Application for the
Corporate Finance Qualification
Index of documents:
Introduction
Guidance Notes
Section 1: Application Form
Section 2: Corporate Finance Transaction History
Section 3: Confirmations
Appendix 1: Sample Description of a Corporate Finance Transaction
Appendix 2: Suggested Content of your Curriculum Vitae
Application Package
for the
CF Qualification
Introduction
The application for the CF qualification is open to all candidates who have completed the
CICA’s Advanced Corporate Finance Course and Corporate Finance assessment.
To be eligible to apply for the Corporate Finance qualification, you must be
currently working in Corporate Finance.
If your application is successful, you will be awarded the Corporate Finance qualification.
The accompanying guidance notes will help you complete the application form, including
the confirmation of your experience.
For further guidance and any other information regarding the CF qualification, please
contact a member of the CICA’s Corporate Finance team at 416.204.3344 or e-mail
cfqualification@cica.ca .
The Application Process
On receipt of your complete application, we will send you an acknowledgement by
e-mail.
Your application will be assessed by the CICA’s Corporate Finance team. After the
decision has been made, you will receive confirmation of your result in writing.
Should you be successful, you will receive a certificate confirming that you have been
awarded the Corporate Finance qualification and are entitled to use the letters CF.
Please send your application to:
Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants
Corporate Finance Qualification
277 Wellington Street West
Toronto ON M5V 3H2
CICA Continuing Education 2012
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Application Package
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CF Qualification
Guidance Notes
Criteria for Gaining the CF Qualification
To be eligible to apply for the Corporate Finance qualification, you must:
 have completed the CICA’s Advanced Corporate Finance Course and Corporate
Finance assessment;
 be currently working in corporate finance;
 be able to demonstrate a minimum of 3 years of corporate finance experience;
 be able to demonstrate material involvement in a minimum of 3 corporate finance
transactions; and
 provide confirmation of professional good standing.
In order to demonstrate that you have met the above criteria, you must:
 complete the Application Form (Section 1);
 provide details of corporate finance transactions in which you have had a material
involvement (Section 2). A sample transaction description has been provided in
Appendix 1;
 ensure that you have signed part (a) of the confirmation and that your employer has
signed part (b) of the same form (Section 3); and
 provide a copy of your current curriculum vitae (CV), which should include the
information described in Appendix 2.
You should submit your application form, transaction history, confirmation and CV
together in the same envelope. Please do not attach any additional supporting material
to your application.
What Constitutes Corporate Finance Work Experience?
For the purposes of the Corporate Finance qualification, the terms "corporate finance"
and "corporate financier" are associated primarily with transactions in which capital is
raised in order to create, develop, grow or acquire businesses.
Such transactions often involve some change of ownership in a business arising from
the creation of a new equity structure or shareholder base, and the related issue,
underwriting, purchase or exchange of equity (and related warrants) or debt.
Types of transaction:
 raising seed, start-up, development or expansion capital;
 mergers, de-mergers, acquisitions or the sale of private companies;
 mergers, de-mergers and takeovers of public companies, including public-to-private
deals;
 management buy-outs, buy-ins or similar of companies, divisions or subsidiaries –
typically backed by private equity;
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Application Package
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CF Qualification
 equity issues by companies, including public offerings of companies’ shares on a
recognised stock exchange in order to raise capital for development and/or to
restructure ownership;
 raising capital via the issue of other forms of equity, debt and related securities for
the refinancing and restructuring of businesses;
 financing joint ventures, project finance, infrastructure finance, public-private
partnerships and privatizations;
 secondary equity issues, whether by means of private placing or further issues on a
stock market, especially where linked to one of the transactions listed above;
 raising debt and restructuring debt, especially when linked to the types of
transactions listed above; and
 due diligence.
Transaction History
You must provide a history of your transactions for at least 3 corporate finance
transactions in which you had material involvement in the 3 years immediately preceding
the date of application, explaining, for example:
 details of the transactions in which you were involved;
 area(s) of corporate finance covered (e.g., acquisition, merger, financing,
restructuring, valuation, IPO);
 transaction size;
 your firm’s role;
 your personal role;
 your time commitment; and
 date completed.
You may also provide details of other transactions concluded within or outside the last 3
years which you would like to have considered with your application.
Application Fee
The application fee is $250, plus HST, and is not refundable, even if you are not
successful in your application.
CICA Continuing Education 2012
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Application Package
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CF Qualification
Section 1: Application Form
Your Personal Details
Surname:
First name:
Middle Name:
Preferred name:
(if different from “First name”)
Title:
(Mr., Ms, Mrs., Dr., etc.)
Date of birth:
dd / mm / yyyy
Male
Female
Degrees and professional designations:
(CA, FCA, LLB, MBA, PhD, etc.)
