CA is the key

The CICA recently completed its annual analysis of the Globe and Mail's Report on Business 1000, tracking the number of CAs who hold senior positions at the ranked companies. These positions include chair, CEO, president, COO, CFO and corporate secretary. As usual, this year's results show that a CA designation is a major asset for anyone pursuing a career as a corporate executive.

More than 21% of the officers in these top six positions are CAs, and 59.2% of companies have a CA in at least one of the top six positions. The CA designation is most critical for CFOs, as at least half the CFOs in each of the previous studies have been CAs. The 2003 results are no different, with 55.1% of CFOs holding a CA designation, up from 54.5% in 2002.

While a CA designation can lead to the CFO's office, it is also part of the career path for many other leadership positions. CAs accounted for 8.8% of chairs, 9.2% of CEOs, 10.2% of presidents, 18.2% of corporate secretaries and 8.7% of COOs of ROB 1000 companies.

Another noteworthy finding that has been consistent over time is that ROB 1000 companies led by a CA have performed better on several key measures. The 9.9% of companies with a CA as their top officer (usually CEO, president or some combination), reported higher one-year and five-year returns on capital.

John Tabone is CICA's manager of innovation