Nadine Niba

Bachelor of Applied Business Administration — Accounting '16
Alberta Regional Risk Advisory Services Leader, BDO Canada

A few months after Nadine Niba moved to Calgary, intent on realizing her dream of becoming a chartered professional accountant (CPA), she found herself bursting into tears on the CTrain.

Having left behind both her career in Cameroon as an internal auditor at a tech company and her volunteer work with a charity keeping young girls out of forced marriages, she was juggling three jobs alongside her SAIT studies. Niba had no time left for sleep and not enough money for food.

When a woman seated beside her asked why she was crying, Niba explained, and the stranger connected her with an organization that could provide necessities such as a bed and a winter coat. Life got better, but it was still far from easy.

“I had this deep conviction that, despite everything, I was going to break through,” says Niba. “I had to. The girls at home were looking up to me.”

In her second year, while looking for the co-op position she needed to graduate, Niba hit another low.

“I was applying and applying, struggling every day to pay bills and not getting any calls. I told my parents I was coming home, so they bought me a ticket.”

That same week, she got a call from Canadian Natural Resources about an eight-month co-op opportunity that changed everything. Four months later, during a conversation with her supervisor about her plans, Niba shared her goal of working at one of the Big Four accounting firms. A recommendation from her boss led Niba to a job at Ernst & Young that took her all over Canada, performing every kind of audit. She worked her way through roles at PwC and KPMG, and today leads the risk advisory practice at BDO.

As Niba worked long hours to meet her own career goals, she also helped other immigrants reach theirs. Soon after shutting down her work computer for the day, she would be logging on at home to take calls from people struggling like she had. “I shared my journey, my mistakes, lessons I learned — and helped others write resumes, approach job interviews and become advocates for themselves.”

Receiving a CPA Alberta Early Achievement Award for her exceptional service to the profession and the community inspired Niba to find a lasting way to share. The result is Quarterback: An Immigrant’s Guide to Corporate North America — an Amazon Canada bestseller within 24 hours of its launch in June 2025. “It feels like I’m dreaming — I’m still in shock, but this means, it is achieving the goal of inspiring many, ” says Niba. “And I can’t wait to see what this award from SAIT is going to motivate me to do.”