Voting will take place on two days:

Monday, December 5, 2011 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Club Space room in the Great Hall (look for the FMA banner)

Thursday, December 8, 2011 4:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. - Club Space room in the Great Hall (look for the FMA banner)

Below please click "read more" to view the candidate profiles. Profiles will be placed in order of position and order received.

PRESIDENT:

Name: Michelle Hui

Position: President

Program: Financial Management

Year: 2nd

Hi, my name is Michelle Hui and I’m currently in the second year of the Financial Management Program. I am running to be the President of the FMA because I want to help you build and develop your network so you can find that first job!

As President, I hope to see the following happen:

• Look into hosting interview sessions with various accountants (in public practice and in industry) to help you get a better perspective of what your career could look like, build your network, and create more employment opportunities.
• Look into asking professional accountants to allow a student to shadow them for a day to see what they actually do at work.  This will, again, give you a better perspective of what your career could look like and also help students connect concepts learned in the classroom with real life work situations.
• Host more networking events for Financial Management students to help you build your professional network and get to know others outside of your set.

Before I came to BCIT, I ran and coordinated a student club. I was able to successfully grow the club from 15 members to over 100 members in a year. As Club Leader, I planned and executed many major community events. I believe this experience will be an asset to the FMA Executive Team. In the summer, I also worked as a team leader in direct sales; this helped further develop my leadership and communication skills.

As a student, it is crucial to your career to get your foot in the door. No matter how little, or how much, work experience you have, the best way to do this is to build connections and network, network, network! Vote Michelle Hui for President and I will give my best effort to make sure there are lots of opportunities for you to meet professionals in the industry and jump-start your career!

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Name: Keith Van

Position: President

Program: Financial Management

Year: 2nd

The theme for my election platform for the 2012-2013 Academic Year is Change. Change is happening in the outside accounting world, with merger discussions between accounting designations. Change is happening within BCIT, as our program just changed its name. And change needs to happen within our student club, to remain relevant and better service students. My electoral platform for the position of President in the FMA is as follows:

• Renaming the Financial Management Association into the Accounting Association – the FinMan program has been renamed in the School of Business, so the club requires a name change to meet industry and school needs
• Supporting the BCITSA VP Finance’s and School of Business’s intents for creating a Co-op option for the Diploma of Technology in Accounting program
• Organizing recruitment nights (e.g. the “CA Night”) for other designations – namely the CGA and CMA – to streamline the CGA/CMA hiring process for students and partner with CGA/CMA firms and industry
• Partner with the AICPA (the American CPA designation) for support, given future merger trends in the accounting designation
• Securing funding and partnerships for student leadership within the School of Business so that accounting students can attend and participate in more business and case competitions
• Working with BCIT’s administration so that business students can have more input into strategic decision making and governing bodies

I have extensive commitment to BCIT and the student body.

I volunteered for BCIT’s Orientation Day for this year’s entering students. I serve on BCIT’s Board of Governors and Education Council, where I advocate for students through policy changes, reviews, and feedback on BCIT’s highest governing body. I am in the midst of initiating changes relating to how grading profiles are done at BCIT, as well as making available the public meeting minutes for students. Last year, I was a student caller for the BCIT Alumni Association where I raised over $1000.00 for our school through cold calls. Lastly, I am co-president of BCIT’s Starcraft Club, where I help organize events for students interested in gaming.

I believe I offer a solid platform for students with measurable outcomes, offering the best choice for current and future students.

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Name: Janssen Aquilino

Position: President

Program: Financial Management

Year: 2nd

My goal in running for the role of President is to provide a voice and opportunity for all students within the Financial Management program. I am confident that I can uphold and continually advance the excellent reputation of the FMA . Furthermore, I look forward to cementing the reputation of the FMA as a student oriented club that connects FinMan students with industry professionals.

My objective is to implement the following to expand the FMA’s benefits for all students

1. Providing equal opportunity to students who want to network with CA, CGA and CMA professionals by creating multiple events for each designation

2. Establishing a peer oriented program to help students both career-wise and academically

3. Creating more opportunities by actively posting job opportunities for graduates through our club website

4. Committing to the implementation of a CO-OP program that connects students with potential employers prior to graduation

5. Implementing a system where we can evaluate the success of each networking event and determining if students have gained relevant industry connections

My commitment will not only be to the FMA but to each and every one of you. I promise to dedicate my time and efforts towards the continued development of each member’s career objectives.

