Cecilia Chen CPA, CA
Calgary
** Incumbent candidate
Professional career
- Co-founder and CFO, Spire Wealth Management LP (2023 – present)
- CFO, SmartBe Wealth Inc. (2018 – 2024)
- VP Finance, Cardtronics, Inc. (2017 – 2018)
- VP Finance, DirectCash Payments Inc. (2015 – 2017)
- Manager of Financial Reporting, DirectCash Payments Inc. (2012 – 2015)
- Senior Financial Analyst, Rockpoint Gas Storage (2009 – 2012)
- CPA, CA designation (2010)
- Senior Accountant, KPMG LLP (2005 – 2009)
Relevant activities
- Current CPA Alberta Board Member (2021 – present), seeking second term.
Candidate statement
In the last 15-plus years, I have held senior and executive management positions in public practice, oil and gas, finance services, and wealth and asset management industries. My CPA, CA training has enabled me to tackle any industry my career journey took me to. The last three years serving on the CPA Alberta Board have provided me with significant depth and knowledge about our profession as well as the opportunities and challenges we face. I am confident that my professional and relevant board experiences enable me to benefit my fellow CPAs and the CPA Alberta Board. I am dedicated to supporting CPA Alberta in maintaining governance excellence and providing timely, high-quality services.
What do you see impacting the CPA profession, and how can CPA Alberta best respond?
Provincially, we have a Professional Governance Act, expected to be introduced in 2024, and a new provincial budget was just released in February. Nationally, the CPA profession is updating its professional education program, and the CPA profession continues to work toward a new collaborative model. Our profession is under unprecedented environmental and social changes. The CPA designation represents a gold standard for well-rounded professional skill sets, hard-working ethics, creditability, and trustworthiness. To support our existing 30,000 members and students, maintaining this hard-earned reputation is something CPA Alberta worked diligently on. It should continue providing timely, high-quality services to our members and stakeholders.
How do your skills and background position you to positively contribute to the CPA Alberta Board and lead the governance of the profession?
I have held senior and executive management positions in various industries, equipping me with a good understanding of the Alberta economy and labour market. Working in a highly regulated industry for years at the executive level has provided me with excellent governance, legal, strategic planning, and risk control skills. My previous and current board experiences also give me a solid understanding of a high-performing board. As a newcomer who came to Canada solo as a teenager, I am very experienced in adapting and navigating changes and uncertainties. Such adaptability and discernment could benefit the board under this current turning point our profession faces. As a female millennial, I also understand the struggles the new CPA generation experiences, so I can act as a voice on the board to better support this growing group of members.