CALGARY – October 12, 2012 – The governing boards of the Certified Management Accountants of Alberta (CMA Alberta) and Certified General Accountants of Alberta (CGA Alberta) voted today to unify as part of a national effort to create a single Canadian accounting designation.

“Unification will reduce confusion in the marketplace,” said John Carpenter, FCGA, CEO of CGA Alberta. “Operating under a single designation makes economic and strategic sense and will make the Canadian accounting profession even more relevant at home and around the world.”

And Alberta members agree. This vote follows a 75% affirmative response last June from members of both bodies in favour of the unification proposal. “The response from our members and our boards is an indication professional accountants in Alberta know the time is right to unite and strengthen our profession,” said Kara Mitchelmore, FCMA, CEO of CMA Alberta.

“Not only are we strengthening our team by bringing together more than 13,000 professional accountants in Alberta, we can create relevant services for our members and stakeholders in ways we cannot as competitors,” said Carpenter.

Mitchelmore noted the national unification effort has created an exciting opportunity to build on the strengths of the three accounting education programs. “We have taken what we know about professional education and worked together nationally to develop one of the world’s best and most contemporary approaches to education in a new CPA Canada Education program,” she said. “Under this new program, we can develop business professionals of more value than ever before.”

Similar unification processes are underway across Canada. Last May, the Quebec government altered provincial legislation to pave the way for the creation of CPA Quebec, bringing together the CGA, CMA and Chartered Accountants (CA) of Quebec. In September, the boards of the national CMA and CA organizations announced they would merge their operations beginning in January. More information about national unification efforts can be found at www.cpacanada.ca.

Following today’s vote, a Unification Agency will be formed to bring the two organizations together. Students currently enrolled in CMA and CGA programs will continue to receive the legacy designation education for the time being. For new students planning a career in accounting and business, the CPA Canada education program will be phased in beginning next September.

The unified organization will now approach the provincial government to request amendments to the Regulated Accounting Profession Act, the governing legislation for the accounting profession in Alberta. Amendments to this act must take place to create the Chartered Professional Accountant designation in Alberta.

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For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Magdalena Matracki                                           Shelley Kesselman

403.714.1463                                                        403.231.8065

mmatracki@cga-alberta.org                          skesselman@cma-alberta.com

Alberta’s Certified General Accountants’ Association and Society of Management Accountants are responsible for the education, regulation and promotion of CGA and CMAs in the province. There are more than 13,000 professionally designated members from the two organizations working in the province and around the world, at every level and in every sector. For more information, please visit www.cma-alberta.com or  www.cga-alberta.org.