GTA Chapter News

Toronto, ON: Kyle Kanstein, the GTA Chapter's Executive Vice-President & Chief Compliance Officer is attending the inaugural ACFE Worldwide Chapter  Leaders Summit in Austin Texas on December 14 & 15, 2023. He is shown here with John  Warren, JD, CFE (the ACFE CEO) and John Gill, JD, CFE (the ACFE President). Thanks to Kyle for representing the ACFE-GTA Chapter at this important event.

Montreal, QC: The annual ACFE Canadian Fraud Conference is being held in Montreal this year from October 29 to 31 at the Palais des Congres. Two directors of Greater Toronto Area (GTA) Chapter, Mandy Yousif and Mark McManus, are speaking on managing and mitigating "Third Party Risk." A third director, Dorian Dwyer, is also representing the ACFE-GTA Chapter at the conference; there is good Chapter visibility here in Montreal. With over 200 Certified Fraud Examiners (CFEs) in attending, the conference is a big success. Next year's conference will be held in Ottawa, and in 2025, the annual conference returns to Toronto.

Toronto, ON: The Chapter offers its congratulations to Detective Staff Sergeant Kyle Kanstein, CFE, and his Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) - Ontario Serious Fraud Office (SFO) Team being recognized for excellence and diligence in fraud investigation by the Canadian Bankers Association on August 21, 2023 at the annual summit of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police in Ottawa ! Kyle volunteers as a Member of the Board of Directors and as Executive Vice-President & Chief Compliance Officer of our Chapter! It is a great honour to have Kyle associated with the Chapter.

Read the Canadian Bankers Association Press Release

Toronto, ON: As the school year was coming to end in April, 2023, with the assistance of the program co-ordinator and the program professors, the ACFE-GTA Chapter awarded Chapter Scholarships to five students in the Seneca Polytechnic Fraud Examination and Forensic Accounting Post-Graduate Certificate Program. The scholarship provides each student with the ACFE Examination Package, including the course materials, the examination fee, and a year’s membership in the ACFE.

Mark McManus, President & Chief Executive Officer of the ACFE-GTA Chapter said "On behalf of the ACFE-GTA Chapter Board of Directors and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, I offer my sincere congratulations to Chakshu Verma, Durojaiye Oluwatobi, J. Sarah Armstrong, Leslie Andrea Cipriano, and Cecilia Dollente on this significant achievement. We look forward to five new top-notch additions to the ranks of the Certified Fraud Examiners profession."

All five winners have either successfully completed their examinations and have now received their Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) credential, or are now in the process of writing the examination to obtain their CFE credential.

The Chapter would like to express their sincere thanks to Seneca Polytechnic, The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (headquartered in Austin, Texas), Professor & Program Coordinator Cameron McCaw, CFE, Professor Casse'ne Stephens, CFE, Sara Potkonjak, (Chair of the  School of Accounting & Financial Services, Seneca), Joe Broccolo, CFE (Manager, ACFE Chapter Development), Jordan McManus, CAMS, CFE (former Member of the Chapter Board of Directors), and Elodie Goncalves, CFE, (current Member of the Chapter Board of Directors & Director of Membership).

Toronto, ON: As the school year was coming to end in April, 2023, with the assistance of the program co-ordinator and the program professors, the ACFE-GTA Chapter awarded Chapter Scholarships to five students in the Seneca Polytechnic Fraud Examination and Forensic Accounting Post-Graduate Certificate Program. The scholarship provides each student with the ACFE Examination Package, including the course materials, the examination fee, and a year’s membership in the ACFE.

Mark McManus, President & Chief Executive Officer of the ACFE-GTA Chapter said "On behalf of the ACFE-GTA Chapter Board of Directors and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, I offer my sincere congratulations to Chakshu Verma, Durojaiye Oluwatobi, J. Sarah Armstrong, Leslie Andrea Cipriano, and Cecilia Dollente on this significant achievement. We look forward to five new top-notch additions to the ranks of the Certified Fraud Examiners profession."

All five winners have either successfully completed their examinations and have now received their Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) credential, or are now in the process of writing the examination to obtain their CFE credential.

The Chapter would like to express their sincere thanks to Seneca Polytechnic, The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (headquartered in Austin, Texas), Professor & Program Coordinator Cameron McCaw, CFE, Professor Casse'ne Stephens, CFE, Sara Potkonjak, (Chair of the  School of Accounting & Financial Services, Seneca), Joe Broccolo, CFE (Manager, ACFE Chapter Development), Jordan McManus, CAMS, CFE (former Member of the Chapter Board of Directors), and Elodie Goncalves, CFE, (current Member of the Chapter Board of Directors & Director of Membership).

