Perspective
One Hundred Years and Going Strong
Students of history know how a single idea, or a small twist of fate, can alter the course of events forever. And so it was with John Leslie, the founding father of the CGA designation. In 1908, John Leslie was assistant comptroller of the Canadian Pacific Railway, headquartered in Montreal. It was the beginning of an exciting new century full of modernism and promise. And the Canadian Pacific Railway was set to play a pivotal role in Canada’s history and evolution.
John Leslie’s idea was simple, yet profound. He wanted to form an organization within the CPR to expand the company’s accounting expertise. So he got together with colleagues E.B. Manning and F.A. Cousins to form a small club named the Canadian Accountants’ Association – the forerunner of the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada.
The purpose of the association was to support increased professionalism and advancement of the accountancy profession, and to “encourage skills and job performance.” Little could Mr. Leslie have known that his organization would go from success to success to become a leading professional accounting designation with 42,000 members and 26,000 students.
From a small group of railway accountants to a leading accounting designation with national and international recognition – John Leslie probably never dreamed his original idea would come to this. We are gratified that his small act in 1908 led to the creation of our powerful and respected designation.
As the accountancy profession matured along with Canada, the CGA Association continued to grow and thrive. From a federal charter in 1913 to where we are today, it is a very proud history. We have gone from a profession primarily concerned with numbers to one which calls for a multitude of business skills, from strategic planning to risk management; from knowledge of corporate governance to an understanding of global accounting standards.
In the past hundred years, our profession has evolved to meet many challenges. We will always be grateful for Mr. Leslie’s initiative and dedicated professionalism. He was a true visionary in many ways and all of our members, students, and staff reap the benefits today.
[ TOP ]