Murray, who was born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, started his career in public practice in 1984 with Arthur Andersen in Toronto. After starting a family, Murray returned to Sault Ste. Marie in 1988 and joined a local practice for three years. In 2001 he moved to St. Catharines as a partner at Crawford, Smith and Swallow, one of the largest public accounting firms in the Niagara region. Murray has spent most of his career providing tax, consulting, accounting, and assurance services to a wide range of industries, both large and small. His comprehensive experience includes large manufacturing, fruit co-operatives, software developers, credit unions, and privately held businesses.
Notably, Murray’s career has also given him some important insight into the day-to-day needs of owner-managers. During his time as partner at a large regional firm in Ontario in the 1990s, Murray developed a new line of service that entailed acting in senior financial and management roles on a part-time basis for businesses not large enough to warrant a full-time position. This innovative idea led Murray to take a five-year sabbatical from public practice when, in 1999, he become the general manager of a company that exported goods to the Caribbean as well as distributed material handling equipment domestically.
Upon returning to public practice in 2004, Murray moved west to Kelowna, BC to enjoy life on Canada’s beautiful West Coast and join MacKay LLP. He became a partner in 2006, and then took over as managing director of the Kelowna office in 2009. Most recently, Murray has taken on the role of CEO for the firm.
Professional Memberships and Education
Murray received his Chartered Accountant (CA) designation in 1988.
Volunteer Activities
Wherever his career has taken his family, Murray has been actively involved in the community and in particular with the Rotary Club, the world’s first service club organization. Members of the Rotary Club operate under the motto, “Service above self.” For many years, Murray held the position of chair of the Youth Exchange for the Kelowna Okanagan Mission Club. In 2011, he took on the role of president. He values being involved in the community as a volunteer as well as a trusted advisor in his professional life.
Extra-curricular Activities
Murray and his wife Caroline are avid skiers, spending most of their winter weekends at their condo up at Big White ski resort. They have two daughters who are now finished their post-secondary education and on the brink of starting their careers.