CMA Profiles
Meryle Corbett, FCPA, FCMA
Since earning her CMA in 1985, Meryle Corbett has been a supporter of the designation. She is currently the BC/Yukon/Alberta national representative on the CMA Canada National Board and has been a director-at-large on the boards of CMA Alberta and CMABC. She has also served on various CMA committees, including member services, in both provinces.
Meryle is the CFO and Director of Finance for the Kelowna Flightcraft Group of Companies. Prior to Kelowna Flightcraft, she was the Corporate Controller for Sun-Rype Products Ltd. and held various positions ranging from economic analyst to coordinator of planning & acquisitions with Home Oil Company Ltd.
Active within the community, Meryle is involved with Junior Achievement of Kelowna, the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce and the Airport Authority.
This article originally appeared in the winter 2009 issue of CMA Update Magazine.
Stephen Lee, FCPA, FCMA
Stephen Lee has over 20 years of financial and executive management experience in the retail and hospitality industry. Currently, he is the Vice President, Corporate Development at Please Mum, a national children's wear retailer. Prior to joining Please Mum, he spent over 10 years in the restaurant industry, most of that time at the Keg Restaurants.
Since earning his CMA in 1995, Stephen has been an active supporter of the Society, and is currently the Society's Second Vice Chair. He has been a moderator for the past 14 years for both the CMA Strategic Leadership Program and, more recently, the CMA Executive Program. Stephen is also a frequent volunteer judge at case competitions and speaker at recruitment events.
In addition to his volunteer work with CMA, Stephen is also a board member and Treasurer of the Earthwise Society.
This article originally appeared in the winter 2010 issue of CMA Update Magazine.
Robert Meggy, FCPA, FCMA
Robert Meggy earned a Bachelor of Science degree from UBC before enrolling in the CMA program and beginning his accounting career in the manufacturing sector. In 1982, Robert decided to "go out on his own" and purchased the assets of a small company in receivership. The company was called the Great Little Box Company and Robert has been its CEO ever since. The Great Little Box Company has been recognized numerous times as one of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies and Top Ten Companies to Work For in Canada.
Outside of running his company, Robert has been active with CMA, serving on the Board several years ago. In addition to his volunteer work with CMA—he served as a member of the CMABC Board of Directors from 1997 to 1999—Robert is also involved in the community.
His charitable work includes roles as National Vice President for the BC/Yukon region for Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada, Vice President for Quest Outreach Society, and as a member on the Scouts Canada National Board of Directors.
Taken from introductory notes during the 2014 CMABC Executive Tour, at which Mr. Meggy was recognized with a 35-year service award.
Matt Murray, CPA, CMA
Matt Murray has been a strong supporter of the Society and CMA designation since graduating in 2008. He has been a judge for a number of case competitions. including the Society’s post-secondary case competition for first and second year business students, and the UBC strategic management case competition for third and fourth year UBC commerce students. He has also participated in several CMA profiles, providing testimonials quotes on the CMA program, and is a past contributor to Update Magazine.
Most recently, Matt was the keynote speaker at CMA Career Night, this past spring, where he shared his journey to becoming a CMA and how the CMA program has prepared him for a career in management and finance.
Matt currently works for TELUS as a Senior Financial Analyst. In addition to volunteering for the Society, he is also involved with TELUS’s Team TELUS Cares program, which supports many organizations, including the Salvation Army.
Excerpted from Mr Murray’s 2010 CMABC Volunteer of the Year award biography.
Jane Peverett, FCPA, FCMA
Jane Peverett is a well-established corporate director who has served on the boards of some of Canada’s most prestigious organizations. Prior to becoming a full-time corporate director, she made her name in the utility industry, running the BC Transmission Corporation and Union Gas as CEO and CEO and president, respectively, after having spent 18 years with Westcoast Energy in a variety of executive roles.
She currently serves on the board of directors of CIBC, EnCana Corporation, BC Ferry Authority, NW Natural Gas Company, AEGIS Insurance Services, Postmedia Network Inc., and Postmedia Network Canada Corp. She has also served on the boards of the Stratford Festival, the National Ballet School, the Canadian Natural Gas Association, the Canadian Electricity Association, the Ontario Energy Association, and the Business Council of British Columbia.
Her past work includes roles as a member of the advisory board of MacKay CEO Forums, the chair of the board of the BC Ferry Authority, chair of the audit committee of Encana, and vice chair of the United Way of the Lower Mainland. She is currently a member of the selection committee for Canadian CEO of the Year, and sits on the executive chapter of the Institute of Corporate Directors.
Compiled September 2015.
Glynn Spelliscy, FCMA
I slept and dreamt that life was joy.
I awoke and saw that life was service.
I acted and behold, service was joy.
– Rabindranath Tagore
If a life well lived is a life engaged, Glynn Spelliscy, FCMA, has packed a lot of quality living into his 93 years. Intelligence, humility, grace, these are but a few of the words that describe Spelliscy’s life in service to his profession.
A CMA since 1948, an FCMA since 1979, Spelliscy was a founding member of the Saskatchewan CMA chapter and served as CMA Canada president from 1979 – 1980. But the CMAs were far from the only beneficiary of Spelliscy’s tireless efforts. He has devoted countless hours to many different organizations over the years, including the Lion’s Club, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, the Knights of Columbus, the Children’s Aid Society of Winnipeg, and the Sierra Club.
According to a 2007 Regina Leader-Post article, Spelliscy credits his Jesuit teachers at Campion High School in Regina for helping him understand the importance of compassion and public service.
“The Jesuits were excellent teachers and they taught us you had to have charity for everybody,” Spelliscy said.
After graduating high school in 1932, Spelliscy began his career with Canada Safeway Limited in 1938. He earned his CMA designation 10 years later – which he said was one of the key components that allowed him to eventually become Vice President, Finance of the supermarket chain, where he faithfully remained until his retirement in 1979.
In June 1980, after stepping down as President of CMA Canada - Glynn was named as an Honourary Chief of the Sarcee Tribe (now the Tsuu T’ina First Nation) and given the name “Gos dowa tadla,” at the national conference in Calgary.
His contributions to CMA included being a founding member of the Saskatchewan Society in 1948; acting as Vancouver chapter chair, 1964-1965; and leading CMA Canada as president, 1979-1980. Despite a mile-long list of accomplishments and awards, Spelliscy continued to do what he had always done: serve. During the Second World War, he served his country with a five-year stint in the Canadian Armed Forces. Today, in addition to being one of the CMA’s greatest brand ambassadors, he still attends the National AGM in Toronto each year and currently sits on the Scholarship Committee.
In a 1989 article Spelliscy remarked, “I’m proud of the Society… there is no use sitting on the sidelines.”
In 1995 the R. Glynn Spelliscy Scholarship was established at BCIT. Each year an award is presented to a graduate based on overall performance in the Financial Management degree program.
Glynn Spelliscy passed away on October 26, 2012 at the age of 97.
This article was adapted from a profile in the January 2008 issue of CMA Update that celebrated Glynn Spelliscy’s 60th year with CMA.