Ontario CA student captures Canadian Gold Medal

10 students earn honours in Canada-wide CA exam

Toronto (November 24, 2006) - Jennifer Hayton of Waterloo captured the Gold Medal for both Canada and Ontario as the top writer of the Uniform Evaluation (UFE) in the country. A total of ten Ontario CA students placed on the prestigious National Honour Roll, making 2006 a very good year for this province. Overall, 884 Ontario CA students have successfully passed the UFE, one of the world's most challenging professional entry examinations.

The UFE, written in September, is a national three-day evaluation that assesses competencies including essential knowledge, professional judgment, ethics and the ability to communicate. The UFE is an important component of the CA qualification program, which includes prescribed education, practical experience and examination requirements. Only those who complete this entire program successfully are entitled to use the internationally recognized designation of Chartered Accountant, a profession known for superior financial expertise, strategic thinking, business insight and leadership.

Ms Hayton articles with KPMG LLP in Waterloo and has a Bachelor in Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University. "I was very surprised to make the Honour Roll, never mind being the Canadian Gold Medallist, because there is such a high caliber of candidates," she said. "It is overwhelming.

"I'm married and have a three-year-old daughter and many people kept telling me they couldn't imagine becoming a CA and having a family at the same time. I think it actually helped me. It's no secret that most CA students are 'type A' personalities and I'm no exception. We have high standards and put a lot of pressure on ourselves. Having a family helps me understand what is really important. The UFE is an important test but it's still only a test."

The following Ontario UFE writers have also achieved recognition on the 2006 National Honour Roll:

Cherry Chan, North York - Mintz & Partners LLP, North York
Krysta Chapman, Vancouver - Deloitte & Touche LLP, Vancouver
Christopher Harris, Toronto - KPMG LLP, Toronto
Lindsey Harrold, Milton - KPMG LLP, London
Neal Jennings, Toronto - Deloitte & Touche LLP, Toronto
Michael Parks, Toronto - PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Toronto
Troy Rachkowski, Richmond Hill - Ernst & Young LLP, Thornhill
Anilisa Ramchandan, Toronto - Deloitte & Touche LLP, Toronto
Colin Reitsma, Markham - Kraft Berger LLP, Markham

"Congratulations to all of the successful Ontario candidates and, in particular, our Gold Medallist Jennifer Hayton," said Brian Hunt, FCA, President and CEO, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario. "Qualifying to become a CA is a very challenging process and the resulting career is rich in rewards and opportunities. I am confident that all of the students will make great contributions in their future careers and will uphold the high standards of the CA profession."

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Interviews with Honour Roll students and/or photographs are available on request.

About the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario:
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario is the qualifying and regulatory body of Ontario's 32,000 CAs and 4,000 CA students. Since 1879, the Institute has protected the public interest through the CA profession's high standards of qualification and the enforcement of its rules of professional conduct. Recognized internationally, the CA designation denotes financial expertise, strategic thinking, business insight and leadership. The Institute website is: www.icao.on.ca and the student website is www.ca2b.biz.

For more information, please contact:

Perry Jensen
Director of Media Relations
[T] 416-969-4271
[F] 416-962-8900