Cassidy Hockin, an audit professional from Portage la Prairie, has been named a finalist for a global audit award and could soon be on her way to Amsterdam for the final selection.
Hockin, who works for Meyers Norris Penny (MNP), said she was completely caught off guard when she learned about the nomination.
“I got an email on April 1st, of all days, saying that I had been nominated for the Audit MVP Award by someone in our firm,” says Hockin. “Since it was April 1st, I actually thought it was a joke and didn’t believe it. I was asking around wondering who nominated me.”
It turned out that the nomination came from her co-worker, Cathy Gibbs.
“A few days later, I found out it was one of my good co-workers here, Cathy Gibbs,” she adds. “She had nominated me and wrote a nice little write-up about me, and then I got recognized through the company DataSnipper for this award.”
A global honour in the audit world
The Audit MVP Award is an international recognition presented by DataSnipper, a company that integrates artificial intelligence into Microsoft Excel to increase efficiency in accounting and audit work. The tool is used globally by firms that subscribe to its service, and employees within those firms can be nominated for their use of the platform.
Hockin says the award is meant for professionals in audit and assurance roles who are finding innovative ways to improve audit processes.
“It’s just for recognizing individuals who work in the audit industry and are doing work to improve audits,” she explains. “And it’s not just local—this is a global award.”
She also shared that she’s the only Canadian to be selected as a finalist.
“I was surprised to find out that I was the only Canadian nominated for this,” Hockin notes. “There might have been others nominated, but I’m the only one picked out of the finalists. Most of the others are from Europe or the United States.”
While the honour of being nominated is already meaningful, Hockin says the recognition alone is something special.
“You see these kinds of awards on TV and hear about people being nominated five times and never winning,” she says. “Still, even being nominated is insane.”
Final selection process already underway
Finalists are reviewed by an independent jury comprised of professionals from various accounting firms and businesses—none of whom are directly connected with DataSnipper.
“They go through all the nominations and pick who they think is deserving,” Hockin explains. “So it’s not just a popularity contest—it really means something.”
The public voting period runs until April 28, with the winner being announced on April 30. If Hockin wins, she’ll receive a physical award and an invitation to the DataSnipper Connect Event—a day-and-a-half-long experience either in Amsterdam or New York.
“It’s just a chance to learn more about the company, how they operate, and how to use their tools in everyday accounting work,” she says.
A new opportunity to travel
For Hockin, who has focused heavily on studying and hasn’t travelled much, the prospect of visiting Europe is especially exciting.
“It’s insane,” she says. “I was shocked that someone even thought to nominate me in the first place, but I’m really grateful.”
She adds that this opportunity would be her first significant travel experience.
“Honestly, I think the biggest trip I’ve done so far is going to Fargo,” she says with a laugh. “So I’m definitely excited for the chance to see more of the world.”
Hockin closed by expressing her appreciation for the colleague who made it all possible.
“I just really want to thank my co-worker who nominated me,” she says. “I’m really grateful that they thought I was deserving of the award.”
Voting is open to the public and closes April 28. The winner will be revealed two days later, on April 30.
You can vote for her, seeing as it is a public vote: click here.