AI in the profession
AI is changing the way we work in accounting, but sound judgement and human connection still matter.
A recurring threadVANCOUVER, BC / AUDIT & SYSTEMS
Zayyan
Shaibu.
An auditor who
builds systems.
I follow the evidence, then build on it. Mining-client audits at Deloitte. Useful tools and automation in my own practice. People at the centre of both.
PROFILE / 001NG → CA
01CURRENT PRACTICEStaff Accountant IIDeloitte LLP / Vancouver02CONTINUING EDUCATIONCPA PEPProfessional study in progress
ENGINEERING ROOTS.
ACCOUNTING PRACTICE.Z. Shaibu
ACCOUNTING PRACTICE.Z. Shaibu
Evidence. Judgement. A better way.THE WORK, UP CLOSE
- Canadian Auditing Standards
- Mining clients
- Excel modelling
- QuickBooks Online
- CPA PEP
- Community leadership
- Nigerian Petroleum Development Company
- Data quality
01THE WAY I WORK
Make the reasoning
worth following.
Audit taught me to make the reasoning traceable. I bring the same habit to the tools and workflows I build.
FROM QUESTION TO HANDOFFWP–01 / PERSONAL PRACTICE
01FrameFind the real question.
STAGE 01 / 05
Find the real question.
Write down the outcome, the scope and what would count as done. In audit, that starts with the assertion being tested. In a personal build, it starts with the person who needs the result.
An open questionA clear brief
- WHAT COMES OUT
- A question, a scope, a definition of done
- THE AUDIT CONNECTION
- Audit planning & risk assessment
02DecideChoose with a reason.
STAGE 02 / 05
Choose with a reason.
Weigh the options against the actual constraints. Keep the reason for the choice alongside the work, so someone reviewing it can follow how the decision was made.
A clear briefA reasoned choice
- WHAT COMES OUT
- A chosen path and its rationale
- THE AUDIT CONNECTION
- Review notes & supporting evidence
03BuildMake it work end to end.
STAGE 03 / 05
Make it work end to end.
Build a usable first version, then improve it through real use. My personal practice includes automation, small tools and agent workflows that handle repetitive work.
A reasoned choiceA working version
- WHAT COMES OUT
- A working tool or workflow
- THE AUDIT CONNECTION
- Working papers & clear handoffs
04VerifyCheck what happened.
STAGE 04 / 05
Check what happened.
Run it again. Check the result against the original question and inspect the edge cases. A useful answer has evidence behind it and a clear account of what remains uncertain.
A working versionA supported result
- WHAT COMES OUT
- Repeatable checks and a supported result
- THE AUDIT CONNECTION
- Substantive testing & tie-outs
05ShipPut it in someone’s hands.
STAGE 05 / 05
Put it in someone’s hands.
Make the result available, then document how it works. The next person should be able to use it, inspect it and pick up where I left off.
A supported resultA useful handoff
- WHAT COMES OUT
- A usable result with documentation
- THE AUDIT CONNECTION
- Conclusions & sign-off
CONTEXT My agent and automation projects are personal practice, separate from my work at Deloitte.
02SELECTED WORK
The work.
The people. The proof.
Records from campus and chapter leadership, case competitions and the small systems that made the work easier. Open an exhibit for the story behind it.
EX. 01Langara Accounting Club
A club with an open door.
Community2022–2024
EX. 04KPMG Ideation
A recommendation that held up.
Recognition2023
EX. 06QR sign-up workflow
One less paper list.
SystemsCampus intake
EX. 02Student leadership
Connection, then growth.
Community2023
EX. 03Event communications
Getting people in the room.
CommunicationsLangara
EX. 05Mentorship & community
The people alongside the work.
CommunityLangara
EX. 07CPABC Surrey / Langley / North Delta
Connecting the professional community.
External Director, Communications. Promoting professional development and connecting members, candidates and students.
CommunicationsSeptember 2026 campaign
70+Information sessionsLangara Accounting Club
25%Membership growthYear over year at the club
$820Chapter contributions raisedColdest Night of the Year
03EXPERIENCE
A few turns.
A through line.
Petroleum engineering in Nigeria. A recycling floor while studying in Canada. Banking, then audit.
Understand what happened. Keep an accurate record. Make it useful to the next person.
The full résuméNGCANigeria → Canada
012025 to presentDeloitte LLPStaff Accountant II
Mining-client audit conclusions supported by cash, payroll and revenue testing, with process walkthroughs documented under Canadian Auditing Standards.
- Promoted to Staff Accountant II in September 2026 after one year as Staff Accountant I.
- Excel analyses point testing at the transactions most likely to misstate, using pivot tables, lookups and reconciliations.
- Working papers, tie-outs and review-note responses move files toward sign-off alongside seniors and managers.
- Collaborating with management on a new-hire initiative planned for 2027.
Vancouver / Audit and assurance
02April to September 2025RBCClient Advisor Intern
Helped clients understand their banking options and connected investment needs with a senior financial planner.
- Delivered account services and product guidance across a busy branch.
- Applied internal controls to cash, deposits and drafts.
