News in brief: CPA Canada commits to achieving net-zero GHGs
CPA Canada’s powerful net-zero announcement underscores the organization’s commitment to sustainability (Getty Images/laflor)
CPA CANADA ANNOUNCES NET-ZERO GOAL
CPA Canada is among 13 accounting bodies as part of The Prince of Wales’s Accounting for Sustainability’s (A4S) Accounting Bodies Network (ABN) that have recently committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
“We are pleased to be able to make this commitment along with other accounting bodies from around the world,” said Charles-Antoine St-Jean, president and CEO of CPA Canada. “It is essential that we demonstrate conviction and leadership within our own organizations, if we are to earn the trust of businesses and other stakeholders and provide them valuable guidance as they strive to achieve net-zero commitments.”
The ABN represents more than 2.5 million accountants worldwide. Climate change is a priority for the profession because of the financial and economic risks associated with it. With a responsibility to act in the public interest, accountants must take this role seriously. Furthermore, accountants are well positioned to contribute positively to the development of policy and frameworks that will enable a smooth transition to achieve the net-zero goal.
In support of this goal, CPA Canada—along with the other participating accounting bodies of the ABN—will encourage and provide their members with training, support and resources they need to establish their own net-zero pathways and reduce GHG emissions.
NEW CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR APPOINTED TO CPA CANADA BOARD
CPA Canada recently announced a new chair, FCPA Richard Olfert, and new vice-chair, FCPA Beth Wilson, for its board of directors.
Olfert has been serving as the board’s vice-chair and is succeeding FCPA Amanda Whitewood after four years on the board.
“I am honoured to be taking on this role, alongside our new vice-chair and our dedicated board of directors,” said Olfert. “I look forward to working with the board and CPA Canada team as the organization leverages both the knowledge and skills within the profession to help it seize new opportunities, stimulate change and shape the future.”
Olfert earned his accounting designation in 1988 and has been on the CPA Canada board since 2019. He is a senior partner at Deloitte where he has made his mark on the National Executive Team serving as chief risk officer.
Wilson, named as the new vice-chair, joined the board in September 2021. She is the CEO of Denton’s Canada and also serves on their global board and global management committee.
“I am eager to work with Richard, my board colleagues, fellow provincial, territorial and Bermudian counterparts, and the entire CPA Canada team as we collaborate to strengthen the profession and assist our members to deliver value in an ever-evolving landscape,” she said.
Wilson earned her accounting designation in 1993. She has also previously served as managing partner at KPMG, as well as held various leadership positions within that firm.
The complete 2021-22 board of directors listing can be found online.
CPA CANADA TECHATHON WINNERS ANNOUNCED
Value Creators, a team that included CPAs Larry Brownoff and Raymond Luu and CPA students Pascal Djimboum Fopossi, Falak Ismaili and Katerine Chen Yu, beat out 11 other teams to earn the top spot at CPA Canada’s Techathon and a prize of $3,000.
The event, held between September 11 and 19, brought CPAs, students and stakeholders together to find creative approaches to business concerns, while aiming to inspire a more tech and data-centred approach to business.
The winning solution from Value Creators combined demographics and geospatial data analysis to deliver a retail expansion strategy that was methodical and well thought out. In addition, they leveraged their data to identify specific locations that would be ideal for new stores. The team also expanded their analysis to recommend an e-commerce offering which was beyond the scope of the problem requirements.
“Using new technology can be uncomfortable and challenging but it’s how we stay relevant and continue to build trust as value-added business leaders,” said Charles-Antoine St-Jean, president and CEO of CPA Canada. “We’re continually looking for ways to help our members and students succeed in an increasingly data-centric business environment, so the Techathon was a natural fit for that mandate.”
Working to solve common issues faced by CPAs, “Techathon allows participants to use popular cloud stacks and gain practical experience applying data analytics and visualizations to support management decision-making,” said Michael Wong, principal of research, guidance and support at CPA Canada. “We saw incredible interest in our Techathon this year and we hope to build on this success in the future.”
CPA APPOINTED AS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONER
CPA Janique Lambert was recently appointed to the position of Sustainable Development Commissioner, in the role of assistant auditor general, by the Auditor General of Quebec. Lambert is the first CPA to hold this position, which aims to ensure government activities contribute positively to society and do not negatively impact ecosystems.
In this role, Lambert will be responsible for preparing reports and providing comments relating to the Sustainable Development Act, as well as other projects undertaken by the audited government entities, including the administration’s sustainable development planning.
Lambert attended the Université du Québec à Montréal where she received her CPA designation in 1987 and has worked for the Auditor General of Quebec for more than 25 years. She was appointed senior audit director in 2017, spending a significant amount of time focused on sustainable development.
CPAS ELECTED AS MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT
In the recent federal election, four CPAs were elected as Members of Parliament. Here is the list of recently elected CPAs:
- CPA Sophie Chatel is a newly elected Liberal MP for the Pontiac, Quebec riding.
- FCPA Emmanuel Dubourg was re-elected in Bourassa, Quebec as a Liberal MP. Dubourg was first elected to serve in the House of Commons in 2013.
- CPA Brad Redekopp was re-elected in Saskatoon West, Saskatchewan as a Conservative MP. Redekopp first served as an MP in 2019.
- CPA Gary Vidal was re-elected in Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River, Saskatchewan as a Conservative MP. He first served in the House of Commons in 2019.
A full list of the Members of Parliament can be found here.
CPA CANADA HOSTS INTERNATIONAL WEBINAR ON FINANCE AND FRAUD
Discussions around cryptocurrencies and decentralized finance are ever more prevalent, and CPA Canada recently hosted a free webinar for international members to highlight trends and concerns in these areas.
“The world of money is having a significant transformation,” explained Janet Treasure, senior vice-president, external relations and business development at CPA Canada. “Increasingly today, no asset, company or individual is safe from financial crime as there are more ways unscrupulous people take advantage of the newest opportunities.”
Held on September 21, Relevant trends in finance and elevated fraud topics was hosted by Corey Bloom, Eastern Canada Leader for forensics, investigations and disputes at MNP, and Steven Luckie, MNP’s National Financial Institutions leader. The two experts discussed gaining a better understanding of these trends as well as the potential impacts and considerations they may have on businesses, consumers and financial institutions.
The virtual event drew more than 230 CPAs from 12 countries.
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