From 12-Year-Old Stock Owner to CEO of Roots: Meghan Roach, FCPA, FCA, Journey to the Top of Canadian Business
For Meghan Roach, FCPA, FCA, the values of integrity, authenticity and community are fundamental to leading one of Canada’s most iconic brands. Values that are also at the core of the CPA designation.
"When I think about the intersection of my skills and my values, I realize that several of the values we hold at Roots are the very ones I first developed during my journey as a CPA," said Meghan.
Early Investor to Early Success
Meghan’s fascination with business started at the age of 12 with a gift from her grandfather: her first stock. The experience sparked a lifelong fascination with how business works.
“At twelve years old, I became fascinated by what it really means to run a business - how to understand its financials and make sense of the numbers. I did not realize it at the time, but that curiosity was the beginning of my journey toward becoming a CPA.”
In university, she considered investment banking before seeing the experience that her friends and peers were having interning at national accounting firms.
“What surprised me was the depth of these internships. They opened my eyes to how businesses really function and to the powerful link between business performance and the financial statements,” she added.
Meghan’s CPA designation took her from audit to private equity to the interim CFO of the Roots Corporation, one of Canada’s most iconic brands. And through her insights, her strategic thinking and her leadership skills as a CPA, she became President & CEO of Roots.
“When I was younger, I never dreamed of leading a public company," she says. "The CPA designation gave me a foundation that made it possible."
A Forward-Looking Profession
For Meghan, one of the benefits of having a CPA is an in-depth understanding of data at a time when data has become an important commodity. The analytical skills that CPAs bring to the table are critical for making the data-driven decisions that make all the difference.
“In a volatile and uncertain world, CPAs have the skill set to use data to understand the current moment and to make forecasts into what the changing times may mean for the future.” According to Meghan, analyzing data to create scenarios and forecasts is “an essential part of the skill set of CPAs.”
“CPAs drive business forward by thinking about what is next,” said Meghan. “As a CPA, you are not just looking at the business today, you are looking at how the business needs to adapt and evolve going forward.”
Her fellow CPAs at Roots are some of Meghan’s most valued team members, and a constant source of innovative ideas, data-driven insights and rigorous analysis.
"Whether it is forecasting or consumer insights, I have confidence in the discipline behind the data," said Meghan. "That confidence gives me the freedom to innovate and make bold decisions, knowing the insights are reliable."
The Role of Values
While data-driven decision making has never been more important, values will always be the heart of Meghan’s approach to business, and to the profession.
"One of the core values at Roots is community, and what I find compelling about the CPA network is that it embodies the same spirit. We all started with a similar foundation, yet you will find CPAs leading consumer companies, shaping financial services, and contributing across every sector of business—always with a shared sense of purpose."
Meghan’s Message for Prospective CPAs
"CPAs drive businesses forward because they bring a true competitive advantage," said Meghan. "Their skill set is unique, their experience difficult to replicate, and in an increasingly volatile world, those are exactly the strengths you want at the table."
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