The unique professional accountancy designation provides graduates with the only designation accreditation in Canada specifically designed for public sector financial managers.

"The designation recognizes the best of both organizations - CMA's strong brand in Canada and CIPFA's public sector expertise," said Michael Tinkler, CMA Canada's Chair. "Combining our respective strengths, and with the support of the Comptroller General of Canada, we have created a training program for public service financial officers that I believe is second to none."

The program has now graduated 50 financial managers in its first three years. The most recent program graduates of the CMA/CPFA Dual Designation are:

- Cindy Laprade (Kanata, ON) - Financial Analyst, Finance & Corporate Planning, Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions.

- Sujin Pak (North York, ON) - Sr. Analyst, Budget & Operational Costing, OMERS.

- Carlos Rodrigues (Mississauga, ON) - Manager, Corporate Accounting, Government of Canada.

- Julie Gagnon (Gatineau, QC) - Senior Systems Functional Analyst, Statistics Canada

- Elizabeth Campbell (Ottawa, ON) - Manager, Canada Border Services Agency.

- Nalini Bharkhada (Brampton, ON) - Associate Director - Performance Management, Bell Canada

- David Di Giovanni (Newmarket, ON) - Senior Consultant, Watson & Associates Economists Ltd.

- Lien Doung (Markham, ON) - Manager, Retail Analysis, Harlequin Enterprises Limited.

- Benjamin Onugwai (Prince George, BC) - Auditor, Ministry of Provincial Revenue.

- Rui Sun (Toronto, ON) - Sr. Financial Analyst, Ontario Clean Water Agency.

- Hamid Haffaf (Gatineau, QC) - Analyse principal en politiques, Secretariat du Conseil du Tresor du Canada.

- Anessa Ruffudeen (Kitchener, ON) - Senior Manager, Deloitte & Touche.

"As one of the leading professional accountancy bodies in the UK, CIPFA is honoured to be partnered with CMA Canada in a program which ensure professionally qualified financial managers are at the heart of Canada's federal government," said Adrian Pulham, CIPFA's Education and Training Director.

"These latest graduates of the CMA/CPFA Dual Designation program now have the skills and knowledge to deliver strong public sector financial management and accountability in an effective and efficient manner to standards expected by stakeholders inside and outside government," said Mr. Pulham.

Recipients of the program were honoured at a dinner held at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier in Ottawa, with Comptroller General Rod Monette as Guest of Honour. Also attending were former Comptroller General Charles-Antoine St-Jean, under whose mandate the program was launched, and executives of CMA Canada, its provincial partners, and CIPFA.

At the graduation ceremonies, the new Award of Excellence for Comptrollership in the Public Sector was launched. The award will recognize a federal public servant or team working in a government department or agency who has made a significant contribution to financial management and/or comptrollership within the Government of Canada.

The deadline for nominations has been extended until Wednesday, March 25, 2009. The award ceremony will take place on Monday, May 25, 2009, in Ottawa, ON. The award recipient(s) will receive a plaque, as well as a $1,000 contribution to a registered charity or scholarship fund of their choice.