Canada's CAs congratulate 2,701 candidates

A new group of CA students has successfully completed the chartered accounting profession’s 2008 Uniform Evaluation.

“These students have taken a significant step toward becoming members of Canada’s most valued, internationally recognized profession of leaders in senior management, advisory, financial, tax and assurance roles,” said CICA President & CEO Kevin Dancey, FCA. “They deserve congratulations for what is truly a significant accomplishment.”

This year, the prestigious Governor General’s Gold Medal and the Chartered Accountants of Canada cash prize of $5,000 for the highest standing in Canada on the CA profession’s 2008 UFE has been awarded to Xavier Richard, an articling student with BDO Dunwoody s.r.l./S.E.N.C.R.L., Montreal.

"What first attracted me to the CA profession was the wide range of opportunities and career paths that are available to someone with a CA designation,” said Richard. “Of course, the prestige and credibility of the profession were also important factors in my decision to become a CA.”

Richard is still making up his mind about his future career. “I would be interested in working within public institutions where I can use my knowledge to serve the public,” he said. “One thing is certain, I want to make use of all the assets of my CA designation to add value to whichever organizations I work with in the future.”

The Chartered Accountants of Canada regional Gold Medal awards for the highest standing in the UFE (and cash prize of $2,500 each) go to:

Bobby Boutilier, of Deloitte, Halifax, NS for the Atlantic Provinces
Anna Nowak, of Deloitte, Kitchener, ON for Ontario
Leanne Wingenbach, of Hudson LLP, Calgary, AB for the Western Region.

A national three-day evaluation, the UFE assesses CA candidate competencies including knowledge, professional judgment and ethics. The UFE is an important component of the CA qualification program, which includes a university degree requirement, a professional program of rigorous course work, practical work experience and other examination requirements. Only those who complete this entire program successfully are entitled to use the internationally recognized CA designation.