Leading Progressive Change 

FROM: NOV-DEC 2008 ISSUE | BY BAILA LAZARUS

Three years ago, Tony Ducie, FCGA, had one of the most pride-filled moments of his life – being able to present his son, Tim, with his CGA certificate at CGA Saskatchewan’s graduation ceremony. “It felt really good and I was so proud,” says the elder Ducie. “That was one of the highlights of my career – being able to do that.” Ducie’s pride is not only due to the fact that his son followed in his footsteps; he’s excited that his son will have expanded opportunities as a result of earning his designation. Another highlight of Ducie’s career is the fact that he is the first CGA from Saskatchewan to become chair of CGA-Canada. “I am tremendously proud of this accomplishment,” he says.

In the early ‘90s, when Ducie was the vice-president of finance and treasurer of Concentra Financial (formerly Co-operative Trust Company of Canada), he decided to study for his designation. He had reached a point in his career where he needed to upgrade his skills, he says. “So I started to look around at what was out there. I latched onto CGA because I liked what I saw.”

The ability to learn while functioning at a high level was important to Ducie. “I couldn’t take a year or more off to further my education, so the distance learning, where I was able to commit myself to a course without being tied to a specific time and place, was important while I performed a highly demanding job,” Ducie explains. As well, the emphasis placed on continuing education was a deciding factor.

“The designation gave me the competency and education to act effectively at an executive level. It also gave me the skills and abilities to provide financial and strategic leadership for my organization, effectively contribute to the management team, and problem solve quickly,” he says.

Myrna Bentley, Concentra’s CEO, was working at the company in a clerical position when Ducie started in 1977. Throughout the last three decades Bentley and Ducie interacted on a day-to-day basis. She recalls what working with Ducie was like. “The word that keeps coming to mind is consistent. He’s diligent in sticking to professional guidelines; there’s nothing fuzzy around the edges with Tony. He knows the rules, he plays by the rules, and he’s absolutely loyal and committed. He was a role model for me,” says Bentley. “I think CGA-Canada is very lucky to have a person of his integrity leading the board,” she continues.

More Than a Decade of Involvement

Ducie earned his designation in 1993 and his FCGA in 2005. Soon after becoming a CGA he became involved with CGA Saskatchewan committees, such as the strategic planning committee and the discipline committee. He had experience, leadership talent, and a little extra time on his hands. “It sounded like a good way to give something back,” he says.

In 2002 he joined CGA Saskatchewan’s board and became the Saskatchewan representative on the CGA-Canada board. He served as president of CGA Saskatchewan in 2004-05. Since then, he has sat on numerous provincial and national committees, task forces, and working groups. His work over the years has enabled him to interact with many members and students, and he is well aware of the association’s strengths and challenges.

Ducie believes a key challenge both provincially and nationally is how to keep the membership growing. “The ability to get our name out there to attract students in order to grow our membership is a challenge because of the competition we’re facing. And the competition is not only the other accounting bodies, but industry in general. CGA-Canada must continue to support the regions in growing their membership bases, and we need to further enhance our brand recognition,” says Ducie. “The current development of a national branding campaign is an exciting initiative that is long overdue and will definitely help in advancing the CGA brand.”

Raising brand awareness is not the only task on Ducie’s to-do list as chair. “We have to be proactive in our education program and other aspects of our operation to stay ahead of the competition as well as making sure we are meeting market demands. We’ve got a strong strategic plan that was developed a couple of years ago, and it set a sound direction for us to follow, which we are doing. I don’t see us swaying from that course. We’re making great strides and it’s the right plan for CGA at this point in time.”

Building on Success

Further expansion into the international market is an area that excites Ducie. “The MOUs we’ve entered into with different accounting bodies, such as CPA Australia, our ACCA relationship – I think that’s all positive. The more of that we can do, the better it will be for us, which will [affect] issues around membership growth, mobility, and competition. Expansion through the development of MOUs is important and we have to look at all opportunities, whether they are national or international.”

And Ducie is keen to continue the association’s growing contribution to the profession through primary research. “CGA-Canada continues to issue high quality and well received research papers that we should all be proud of. They contribute to a strong reputation for CGA in the marketplace and we must continue this solid work,” says Ducie.

Another strong point that Ducie underlines is the financial stability of the organization, as demonstrated by the investment in a new head office building in Burnaby. “It’s a very positive move because it will stabilize the organization financially going forward,” he says. “We finally have a permanent home and it’s a good investment.”

Ducie says chairing the governance task force and the 18 months spent developing a new governance model has to be his greatest CGA-related accomplishment to date. He’s looking forward to leading the first year of implementation of the model and is eager to work with a smaller board that will be functional and proactive. “The affiliation council will continue working on developing the vision and strategic direction of CGA-Canada. There will be a tight link between the board and the council, and I will be providing strong leadership to ensure the two groups work cohesively and the lines of accountability and communication remain clear,” he explains.

“It’s so important to understand the difference between strategy and operation,” says Ducie. “Setting the strategic direction for your organization and making sure your governance is in place to support it. Let management look after the operations as defined by the strategy developed. I bring that experience from my work career. I know there are going to be bumps in the road during implementation, but by working together as a team we can get over the bumps and be successful. I firmly believe the organization is on the right path and is being led by a strong leadership team. We will continue to build on our successes.”

Transition Time

The role of chair brings with it numerous responsibilities in terms of travel. Ducie will be on the road for most of November, visiting graduation ceremonies in Beijing and Hong Kong and attending numerous meetings in a number of places. Knowing his schedule was going to be hectic, Ducie decided to retire earlier this year so he could take some time to relax before moving in a new direction. “I was winding down my career and hadn’t made up my mind when I was going to retire but with the CGA-Canada commitment coming up, it was the right time.”

Over the year, Ducie has had more time to spend with his wife and three children – a son and two daughters – as well as four grandchildren. He volunteers on the audit and finance committee of the Saskatoon Community Foundation and sits on the finance and investment committees for Ronald McDonald House. In addition, he has spent many years serving as a board member of Ronald McDonald House and volunteering with the United Way.

Born in Cardiff, South Wales, Ducie came to Canada in 1947. He grew up in Saskatoon, obtaining a business administration diploma from Saskatoon Business College in 1965. He worked in a variety of positions in industry until he started working for the Co-operative Trust Company of Canada in 1977, which became Concentra Financial in 2005. He was vice-president, finance, and treasurer from 1984 to 2005, and senior vice-president, strategic resources, from 2005 until he retired in 2008.

With his wife still working (she plans to retire in 2009), Ducie is spending a lot of time on the links these days. “I find golf a good way to unwind from the 30 or 40 years of work that I did,” he says with a laugh. “And I’m really enjoying it.” Asked what advice he has for future generations coming into the profession, he responds: “Don’t give up! The program may seem overwhelming at times, but stick with it because the CGA designation provides you with the foundation needed to be successful in any career that you choose.”

[ TOP ]