Cover Story
By Patrick Schryburt
Leading the Charge
to Build CPA in BC
CA, CGA, and CMA leaders have no
difficulty finding common ground
for the common good.
The unification initiative has been
unfolding since May 2011, and, as
with any complex undertaking,
there have been many twists and
turns along the way. However, it is
safe to say that after much hard
work and consultation, the
accounting profession has reached
a watershed moment, with CPA
ready to launch across the country.
Here in BC, we are fortunate to
have three dynamic and forwardthinking professionals lead our
legacy bodies as we begin the
transition to the Chartered
Professional Accountants of BC
(CPABC).
12 CPABC in Focus • Sept/Oct 2013
“This can work!”
Over the past few decades, accountants across Canada have seen several
attempts to unite under a common designation. Karen Christiansen,
FCA, president of the ICABC, Candace Nancke, FCGA, chair of
CGA-BC, and Tammy Towill, FCMA, chair of CMABC, each understood very early in the current process that the accounting profession
in BC—and around the world—had evolved greatly since those earlier
attempts, and that unification not only could be achieved now, but
needed to be achieved.
Their confidence was due, in part, to those who laid the preliminary
groundwork for unification.
“I was optimistic when I saw that they had taken on the big roadblocks and addressed those first,” explains Towill. “That was really smart,
and I thought it was a much more strategic, more thoughtful approach.”
Towill also credits the Quebec government for passing legislation to
create a single accounting designation in the province.
For the CAs and CGAs, optimism also grew after extensive consultations with members. Like their CMA counterpart, both organizations
conducted “town hall” meetings across the province, where they
discovered that the majority of attendees understood the rationale for
unification by the end of each meeting.
“As soon as people heard the facts, considered the impetus of
Quebec legislation, and weighed the merits of continuing to be a
self-regulating body, they understood why unification made sense,”
Christiansen says.
Nancke pinpoints the moment when success seemed achievable:
“Early this year, our board met with our counterparts who were working
on advancing the CPA profession, and they shared their progress and
vision with us,” she says. “I remember thinking: ‘It’s going to work this
time.’”