crowe Soberman’s culture is not all work and no play. Come July and August, the firm grants employees Fridays off to soak up the summer and foster work-life balance.

“It’s truly a day off — the entire office is closed,” Scherer says. “We have work that is deadline-driven and demanding,” he notes, especially during the spring tax season, when the firm provides dinner for employees working late. Summer Fridays are a way of rewarding them for their dedication during the busy months.

Crowe Soberman also knows how to keep things lively, hosting an array of social and team-building events, plus town-hall meetings that help employees forge stronger connections. Recently, over 30 employees joined drills and scrimmages with the University of Toronto’s women’s basketball team, showcasing the firm’s commitment to fostering active and dynamic experiences for its staff. When the firm had a pair of tickets to give away for one of Taylor Swift’s Toronto shows last November, the leadership team kicked things into high gear with a trivia contest to find the ultimate Swiftie to attend.

“To use an accounting metaphor, our people are prominent on our balance sheet because they are our greatest asset,” Scherer says. “I’m extremely proud to lead this group.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Canada's Top Small & Medium Employers winners, published April 8, 2025 in The Globe and Mail. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.