GTA Chapter News

Toronto, Canada: This past week, Kyle Kanstein, CFE, the Greater Toronto Area Chapter Executive Vice-President & Chief Compliance Officer participated in a meeting at the ACFE World Headquarters in Austin, Texas.

Kyle was part of a job analysis task force consulting on modernizing and scrutinizing relevant content for future exams. Kyle was joined by Certified Fraud Examiners from North America, South Africa, Europe, and Australia. (In the photo above, Kyle is top row, third from the left.)

The ACFE-GTA Chapter is pleased to support such ACFE World Headquarters initiatives. We thank Kyle for contributing his time, expertise, and experience to this project, and representing the Greater Toronto Area Chapter. (In the photo above, John Gill, JD, CFE, ACFE President, is seen at the top of the stairs.)

PRESIDENT’S 2024 NEW YEAR MESSAGE

January 4, 2024

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

Happy New Year!

• The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners is the world’s largest anti-fraud organization that works to reduce occupational fraud and other financial crime worldwide. Serving Central and Southwestern Ontario, the GTA Chapter supports the mission of the ACFE by:
  

  • Delivering best-in-class Continuing Professional Education (CPE) & Training that is affordable, high quality, and Canadian-based wherever possible,
  • Fostering an interactive network of anti-fraud professionals, and
  • Encouraging the next generation of anti-fraud professionals through Outreach programs to local colleges and universities.

Delivering Best-in-Class CPE Training
During 2023, the Chapter offered 32 hours of CPE Training at an average cost of $18.69 per CPE for Chapter Members, and $24.16 per CPE for Non-Chapter Members (all before HST). CFEs who pay the $75 to be a Chapter Member saved $100 if they attended all 6 course offerings. In 2024, the savings will increase to $223, as the Chapter standardizes the average discount to Chapter Members at ~30%.

Our 2024 Training Plan is complete and you can now register for all 2024 events on our website. The Training Committee has worked diligently to bring you another year of outstanding speakers. In keeping with the wishes of a significant majority of attendees (over 75%), Chapter events will continue to be virtual through Zoom, with the exception of the Annual General Meeting & Networking Reception, which will be an “In‑Person” event only.

In 2024, we will be introducing a new signature training event in the April time-slot. “Fighting Fraud in the Twenty-First Century” is the successor program to our Fraud Investigation Techniques (FIT) Forum, which we co-hosted with the Council of Professional Investigators for the past ten years or so. Times change, as do expectations and requirements. The Chapter is grateful for the past FIT training partnership with the CPIO and we wish them continued success in their endeavours going forward.

Fostering an Interactive Network of Anti-Fraud Professionals
In June, over 85 folks attended our In-Person Networking Reception & Annual General Meeting. We welcomed some of our third-party suppliers as well, including Larry Levi (Levi Software in Belleville) and Thomas Hunter, JD (from SV Law in Guelph). The annual Reception is an excellent opportunity to meet colleagues and friends, as well as build new professional relationships. All CFEs, as well as members of the greater community fighting financial crime are invited to attend the 2024 Networking Reception on June 13 at the Amsterdam Barrel House in the East York district of Toronto.

Encouraging Next Generation of Fraud Fighters
In 2023, we moved forward with our vision to support students enrolled in local college fraud examination and investigation programs through a new scholarship program, free enrolment in Chapter Training events, and the opportunity to volunteer with the Chapter and network with CFEs. As 2024 progresses, we anticipate a further expansion of the Scholarship program to one or two universities in our territory.

The Chapter delivered Scholarships (paying all costs associated with the CFE Exam Prep Course & the Exam itself) to 5 students in the Fraud Examination & Forensic Accounting Post-Graduate Certificate Program (FEA) at Seneca Polytechnic in Toronto. All five winners obtained their CFE credential by the end of the summer. I represent the Chapter on Seneca’s FEA Program Advisory Committee. We want to thank one of our first scholarship winners, Chakshu Verma, CFE, for signing on as a Chapter Volunteer, and for his insight and support over the past five months.

We also forged a new relationship with Conestoga College in Kitchener, and will be offering the same Scholarship program to students in their Fraud Investigation & Risk Management Post-Graduate Certificate Program (FIRM). Andrew Kautz, CFE, the Secretary to the Board, is now a member of Conestoga’s FIRM Program Advisory Committee.

Chapter Administration
In June, at the AGM, all existing Directors, with the exception of two, stood for and were re-elected to another four-year term. We welcomed Mandy Yousif, CFE and Stephanie Greenwald, CFE, and thanked Tim Zimmerman, CFE and Jordan McManus, CFE, who stood down as their term ended.

In August, a Special Members’ meeting was held, attended by 17 voting, paid-up Members of the Chapter, where an ‘Extraordinary Resolution’ as required under the ONCA (2010) was unanimously passed authorizing that for the Fiscal Year ending December 31, 2023, the ACFE-GTA Chapter (a) not appoint a Licensed Public Accountant; (b) not have an audit; (c) not have a review engagement; and (d) to have a regular review of the Fiscal 2023 Financial Statements by an independent Chartered Professional Accountant and not a Licensed Public Accountant; and (e) to appoint Jagmohan (Jag) Budwal, CPA, CFE, CFI, Q. Med., to act as the person to conduct such review.

In October, the Chapter Board of Directors was well represented at the 2023 ACFE Fraud Conference Canada, held this year in Montreal. Dorian Dwyer, CFE, Past President & Chair of the Board, Mandy Yousif, CFE, Director, and I attended. Mandy and I made a presentation on Managing Third Party Fraud Risk, which was well attended and received.

In December, our EVP & Chief Compliance Officer, Kyle Kanstein, CFE, represented the Chapter at the inaugural Chapter Leaders’ Summit in Austin, Texas. Over 50 leaders from across the United States & Canada exchanged ideas and discussed ways to make the local chapters more successful. Kyle was able to become acquainted with other chapter leaders, and deepen our relationship with the ACFE Chapter Development Manager, Joe Broccolo, CFE, as well as the ACFE CEO, John Warren, JD, CFE, and the ACFE President, John Gill, JD, CFE, both newly appointed in their roles.

e-Learning On-Demand Platform
Our Director, Chapter Liaison, Penny Hill, along with Larry Levi, our external IT advisor, has been working diligently to improve the e-Learning Platform. Over the next three or four months, you will see an improved interface and simplified process for ordering an on-demand course. This is just one more way your Chapter is trying to deliver value-added services to all CFEs in our territory and at a reasonable cost. If time is running out for you to acquire your required CPE credits at annual credential renewal time, look no further than our e-Learning Platform!

Thank You
Your Board of Directors continues to work tirelessly to actualize our purpose while fostering a true sense of professionalism and camaraderie among CFEs. In closing, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize and thank all members of our volunteer Board of Directors for their contributions over the past year. We are a strong and dedicated team that continues 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 2024!

Sincerely,

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.