Council Seeks Candidates to Support Strategic Goals

CPA Ontario members in good standing are encouraged to contribute to the effective governance of the profession in Ontario by running for election to CPA Ontario’s Council.  This year, there are four seats up for election. The roles and responsibilities expected of a Council member are outlined below. 

2024 Priority skills, attributes & experiences

CPA Ontario’s Council has identified five priority skills, attributes and experiences that it believes will complement its existing skill set and help ensure CPA Ontario delivers on its mandate to protect the public, advance the profession, and ensure CPAs lead business and society forward. These are:

Strategic and Transformational Leadership: Experience leading change and transformation in light of industry and technology disruption.

Emerging Technologies (with an emphasis on AI): Understands the technological forces reshaping business, education and society, including how AI and how other emerging technologies are disrupting business models and working environments.

Future of Learning and Work: Experience in attracting and retaining talent and building relationships with academia/universities to promote the profession and maintain relevance.

Business Acumen: Skilled in identifying and managing risks while effectively contributing to the business goals of an organization.

Governance (with an emphasis on Change Management): Corporate or nonprofit board experience with an emphasis on service at an organization during a period of significant change and transformation.

CPA Ontario Council roles and responsibilities

CPA Ontario's mandate is to protect the public interest, advance the profession and enables CPAs to lead business and society forward. Council's role is to oversee the effective governance of the profession here in Ontario, and to ensure that CPA Ontario delivers against its strategic direction. The CPA Ontario Council consists of 12 elected members and four public representatives appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.

Key Duties and Responsibilities of a Council Member

• Protect the public interest.
• Advance the profession.
• Ensure the integrity and independence of CPA Ontario’s self-regulatory processes.
• Act consistently in accordance with the values and ethics of the profession.
• Set and approve the strategic direction, related priorities and corporate performance management framework.
• Approve the annual business plan and performance targets.
• Set the policy and advocacy framework and provide guidance and support to the President & CEO and senior team in the implementation of the strategic plan and annual business plan.
• Review and comment on key initiatives as identified by CPA Ontario and staff.
• Ensure the development of a risk management strategy and plan.
• Monitor and evaluate financial performance and ongoing operations, including overseeing the annual audit with regard to fiduciary duties.
• Appoint, set the compensation of, manage the performance of and evaluate the President & CEO.
• Act as ambassadors on behalf of the organization.

Time Commitment and Committee Structure

• There are four regular Council meetings a year, each generally held as an all-day meeting. Council members are expected to attend a minimum of 75% of Council meetings in person.
• Council members are expected to participate on a minimum of one Council committee (the four standing committees are Finance & Audit, Governance & Nominating, Human Resources, and Risk).
• Council members are expected to thoroughly examine all pre-read material, attend committee meetings (in-person or by electronic means) and participate as necessary to fulfill any other Council obligations (AGM, Council elections process, etc.).

Instructions on submitting a nomination

Any member in good standing is eligible for election to the Council by completing the nomination package. Please follow the process below to submit a nomination:

• Review this document in its entirety.
• Follow the instructions carefully and complete the following nomination package documents:
  1. Nomination Form
  2. Acceptance Form
  3. Candidate Statement (750 words maximum)
  4. Candidate Biography (500 words maximum)
     • Save each document as a Microsoft Word or .pdf document.
     • After all election materials are submitted and prior to voting, each candidate will partner with our third-party firm to create a 150-word “short biography.” This will appear next to the candidate’s name on the online voting ballot and there will be a link to their full Candidate Statement and Biography on the CPA Ontario website.
     • CPA Ontario reserves the right to edit materials in the biography and statement as required for uniformity of presentation and space.
• Complete and submit this form to begin the background check process for Criminal Record Verification
• Attach a digital colour head and shoulders photo (2” x 3” of 300 dpi) to be used on the CPA Ontario and voting websites
• Submit all four nomination package documents, complete the background check form and the colour photo, to Karen Armstrong by no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, July 29, 2024. Nominations must be in writing, signed by two CPA Ontario members in good standing and be certified by the candidate.
• Materials not received by the deadlines will not be accepted or made available to the membership and the nomination will be rejected.
• Candidates must adhere to the word count restrictions established for the Candidate Statement and Biography. Portions of responses in excess of those word counts will be excluded from the published materials.
• Ensure that you receive confirmation of your nomination. Please contact Karen Armstrong if you have not received confirmation within 48 hours of submission.

Review process

Once the materials are received by CPA Ontario and the background checks are approved, all candidates will go through a review process. A third-party firm will contact candidates to schedule a virtual one-hour interview to discuss the candidate’s experience and qualifications.

Following the completion of the candidate interviews, all candidates will be notified of their alignment with the skills, attributes and experiences prioritized for Council in 2024 and a determination will be made as to who will be interviewed by the Interview Group.

The Interview Group, comprised of Council members selected by the Governance & Nominating Committee of Council, will hold interviews on September 3 and 4, to discuss the candidate’s background and qualifications. Interviews with the Interview Group are intended to be in person. If required, a virtual option may be considered. All reasonable expenses of the candidates will be covered by CPA Ontario.

Once the interviews are complete, the candidates who most aptly align with the priority skills, attributes and experiences will be identified and all candidates will be notified of the selection. While some candidates may choose to withdraw by September 16, all candidates are encouraged to remain in the process. On September 18, candidate biographies, statements and photos will be posted to the CPA Ontario website. As part of the process, Council will also identify to the membership those candidates whose qualifications most aptly align with the needs of Council in 2024.

Each candidate shall be entitled to solicit votes for their election to Council beginning two business days after the later of: (i) the close of nominations, or (ii) confirmation of the candidate’s eligibility by the Office of the General Counsel, provided the candidate complies with all applicable policies and regulations, including but not limited to the Campaign Policy.

Thank you for considering a nomination for Council and for your commitment to the profession.

For questions, please read the FAQ or contact General Counsel Tom Litzgus by email.