Carol Wilding joins CPA Ontario as President and CEO

TORONTO, Oct. 6, 2014 /CNW/ - The Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario (CPA Ontario) welcomes Carol Wilding, FCPA, FCA, as she joins the governing accounting body in the role of President and CEO on October 6. An enthusiastic advocate for unification of the accounting profession, Carol takes the next step in her career as she returns to her accounting roots and takes the helm at her profession's provincial regulator.

Carol is a dynamic leader, who brings an impressive record of positive transformational leadership, change management and team integration to her new role. As President and CEO of CPA Ontario, she will play a key role in establishing the CPA as the pre-eminent, internationally recognized Canadian accounting designation and business credential that best protects and serves the public interest.

Carol was appointed by the Council of CPA Ontario at a historic juncture that has seen the unification of the accounting profession in Ontario under the CPA designation. All of the members of the three legacy bodies – the Certified Management Accountants of Ontario, Certified General Accountants of Ontario and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario – are now members of CPA Ontario.

"The first order of business for CPA Ontario's new council – getting a proven leader for the management team – has been accomplished with the hiring of Carol Wilding," said Michael Banks, Council Chair. "Now we need to focus on how Council can support Carol and her team in uniting the new organization, while also beginning a comprehensive strategic planning process to see how we can serve our dual mandates of supporting and helping our members while protecting the public interest."

"I am excited to be part of this historic milestone for the accounting profession. Having a single regulatory body for all of Ontario's designated accountants will help us strengthen our profession," said Ms. Wilding. "I look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead for Ontario's accountants under the new CPA Ontario banner."

Carol holds an Honours degree in Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business at York University, became a Chartered Accountant in 1987 and was named a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario (CPA Ontario) in 2009.

For seven years, as President and CEO of the Toronto Region Board of Trade (TRBT), Carol harnessed the energy of Canada's largest urban chamber of commerce and its 12,000 members to position the TRBT as an influential thought leader on key business and public policy issues impacting the Toronto region's globally competitive economy. Under her leadership, the Board embarked on a new business model and branding campaign, while enhancing and expanding its products and services to create more value for members.

Carol currently serves as a director on the boards of the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Foundation, the Royal Ontario Museum and the Dean's Council at Ryerson University's Ted Rogers School of Management.

Earlier in her career, Carol was President of Mount Sinai Hospital Foundation, and President of Plan Canada (formerly Foster Parents Plan).

Carol Wilding was named as one of the Top 25 Women of Influence™ by Women of Influence Inc. in 2014. For her leadership in the not-for-profit sector, Carol was awarded the Public Affairs Association of Canada's 2011 Award of Distinction and named to the Top 100™ list of Canada's Most Powerful Women for 2010. She is also a recipient of the Schulich Business School's Outstanding Public Contribution Alumni Award, the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal and the Public Sector Excellence Award for Technology.

About the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario
The Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario is the qualifying and regulatory body of Ontario's more than 80,000 CPAs and approximately 20,000 CPA students. CPA Ontario serves the public interest by developing, monitoring and enforcing the highest standards of professional competence and ethical conduct. Chartered professional accountants are valued by organizations for their financial expertise, strategic thinking, business insight, management skills and leadership. For information on the profession, visit www.cpaontario.ca. To become a CPA in Ontario, visit www.goCPAontario.ca.

Image with caption: "Carol Wilding, FCPA, FCA, has joined the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario (CPA Ontario) as President and CEO. (CNW Group/The Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20141006_C3845_PHOTO_EN_6374.jpg

SOURCE: The Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario

For further information: Perry Jensen, Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario, 416-969-4271 or 1-800-387-0735, ext. 271, [e-mail]; Amy Mulhern, Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario, 416-322-6520 or 1-800-668-1454 ext. 8311, [e-mail]