Walter Pela , FCPA , FCA As KPMG LLP ’ s regional managing partner for the Greater Vancouver Area ( GVA ), Walter leads the region ’ s largest professional practice . He also provides tax and business advice to a variety of public and private multinational , real estate , private equity , and investment fund clients . Walter joined KPMG LLP in 1993 , obtained his CA designation in 1996 , and became a tax partner in 2002 . From 2007 to 2016 he served as partnerin-charge of tax services in the GVA , where he oversaw tremendous growth in KPMG ’ s tax practice . During that time , he was also a member of KPMG ’ s National Tax Operating Committee , developing and implementing the firm ’ s strategy across Canada . Walter attributes his success to his many mentors at KPMG and takes pride when his own mentees now achieve career milestones at the firm . Walter is recognized as one of Canada ’ s pre-eminent real estate tax experts , particularly in the area of real estate investment trusts ( REITs ). His leadership in the field includes having assisted industry associations and the Department of Finance with developing and improving REIT exemptions to Canada ’ s new income trust rules , ensuring that the rules would be applied to industry in a fair and practical manner . Active in the tax community throughout his career , Walter has been involved with the Canadian Tax Foundation ( CTF ) as an author , speaker , and tax conference program committee member since 2002 . He served as a governor of the CTF from 2009 to 2012 and subsequently served as a member of the CTF ’ s Executive Committee . Walter also served as a presenter and author for Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants ( CICA ) tax courses , and as a member of a subcommittee to the CICA ’ s Tax Policy Committee . International Tax Review ’ s World Tax report listed Walter as a leading practitioner in Canada in both 2010 and 2012 . Walter also devotes time to the broader community , where his efforts include serving UNICEF Canada from 2009 to 2015 as both a board director and as chair of the Audit and Finance Committee .
J . Peter Ranson , FCPA , FCA Peter served as tax partner and national leader of the aboriginal client services practice at KPMG LLP . He began his career with KPMG and its predecessor firms in 1985 , the same year he received his CA designation , and became a partner in 1994 . From 2010 until his retirement in 2016 , he served as the office managing partner of the firm ’ s Kelowna office . Peter is recognized as a subject matter expert on First Nations taxation services . Early in his career , he assisted First Nations clients with navigating changes in tax law , established himself as a leader in this area , and developed a unique practice niche . His contributions to the profession include serving as an ad hoc member of the ICABC ’ s Practitioners ’ Emergency Assistance Committee from 2010 to 2014 . He also tutored individuals taking the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants ’ In-depth Tax Course , presented papers to the Canadian Tax Foundation with respect to First Nations taxation matters , and authored the KPMG text First Nations and Canadian Taxation . Throughout his career , Peter served as a lecturer , instructor , facilitator , and panellist on matters of First Nations finance , including negotiating business ventures , creating tax structures for specific land claims , and developing business governance models . For more than two decades , his contributions to the profession and to his field included lecturing to the Native Investment and Trade Association , the Pacific Business and Law Institute , the Affinity Institute , the aboriginal sections of the Canadian Bar Association and the Alberta Bar Association , and serving as a committee member and speaker for the Aboriginal Financial Officers Association of BC . Peter is a long-time contributor to his community . He is a former board member for Ozanam House , a transition home for adult men , and a former director of the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra . He is also a founding member of STEP Okanagan , an organization that helps families plan their assets , and since 2016 , he has participated in the Martin Family Initiative ( MFI ), which seeks to improve education outcomes for aboriginal Canadians . Peter will assume the role of regional coordinator for MFI in 2017 .
xubingruo / iStock / Thinkstock
CPABC in Focus • Mar / Apr 2017 27