Montreal, March 31, 2009 – More than 1,100 people attended the annual CMA Graduation Ceremony held on March 21 at the Palais des congrès de Montréal to celebrate the accreditation of 339 new members.
As the Honorary President of the event, Eric Laflamme, FCMA, President and Chief Operating Officer, Specialized Packaging Group LP, pointed out, now more than ever, businesses are looking for managers. “Whether accountants or specialists in other disciplines, they must be able to actively participate in the success of the business, or in other words the decision-making process it uses to optimize production, controls and sales, but also contribute to strategy and growth. And CMAs have all the tools they need to make a difference!”
The Chair of the Board of Directors of the Order, Claude Paul-Hus, FCMA, General Manager, Société québécoise d’information juridique (SOQUIJ), for his part, invited the graduates to be proud of their designation, which is the very symbol of their assimilation and mastery of leading-edge management practices. “Seize all opportunities to be ambassadors of your know-how and interpersonal skills both in your work place and community. Do not hesitate to explain how your training is of added value and demonstrate that CMAs are not satisfied with measuring value. They create it.”
Prizes and honors
During the ceremony, several prizes and honours were presented, including the Fernand Cloutier Award and its accompanying $2,000 scholarship. This award honours the candidate in Quebec who obtained the best results in the CMA Strategic Leadership Program. The winner for 2009 was Geneviève Leblanc, CMA, Controller at Cascades East Angus.
The Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton-Synerma Prize, accompanied by a $1,500 scholarship, went to Catherine Raymond, CMA, Controller, Armoires Distinction. The winner was considered outstanding both in her results in the CMA Strategic Leadership Program and her professional achievements.
The Order also highlighted the contribution of two graduate students involved in advancing management accounting knowledge. Accordingly, Maude Amiot-Tremblay, student in the Master's of Business Administration (MBA) - Accountancy program at Université Laval, and Steve Thellend, student in the Master’s of Science in Administration (M. Sc.) – Management Control program at HEC Montreal, shared fellowships for research in management accounting totalling $6,000.
In addition, the 2008 Entrance Examination Grand Prize, accompanied by a $1,000 scholarship, was awarded to Fabien Desormeau, a graduate of Concordia University. As for the 2008 Case Examination Grand Prize, it was won by three candidates who tied for first place in Quebec with a grade of 99%. Accordingly, Andrée-Anne Bettez and Emmanuelle Legendre, both graduates of HEC Montréal, and Amélie Philippe, graduate of the UQAM School of Management, received $2,000 scholarships each.
CMA Canada, for its part, honoured seven 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 Jean Belhumeur, FCMA, President and COO, Leviton Canada; Bernard Boutin, FCMA, President, Groupe Boutin inc.; Mario Côté, FCMA, Lecturer, Université de Sherbrooke; Alain Dumont, FCMA, President and COO, Fournitures funéraires Victoriaville; Jean-François Lasnier, FCMA, Executive Vice President, Quebec CMA Order; Gilles Noël, FCMA, Assistant Director General, Support Services, Ville de Québec, and Yves Pelletier, FCMA, Senior Vice President, DMR. There are currently some 550 people who hold this title in Canada, including 83 in Quebec.
The National Recognition Award presented by CMA Canada was given to Pratt & Whitney for its outstanding contribution to the growth of the entire CMA profession and the advancement of management accounting.
Finally, Alphonse M. Galluccio, FCMA, Vice President and Associate, Governance of Decimal, received the Mérite from the Quebec Interprofessional Council for his remarkable contribution to his order and the professional system in Quebec. Mr. Galluccio also sat on the Board of Directors of the Order for five years and chaired it in 1999-2000.
The Ordre des comptables en management accrédités du Québec, which has more than 9,000 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:
Julie Desjardins
Coordinator, Marketing and Media Relations
514 849-1155 or 1 800 263-5390, ext. 239
j.desjardins@cma-quebec.org