Portrait
FROM: MAY-JUN 2004 ISSUE
First Place in Quebec
A dyed-in-the wool Quebecer, Alain Girard, CGA, and chief operating officer of CGA-Québec, was born in Montreal and has lived in the Basses-Laurentides region for the past 30 years. He obtained his CGA in 1983 and graduated from the University of Sherbrooke's executive MBA program in 1999. He chose this particular path because of the many career possibilities provided by the CGA designation, as well as the flexibility of the program, which enabled him to balance his studies, employment, and family responsibilities.
Girard has shown an abiding interest in the growth of CGA-Québec and served on the board of directors of the Laurentides chapter for four years. In personal terms, this experience was especially valuable, as he met his future life partner (also a CGA) there.
Upon becoming CGA-Québec's chief operating officer in 1999, Girard embarked on a number of projects, with one overriding objective in mind: obtaining full auditing rights for CGAs. Girard and his team have focused their efforts on obtaining official recognition of CGAs' professional skills by 2005.
In Quebec, the course of studies leading to the CGA designation is unique in Canada. Candidates must first obtain a degree and must complete various prerequisite courses before taking their provincial CGA exams. They must then pass four CGA-Canada exams and a short second-cycle program in financial performance. Finally, candidates must complete a two-year practical training period. Students can set their own exam schedules, and they view such flexibility as a plus, compared to other accounting designations.
"Positive student reactions to our program have been accompanied by soaring recruitment levels, thus enhancing our position with respect to the other two accounting organizations," says Girard. Over the past four years, we have jumped from third place to first place, with 2,070 students, or 42 per cent of the total students enrolled in accounting programs across Quebec. This represents one of our staff's finest achievements," Girard notes proudly.
For Girard, striking a balance between work, family, and leisure is essential. Three children from Girard's first marriage — Simon, 27; Valérie, 25; and Olivier, 24 — have flown the roost and now live in the Montreal region. Girard and his second wife,Guylaine Marcil, CGA, and their two children — Chanelle, 18, and Pierre-Alexandre, 20 — live on one acre in the town of Blainville. At home, Girard is able to indulge his interest in gardening. As a nature lover and epicurean, Girard delights in life's simple pleasures: enjoying a meal with friends, exercising in the great outdoors, and seeing the world. In short, the ideal combination for high-performance living — Girard's personal and professional hallmark.
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Big Plans for CGA Saskatchewan
Lin March, FCGA, was appointed executive director of CGA Saskatchewan effective December 1, 2003. In keeping with her style, she has jumped right into her role and is currently streamlining operations. In the short-term, she would most like to ensure an efficient and exceptional organization is in place.
Raised in Liverpool, England, March arrived in Canada in 1970, armed with a commerce degree and lots of ambition. She enrolled in the CGA program in Ontario in the 1980s, and was very active with the Hamilton chapter; in fact, she was the education liaison officer between CGA-Ontario and Hamilton's Mohawk College. Her work experience includes time as the controller of an engineering firm in Saskatoon; as the executive director, YMCA of Saskatoon; and as a budget officer at Mohawk College.
In 1994, March moved to Saskatoon from Burlington, Ontario. "As soon as I arrived in Saskatoon, I joined CGA Saskatchewan and was elected to the board in 1995," she says. "I streamed through the various officers' positions and was president in 1999-2000," she continues. March received her FCGA in 2001.
March says the ultimate goal for CGA Saskatchewan this year is to embark upon a professional image enhancement campaign, slated to run over the next four years. It will be designed to increase the number of students and members in Saskatchewan, and to ensure full awareness of the Association's education program and the importance of the CGA designation.
Of March's many professional achievements, she says perhaps the greatest was her lead role in saving the YMCA of Saskatoon, which was facing great financial difficulties before she was hired. "I had to calm the fears of 88 staff, establish internal controls, and take the YMCA through insolvency, but eventually, I was hailed as a saviour by the members, staff, and much of the public," she states confidently.
March is married to Dr. Tony Whitworth, vice-president, Finance and Resources at the University of Saskatchewan. The couple has three grown children, Paul, Heather, and Melissa, and are the proud grandparents of Amelia, 2, and Jack, 22 months.
To ensure a good work/life balance, March travels extensively, gardens, and tries to golf as much as possible. "I have travelled around the world with the exception of China, but I'll be going to Beijing and Shanghai this summer," she exclaims. Officially, the trip will be vacation time for March, but she has scheduled meetings with CGA representatives and hopes to meet as many members as possible.
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