Home address
Street address:
City:
Province:
Postal code:
Country:
Home phone number:
Country Code:
Area Code:
Number:
Your Business Details
Current employer or
name of organization:
Position/Title:
Business address
Business street address:
City:
Province:
Postal code:
Country:
Business phone number:
Country Code:
Area Code:
Number:
Cell phone number:
Country Code:
Area Code:
Number:
Business fax number:
Country Code:
Area Code:
Number:
Email address for
correspondence:
CF Directory – I would like my name and address to be included in the on-line CF Directory*.
(Please mark “X” in the box to indicate consent.)
Note:
* The
CF Directory is an electronic listing that will be made available to the public. If you indicated consent
above, as a CF holder, your full name, firm name and location will be published in the directory.
Completion of the CICA’s Corporate Finance Assessment
Please enter the date that you successfully wrote the CICA’s Corporate Finance Assessment.
Date of assessment
CICA Continuing Education 2012
dd / mm / yyyy
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Application Package
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Method of Payment (Please mark “X” in the box where appropriate.)
I enclose a cheque for $282.50 ($250 + $32.50 HST) payable to CICA
Alternatively, please charge my credit card with the amount of $282.50 ($250 + $32.50 HST)
VISA
Mastercard
American Express
Card number:
Expiry date:
mm / yyyy
Name of card holder:
Signature of card holder:
Date:
dd / mm / yyyy
Enclosures
I am applying for the Corporate Finance qualification. I enclose the following:
This Application Form
Curriculum Vitae
Corporate Finance Transaction History
Confirmation signed by you and your employer or a third party, if you are self-employed
Application fee of $250 + $32.50 HST = $282.50
CICA Continuing Education 2012
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Application Package
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CF Qualification
Privacy Statement
Purposes of Collection, Use or Disclosure
Information collected will be used by the Corporate Finance Working Group, its subcommittees
and CICA staff to verify information and evaluate your application, to process your application
payment, to provide you with information relevant to the CF qualification or education programs,
or anything else that may be of interest to you as a CF-qualified individual or in the area of
corporate finance, and for any other administrative purposes necessary for evaluating your
application or administering the CF qualification.
Disclosure of Personal Information
We identify to whom, and for what purposes, we disclose your Personal Information, at or prior to
the time we collect such information from you and obtain your consent to such disclosure. For
example, we may disclose your Personal Information:
a) in the case of members, students and associate students, to the Provincial
Institutes/Ordre of Chartered Accountants for the purposes of providing services to
members, students and associate students;
b) to our volunteers, for the purposes of the volunteers performing volunteer functions;
c) to third party service providers, for the purpose of providing member benefits or
facilitating commercial transactions with us;
d) to such persons and for such purposes for which you provide your consent; and
e) as otherwise permitted or required by law.
We may keep a record of your Personal Information, correspondence or comments in a file
specific to you. We will utilize, disclose or retain your Personal Information for as long as
necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected and as permitted or required by law.
Your personal information will be held in a file titled with your name at the CICA’s office at
277 Wellington Street West, Toronto, ON M5V 3H2, and will be available to CICA employees or
agents involved in the administration and operation of the CF program who require such access
and use for the performance of their duties or responsibilities.
Access and Correction of Personal Information
I understand that I have a right to access and rectify my personal information contained in my file
that may be obsolete, incomplete or incorrect by writing the CICA, Attention: Privacy Officer at the
address listed above or by e-mail to cicaprivacy.officer@cica.ca , or by telephone at
416 977 3222. I understand that I may be asked to show identification and proof of such error or
omission before such access is provided or correction made.
Contacting our Privacy Officer
For further information about how the CICA handles personal information, please see our Privacy
Policy at: www.cica.ca/index.cfm/ci_id/8081/la_id/1.htm or contact our Privacy Officer at
cicaprivacy.officer@cica.ca, or by telephone at 416-977-3222.
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Application Package
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Section 2: Corporate Finance Transaction History
Transaction 1
Type:
Date completed:
Duration:
Firm's role:
Your role:
Transaction size:
Description of
transaction:
Proportion of time:
Transaction 2
Type:
Date completed:
Duration:
Firm's role:
Your role:
Transaction size:
Description of
transaction:
Proportion of time:
Transaction 3
Type:
Date completed:
Duration:
Firm's role:
Your role:
Transaction size:
Description of
transaction:
Proportion of time:
CICA Continuing Education 2012
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Application Package
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CF Qualification
Section 3: Confirmations
(a) To be signed by the Applicant
I confirm that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the information in this application is true and correct,
and faithfully reflects my experience in corporate finance.
