Brian Friedrich, CGA, CERTIFR, and Laura Friedrich, CGA, CERTIFR
Brian and Laura Friedrich are the principals of friedrich & friedrich corporation, an accounting research, standards, and education firm. The firm provides policy, procedure, and governance guidance; develops courses, examinations, and other assessments; and supports the development of regional public accounting standards in Canada and internationally. Both Brian and Laura have served as authors, curriculum developers, lecturers, exam developers, and markers for numerous CGA and university courses in Canada, China, and the Caribbean and have also presented at IFRS conferences in Ecuador. Their volunteer involvement with the Association has earned them CGA-BC’s inaugural Ambassador of Distinction Award (2004) and the JM Macbeth Award for service at the chapter level (Brian in 2006 and Laura in 2007).
DeWayne Osborn, CGA
DeWayne Osborn is the General Manager, Compliance Officer, and in-house expert on charitable and planned giving at Lawton Partners. He joined the firm in 2000.
DeWayne received the 2003 Certified General Accountants Association of Manitoba Sharing Expertise Award. The Association cited his ongoing dedication to numerous charities, as well as his leadership in furthering greater awareness and acceptance of planned giving as examples of a CGA who has significantly advanced the social and economic life of the community.
As a Certified Financial Planner and Certified General Accountant with more than a decade of experience serving in senior positions of not-for-profit organizations, DeWayne has become one of Canada's leading authorities on planned giving. He is a much-sought-after speaker, consultant, and advisor on the complexities and tremendous financial and philanthropic benefits that can be achieved by applying tax-effective strategies for gifting real property, cash, securities, life insurance products, wills, and bequests.
In 2011, DeWayne received both the Friend of CAGP Manitoba Award and the Friend of CAGP-ACPDP™ Award in recognition of his continuing dedication, and tireless contributions, to the field of planned giving.
Jeff Buckstein, CGA
Jeff Buckstein is a freelance business writer based in Ottawa. He has published a variety of articles dealing with subjects such as developments in the accounting profession, personal finance, and high-tech innovations for various publications. Jeff’s articles have appeared in The Globe and Mail, The National Post, Ottawa Citizen, The Bottom Line, Canadian Banker, and Canadian Money Saver, among others.
Franco Alfieri, CGA Auditor
Franco Alfieri is a Montreal-based sole practitioner who offers a variety of services that include assurance, accounting, taxation, and consulting. His articles have appeared in CGA Magazine, The Bottom Line, and Intuit Canada's e-Newsletter Advisor Advantage. Franco's experience with IT has led him to offer end user training as a ProAdvisor for Quickbooks (Succès PME) and as a Premier Advisor for the Sage Accounting Network. Go to Franco’s website at www.FrancoAlfieriCGA.com .
Stephen Spector, MA, FCGA
Stephen Spector is the proprietor of Spector and Associates and a Lecturer in Financial and Managerial Accounting at Simon Fraser University. From 1982 to 2002, Stephen was an employee of CGA-Canada, where he completed his tenure as Manager of Standards and Research, Professional Affairs. He has held a number of volunteer positions with CGA-BC, including member of the By-Laws Committee and Ethics Committee. He serves on CGA-BC’s Board of Governors and is the 2009 CGA-BC president.
Stephen has served on the International Accounting Standards Committee’s Canadian Advisory Group, and he was also one of Canada's technical advisors to the IFAC Ethics Committee from 1999 to 2003. He is a member of the Canadian Academic Accounting Association, where he served as an executive member from 1992 to 1997. In June 2003, Stephen rejoined the CAAA Board as Vice-president, Communications.
Stephen became a CGA in 1985 after obtaining his Master of Arts in Economics from Simon Fraser University in 1982. In 1997, CGA-BC presented Stephen with the Harold Clarke Award of Merit for recognition of his outstanding service to the By-Laws Committee for 1990–1996. In 1999 he received the Fellow Certified General Accountant (FCGA) award for distinguished service to the Canadian accounting profession. In August 2008, Stephen was awarded the TD Canada Trust Distinguished Teaching Award by Simon Fraser University’s Faculty of Business Administration.
