BCBusiness

E X E C U T I V E E D U C A T I O N S p e c i a l F e a t u r e works in the resort city. The Gustavson School is also partnering with Tricorp, an innovative investment corporation that nances economic development initia- tives among First Nations members on the North Coast. Together they are o•ering a program designed to provide Aboriginal people with the skills to start a business. The program includes six weeks of interac- tive and practical entrepreneurial learning components followed by 12 weeks of start-up and business mentorship and coaching. Another innovative program in entrepreneurship is being delivered in Tunisia, with other projects in leadership development planned for elsewhere in North Africa. These e•orts, along with the school's work in First Nations communi- ties, are part of the school's vision. "There is a broader mission that captures the way in which the school is trying to have an impact on the big problems that we see fac- ing us, either here in Canada or in the rest of the world," says Klein. New CPA Designation Andrea Yeung was working as a nancial analyst at TELUS, and she wanted to take her career to the next level. Her resume included a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia, and she decided to begin work towards a Chartered Professional Accountant desig- nation. "I wanted to pursue a designation that provided me with both depth and breadth in business acumen and account- ing expertise as a supplement to my undergraduate degree," she says. "What solidied my decision was past opportuni- ties to have met and spoken to a number of Canadian professionals with career paths that were catalyzed through the pedigree of their CPA designations." Chartered Professional Accountants play key roles within diverse segments of the economy, including industry, public accounting, education, government and the not-for-prot sector. They o•er a strong set of accounting and managerial skills in today's highly dynamic organizations. Under the Chartered Professional Accountants Act, the CPA designation has now unied the three former designa- tions: Chartered Accountant (CA), Certied General Accountant (CGA) and Certied Management Accountant (CMA). Brit- ish Columbia's professional accountants now join the ranks of more than 200,000 CPAs in Canada. This change will ensure consistent standards of education, ethical practice, disciplined regulation and proven strategic management and nancial exper- tise throughout the accounting industry. Working to meet a common set of ethical and practical standards, CPA sets a new benchmark for business and accounting in Canada. Unication under the CPA designa- tion also aligns Canada with the most rec- ognizable accounting brand in the world. In order to become a CPA, a candi- date must rst obtain an undergraduate degree in any discipline, and complete the CPA course prerequisites. Then, they must complete the 24-month Professional Education Program (PEP) and a 30-month Practical Experience Requirement (PER). The program can be completed while the candidate is working full-time. "The CPA PEP has provided me with practical nancial skills that have been highly applicable to my past and cur- rent role with TELUS," says Yeung. "From quantitative managerial decision-making to theoretical assurance applications, each module has leveraged and rened my current foundations in order to help me understand and continually excel at more challenging work." The CPA designation is designed to give people a competitive advantage in any sector. Private and public organizations from Fortune 500 to non-prots all require the CPA skill set. Those who complete the designation can expect better career opportunities and improved income. The average annual CPA salary in Canada is approximately $121,000. "If you're looking for experience that holds a strong reputa- tion of success and a promise of challenge and growth, then you won't regret choos- ing the CPA designation," says Yeung. "Its blend of practicality for public and private industry professionals allows you to per- sonalize your learning, ultimately elevat- ing your knowledge and career prospects in a comprehensive manner." Executive Online Education Athabasca University (AU) launched the world's rst online MBA program in 1994. "We've really gured out how to do online education at a very high level," says Dr. Deborah Hurst, dean of Athabasca Univer- sity's Faculty of Business. "We've contin- ued to push what's possible in terms of collaboration, and in bringing people and ideas together from all over the world." With approximately 900 students, AU's Executive MBA is the largest MBA program in Canada. All of the students are working managers with an average of nine years of management experience. The cur- riculum and the content are similar to a conventional full-time program, but the program is delivered one course at a time. It is designed to link theory to practice. The entire program takes between two and three years to complete, and students With the busy lives professionals lead, many programs can be taken online

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