Montreal, March 25, 2008 - Nearly 1,500 people attended the annual CMA Graduation Ceremony held on March 15 at the Palais des congrès de Montréal to celebrate the accreditation of 369 new members.
As the Honorary President of the event, Dino Dello Sbarba, FCMA, President and Chief Operating Officer, Dairy Products Divisions (Canada, International), Saputo inc., pointed out, this large cohort of graduates testifies to the vitality and prestige of the certified management accountant designation. “The necessity of the CMA profession is clearly evident, and its growth illustrates how important the expertise of CMAs has become in all organizations.”
The President of the Bureau of the Order, Richard Désy, FCMA, President of Héliodor Capital Intellectuel Inc., for his part, reminded the graduates that they must remain in the forefront of new practices and keep their skills sharp. “You are starting your career when the challenge facing us as a society is to reconcile environmental, social and economic imperatives. This reality demands that you excel in your field of expertise and make full use of your analytical and decision-making skills as well as your sense of ethics.”
Prizes and honors
During the ceremony, several prizes and honors were presented, including the Fernand Cloutier Award and its accompanying $2,000 scholarship, created to honor the highest-ranking candidate in Quebec in the CMA Strategic Leadership Program. The winner for 2008 was Geneviève Castonguay, CMA, Controller, Socadis inc.
In addition, the Order honored three graduate students for their contribution to the advancement of management accounting expertise. Thus, Dominique Arbour, student in the masters of administrative sciences program at Université Laval, Caroline Gagné, CMA, student in the masters of business administration program, accounting option, also at Université Laval, and finally, Louis-Philippe Lavigne, student in the masters of accounting sciences program at the School of Management Sciences of UQAM, received fellowships for research in management accounting worth $3,000 each.
The Synerma Prize, accompanied by a $1,500 scholarship, went to Pascale Bernier, CMA, Development Counselor, Centre local de développement Abitibi. The winner was considered outstanding both in her results in the CMA Strategic Leadership Program and her professional achievements.
CMA Canada also honored nine members of the Order recently admitted to the prestigious group of Fellows (FCMA), a national distinction that recognizes the outstanding qualities and achievements of CMAs who distinguish themselves in their field and serve as role models. They are Charles Auger, FCMA, General Manager, Iron Mountain Canada, Claude-A. Bordeleau, FCMA, who was, at the time of his death in February, Vice President and Corporate Secretary, Cossette Communication Marketing Group, Marie-Andrée-Caron, FCMA, Professor, Accountancy Department, ESG UQAM, Joanne Couture, FCMA, Senior Account Manager, Export Development Canada, Pierre Despars, FCMA, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Gaz Métro, Francine Fontaine, FCMA, Chief Financial Officer, Bridor inc., Maurice Gosselin, FCMA, Chair, School of Accountancy, Professor, Faculté des sciences de l’administration, Université Laval, Claude Paul-Hus, FCMA, General Manager, Société québécoise d’information juridique (SOQUIJ), and Harold Roy, FCMA, Vice President and General Manager, Fournier Industries Inc.There are currently 536 people who hold this title in Canada, including 79 in Quebec.
The National Recognition Award presented by CMA Canada, was given to Cascades for its outstanding contribution to the growth of the entire CMA profession and the advancement of management accounting.
Finally, Michel Milot, FCMA, received the Mérite from the Quebec Interprofessional Council. This award honors his remarkable contribution to his order and the professional system in Quebec.
The Ordre des comptables en management accrédités du Québec, which has more than 8,800 members and candidates to the profession, provides leadership to the CMA profession through the enforcement of high standards intended to enhance the performance of organizations. CMAs create value within organizations through an integrated and systematic approach to strategic and financial management.
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Photos available upon request
Source :
Quebec CMA Order
Contact :
Lauraine Ouellette
Coordinator, Media and Events
514 849-1155 our 1 800 263-5390, ext. 247
E:mail : l.ouellette@cma-quebec.org