Let us take a step forward together not only for the year ahead, but for the rest of our careers.

Vote for Janssen Aquilino!

VP FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION

Name: Leslie Hong

Position: VP Finance & Administration

Program: Financial Management

Year: 2^nd

Hi, my name is Leslie Hong and I am a second year student in the Financial Management Program. I would like to apply for the position of VP of Finance for the upcoming FMA election because I would like to gain experience in running a club and to help connect Financial Management students with more opportunities in acquiring a job that will benefit their future careers.

Most recently, from the Spring throughout the Summer of 2011, I volunteered as an assistant to the Controller at Rampion Enterprises Ltd, a successful distributing company for sporting products for over 30 years. They specialize in distributing products for Adidas, Ashworth, Cleveland Golf, Roots Golf, Ogio, and Callaway. Throughout this experience at Rampion, I was able to apply the knowledge provided by BCIT to the real working environment. Some of the duties that I was responsible for included simple tasks such as bank reconciliations or forecasting of the annual sales budget to more complex procedures like producing monthly royalty reports and helping the company hedge against foreign exchange risks.

As a student myself, I believe that every student coming out of the Financial Management Program at BCIT wants to be able to get a job and start their career in the accounting field. I understand that in order to get to that step, we have to start by networking with industry professionals or those in public practice. If I were elected as VP of Finance for the FMA, I would put all my efforts towards giving students more exposure to professionals in the accounting field. Whether that be setting up more networking events allowing students to meet working professionals or on a more personal level, have them come on campus to and have a sit-down. Personally, I found having the opportunity to sit down and chat with industry professionals (especially BCIT alumnis), allowed me to better relate and see the path of where my career can go.

I believe that the skills that I have acquired throughout this intense program and my work ethic would be a great asset for BCIT’s FMA Executives Team. My motivation for running for VP of Finance is to see that students are given the most opportunity and the most exposure to kick-start their careers. On that note, I believe that my goals are in accordance to what the majority of students, in the Financial Management Program, are looking for, so vote Leslie Hong as VP of Finance in the coming FMA election.

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Name: Viktoria Mokrushnikova

Position: VP Finance & Administration

Program: Financial Management – Corporate Finance Option

Year: 2^nd

Dear Students,

As a second year Financial Management Student, I am passionate about running to be the VP Finance & Administration. I am eager to become the executive of the FMA due to a great opportunity to discover more information about Accounting and the Finance World and along with assisting YOU in making connections with talented and dedicated professionals who can share their invaluable experience with YOU. My dedication to assist YOU comes from a great experience that I had whilst attending all the CA networking events and being interviewed by Grant Thornton.

As VP Finance & Administration, I have already created a list of crucial things to implement that will add an enormous value not only for the FMA, however, especially YOU:

• Establishing and implementing new and fresh ideas into the association, namely the CFA and СFP events, along with hosting more CA, CMA and CGA Nights. I would like to help YOU all get a better insight of all the accounting and finance designations that are available through networking with the professionals.

• Organizing the volunteer events not only with the FMA and BCITSA, but also with other public and private firms. As YOU know volunteer experience is extremely important when YOU applying for a job as it helps YOU develop relevant skills and significant attributes that are absolutely relevant to the position YOU will seek in the future. Giving back to our community is crucial!

• Organizing different events, such as CACEE Form, RESUME, and INTERVIEW Workshops.

• Inviting the HR Representatives from the accounting and finance industries who can assist YOU in being prepared for the recruiting process.

My background: After graduating from high school in Russia, I did not know exactly what I wanted to do; therefore, I looked for an adventure that brought me to China. I lived in China for two and half years on my own where I both studied and worked. As a person who leads by example, I was given an opportunity to be the Head Manager of a European restaurant "Around the World" in China. This opportunity came with a high level of responsibility; I successfully managed 20 Russian and 25 Chinese employees. I believe that being the head manager allowed me with a great opportunity to further cultivate my leadership abilities. Different challenges also helped me exercise teamwork, problem solving, time-management, customer service and communication skills. Currently I am a student at BCIT, who currently and in the past been involved in different extracurricular activities, such as volunteering as an Accounts Payable Clerk at JYSK Canada, helping out the BCITSA during different Info Sessions, being a Business Buddy with the exchange students from Europe, including others. In addition, I have been awarded numerous times for my dedication and excellence academically, work achievements, and also extracurricular activities.

