As a Partner at Sequeira Partners, specializing in Business Valuations and Financial Opinions, Kira Gregson helps clients answer the fundamental question, “what is their business worth?”. Prior to joining Sequeira Partners, she spent 10 years in public practice accounting, over seven of which were focused on business valuations.
We asked Kira about her journey as a CBV, including her takeaways from the CBV Program of Studies. Here is some of what she had to say:
How has the CBV designation supported your career development?
As a guest lecturer at the University of Alberta, I get this question a lot and I say that the more tools you have in your toolkit, the better. Especially when you are a business advisor. What is unique about the CBV designation is, that when applying valuation fundamentals, you are really forced to understand a company’s inner workings from a very complete and well-rounded perspective. You cannot just focus on one aspect of the business. You need to understand the business from a financial perspective, but also operationally and from a human capital perspective to understand what drives value. Then you can apply the basics of valuation theory learned through the Program of Studies to develop valuation conclusions. This is what makes you a trusted advisor and resource for your clients – which I love.
Can you share a particularly challenging, yet interesting valuation analysis that made you realize you had chosen the right career path?
I have been solely practicing valuations for 10 years, and every year there is a marquee file that is challenging. One particular file that made me realize I had chosen the right career path was when I had to value a company that was invested in multiple companies. It wasn’t just one valuation, it was multiple valuations, and these companies were in various stages of development, some with limited history and all were operating in new and emerging sectors within technology and software. It was particularly challenging because there was limited precedent for this space. The first sentence that comes to my mind is “this is hard and maybe I cannot do it”. However, then you take a step back and you work through it. The CBV Program of Studies teaches you valuation fundamentals that you can apply to companies of any size and industry. In the end, it was a very positive outcome for the client and for my professional experience.
Do you have any tips for people looking to become a CBV?
1. If you put the time in, and work through the modules and accompanying content, I am confident you can pass every single module. What you put in is what you are going to get out of it.
2. There is flexibility in the program. There is a course pack, there are online resources, and you can work at your own pace. I found that I could accommodate the course work into my personal and work life. I think the program is approachable from any stage you are at in your career in terms of time commitment.
3. To get the most out of the program, you need practical experience whether it be directly through work or in collaborating with peers or a mentor.