Thought Leadership, Research & CPA Spotlights

CPA Ontario Leadership

As a professional body, CPA Ontario is governed by a volunteer Council comprised of 12 elected CPA Ontario members and four appointed public representatives, and an executive management team responsible for strategy and the day-to-day operations, including the roles of educator, regulator, advocate, thought leader and provider of benefits and services to our stakeholders.

Meet our Council

The Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario is governed by a volunteer Council comprised of 12 elected CPA Ontario members and four public representatives appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.

Meet the Council

Meet our Executive Team

Carol Wilding, FCPA, FCA

President & Chief Executive Officer

Carol Wilding was appointed by the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario's Council as the President and CEO in October 2014. In her role, Carol leads the qualifying and regulatory body of Ontario’s more than 100,000 members and over 20,000 students. CPA Ontario serves the public interest by developing, monitoring and enforcing the highest standards of professional competence and ethical conduct.

Prior to joining CPA Ontario, Carol harnessed her accounting background to work in civic growth and policy as President and CEO of the Toronto Region Board of Trade; in healthcare, research and philanthropy as President of Mount Sinai Hospital Foundation; and in international development as President of Plan Canada. She holds an Honours degree in Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business at York University, earned her accounting designation in 1987 and was named a Fellow in 2009.

Tim Smart, CPA, CA, ICD.D

Executive Vice-President, Chief Financial Officer

Tim Smart oversees a portfolio including Finance, Project Management Office, Business Intelligence, Enterprise Risk Management and Facilities teams. Tim has more than 25 years of business experience and has worked as Chief Financial Officer for a number of financial services and technology-related companies including Meridian Credit Union and Q9 Networks.

Craig Smith

Executive Vice-President, Chief Education and Professional Development Officer

Craig Smith looks after Member & Student Services, which encompasses our Member Experience, Professional Development, Pre-certification Education, Employer Relations, Student Assessments and Registrations, and Customer Service Centre teams. Prior to joining CPA Ontario, Craig worked in senior leadership roles, including at Capital One, Rogers and Bell.

Janet Gillies, CPA, CA

Executive Vice-President, Regulatory & Standards

Janet Gillies is responsible for CPA Ontario’s regulatory systems and processes that govern and regulate members, firms, licensed public accountants and students. She leads the teams responsible for General Counsel, Registrar’s Office, Practice Inspection, Standards Enforcement, Investigations and Prosecutions, and Professional Advisory Services. Janet has more than 20 years of business experience, including more than 12 years in senior compliance roles.

Joe Waterman

Executive Vice-President, Chief Communications & Sustainability Officer

Joe Waterman is responsible for a portfolio that includes Communications, Thought Leadership, Government Relations, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and CPA Ontario’s Sponsorship activities. He has over 20 years of marketing and communications experience, including 10 years in client-facing consulting roles within advertising and communications agencies. Prior to joining CPA Ontario, Joe worked in a variety of Senior Marketing & Communications Leadership roles at KPMG International, leading the launch of its inaugural Global ESG Report and various DEI initiatives.

Olivia Ibell

Executive Vice-President, Chief Marketing Officer and Member Experience

Olivia Ibell oversees Marketing, Digital and Brand strategy for CPA Ontario. She brings over twenty years of experience in marketing, strategy and operational planning, direct sales and big data analytics. Prior to her role at CPA Ontario, Olivia held executive positions at Bell leading marketing teams for both the Bell/Virgin/Lucky mobile teams as well as Business Intelligence and Operational functions. Olivia has held senior leadership roles abroad at Telefonica as well as TELUS and led the development and implementation of Koodo Mobile. She is a successful entrepreneur who has stood up small businesses and is the co-founder of the Toronto Cardiac Clinic and holds a Bachelor of Commerce Honours degree from Queen’s University.

Steve Wong

Executive Vice-President, Chief Information Officer

Steve Wong is responsible for the organizations IT strategy and systems, cyber security and cyber risk management, enterprise architecture and vendor management. Prior to CPA Ontario, Steve held senior IT roles with a focus on developing software solutions to enhance the efficiency and profitability of various global organizations. He was a co-founder of a Canadian startup that created an Enterprise IT Service Management solution acquired by BMC.

John Stockwell

Executive Vice-President, Chief People Officer

John Stockwell is responsible for all strategic and operational aspects of CPA Ontario’s people and talent strategy, as well as for driving a high-performance and values-driven culture across the organization. With over 25 years of experience, John has a proven track record of optimizing HR teams, creating a collaborative workplace environment, and leading organizations to success.

Before joining CPA Ontario John held Executive HR leadership roles at Kognitiv, OpenText and Dentsu, as well as senior HR roles at Grant Thornton and EY. His deep understanding of the accounting landscape, combined with his broad leadership experience and passion for organizational culture, makes him a key contributor to CPA Ontario’s executive team.

Dave Freedman

Executive Vice-President, Chief Information Security and Data Officer

Dave Freedman is responsible for cybersecurity, data governance and data strategy. With over 20 years of global experience, Dave has led security programs across government, financial services, and consulting sectors, helping organizations protect sensitive data and navigate complex risk landscapes. Prior to joining CPA Ontario, Dave served as CISO at one of Canada's leading independent financial services groups, where he oversaw cyber, fraud, and corporate security programs. He has also held leadership roles at RBC and Deloitte, where he developed security frameworks used by Fortune 500 companies. Dave holds a B.Sc. in Computer and Electrical Engineering and an MBA in Finance.