Financial Management Institute of Canada - James Ralston / Bill Matthews / Brian M. Aiken

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Key Results of Recent OCG Policy Initiatives and Pipeline for the Future

View Webinar

James Ralston, Comptroller General of Canada

James Ralston was appointed Comptroller General of Canada on October 3, 2009. The Comptroller General is responsible for government-wide direction and leadership for financial management, internal audit, federal assets and acquired services. The Comptroller General also supports capacity building and professional development in each of these areas.

Prior to becoming the Comptroller General, Mr. Ralston was Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Commissioner of Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), a position he accepted in 2004. Mr. Ralston joined the organization in 1999, first as Director General, Corporate Review Directorate, and then in 2002, as Deputy Assistant Commissioner and Agency Comptroller, leading the organization’s Modern Comptrollership Office.

Before his work at the CRA, Mr. Ralston spent 15 years with the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (OAG) and throughout most of the period was a Principal responsible for financial and value-for-money audits of Revenue Canada. Prior to joining the OAG, Mr. Ralston worked for eight years in a national public accounting/consulting firm in Edmonton and Ottawa. He began his career with the Provincial Auditor of Alberta.

Mr. Ralston holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta, a Master of Arts (Economics) degree from the University of Ottawa, and a Doctor of Philosophy (Political Science) degree from Carleton University. Mr. Ralston is a member of the Institutes of Chartered Accountants of Alberta and Ontario.

Bill Matthews, Assistant Comptroller General,
Financial Management Sector,
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Mr. Bill Matthews joined the Office of the Comptroller General in 2004. He was appointed Assistant Comptroller General of the Financial Management Sector of the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat effective August 24, 2009. His policy responsibilities include government accounting, financial management, costing and user fees and strengthening the financial management community through a range of initiatives. He is also responsible for financial reporting in the areas of the Public Accounts and departmental financial statements.

Mr. Matthews is a Chartered Accountant and has over 20 years of experience in accounting and financial management in both the public and private sectors.

He has worked with all levels of government in Canada and with governments of several other countries on financial reporting improvement initiatives.

Brian M. Aiken, Assistant Comptroller General
of Canada, Internal Audit Sector,
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Mr. Brian Aiken began his career with the Government of Canada as a FORD trainee in the Office of the Comptroller General. In 1980, he moved to the private sector where he worked in the field of financial business systems analysis.

From 1986 until 2001, he held a variety of management positions at the Bank of Canada, with oversight for financial systems, strategic planning, corporate security and internal audit. He then joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as a Chief Audit Executive, with responsibility for internal audit, program evaluation and quality assurance and management review.

Mr. Aiken was appointed Assistant Comptroller General, Internal Audit, at the Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada in 2008.

Mr. Aiken holds a Bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Ottawa and is a Certified Internal Auditor and Certified Fraud Examiner. He also serves on several committees of The Institute of Internal Auditors.