RPA – CMA ANZ celebration in Canada
RPA Canada and the Institute of Certified Management Accountants Australia & New Zealand, celebrated the 10th anniversary of the mutual recognition of their respective RPA and CMA designations at the RPA Canada Head Office in Mississauga, Ontario.
The event marked a decade of collaboration and mutual respect between two well-established accounting designations from Commonwealth nations, Canada and Australia. Zubair Choudhry, President & CEO of RPA Canada, and Dr. Chris D’Souza, Deputy CEO of CMA Australia, not only reaffirmed the mutual recognition agreement but also agreed in principle to expand their partnership.
Mr. Zubair Choudhry, President & CEO of RPA Canada, and Dr. Chris D’Souza, Deputy CEO of CMA Australia, reaffirming the mutual recognition agreement between the two Institutes.
They emphasised the importance of knowledge sharing, education, and professional development for accounting professionals. Both accounting bodies committed to jointly establishing an accreditation, education, and training programme focused on ESG audit and reporting. This initiative aims to equip accountants with the skills necessary to implement the new ESG guidelines for the SME sector.
Deepak Anand, MPP and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Finance, brought greetings from the Ontario government. He welcomed the Australian delegation led by Dr. Chris D’Souza and expressed gratitude to both accounting bodies for their efforts in strengthening the relationship within the accounting, finance, and management professions.
The 10th-anniversary reception was attended by members of both accounting bodies, as well as academic and business leaders from Ontario. “RPA Canada is always looking for ways to improve and enhance the education and training of its members to prepare them to serve SME businesses in Canada and around the globe,” stated Zubair Choudhry, President & CEO.
In addition to the above event, Dr. Chris D’Souza undertook a gruelling schedule to meet as many CMA(ANZ) members in Canada as possible. His schedule was:
- May 12th to 14th – Toronto, Ontario
- May 17th to 20th – Saskatoon
- May 21st to 24th – Calgary, Alberta
- May 26th to 31st – Vancouver, BC
- June 8th to 14th – Calgary, Alberta
- June 15th to 24th – Toronto, Ontario
He met members in Toronto, Ontario, and received an overwhelming response from some dedicated members. It was a lively discussion, including the exploration of setting up the CMA ANZ Eastern Canada Chapter, and the re-introduction of face-to-face classes in Toronto with the collaboration of the Society of Professional Accountants of Canada (SPAC), the organisation that administers the RPA qualification. At present, Canadians only have the opportunity of doing the CMA by Zoom or going to Dubai or Asia to do the face-to-face classes.
At the Vancouver, BC, meeting, Dr. D’Souza set up the Western Canadian Chapter of CMA ANZ.
Left to Right: Mr. Henry Katz; Mr. Fred Wong; Mr. Bilal Qayyum; Mr. Robert W (Bob) Finlay; Ms. Manna Tang; Dr. Chris D’Souza – Deputy CEO CMA (ANZ); Mr. Shoukat Hossain; and Mr. Noah Tetteh Tokoli.