As a person who is eager for ongoing development and who thrives for excellence, I believe that my attributes, transferable skills and international experience will make me a Perfect VP Finance & Administration Executive. Vote for Viktoria Mokrushnikova, and I will fully dedicate myself to do everything needed to help YOU build your NETWORKING SKILLS, and MAKE CONNECTIONS that will help YOU on your path to a PRESTIGIOUS and REWARDING CAREER!

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Name: Yasamin Alami

Position: VP Finance & Administration

Program: Financial Management

Year: 1^st

Hi, I'm Yasamin Alami and I would like to run for VP finance. I am a determined and responsible student who would like to be a larger part of BCIT than just a student. The FMA is a highly reputable association and has put on some fantastic events. I am willing to help better the program and run more events, mixers and info sessions. I am a good candidate for this position because of my strong financial background, detail oriented personality and sociability. I am running to make a difference and BCIT and to help more people succeed in the financial management areas. I would also like to meet more people and make more friends at BCIT! Vote for Yaz!

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Name: Robin Ensom

Position: VP Finance & Administration

Program: Financial Management

Year: 2nd

Hi, my name is Robin Ensom, I am currently a second year Financial Management Student. I am running for the position of VP of Finance and Administration because I believe it is an excellent opportunity to get involved with the accounting community, to make connections with industry professionals, and to improve the services provided by the FMA to Financial Management students.

In the pursuit of a successful career, networking and real work experience are often more valuable than education alone. For this reason, I believe that the FMA is providing an invaluable service to BCIT students by organizing networking and informative events for Financial Management Students, and I would like to ensure the continued success and improvement of its events and services.

I recognize that the majority of financial management students are interested in pursuing a career in accounting, and as I am an accounting student and prospective CA myself, my primary focus would be on improving the events and opportunities for students related to the main accounting designations: CA, CGA, and CMA.

As VP of Finance and Admin, I plan to do the following:

• Organize new events and workshops to enhance student employability, including volunteer opportunities to gain relevant work experience with small businesses
• Support the BCITSA and School of Business in the initiative to introduce a Co-op program for the Accounting Diploma
• Implement additional networking and recruiting events for the CA, CGA and CMA designation
• Work with the Finance Association to develop more events and information sessions for the CFP and CFA designations
• Increase student awareness about the FMA events and the value in attending them
• Improve the quality of the FMA website to facilitate use and encourage student input and suggestions

In the previous year at BCIT, I’ve been involved with helping BCIT students through my work as a Peer Tutor for U-Connect and in the Learning Commons as well as through my work as a Set Manager for Finance Reports. I also received 2 awards from BCIT for my academic achievement, community involvement and leadership. I believe that my leadership experience, my proficiency in accounting and finance, and my commitment to the betterment of the BCIT community make me an excellent candidate for the position of VP of Finance and Administration.

Vote Robin Ensom for VP of Finance and Administration.

VP INTERNAL COMMUNICATION:

Name: Amirali Tahmasebi

Position: VP of Internal Communication

Program: Financial Management

Year: 2^nd

Education: B.S Industrial Engineering

Simplicity is the key to understand the world around us. I am very social and seek partners for many professional and extracurricular activities.

I enjoy helping my community in any possible way. I welcome situations where I can utilize my interests, knowledge, experience, and capabilities simultaneously I handle tasks as hard as I possibly can and make the best of my effort. For example, I volunteered for the “Vancouver 2010 Olympic Committee” where I was in charge of communicating Team Iran’s athletes’ concerns with the Olympic committee members and trouble shoot, and make spontaneous decisions to proceed with the best result.

I believe becoming the next VP of Internal Communication of the FMA allows me to lead my fellow “Fin-Man” students to a new way of approaching and coping with difficulties. As the VP of internal Communication; my goals are to:

• Be a dedicated team member and help the President and other VPs to run an effective team

• Be always accessible for club members to get in touch with

• Establish a good relationship between club members and executive members through holding frequent meetings to update members

• Help finding solutions to all club members’ concerns

• Solve any possible problems arising from weak communication internally and externally

In addition, it is a good opportunity for me to share my experiences ranging from living in an Eastern setting to my understandings as an immigrant to Canada to help students to connect with Canadian society and Industry like I did successfully.

