CALGARY, AB – Five business students from the University of Lethbridge competed in Certified Management Accountants (CMA) Alberta's first-ever Board Governance Competition, Mar. 5-6, in Calgary.

The students analyzed a governance case, based on a fictitious not-for-profit company, and presented their recommendations to a judging panel of esteemed Alberta business leaders which included: Jim Dinning, Chair Federal Export Development Corporation, Randy Garvey, FCMA, Executive VP, Corporate Support, Canadian Western Bank, Geeta Tucker, FCMA, CFO, Agriteam Canada Consulting Ltd., and Chris Good, CMA, CFO & General Manager, Corporate Services, City of Calgary.

CMA Alberta created the Board Governance Competition to give post-secondary students a practical understanding of board governance and the important role it plays in an organization. The competition also included a Board Governance 101 workshop led by Dr. Chris Bart, founder, principal and lead professor of The Directors College and a leading board governance expert. Bart's presentation focused on governance fundamentals and the importance of maintaining a positive relationship between management and a board of directors.

"Business students have been kept in the dark for too long about the workings of boards and how directors should effectively govern their organizations and CEOs," says Bart. "Since many grads are likely to sit on a not-for-profit board early in their careers, the competition provided an exceptional opportunity to expand their knowledge and business acumen."

The students had seven hours to develop their case and put together a presentation to deliver to the judging panel. Twelve teams participated in the competition, with the top three teams going to the final round. The U of L team failed to place in the top three. The University of Alberta took home the grand prize of $10,000; Mount Royal College placed second and received $5,000; and MacEwan College placed third and received $2,000.

"The calibre of the presentations was exceptionally impressive," says Joan Bedard, Director of Member Services and Events for CMA Alberta. "The competition was intense, but each team rose to the challenge and presented a professional, well-delivered case analysis to the judging panel."