The spark of CMA knowledge

Richard Fontaine is a rare specimen in the CMA world. After holding management positions for nearly 20 years with various companies, including multinationals, he went back to school, first to begin doctoral studies and later to teach future CMAs. "It was a funny age to go back to school," agrees Richard Fontaine, who had in fact just turned 40.

The general reaction to his decision was one of disbelief, when not a total lack of understanding. "Some of my colleagues called me to ask me what a man of action like me was doing," says Richard Fontaine, a professor at the School of Management Sciences of the Université du Québec à Montréal since June 2004 who would really like to see more CMAs push their quest for knowledge even further. "On the spot, I was unable to clearly explain my reasons for choosing this path to them," explains Fontaine, who since January 2004 has been enrolled in a doctoral business administration program run jointly by Montreal's four universities.

Everything became immediately clear to him in a meeting with his marketing professor at McGill University, Laurette Dubé, a leading expert in the field. When handing him back his final assignment for the semester, she confessed, "Richard, I have never seen someone as intellectually curious as you." "That curiosity is actually my real motivation," said Richard Fontaine, who, thanks to a $45,000 grant awarded to him by CMA Canada, was able to negotiate his reorientation to the academic life. Although this change of direction seemed truly radical to his colleagues and friends in the profession, who saw great potential for Richard Fontaine in the business world, it was one that had long appealed to him. The real turning point for him was the experience of working as a trainer in the Order's Professional Program from 1996 to 2000.

After two years of doctoral studies, Richard Fontaine is the first to tell you that he is now an entirely different person and would be an entirely different manager. "In fact, I realize that I don't know anything, or not much. In any case, I am not as sure of everything and have a lot more questions. I learned that doubt is the key that leads to knowledge, because doubt makes us listen and keep an open mind. Basically, my studies have taught me great humility and given me a broader view of situations." Richard Fontaine draws a parallel to his CMA training, which he says gave him a fresh perspective for observation that went beyond simple accounting. "My research confirms that the integrated approach in which CMAs specialize offers them a broader perspective of accounting. That's what allows us to see reality differently than accountants and to grasp the many facets of situations experienced in organizations."

He is currently conducting innovative research on the challenge of reconciling the independence of auditors with strategic collaboration with their clients, while respecting the rules of corporate governance and independence. This research follows the principles of relationship marketing, which will be conducted in one of the largest accounting firms in Canada in 2006. It won't be the first time that this has been done, but not far from it. First, because this type of on-site research is very rare in accounting, and second and more importantly, because our researcher will examine how the CMA integrated approach can be applied to auditing. In his view, this confirms "that the two fields of accounting are complementary and not just in one direction."

A native of Edmonton, Alberta, Richard Fontaine earned his bachelor's of business administration from the Université Laval, an institution he chose primarily because he hoped to learn French, the first language of his father's parents. A Quebec resident ever since, he does not hide his attachment to his adopted city. "One of the reasons I love Montreal is its unique feature of being a city with four universities," he says. But we should capitalize more on this major competitive advantage. With some of the lowest tuition fees and, an exception to world practice, the successful cohabitation of two very rich languages and cultures, we have everything we need to make Montreal a major player in the knowledge economy."

Richard Fontaine believes that business will make more use of communications in the future, which is the reason it is important to master several languages and public speaking. Married to a woman of Italian extraction, Richard Fontaine is happy to say that his two children, an eight year-old boy and a six year-old girl, can already speak three languages: Italian at home, French at school and English on the street. "My wife and I put a lot of effort into our children's education and would like to instill a sense of curiosity in them. Various studies have shown that the more you learn, the more capable of learning and more confident you are."

Richard Fontaine has spent most of his career in the business world and has been employed by Cargill Grain, Royal Bank, Fedex and Shell successively, before joining the team at Cora Déjeuners. It was the first change of course in his career that had been linear up until then, one that he is still very satisfied with today. Thanks to philosophical discussions with the founder, Richard Fontaine became Vice President, Finance and Strategic Planning, of the restaurant chain that has experienced phenomenal growth across Canada over the last ten years.

Looking through the window of his modest and sparsely decorated office, Richard Fontaine says: "I don't see myself as someone who sits in his ivory tower and tells others what to do." That is also why he continues to sit on the board of directors of four companies, including Cora Déjeuners, because "to draw connections to what I am learning," he says, "I must stay close to the reality in the field."

The advantage of being at university is that he is now in the front lines of observation. And Richard Fontaine doesn't like everything he sees. When asked if companies are soundly managed, he gives a stinging reply: "No," he says, looking deep into my eyes. "The key indication I base my opinion on is that employees are no longer happy at work. It isn't because they are not paid well enough, but rather because managers are not listening to them and seldom motivate them. No one tells them when they do good work. Overall, relations with employees are not what they should be, nor with clients by the way."

And the students? "They definitely prefer their professors to provide them with all the answers!" says Richard Fontaine laughing. But as a professor who is always available for his students, he believes instead that students should be guided and assisted in developing their autonomy and curiosity.

There are four books that take turns sitting on Richard Fontaine's bedside table: two novels in Italian and two in French. "I love reading in other languages," says this lover of literature, Italian cuisine and golf. He loves golf so much that he even meticulously studies videos of his swing and professional golfers. He does not play golf to negotiate business deals between holes but out of love for the sport and in the company of his children, to whom he hopes to pass on his thirst for knowledge. "If at the end of my doctoral studies," concludes Richard Fontaine, "I succeed in giving my children and colleagues more of a desire to learn something new, then I will have achieved my dream." We hope his dream comes true…

The other Richard Fontaine, in a few questions

The object he is most attached to
His books, which all belong to him and he never lends to anyone, at the risk of his house exploding!

The thing that bothers him the most
The bad moods and irritation that he has witnessed often in the men and women on the street.

What makes him laugh the most
When other people laugh, it makes him laugh even if he doesn't find anything funny!

His hidden flaw
Richard Fontaine freely admits that he is too curious to be able to concentrate on one thing at a time, but in the same breath, confesses that he doesn't want to change too much!

What he would like to be in another life
An actor with Tom Cruise's salary!