From a Kitchen Table to National Recognition: Celebrating Charidy’s CPB Canada Professional Leader of the Year Award

When Charidy Clubbe founded CDC Bookkeeping at her kitchen table in 2000, she had a simple goal: to help business owners feel more confident about their finances.

More than 25 years later, that small business has grown into one of Saskatchewan’s largest bookkeeping firms, with a team of 30 professionals serving more than 550 clients across Saskatchewan and Canada.

Now, Charidy’s leadership and contribution to the bookkeeping profession have received national recognition.

Charidy Clubbe, CPB, Founder and CEO of CDC Bookkeeping, has been named the recipient of the Certified Professional Bookkeepers of Canada (CPB Canada) Professional Leader of the Year Award.

The annual award recognizes a bookkeeper who demonstrates CPB Canada’s values while showing a strong commitment to professional excellence within the industry.

For Charidy, the recognition is a meaningful milestone in a journey that has always been about more than bookkeeping.

Building a business around people

From the beginning, Charidy understood that business owners needed more than someone to balance their books.

They needed someone they could trust. Someone who understood the pressures that come with running a business. Someone who could bring clarity to their finances and give them the confidence to focus on everything else that comes with being a business owner.

That philosophy became the foundation of CDC.

What started as a one-person operation at Charidy’s kitchen table grew through relationships, personalized service and a commitment to understanding the people behind the numbers.

Today, CDC supports businesses across Canada with bookkeeping, payroll, financial consulting and training services. The company has also evolved into a paperless, cloud-based operation, allowing the team to serve a growing client base while maintaining the personal approach that has always been central to the business.

The tools have changed. The team has grown. The reach has expanded.

But the reason CDC exists has remained remarkably consistent.

Leadership that creates opportunities for others

One of the most important parts of Charidy’s leadership has been her commitment to developing the people around her.

At CDC, professional development isn't treated as an afterthought. The company has built a Career Ladder Program that provides employees with structured pathways to grow within the organization, supported by training, mentorship and opportunities to take on new responsibilities.

That commitment is also reflected in CDC’s support for the Certified Professional Bookkeeper (CPB) designation. The CDC team is encouraged to pursue professional development and supported as they work toward their CPB designation.

For Charidy, investing in the profession starts with investing in the people who are part of it. This approach has helped create a team where employees can build careers rather than simply fill positions. Several members of CDC’s team have progressed from junior roles into senior and leadership positions, growing their skills alongside the company.

In many ways, that may be one of the clearest reflections of Charidy’s leadership: building something that gives other people room to grow.

Supporting the profession beyond CDC

Charidy’s commitment to bookkeeping also extends beyond her own organization.

Throughout her career, she has advocated for the bookkeeping profession and encouraged others to pursue professional designations and view bookkeeping as a meaningful, professional career.

That work aligns closely with CDC’s belief that professional development benefits everyone. When employees build their knowledge and expertise, clients benefit from that experience, too.

The CPB Canada Professional Leader of the Year Award recognizes that broader contribution to the profession — not simply Charidy’s role as the founder of CDC.

A recognition of the journey

From a kitchen table in Saskatoon to a team serving businesses across Canada, CDC has grown considerably — but the foundation remains the same: people first, financial clarity and a genuine commitment to helping businesses succeed.

And as CDC looks toward the future, those principles continue to guide where the company goes next.

We’re proud to celebrate Charidy’s recognition as CPB Canada’s Professional Leader of the Year — and even prouder of the journey that led to it.