“Concordia professors were really involved in the success of a lot of the students and that really stood out for me.”
Daniela Di Pietro began her accounting career at Standard Products, a family-run lighting company in Ville St-Laurent.
Her dedication to the business through its ups and downs over the years placed her in a crucial role when it transformed into the Ascot Capital Group, a holding company operating 12 businesses in lighting and real estate.
She now oversees the entire Ascot finance team, with 500 employees and manufacturing, distribution and sales offices across Canada.
“I was a big part of setting up the various companies, and every time is a milestone. You see them flourish, and you see the success,” she says.
Career highlight
“That I can grow within the company and not keep doing the same thing.”
A changing industry
“We went from just a lamp business to the fixture business. There’s a lot more technology and electronics involved today than there was before. Something that used to last 10 years before only lasts two or three now because of the evolution and changes in technology.
“We adapted to it by acquiring other companies, or starting up other companies that could deal with these disruptions in the market.”
Experience developing finance expertise
“On the surface, accounting is very structured. But if you want to go further and get involved in strategy, the interesting thing is that you can affect every aspect of a business and how it all comes together. That’s what is really rewarding.”
The pandemic recovery
“We went through temporary layoffs, managing tighter cash flow and dealing with what's going to come next, but we were able to slowly and progressively come back up to almost regular levels.”
The Concordia effect
“The professors were really involved in the success of a lot of the students and that really stood out for me. The accountancy program that I had chosen wasn’t always easy. A lot of exams, a lot of things that created a lot of pressure, and the professors were able to help you through that.”