Glen Schmidt, BA, FCGA
Glen Schmidt is president of GTS Seminars, an Ontario corporation focusing on professional development products and training for accountants. Glen has presented numerous accounting, tax, and auditing seminars to several CGA associations and chapters, including CGA-Canada. In addition, Glen is a contributor to CGA Magazine on tax matters and is a frequent speaker for the Association. Glen has lectured for the Association on a variety of subjects, co-authored CGA Ontario’s TX1 Comprehensive Review CD-ROMs, is the former course author for Taxation 1, and is co-author of two Internet-based learning projects for CGA Ontario.
Glen is a Past President of CGA Ontario, has served on both the CGA-Canada and CGA Ontario Boards of Directors, and has been a member of numerous provincial and national committees.
Previously, Glen had 26 years of experience with the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, primarily in the audit, verification, and enforcement and appeals divisions.
Glen is a member of the Panel of Experts, Taxation, Fiscal Affairs Department for the International Monetary Fund. He conducted a yearlong project on tax reform in Cambodia, worked in Vietnam assisting tax administration modernization, and is looking forward to working on projects in the Caribbean in late 2006 and 2007.
Karen Horcher, CGA, CFA
Karen Horcher provides finance, treasury, and capital markets consulting services and training to international corporations, financial institutions, and governmental organizations. Karen's recent projects include improving cash management processes, assisting management and boards of directors in managing financial risk, improving institutional portfolio management analytics, and analysis of derivatives losses. With a background in international banking and trading, Karen is the author of numerous articles and several finance books, including Essentials of Financial Risk Management and Essentials of Managing Treasury, both published by Wiley. She is also a frequent speaker on financial and related topics.
Trish Brydon CGA, MA, RPC, Certificate Conflict Resolution
Trish is a coach and trainer with her company Optim People Partners. She is also a Senior Partner with Mercer Bradley who specialize in full-time and contract placement of accounting and finance professionals. Trish works with individuals, teams and organizations to help them to be successful and to thrive. She is a Certified General Accountant (CGA) and a Registered Professional Counsellor (RPC) with a Masters Degree (MA) in Leadership and Training. She has a Conflict Resolution Certificate in Negotiation and Mediation. Certified William Bridges’ trainer (individual and organizational transitions) and certified Personality Dimensions® trainer. Member of the BC Human Resources Management Association (BC HRMA) and the International Coach Federation (ICF).
More than a decade of experience and expertise in:
· coaching, training and facilitation
· professional and personal leadership and effectiveness
· recruitment and placement of senior level accounting and finance professionals
· career planning, exploration and management
· team building and organizational effectiveness
· change and transition management
· communication and conflict resolution
Twenty plus years business experience includes senior level management experience, financial and business planning and analysis, finance and accounting management, project management, business process improvement, systems development and implementation.
Trish Brydon’s LinkedIn Profile
Personal leadership blog - Leadership from the Inside Out
Hiring and career blog - Hot off the Press
Michelle L. Causton, FCGA
Michelle L. Causton, FCGA, earned her CGA designation in 1986. Since then, she has been progressively involved in the Association at the chapter, provincial, and national levels. Michelle’s involvement started with the North Bay Chapter (1987) and progressed through election to Ontario’s Board of Governors (1994) and election to the Executive Committee (1996). Michelle was the 2000–2001 president of CGA Ontario. At the national level, she was a board member from 1996 to 2002 and sat on the executive committee.
In recognition of her service, Michelle received the Chapter Distinguished Service Award (1993), the Ontario Distinguished Service Award (1997), and was granted CGA-Canada’s Fellowship Award (1999). After working in public accounting for more than 25 years, she accepted a position of Professor in the business department at Canadore College. Michelle’s course focus is management accounting and taxation. She sees this as an opportunity to enlighten students on the advantages of a career in accounting and to foster interest in the Association. Author and frequent spokesperson on governance and ethics, Michelle also provides seminars and workshops on Microsoft Excel, creating strong NFP boards, and improving presentation skills.