Short Bio

Lilian Cheung, FCPA, FCA, is a Partner and Professional Practice Director in Deloitte’s Audit and Assurance Practice, where she leads initiatives focused on quality, talent development, innovation and practice transformation. Serving on CPA Ontario Council since 2023 she currently serves as Vice Chair, Secretary, and Chair of the Governance & Nominating Committee. Through her leadership roles with CPA Ontario, the CPA Ontario Foundation and other not-for-profit organizations, Lilian has championed strong governance, public trust and the continued strength of the profession. Passionate about mentorship, leadership and service, Lilian is committed to helping current and future members thrive while preserving the trust, relevance and opportunity that define the CPA profession.

Detailed Bio

Voluntary work with CPA Ontario or other professional bodies:

Since 2023, Lilian has had the privilege of serving on CPA Ontario’s Council, including as Secretary and Chair of the Governance and Nominating Committee since 2024, and Vice Chair since 2025. Since 2025, she has also served as a board member of the CPA Ontario Foundation. These roles have deepened her understanding of CPA Ontario’s mandate, governance responsibilities, stakeholder accountability and the importance of thoughtful, transparent decision-making. This experience has strengthened her commitment to the profession and reinforced her belief that the CPA designation is uniquely positioned to develop next-gen leaders – individuals who can adapt to, and even outpace, rapid change, uphold public trust and shape a more resilient future.

Lilian’s commitment to the profession also includes serving as a CPA mentor since 2016, supporting students through their professional education and practical experience journey. This ongoing engagement, along with her role at Deloitte (below), gives her direct insight into the challenges, expectations and opportunities facing future CPAs – perspective that is essential to Council’s role in advancing the profession and its continued relevance and attractiveness.

She also brings standard-setting and technical leadership experience through her role on FRAS Canada’s Not-for-Profit Advisory Committee since 2019, where she contributed to the development of Canadian accounting standards for not-for-profit organizations. This experience has reinforced her appreciation for due process, public consultation, transparent communication and balanced judgment – all directly relevant to effective Council governance.

Career achievements:

Professionally, she has served as Deloitte’s Ontario Audit Professional Practice Director since 2023, a role that places her at the intersection of audit quality, talent development, operations, and technological change. She sets the regional quality strategy, upholds professional standards, shapes learning priorities and supports the profession’s continued evolution through technology-enabled audit delivery.

As Deloitte’s National Audit Private Efficiency Lead since 2024, she has led transformational change across the audit practice, including the development and deployment of national initiatives focused on efficiency, quality, project management, upskilling and continuous improvement. This work has optimized audit execution, enhanced professional judgment and created capacity for higher-value work – experience she would continue to bring to Council as CPA Ontario navigates change across the profession.

In 2023, she was recognized as a Fellow of CPA Ontario – a career achievement of which she is infinitely proud.

Other voluntary service and recognition:

Lilian’s broader voluntary governance experience includes serving on the Finance, Audit & Risk Committee of the Business + Higher Education Roundtable, supporting its mandate to build opportunities for young Canadians through collaboration between business and post-secondary institutions.

She also served as board member, Treasurer, and Executive Committee member of Camp Quality Canada, as well as Kennedy House. These roles have strengthened her governance, finance, strategy and stewardship experience across mission-driven organizations.

Together, her current CPA Ontario leadership, professional practice experience, technical and standard-setting contribution, mentorship and board service make her a proven, engaged and forward-looking candidate for re-election to CPA Ontario Council.

Candidate statement

Why are you interested in joining Council?

My first term on Council, including serving as Vice Chair, has reinforced both the importance of CPA Ontario's mandate and the significant work ahead of us. Over the past three years, I have contributed to discussions and decisions that will shape the future of our profession – from strengthening the talent pipeline and evolving professional education to ensuring the continued relevance and eminence of the CPA designation.

