Our History

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Our History

We believe that helping Alberta business owners reach their personal and professional goals helps everyone. Successful business owners strengthen our economy, and the stronger our economy is, the more business owners are able to give back to the community we’re all part of. We’ve continuously refined our business advisory model over the past 20 years, but it has always been based on the fundamentals and always been designed to bring impact and help you achieve what success means to you. That means that no matter which industry you operate in or where you are in your journey as a business owner, we can help.

Our History

The history of Stawowski McGill goes back to Calgary in 1983 when, amid an economic downturn in Alberta, Stan Stawowski embraced his entrepreneurial spirit and decided to enter business for himself, focused solely on business owners and corporate clients. It was a risk, and it wasn’t easy, but starting a business never is.

Over the next 15 years, the need for more robust business advisory and financial leadership services grew, and Stawowski McGill’s business advisory model was born. From 2000 on, Stan focused on developing a baseline for business owners, starting with a planning day, understanding both their personal and professional goals, and building a strategy to get them to where they wanted to be. Not long after, Brian McGill joined the company. Brian was an experienced CFO, having worked within a highly successful and growth orientated private family business with operations worldwide, and brought that level of insight and forward-thinking to the clients of Stawowski McGill.

The Stawowski McGill team has continued to grow and evolve over the years, including key additions to the partnership team, with David Tadman in 2008, Josh Ronald in 2012, and most recently Karen Knowlton in 2018. All three first started with Stawowski McGill as business advisors and are now an integral part of a leadership team focused on the professional and personal success of our clients and the continued excellence of Stawowski McGill. Each of these leaders brought new perspectives and unique skills and experiences but have in common a passion for bringing impact to business owners and a passion for giving back to their community.

Stawowski McGill has helped business owners through
the good times and bad, through everything from the
initial planning days to the business’s eventual sale.

Some clients have been with Stawowski McGill from the beginning. It’s never just been about business, finances, or specific problems, but instead about forming relationships and understanding both the personal and professional side of a business owner’s goals, aspirations, and even fears, and creating a strategy to help them succeed on all levels.

Business advisory has grown from a new idea on how to help business owners succeed to become the work Stawowski McGill is known for.

This is the result of proving our value to business owners time and time again through a unique model tailored to their needs and getting to know their business in ways most other advisors don’t.

Everything we’ve learned over the past 20 years

is what enables us to bring impact to the personal

and professional lives of business owners.

We’ve seen economic highs and economic lows, new industries emerge, and others undergo rapid change. Through it all, Stawowski McGill has embraced change and relied on the fundamentals to provide business advisory services that help business owners achieve their own vision of success. We’ve been a part of Alberta’s business community for the last 20 years, and we’re excited to be part of it for the next 20 and beyond. No matter what industry or what stage of business you’re in, we can help.

Our Partners

Josh RonaldCPA, CMA – Partner
Brian McGillCPA, CA – Partner
Stan StawowskiCPA, CA – Partner
Karen KnowltonCPA, CA – Partner
David Tadman CPA, CA – Partner