Best Regards,

Amirali Tahmasebi

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Name: William Kim

Position: VP of Internal Communication

Program: Financial Management

Year: 2^nd

Hello, my name is William Kim and I am a 2nd year Financial Management student. I would like to run for the VP of Internal Communication position.

As your VP of Internal Communication, my focus would be to provide accurate and detailed information regarding the FMA events and external opportunities to all of you in the most prompt manner. In addition, I would like to try and help answer any of the questions that you may have as students to the best of my abilities or through discussions with other reliable sources.

I know that the FMA provides the students with helpful guidance in deciding their career paths and providing connection to the industry. I, personally, have benefited from many of the FMA events and I would love to become a part of the team that can assist fellow students in achieving their goals.

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Name: Gary Tong

Position: VP Internal Communication

Program: Financial Management

Year: 2nd

Hi my name is Gary Tong and I’m in the second year of the Financial Management program. I am running for VP Internal Communication because I have a lot of interesting ideas that I’d like to see implemented that will help develop the club and help the students.

As your VP Internal, I will work to introduce and implement these ideas,

• Organize various workshops and interviews with BCIT alumni who are in public practise to get their input on how to best fill out our CACEE forms and ace that first interview with the firms.

• Work together with current and new sponsors as well as the SA to get more funding so students can be part of more business case competitions and get our students more recognition through our community.

• Respond quickly to student emails and inquires. This would entail,
  • Fast emails to students about networking events being held throughout the year.
  • Opportunities for volunteering with the FMA.
  • Notice about informational sessions with all the designations.

I have a lot of experience with clubs while attending UBC, where I took on executive positions such as Event Coordinator which provided me with skills to organize and communicate to club members the necessary information on a fast pace and efficient manner.

I am very people oriented and possess strong communication abilities. As VP Internal I understand the stress and annoyance that every student feels when notifications are not sent and/ or delayed. In accounting, that might mean you won’t be able to attend that networking event you have been longing all year. This is why I make it my goal to make sure every student will be provided with the equal opportunities through efficient and useful information.

I have the capabilities to bring FMA to the next level which will enhance your student life in the following year through my communication and established connections!

VP MARKETING AND TEAM DEVELOPMENT:

Name: Samantha Pangan

Position: VP of Marketing and Team Development

Program: Financial Management

Year: 1^st

Hello. I'm Samantha Pangan in my first year of study in the Financial Management program. I’m running for the position of VP of Marketing and Team Development of BCIT’S Financial Management Association.

I am a prospect candidate for this position, because I am very engaged with digital graphic arts & design. Though I don't have formal education on media arts & design (yet), being a recent high school graduate, I have passion to convey information and communicate it through visual means. I have had experience from projects and assignments producing designs and layouts for pamphlets, brochures, videos, posters, and more. (If I weren’t studying in the School of Business, I would most probably be in Arts School—well, Medical School first and then Arts School). I want to produce designs in such a way that it’s professional, simple, and eye-catching. I want to develop designs that entice passers-by to take a second look and actually think about the information the poster (or other print/digital media) is/are trying to convey.

Overall, I want to gain more experience in helping running a school club. I want prospect and current members to be made fully aware of the club’s events and activities. More BCIT students should be made more aware of the events the FMA holds and the services it offers like its info sessions and tax services. Students who want to take part in these events won’t be able to if they don’t gain awareness that such events are actually being held—(and not to mention that such a club exists) without effective promotion and recruiting. To achieve all these, it would be the job of FMA’s VP of Marketing and Team Development, the position where I’m the most suitable candidate for.

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Name: Daniel Huh

Position: VP of Marketing and Team Development

Program: Financial Management

Year: 2^nd

Hello everyone my name is Daniel Huh, I’m currently a second year financial management student and I’m running for the position of VP of marketing and team development.

As the VP, I want to make it my goal to inform as many students about the benefits of the FMA. I genuinely believe that the FMA is one of the most valuable and informative services offered to financial management students here at BCIT, whether it be the info sessions or the many networking events, the FMA is the best way to get informed on any of the accounting designations and to get your name out there in the industry.  Unfortunately there are many students out there that do not know what the FMA has to offer and I’d like to help change that.

I feel like I would be the best candidate for this position because of my enthusiasm towards the association and having been a member for a year now and seeing what they have to offer, I’m eager to spread the word and inform fellow students the numerous benefits of the FMA.