Always Learning, Always Leading
For Janice Russell, C.P.A. ’21M.S., success has never been a reason to stop learning, but rather, a reason to keep going. Already an accomplished tax executive, a chartered professional accountant (C.P.A.) Ontario member, and the holder of two degrees, she chose to pursue a master’s degree in taxation from St. John’s University while managing a demanding international career. That commitment to continuous growth has helped define a professional journey marked by early achievement, leadership, and a passion for tackling new challenges.
Born in Toronto and raised in Mississauga, a suburb of that city, Ms. Russell earned a bachelor of commerce degree in accounting at the University of Toronto. “From there, I started my career at one of the predecessor firms of what is now PwC,” she explained. “I became a tax partner at PwC and was one of the youngest people to become a partner—I had just turned 32. In fact, I was also six months pregnant with my first daughter.”
Your greatest accomplishments will likely be in collaboration with others, and there’s always going to be someone who is smarter than you or has a better idea. You need to embrace those people, learn from them, and hopefully together enjoy great success and professional fulfillment.
She earned a master of law degree in taxation from Osgoode Hall Law School at York University in 2013. Meanwhile, at PwC, she led the asset management tax practice, was a leader within PwC’s global pensions and sovereign wealth fund tax practice, advised on mergers and acquisitions and other transactions, and was the lead tax partner for many multinational financial services and real estate clients.
Among her proudest professional accomplishments is her performance on the CPA exam, where her scores ranked 16th in all of Canada and fourth in the province of Ontario. “Even now, all these years later, that’s something that I’m really proud of.”
After more than 25 years at PwC, she accepted a position at Deloitte, where for five years she worked as a real estate tax leader, banking and securities tax leader, and partner in their mergers and acquisitions group. She then moved to the international professional services network, BDO.
“I spent a few years at BDO, where I was leading their Canadian transaction tax team and the financial services team,” she explained. “Around that time, I decided it was the right time to be based full time in New York.”
She explained, “I wanted to pursue a master of science in taxation at an American university, so did a bit of investigation, learned more about St. John’s, and enrolled in the online program.”
That decision proved to be the right one. The program not only provided the advanced tax education she sought, but also introduced her to a flexible learning environment that exceeded her expectations.
“It was the first time I had ever taken an online class, and I really appreciated the flexibility. St. John’s professors were great in terms of presenting the material, and I found the group work quite fun and fulfilling.”
Earning her degree proved to be more than just another credential; Ms. Russell found an experience that not only fit her demanding schedule, but also reinforced the value of lifelong learning. Looking back, she believes her St. John’s education paid dividends almost immediately.
“Having a degree of that nature provides you with immediate credibility, no matter where you want to go,” she said. “The fact that you demonstrated that academic interest—it will always be a benefit to you.”
Soon after completing her degree, Ms. Russell accepted a position with KPMG in New York, where she spent the next several years in the real estate and asset management tax practice and as a leader in the pensions and sovereign wealth fund tax practice. “For the last four years, I’ve been a tax managing director at KPMG, working full time here in the city,” she said.
Having recently concluded that chapter of her career, she is now exploring several new opportunities.
Looking back on the experiences that have shaped her career, Ms. Russell says one lesson has remained constant: success is built on collaboration, intellectual curiosity, humility, and a desire to learn from others.
“Your greatest accomplishments will likely be in collaboration with others, and there’s always going to be someone who is smarter than you or has a better idea,” she offered. “You need to embrace those people, learn from them, and hopefully together enjoy great success and professional fulfillment.”
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