Born in war-torn Croatia, Vedran Dukic never knew the carefree life of most young children in Canada.
His parents were forced to flee to Germany when he was a toddler. He was enrolled in elementary school where he learned to read, write, and speak German. At the age of 7, his family immigrated to Canada, where again he was faced with learning a foreign language.
Vedran says, “I didn’t speak a word of English. I started school in Sudbury and was enrolled in French immersion class. I had to learn to speak English and French at the same time. I spoke Croatian at home with my parents, but I felt most comfortable speaking German.” Today, Vedran is fluent in all four languages.
Inspired by his parents
Vedran’s parents, Darko and Snjezana Dukic worked hard to build a new life in Canada. In Croatia, Darko worked as an engineer, Snjezana had a Master’s degree in Economics. The couple worked long hours and multiple jobs to provide the family with a better opportunity. Vedran’s father took a job as a janitor at Laurentian University while taking classes to obtain his degree equivalency, while his mother worked in a bakery and retail.
Influenced by his parents’ work ethic, Vedran excelled in school. In his final year of high school, he competed in a French language skills contest held for all French immersion students in Sudbury. He was shocked when he placed first. The prize was two fully paid academic years at Laurentian University.
Laurentian University
Vedran, who was always interested in business and had planned to attend Western University’s Ivey School of Business that fall ripped up the check his parents gave him. He enrolled in the Commerce program at Laurentian University even though up to that point, he had always said he didn’t want to be an accountant.
“All along I was saying, ‘I’ll do anything but accounting,’ but then I did some research and everything I read said accounting provides the broadest knowledge base for business in general. I knew I wanted to be in business at the time, so I decided to take accounting.” Vedran put everything he had into his accounting studies. He took auditing, advanced accounting, and tax courses. He says, “I finished my last exam on April 28, 2012, and started working on May 2nd. At that time, I didn’t know what a public accounting firm even did!”
Vedran eventually joined SRWC Chartered Professional Accountants in September 2015, becoming a Partner at the firm in 2020.
Drive to succeed
Vedran brings the same determination and dedication to excel to other areas of his life as well. He signed up to participate in a triathlon in Sudbury on a whim, even though at the time he could only swim the length of the pool. He says, “Within 6 weeks of intensive training I was swimming a kilometre in the lake.” The trail running and biking portions of the race were not on flat surfaces. He had to maneuver the mountain bike up and down Sudbury’s rocky terrain. Vedran adds, “It was a much more technically challenging course than simply endurance running and biking.”
Tennis is Vedran’s passion. He began working as a tennis coach at the age of 15 at the Sudbury Indoor Tennis Centre and has continued to coach people of all ages, individually and in large groups. When the club was going through turbulent times, he took on a leadership position by joining the Board. Vedran says, “I joined the Board because I wanted to see the Club succeed. Our first major move was to hire a head pro from South Africa who has been a major asset to the Club.” Being part of the tennis club community means a lot to him. Vedran adds, “At the time, I was working as a Partner at SRWC and also coaching tennis 25 hours a week to ensure junior lessons were provided.”
As the current President, Vedran is proud that the club is flourishing with 500 members between tennis and pickleball, and he’s working on a major expansion to the facilities.
Vedran is also an avid chess player. Vedran says, “I played a lot of chess when I was young. I was ranked among the top 10 chess players in Canada, playing against adults in tournaments when I was 10 years old.” He continues to play online and is regularly ranked among the top 1,000 players globally on chess.com, the largest website in the world with 150+ million active users.
Vedran’s athleticism and competitive nature allow him to exchange the mental stress of accounting for the physical stress of playing tennis or working out at the gym. He says, “When I’m playing tennis, I can just focus on playing tennis and getting exercise and I feel much better. I might have had a difficult day at work, but when I go to the gym, I convert that stress into physical exertion.”
Brings his best
Vedran’s determination, attention to detail, and commitment to perform to the best of his abilities benefit his clients at SRWC. The firm works primarily with privately owned businesses, from helping clients to incorporate, to high-net worth corporate groups. This year they are celebrating their 70th anniversary.
Vedran says, “I’m often involved in helping clients buy or sell their business, obtain financing, valuation work, and structuring deals in a tax-efficient manner.” The discipline that Vedran demonstrates allows him to meet deadlines, handle complex tasks efficiently, and persevere in challenging situations.
As a Partner at SRWC LLP Chartered Professional Accountants Vedran brings a wealth of experience and expertise in all sectors and industries, with clients ranging from single owner-managed businesses to large corporate groups. Vedran’s knowledge from completing the three-year In-Depth Tax Course is a major advantage that benefits the firm and his clients. Vedran says, “I take immense pride in helping each client navigate their complex and unique business needs as their trusted advisor.”
Vedran Dukic is a CPA, CA, and has completed the CPA of Canada In-depth Tax Program. He has a comprehensive background in finance and taxation.
Contact Vedran Dukic at email: vdukic@srwc.com (705) 522-2400
