Laurier grad is second in a row to win accounting gold medal

WATERLOO – Jacob Bell, a double-degree business graduate from Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo, has captured the Ontario gold medal for the highest mark in the province on the 2009 Canadian Chartered Accountants’ Uniform Evaluation (UFE). This is the second year in a row that a Laurier graduate has won this prestigious title.

Bell, who works for Ernst & Young in Toronto, is the eighth Laurier graduate to earn the UFE Ontario gold medal since 1993. Last year’s Ontario gold medal went to Anna Nowak, a 2007 graduate of Laurier’s Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program.

“The quality of Laurier’s accounting programs is reflected in the consistent and outstanding performance demonstrated by our graduates,” said Dr. Bruce McConomy, director of the CA/ Laurier Centre for the Advancement of Accounting Research and Education. “In the past 20 years, our graduates have won more UFE gold medals for the best mark in Canada than any other Canadian university. This year seven out of the top 20 students who wrote the UFE exams were Laurier graduates. It’s hard to deny that we’ve got a winning formula.”

The six other Laurier graduates who achieved standing on the 2009 National UFE Honour Roll include: Amanda Breen, BBA/BMath ’08, now working with Deloitte & Touche, North York; Jordan Giblett, BBA ’08, with PriceWaterhouse Coopers, Toronto; Jeffrey Masse, BBA/BMath ’08, is working with Ernst & Young, Kitchener; James Nakai, BBA ’08, is working with Deloitte & Touche, North York; Phillip Nightingale, BBA ’08, is working with Deloitte & Touche, Kitchener; and Joshua Schel, BBA ’08, is working with English & Jones LLP, St. Catharines.

“Laurier continues to outperform other Ontario business schools,” said Ginny Dybenko, dean of the Laurier School of Business & Economics. “Our programs are the best in Ontario because of the high standards we set for our students, and because of the calibre and strength of our faculty. I am very proud to be a part of this school.”

Laurier's School of Business & Economics accounting graduates have achieved gold more often than any other Canadian university at both the national and provincial level on the UFE exam. Written once a year, the UFE is an internationally recognized examination that qualifies chartered accountants to practice public accounting. The exam is written by several thousand accounting graduates across Canada and over 1,000 in Ontario. In 2006/2007, Laurier became the first university to ever hold the CA and CMA highest marks in the country in one year.

Laurier’s former UFE medal winners have all pursued successful careers: Agnes Dykstra, BBA ’97, is senior manager, audit at PricewaterhouseCoopers; Sarah Hadley, BBA '01, is manager of corporate taxation at RIM; and Jennifer Hayton, BBA ’05, is an accountant with KPMG.