Accounting as a tool to benefit communities

For Dr. Robert Andrews, accounting is more than just balancing books and analyzing spreadsheets. It is a tool that helps groups understand their finances and make informed decisions that hold leaders accountable.   

Andrews, DBA ’23, is the executive director of the Aboriginal Financial Officers Association of Alberta and program director of Indigenous business. As a member of the Blood Tribe in southern Alberta, he brings a First Nations perspective to his field of work in accounting, business and higher education.    

That worldview has shaped how he defines career success.  

“The idea of growth is not so much associated with career advancement; it's associated with the impact you have on your community,” he says. 

According to Dr. Andrews, accounting provides a common language for organizations and communities to understand how financial decisions can affect the people they serve.  

“At the core, accounting is accountability,” he says. 

The connection between accounting and accountability is also why Dr. Andrews encourages Indigenous students to consider careers in business. As organizations emphasize Indigenous participation and economic parity, it opens doors for Indigenous students to build financial skills that can benefit their communities.  

“This presents an extraordinary opportunity to get into the profession, to support their communities,” he says. 

For students considering their future, Andrews says the first step is recognizing the possibilities available to them. 

“First of all, you have to understand you can,” he says. 

For Dr. Andrews, that possibility extends beyond building an individual career. It is about using professional knowledge to create opportunities, use information responsibly and strengthening the communities around you.