CPABC recognizes seven Vancouver CPAs as Fellows

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia (CPABC) is proud to recognize Vancouver's John Bunting, FCPA, FCA, Stanley Chang, FCPA, FCGA, Bill Hallett, FCPA, FCA, Sukesh Kumar, FCPA, FCA, FCGA, Simone Leonard, FCPA, FCGA, Ken Sim, FCPA, FCA, and Sherry Tryssenaar, FCPA, FCMA with a fellowship (FCPA), the highest distinction that is bestowed upon a CPA within the accounting profession. Nominated and selected by a committee of their peers, CPABC's Fellows are leaders, innovators, and mentors known for their dedication and commitment to their communities and to the CPA profession.

John Bunting, FCPA, FCA is a senior partner in PwC's BC region practice, with over 30 years of experience advising clients. Active in his community, Bunting has volunteered with organizations including Fraser Academy, Safehaven, ProAction Cops and Kids, and Nature Conservancy of Canada. Bunting currently serves with Arts Umbrella, a non-profit art school, where he is also chair of its Building Committee which is overseeing the renovation of its new location on Granville Island.

Stanley Chang, FCPA, FCGA is director of deposit insurance with the BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA) in Vancouver and the chief financial officer of the Credit Union Deposit Insurance Corporation, administered by BCFSA. Chang was an inaugural CPABC board member, and is a CPA mentor and financial literacy volunteer with CPA Canada. Outside of the profession, Chang shares his CPA skillset with the Surrey Public Library and other non-profit organizations.

William (Bill) Hallett, FCPA, FCA is the vice president, finance and operations at Vancouver Foundation, where his accomplishments earned him the 2016 Business in Vancouver BC CFO Award in the non-profit category. An enthusiastic volunteer in the sports community, Hallett served as president of Triathlon Canada from 1996 to 2005. He was recognized with the June Callwood Outstanding Achievement Award for Voluntarism from the Government of Ontario in 2000 and was inducted into the Triathlon Canada Hall of Fame in 2003. Hallett also served as a director of the Canadian Olympic Committee for twelve years and as chair of its Audit Committee.

Sukesh Kumar, FCPA, FCA, FCGA is the partner-in-charge, enterprise audit clients and markets at KPMG in Vancouver. In addition to being the national leader for KPMG in Canada's India Practice, Kumar also serves on the board of the Canada-India Business Council. Active in his community, he has supported many organizations, including BC Children's Hospital Foundation, Indian Summer Festival, S.U.C.C.E.S.S., and TiE Vancouver, a not-for-profit organization that fosters entrepreneurship.

Simone Leonard, FCPA, FCGA, is CPABC's vice president of education and professional development, serving in this role since 2016. Active in the education community, Leonard has been an advisory committee member with several post-secondary institutions including BCIT and UBC-Okanagan. Leonard was also a mentor with the SFU Beedie School of Business and was recognized with the SFU Mentor of the Year Award in 2014. In addition, Leonard has volunteered with the Royal City Musical Theatre Society.

Ken Sim, FCPA, FCA, is the chairperson of Nurse Next Door, a company he co-founded in 2001. Since 2001, the company has grown from seven team members to over 8,000 team members in 200-plus locations across North America and Australia. In recognition of his success, Sim is a two-time recipient of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Pacific Region). Since 2012, he has also served as co-founder and director of bagel chain Rosemary Rocksalt. Sim is an active volunteer and currently sits on the St. Paul's Hospital Foundation Board and supports health and harm reduction initiatives in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.

Sherry Tryssenaar, FCPA, FCMA is a corporate director who is valued by clients and colleagues for her governance and leadership expertise. From 2009 to 2018, she served as chief financial officer at Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Inc. In 2011, Tryssenaar was recognized with a Business in Vancouver BC CFO Award in the Small Public Company category. Tryssenaar contributes her skills to organizations that support women. She has volunteered with Women in Capital Markets and with Dress for Success Vancouver Society. From 2008 to 2016, she volunteered with YWCA Metro Vancouver, including as board chair.

Quote from Lori Mathison, FCPA, FCGA, LLB, president and CEO of CPABC
"We are extremely proud of these seven Vancouver CPAs. They have truly distinguished themselves amongst their peers through their contributions to both the CPA profession and their community. We are thrilled to recognize their outstanding accomplishments. They are an inspiration for other business professionals in the province."

NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: Individual profiles and publication quality photos of the recipients are available by request.

About CPA British Columbia
The Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia (CPABC) is the training, governing, and regulatory body for over 37,000 CPA members and 5,000 CPA candidates. CPABC carries out its primary mission to protect the public by enforcing the highest professional and ethical standards and contributing to the advancement of public policy.