The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) is the world's largest anti-fraud organization. Together with more than 90,000 members, the ACFE works to reduce business fraud, and other financial crime worldwide as well as inspire public confidence in the integrity and objectivity within the profession. By delivering best-in-class training, offering the CFE credential, and fostering a dynamic, global community of anti-fraud professionals, the ACFE is reducing fraud, corruption, and other financial crime worldwide, and assisting the membership in its detection and deterrence.

Serving Central and Southwestern Ontario, including the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe, the GTA Chapter supports the mission of the ACFE by: (a) delivering affordable, best-in-class training to Certified Fraud Examiners, (b) fostering a dynamic and interactive local network of anti-fraud professionals, and (c) encouraging the next generation of anti-fraud professionals through outreach programs to local colleges and universities.

Toronto, Ontario: On Thursday June 22, 2023, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) Greater Toronto Area (GTA) Chapter Board of Directors held their first Board meeting following last week's Annual General Meeting.

The Board appointed Mark McManus, the current EVP and Chief Compliance Officer, to be their next President and Chief Executive Officer. Mark has been on the Board since 2017 and has been a CFE for the last ten years.

The Board also expressed their thanks to Dorian Dwyer for his leadership over the past four years. The Board looks forward to Dorian's continued contribution to the Chapter as Past President and Chair of the Board. Two Directors are stepping back from their roles, Timothy Zimmerman and Jordan McManus, and the Board extended their thanks and best wishes for continued success.

Stephanie Greenwald and Mandy Yousif were welcomed as new Directors.

The Board, which consists of eleven volunteers who are Members of the Chapter, is pleased to announce the following appointments for the next four year term, ending June 20, 2027:

President & Chief Executive Officer
Mark McManus, B. Comm, (Hons.), M. Ed., FICB, CTDP, CAMS, CFE

Past President & Chair of the Board
Dorian Dwyer, B. Sc., CAMS, CFE

Executive Vice-President & Chief Compliance Officer
Kyle Kanstein, CFE

Treasurer & Chief Financial Officer
Julian Wong, BAFM, MAcc, CPA, CA, CRM, CFE

Senior Vice-President & Chief Learning Officer
Astra Williamson, CPA, CGA, CFE

Secretary to the Board
Andrew Kautz, CFE

Director, Chapter Liaison
Penny Hill

Director, Members & Engagement
Elodie Goncalves, LL.M, CFE

Director & Chief Technology Officer
Justin Yantha, CPA, CMA, CFE

Director
Stephanie Greenwald, BA, DIFA, MFAcc, CFE

Director
Mandy Yousif, BA (Hons.), CFE

The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) is the world’s largest anti-fraud organization. By delivering best-in-class training, offering the CFE credential, and fostering a dynamic, global community of anti-fraud professionals, the ACFE is reducing fraud and corruption worldwide.

The ACFE-GTA Chapter supports the mission of the ACFE by (a) delivering affordable, best-in-class, and wherever possible Canadian-focused training to Certified Fraud Examiners, (b) fostering a dynamic and interactive local network of anti-fraud professionals, and (c) encouraging the next generation of anti-fraud professionals through outreach programs to local colleges and universities. The Chapter serves Central and Southwestern Ontario, including the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe.

Toronto, Ontario: The nomination period (May 1, 2023 to May 15, 2023) for directors of the Chapter for the term June 2023 to June 2027 has closed. There are 11 open positions on the Board to be filled.

The Chapter is pleased to announce that the following 11 Paid-Up Members in Good Standing have been nominated and have agreed to allow their names to stand to serve as a Director of the ACFE-GTA Chapter:

Nominees

Dorian Dwyer

Elodie Goncalves

Stephanie Greenwald

Penny Hill

Kyle Kanstein

Andrew Kautz

Mark McManus

Mandy Moody

Astra Williamson

Julian Wong

Justin Yantha

 

 Authorized for publication by Andrew Kautz, CFE, Secretary to the Board, this Sixteenth Day of May, 2023.

Toronto, ON:  The ACFE-GTA Chapter has announced Thursday June 15, 2023 (6:30 pm) for the 2022 Annual Meeting (In-Person only) and election of directors for the next four year term (July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2027). The AGM will be part of the 2023 Networking Event, similar to last September.