Cloverdale, Surrey / Banking and client service
03May to August 2024DeloitteStaff Accountant I, Intern
Contributed to audit planning through risk assessment and internal control evaluation, working on external audits.
- Built a prompt in Deloitte-approved AI software to summarise board minutes and partner summaries, cutting documentation preparation time.
- Presented how guided risk assessments inform the audit approach.
Vancouver / External audit
04October 2022 to April 2024Urban Impact LtdAssociate
Hands-on operations work in recycling and waste diversion, running to schedule and to specification.
- Held this role through the first eighteen months of the accounting diploma.
- Physical, time-boxed work with little room for shortcuts, which shaped how I plan a file.
New Westminster / Operations
05May to October 2019Office Machines Consultancy FirmData Entry Assistant
Owned the accuracy of incoming records before anyone downstream relied on them.
- Developed spreadsheets to track equipment expenses for the company each month.
- Reviewed data for deficiencies and errors, and updated outdated records as needed.
- Collaborated on projects including a curriculum platform for the Nigerian Air Force Academy.
Abuja, Nigeria / Data and reporting
06May 2017 to September 2018Nigerian Petroleum Development CompanyPetroleum Engineering Intern
Field and office training in oil and gas operations, safety and environmental requirements.
- Prepared weekly and monthly reports detailing oil production activity and drilling.
- Worked with senior engineers on equipment repairs.
- Attended technical seminars and site briefings.
Benin City, Nigeria / Engineering
07Where the accounting startsNile University of NigeriaBEng, Petroleum Engineering
Graduated with a 3.61 out of 4.0 average before moving to Canada to change fields.
- Analytical coursework in reservoir, drilling and production engineering.
- The reporting and controls habits carried directly into accounting.
Abuja, Nigeria / Foundation
04IN COMMUNITY
Connection
is part of the work.
From a campus sign-up desk to professional mentorship. The rooms we build matter as much as the records we keep.
01February 2023 to presentCPABC Surrey / Langley / North Delta Chapter
External Director, Communications
Own external communication for the chapter, promoting events and initiatives across the Lower Mainland.
- Helped raise $820 in chapter contributions for the Coldest Night of the Year walkathon in support of Cloverdale Community Kitchen.
- Moderated a chapter career guidance evening, steering a panel on the value of the CPA designation.
- Promotes mentorship programming and practical AI sessions for members, candidates and students.
02October 2022 to May 2024Langara Accounting Club
Lead Student Ambassador
Ran the club front door for students deciding whether accounting was for them.
- Coordinated more than 70 information sessions through online and in-person presentations.
- Rebuilt the club social presence and grew student membership by 25 percent year over year.
03Langara CollegeLangara Black Student Union
Member
Part of the team behind Black History Month programming on campus, from the opening ceremony to the closing gala.
- Helped host a month of events celebrating African cultures and the people who came before.
- Wrote publicly about what those rooms made possible for students who arrived in Canada alone.
04March 2017 to July 2019Society of Petroleum Engineers, Student Chapter
Financial Secretary
Treasurer duties for a student chapter, on a small budget where every naira was accounted for.
- Prepared event budgets, monitored expenditure and prevented shortfalls.
- Maintained monthly financial logs and reconciled every transaction before reporting.
- Advised the executive on cash flow forecasting and excess cash management.
05FOUNDATION
Built on learning.
Still building.
An engineering foundation, an accounting education, and continued professional study.
EDUCATION 01—03
01
Professional education
CPA Western School of Business
CPA Professional Education Program
May 2026 to present / Professional study ongoing02
Diploma
Langara College
Post-Graduate Diploma in Accounting
Vancouver / Dean’s List, Summer 202303
Degree
Nile University of Nigeria
BEng, Petroleum Engineering
Abuja / Graduated 3.61 of 4.0RECOGNITION 2023—2024
3rd
CPABC Case Competition
Third place / 20241st
EY Canada National Technology Risk
First place / 20231st
KPMG Ideation Case Competition
Greater Vancouver Area winner / 20235 Intuit certificates 2022
- Bookkeeping Specialisation
- Financial Statement Analysis
- Liabilities and Equity in Accounting
- Assets in Accounting
- Bookkeeping Basics
THE EVERYDAY TOOLKIT
T.01
Audit and accounting
- Canadian Auditing Standards
- Working papers
- Review notes
- Risk assessment
- Internal controls
T.02
Tools
- Excel
- QuickBooks Online
- Word
- PowerPoint
- Generative AI in firm-approved software
T.03
Data
- Pivot tables
- Lookups
- Reconciliations
- Expense tracking
- Records clean-up
06IN WRITING
A few things
I come back to.
Read my posts on LinkedIn arriving in Canada
Landing as a Nigerian graduate student was a whirlwind of excitement and homesickness, and progress came from connection.
A recurring threadmentorship
A specific question beats a vague ask, and the follow-up six weeks later is what turns one conversation into a relationship.
A recurring thread07SAY HELLO
Good work starts
with a conversation.
Audit, useful systems, mentorship, or what you’re working on next. I’d like to hear about it.