Brian Hesje FCPA, FCA
In December 2018, Alberta business leader and FCPA, FCA Brian Hesje approached the CPA Education Foundation with an idea. His hope was to make the knowledge and insight of CPAs more readily accessible to the public and to create opportunities for young Albertans to learn about leadership, success, and personal achievement, as well as about careers and opportunities in the field of accounting.
It was a great idea, and a timely one. But, for Brian it was more than an idea: he stepped up with a $1 million gift to the Foundation in order to make it a reality. And so, in 2019, the Foundation’s Hesje CPA Knowledge Centre was created.
The Hesje CPA Knowledge Centre functions as a virtual hub of resources. With the launch of the profession’s first podcast, the release of a video series, and the sale of books written by Brian himself, the Hesje Centre is providing informative and practical content for students and the public in accessible and engaging ways. In addition to this, various initiatives such as high school contests, symposiums, and conferences seek to facilitate discussion and learning between CPAs and the public and to increase the involvement of students in the profession.
The CPA Education Foundation is not the only beneficiary of Brian’s generosity, however. As a dedicated community member, Brian has donated his time, attention, and resources to many initiatives in educational, professional, and recreational spheres. He has served on the boards of organizations such as ATB Financial, NAIT, and STARS Air Ambulance in many capacities, and his donations have met needs in places from his small Saskatchewan hometown to the nation-wide Rick Hansen Foundation School Program.
It is in light of his dedication to the advancement of the CPA designation and to learning that Brian was awarded the CPA Education Foundation’s 2019 Impact Award.