2023 Award Recipients
CPA Saskatchewan is pleased to announce the recipients of this year's Member Recognition Awards, approved at the CPA SK Board meeting held on May 25, 2023. We look forward to celebrating these achievements with our recipients at our 2023 Member Recognition Awards Gala taking place at the Conexus Arts Centre on November 24, 2023. Click here for event details and to register to attend.
Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant
Congratulations to this year's recipients:
Sheila Filion, FCPA, FCA
Sheila is a Partner with Virtus Group LLP and is a leader in the firm’s Audit & Assurance Services practice. She has contributed to the growth of many professionals in the firm through her work as Chair of the firm’s Audit Services Group and Best Practices Committee, as well as a member of the Standards and Quality Control Committee. Sheila was also an active participant in the Allinial Global network initiatives, including the Canadian National Standards Committee and Women in Accounting Committee of Champions.
Beyond this, Sheila has had extensive involvement in the CPA profession as a member of the legacy CA Practice Appraisal Committee. In 2014, she was appointed as Chair of the CPA SK Professional Practice Committee and continued in that role until March 31, 2021. Sheila then joined the CPA SK Rules Committee, where she continues to currently serve.
At the national level, Sheila has contributed to the profession as a member of the Auditing and Assurance Standards Oversight Council (AASOC) from 2017 - 2023 and as a member of the AASOC Performance Review Committee. AASOC is an independent volunteer body which serves the public interest by overseeing and providing input into the activities of the Audit and Assurance Standards Board in Canada.
Sheila has also been involved in the community, serving as Treasurer with the Regina Women’s Network and the Wile E. Foundation.
Keith Martell, FCPA, FCA
Keith was the President and Chief Executive Officer of the First Nations Bank of Canada and FNB Trust until his recent retirement on May 1, 2023. He was involved with the creation of the First Nations Bank of Canada and was on the Board of Directors from its inception in 1996 until his retirement, serving as Chair of the Board from November 1996 to September 2015. He has been a critical component with respect to the creation and leadership of this innovative and groundbreaking organization since its inception and is a role model for the profession at all levels and across all communities, but most especially as a highly regarded Indigenous leader.
Earlier in his career, Keith worked at KPMG and then worked with the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations ("FSIN") and advised a number of Indigenous organizations on fiscal agreements and economic developments. In these roles, Keith demonstrated outstanding leadership and was a pioneer in advancing initiatives focused on economic growth and financial stability for First Nations communities.
Keith has extensive volunteer and board involvement which includes: Governor with the U of S Board of Governors, Vice-Chair of the Board and Chair of the Governance Committee, and member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Edwards School of Business; sitting on the Board of Nutrien (formerly Potash Corp) since 2007; Trustee and Chair of the Board with the National Indian Brotherhood Trust Fund; Director and Chair of the Board of Directors, River Cree Enterprises GP Ltd. and 1023576 Alberta Ltd. (economic enterprise holding companies of the Enoch Cree Nation) . In addition, Keith was a member of the Minister’s Advisory Committee for the Alberta Minister of Indigenous Affairs for the creation of Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation.
Keith’s past community and board involvement has extended to numerous organizations including Saskatoon Safe Street Commission, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Saskatoon Friendship Inn, Primrose Lake Trust, The North West Company, Public Sector Pension Investment Board of Canada, founding Director of the North American Native Bankers Association, among many others.
Keith has served the CPA profession as chair of the CICA PSAB Financial Reporting by First Nations Study Group, Chair of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Saskatchewan Aboriginal Initiatives Committee, and Member of the Assembly of First Nations – Certified General Accountants of Canada Accountability Project Working Group.
Keith was named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 by Report on Business Magazine in 2001 and received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Saskatchewan in 2016.
Early Achievement Award
Congratulations to this year's recipients:
Erin Campbell, CPA
Erin obtained her CPA designation in Saskatchewan in 2017 and is currently a Senior Manager at Deloitte LLP in Regina. She was recommended and awarded the national role of Chief of Staff and Strategic Business Lead for Deloitte Canada’s Enterprise Technology & Performance Consulting Portfolio. Erin was also one of five Canadians awarded a Deloitte Global Consulting secondment through a national fellowship program, representing Saskatchewan at the global level, where she was tasked with determining preliminary revenue affects with changes to Deloitte Consulting’s operating model construct.
Erin is active in the profession as a member of the CPA Saskatchewan Discipline Committee and has chaired two panels and served as a panel member on multiple hearings during her term thus far. She has been actively involved with CPA candidates as a mentor, practice case marker, and has created opportunities for Capstone students to bring their team to Deloitte to practice their Capstone case presentations for evaluation by a panel of judges. She continues to support CPA examinations as a Senior Invigilator for the CPAWSB and has been active at the Hill School of Business, being invited to judge the Hill Case Competition and participating in discussions with JDC West students to share her career path and how her CPA designation has served her.
Erin is actively involved in the community with the Wascana Dog Obedience Club and serving as a Director of the Regina Retriever Club. Erin was the treasurer of the Hill School of Business Alumni Association and has also volunteered with the Hillsdale Community Association and the CP Women’s Open LPGA event that was held in Regina.
Erin is now looking forward to her involvement with the Indigenous Women Entrepreneurs Program through the Clarence Campeau Development Fund, where she will be matched with and mentor a Métis entrepreneur in the community.
Aaron Picton, CPA
Aaron obtained his CPA designation in 2019 and is currently a Tax Manager at Deloitte LLP in Regina. He is investing in his professional development by completing the In Depth Tax Course, and will be completing his part III in-residence session this summer.
Aaron gives back to the profession through his leadership role in campus recruitment, promoting the profession as an excellent career choice with unlimited opportunities. He is involved in the mentorship of both full-time candidates and co-op students at Deloitte and plays a significant role in CFE preparation for staff by leading local bootcamps, preparing candidates on what to expect during the exam, and coordinating a local marking team and marking mock exams for the past four years. Aaron also partnered with the University of Regina Inter Collegiate Business Competition (ICBC) team in 2022 as an organizer and presenter to provide expertise to five teams. In addition to this, he has volunteered as a representative with Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan’s All Access Expert Advice Program, where members can schedule meetings to discuss tax and accounting issues they are facing in their businesses.
Aaron is extensively involved with the University of Regina Rams Football Club as their VP-Finance since 2019. During his first year on the executive, he was involved with the Board in sorting through the consequences of a cancelled season and the impacts caused by the pandemic. The Rams were able to honour their scholarship commitments and maintain staffing, supported by careful financial guidance, a vision for recovery, and compassion. Aaron was also a member of the recruitment committee that was successful in securing the head coach, Mark McConkey. The Executive of the Rams have shown their support for Aaron’s leadership by recommending him as the next President for the Club.