I am seeking re-election because continuity matters at this pivotal moment. The profession is navigating unprecedented change driven by technology, evolving workforce expectations, and shifting business needs. While significant progress has been made, there is more work to do to ensure CPA Ontario remains positioned to develop future-ready leaders and protect the public interest.

As a public accountant, partner at a national firm, campus recruiter and quality leader, I bring a perspective at the intersection of business, education and talent development. I engage with students, emerging professionals, employers, regulators and business leaders daily, giving me direct insight into both the expectations of future CPAs and the skills organizations require in an increasingly technology-enabled economy.

I believe the CPA profession remains uniquely positioned to develop leaders who combine technical expertise with judgment, ethics, adaptability and critical thinking. I remain committed to helping CPA Ontario strengthen the value of the designation, future-proof the profession, and equip the next generation of CPAs to thrive in this evolving world and outpace change.

How do your experiences align with the following skills, attributes and experiences that have been prioritized for incoming members of Council?

• Strategic and Transformational Leadership
• Emerging Technologies
• Board Experience and Governance
• Business Acumen

I bring a unique combination of transformational leadership, governance experience, technology innovation and talent development.

As Deloitte's National Audit Private Efficiency Lead, I led large-scale transformations across our audit practice, reshaping audit delivery through process redesign, operational excellence and technology-enabled execution to rise to market demands. This work has driven significant behavioural change while improving quality, consistency and efficiency across the practice.

As Ontario Professional Practice Director, I help shape strategy across quality, risk management, talent development and operations and growth. A critical focus of my work has been upskilling our professionals for a technology-enabled future, accelerating AI tools adoption, embedding innovation into everyday work, and amplifying capabilities that will remain uniquely human – including professional judgment, critical thinking, risk assessment and client insight.

I also bring extensive experience developing talent and building the future workforce. As a CPA mentor and campus recruitment leader, I work closely with students and have firsthand insight into the changing expectations, motivations, apprehensions and career aspirations of the next generation entering the profession.

My governance experience includes serving as CPA Ontario Council Vice Chair, Secretary, and Chair of the Governance & Nominating Committee. Beyond CPA Ontario, I serve on the Finance, Audit & Risk Committee of the Business + Higher Education Roundtable, and the Board of the CPA Ontario Foundation. Previously, I was the Treasurer of Camp Quality Canada and Kennedy House, along with other Committee Chair roles.

Together, I have drawn from these experiences to contribute strategic thinking, effective governance, risk oversight and transformational leadership to Council. I am eager to continue this momentum for another term.

What is the greatest opportunity and challenge facing the accounting profession and CPA Ontario?

The greatest opportunity and challenge facing the profession is ensuring the CPA designation remains indispensable in today’s rapidly evolving economy.

Technology and AI are transforming how work is performed, while changing student expectations and apprehensions, workforce uncertainty and shifting demographics are reshaping the CPA pipeline and attraction. Social media is increasingly magnifying the narrative that accounting and finance careers will be displaced by AI. Accurate or not, this perception poses a real risk to the attractiveness of the designation and our ability to attract top talent to the profession.

The CPA designation remains the gold standard for professionals – one which uniquely combines business acumen, ethical leadership and a commitment to the public interest. To maintain that position, we must continue evolving how we attract, educate and develop future CPAs. This includes integrating emerging technologies into learning, embracing more flexible pathways and practical experience opportunities, and better demonstrating the breadth of career opportunities available to CPAs in an innovation-driven economy.

Most importantly, we must focus on developing the capabilities that will increasingly differentiate CPAs in an AI-enabled world: judgment, critical thinking, adaptability, ethical decision-making, communication and leadership. I truly believe that the future of the profession will not be defined by what AI can do, but by what CPAs can do with AI. By embracing innovation while strengthening the qualities that underpin public trust, we can ensure the CPA designation remains relevant, respected and valued for generations to come. This is the enduring legacy I wish to leave behind as a Council member.