All relevant documents for the Annual General Meeting may be found on the Chapter website HERE.

Only Paid-Up Chapter Members (in Good Standing) are "Voting" Members and permitted to speak and vote at the Annual General Meeting. This information, along with the above link, will be emailed on May 1, 2023 to all Voting Members on record as of on April 30, 2023. Chapter Affiliates and Chapter Student Affiliates are non-voting membership categories.

The AGM & Networking Event will be held at the Amsterdam Barrel House, 87 Laird Dr., (East York) Toronto, Ontario. The Networking Event will be open from 5 pm to 8 pm.

The AGM portion of the evening will commence at 6:30 pm (to approximately 6:45 pm).

The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) Greater Toronto Area (GTA) Chapter would like to express our deepest condolences on the death of Thomas G. Eby, MBA, CPA, CA, President Emeritus of the Chapter on February 23, 2023.

Penny Hill, the long time administrator of the Chapter, and currently a member of the Chapter's board of directors, fondly remembers Mr. Eby. "Tom was very involved with the Chapter for over 25 years, taking on many officer roles. He was the heart and soul of our chapter, and someone who demonstrated total integrity and honesty." Astra Williamson, the Chapter's Chief Learning Officer, and who has been involved on the board for over twenty-five years, remembered Tom "as someone who was instrumental in developing many of the activities and policies we follow today.  As board members, we looked to Tom for guidance and advice. His contributions to the Chapter and to the CFE profession were foundational."

When he retired from the Chapter, the board of directors granted him the designation "President Emeritus," the only past president to be so honored and so well deserved.

PRESIDENT'S NEW YEAR MESSAGE 2023

January 9, 2023 Well…what a great year this has been, even as we continued to manage through Covid!! Our core purpose at the Chapter is to advance the fraud prevention, detection, deterrence, and investigation profession, primarily by providing CPE Training that is affordable, high quality, and wherever possible, Canadian-based. We held a very successful in-person Networking Event in early September outside on the patio at the Amsterdam Barrel House in the Toronto Leaside neighborhood. We are hoping to make this an annual event, and look forward to even more CFEs joining us next year! During the 2022 Training Year, we delivered 32 hours of CPE training at an average cost of $16 per CPE for Chapter Members, and $20 per CPE for Non-Chapter Members. So, CFEs who are members of the GTA Chapter (at $75 a year) saved $131 in CPE costs – almost double their money back!! e-Learning Catalog For CFEs who cannot attend training on the days scheduled, we introduced the Chapter’s   e-Learning Catalog     in 2020 and it expands every year as we continue to add more courses. The Catalog has now been   reorganized into Topics  making it easier for CFEs to find a suitable course while earning their CPE credits at their own pace and on their own schedule at a very reasonable cost. CPE Training 2023 Schedule We have now prepared our   CPE Training Calendar for 2023.  While you will continue to receive timely email announcements throughout the year, why not mark the dates on your calendar and register today! REGISTRATION is OPEN for all events. In keeping with the wishes of a significant majority of attendees, most of our training will continue to be virtual through Zoom next year. However, our September Workshop will be a one-day “hybrid” event with Keith Elliott of Reed Research. It will be streamed live through Zoom and held at BMO-IFL Conference Centre, which includes free parking and their world-famous lunch buffet! We envision a greater number of hybrid events in 2024. Thanks for all Your Support In closing, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all members of our volunteer Board of Directors for their contributions over the past year. We have a strong and dedicated team working to continue the proud heritage of the GTA Chapter. However, our efforts are only successful and meaningful when we have an engaged and committed community of CFEs. The Board is grateful for your continued support of the Chapter and dedication to our profession. We look forward to seeing everyone at our CPE and Networking events in 2023!  Warm wishes,Dorian Dwyer President & Chief Executive Officer ACFE-GTA Chapter

Toronto, Ontario: The ACFE World Head Quarters has advised the ACFE-GTA Chapter that planning for the 2022 Canadian Fraud Conference is near completion and the website is now available to register:

https://www.fraudconference.com/canada2022.aspx

Deadline for Hotel X Registration is October 10, 2022.

Deadline for the Early Bird Conference Registration is October 14, 2022.

The Conference will be held at The Beanfield Centre at Exhibition Place, Toronto, and that a block of rooms have been set aside ***until October 10, 2022*** at Hotel X, located at 111 Princes' Blvd., Toronto, ON M6K 3C3 | Entrance at the corner of Lake Shore Blvd. and Newfoundland Drive.