Lifetime Achievement Award

Colette is a partner at Wilde & Company in Vegreville and co-founder of Wilde Advisory Group, a collective of professional service firms including accounting, legal, consulting and IT. She specializes in owner-managed business including taxation and estate and succession planning, municipal audit and consulting, and has a special interest in agricultural-related companies. Colette is known for her common-sense approach and ability to translate complex financial matters into understandable conversations.
 
She is also an active corporate and community director and has been deeply involved in the profession for many years. Her board experience includes the Canadian Business Growth Fund (Audit Committee Chair), AVAC Ltd. (HRC Chair, former Audit Committee Chair) and Covenant Health Audit and Finance Committee member. In 2019, she completed a ten-year directorship with ATB Financial with experience as chair of HRC and Audit. 
 
Colette’s support to the profession spans both CPA Alberta and CPA Canada, including serving on the Review and Nominations Committees, board of a CPA Canada predecessor body, and Chairing the national Competency Map Committee, among other roles.  Passionate about education, Colette was inducted into the Order of Athabasca for her past service on the Athabasca University Board.  As a University of Alberta Business alum, she serves on the Rural eHub advisory board.  Colette is also very involved with her community chairing the Elk Island Community Foundation and serving as a director of Wendy Brook Music Festival Association.

1. What was your initial reaction when you heard the news? How does it feel now that a few days have passed?

Damian had left me a message to call him back and I was trying to figure out what volunteer opportunity he had for me.  Once we chatted, my first thought was ‘wow’ and then ‘is this the end’?  After it sunk in, I am immensely grateful and know that I can contribute for many years yet as many of my older peers continue to do.  Humbling and a bit uncomfortable too.

2. What has driven your commitment to the profession and your community?

Community contribution is in my DNA  - Mom and Dad were always volunteering and we grew up thinking that was normal. My professional commitment partially stems from highly valuing education and the opportunities that our designation provides.  I feel strongly that if you want things to be better, you have to step up and be part of solutions.  I am driven by learning, fun and connecting with interesting people.

3. Is there anything or anybody that was instrumental in shaping your career and/or your outlook?

My Dad is an FCPA (Lifetime Achievement recipient) so I am probably hardwired for this profession.  My Mom was very creative, so that helped balance my brain.  And then there was Steve Glover!  He asked me to join an ICAA Education Committee after I was done the program.  Steve challenged me to think bigger and help out where I could and that led to joining ICAA Council.

Karim is the Chair of the Department of Accounting and Business Analytics and a Professor and Chartered Professional Accountants’ (CPA) Distinguished Chair in Accounting at the Alberta School of Business, University of Alberta.

Dedicated to the advancement of knowledge within the profession and within the education field, Karim has worked hard to ensure a connection between practitioners and academics and students. Eager to ensure relevant academic research was disseminated widely and could be put to practical use, Karim served as the Technical Editor for the Education section of CA Magazine. He also served or serves on the Editorial Board for a number of other publications, including Accounting, Economics and Law: A Convivium, Accounting Perspectives, Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory, and many others. 

Karim has also volunteered in numerous other ways, including as a member of the Department Audit Committee of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and on the Advisory Board of University of Toronto (Missisauga) Professional Accounting Centre. As well, he has served as the Board Chair of Associates of Caritas (Part of Covenant Health) and a Public Member of Board of Directors of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Business Valuators. Karim was also a board member of the Canadian Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and of the Centre for Enhanced Corporate Reporting.

Karim was also integral to the University of Alberta establishing a Masters of Accounting program, the first in Alberta. He received Fellowship in 2009.

1. What was your initial reaction when you heard the news? How does it feel now that a few days have passed?

The news came as a complete surprise. I came back from class and the phone rang and I saw a number that I didn't recognize and wondered whether to answer the phone. The initial reaction was some combination of amazement and shock - it was really unexpected. Now after a few days, I feel a sense of gratitude and a feeling of quiet satisfaction and pride. It's a great honor to be recognized by one's peers, and especially by the Alberta CPA profession.

2. What has driven your commitment to advancing knowledge in the profession and the education of students?

When I was a masters student at UBC, I got my first exposure to accounting research. I found it fascinating and was absolutely turned on. I never knew accounting could be so exciting and interesting. Ever since, I have been like a missionary spreading the word of accounting and trying to advance knowledge and motivate students to understand accounting more thoughtfully, and to be enthused about becoming an accountant.

3. Is there anything or anybody that was instrumental in shaping your career and/or your outlook?

From a research perspective the two individuals that had the greatest impact on me are Professor Shyam Sunder (Yale University) and Paul E. Johnson (my Ph.D thesis supervisor at the University of Minnesota). For professional development Steve Glover (ICAA), Mike Gibbins (U of A), and Bob Young (KPMG) had the greatest impact on my development.