I confirm that I have not committed any breach of:
 any securities law or regulation;
 any rule of professional conduct; or
 any similar requirement of membership of any professional body of which I am, or have been, a member.
I confirm that I have never been found guilty or convicted of any offence under such law, regulation or rules.
To the best of my knowledge and belief, I am not currently under investigation by any regulatory authority,
law enforcement agency or professional body, and there are no matters which, if made public, would cause
professional embarrassment to me or the corporate finance community.
In the event that you are unable to give that confirmation, please provide full details – on a separate sheet –
of the relevant breach and matters relevant to that breach which you wish the Canadian Institute of
Chartered Accountants (CICA) to take into account when considering your application.
I understand that the CICA will use this information only for the purposes of assessing this application and
that the information will otherwise remain confidential.
I understand that all decisions made by the CICA in connection with this application are a matter of judgment
and in its sole discretion. Such decisions are final and are not subject to appeal or review by any other body.
I acknowledge that the CICA may, in its sole discretion, ask me or my manager for additional information,
and may or may not approve this application, even if I have met all of the requirements and conditions.
I acknowledge that in all of my work to the extent it is related to corporate finance I will act in accordance
with all applicable laws, professional obligations and rules of conduct, taking reasonable care and
precautions, and always acting honourably and with integrity, in a manner that will not bring discredit to the
CF Qualification or to the CICA.
I understand and agree to all of the foregoing, including the “Privacy Statement” section and all the
information in the pages of, and attached to, this application form.
Signature of Applicant:
Print or type name:
Date:
dd / mm / yyyy
(b) To be signed by the Applicant’s manager (This confirmation could be completed by a
third party if the applicant is self employed.)
I have read that part of the application where the Applicant sets out information as to his/her relevant
professional expertise. I confirm that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the information provided by
the Applicant is true and faithfully reflects the Applicant’s experience in corporate finance.
Signature of Applicant’s manager:
Print or type name, qualification,
position, organization
and professional address:
Date:
CICA Continuing Education 2012
dd / mm / yyyy
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Application Package
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Appendix 1: Corporate Finance Transaction – Sample Description
Please provide details of at least three transactions in which you have had material involvement during the
last three years. Please use the headings explained below and provide as full a description of your
involvement as possible, including any technical difficulties. You should choose transactions which best
reflect the breadth and depth of your experience and competence in practice. You may add to your
application by including details of additional transactions within or outside this period that you would like to
be considered with your application.
Heading
Information Required
Type:
For example, acquisition, merger, divestiture, financing, restructuring,
fairness opinion, valuation, or other.
Year Completed:
Duration:
Amount of time that you were involved in the transaction.
Size of Transaction:
Firm's Role:
For example, advisor, principal, fund manager, or other.
Your Role:
For example, primary/lead advisor/deal-maker, secondary advisor, client
relationship leader, specialist resource, or other. Please provide as full a
description of your involvement as possible, including details of any
technical difficulties.
Description of
Transaction:
Details of a deal under your leadership and details of the areas of corporate
finance involved.
Proportion of Time:
Approximate percentage of time that you personally spent working on the
deal over its duration.
Sample Description of a Corporate Finance Transaction
Type:
Company sale
Year Completed:
2010
Duration:
9 months
Size of Transaction:
$15 million+
Firm's Role:
Lead advisor
Your Role:
Secondary advisor
Description of Transaction: This transaction was to sell a Markham-based packaging company on behalf of its
shareholders. The company sells approx $25 million and both manufactures and distributes paper and
polythene packaging to a number of sectors including food retail. Deal size $15 million +.
Our role was to evaluate a potential sale and to advise the shareholders on strategy, pricing, etc. Once an
MBO had been ruled out, a target list of potential buyers was created and a detailed Sales Information
Memorandum was prepared. As the company had no formal forecasts, we assisted in preparing prospective
financial information. Potential purchasers were contacted directly by us and the company was also
advertised for sale through various media. Indicative offers received were evaluated and compared and a
preferred purchaser chosen. We led negotiations with the preferred purchaser leading to an offer price and
deal structure being agreed, drew up the Terms and liaised between the company and the purchasers during
the latter’s due diligence and funding process.
As part of the consideration was to be in cash on completion and through earn out, and part by the
shareholders retaining a freehold property, we liaised with the company’s lawyers in arranging
reorganization to split the trading business and the retained property into separate companies. We also
coordinated legal and tax advice to the shareholders during the transaction and generally supported them
through to completion.
Proportion of Time:
CICA Continuing Education 2012
This transaction took approximately 70% of my time.
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Appendix 2: Curriculum Vitae – Suggested Content
Please provide a copy of your curriculum vitae (CV) summarizing your professional corporate finance
experience. We suggest you provide the following information:
Professional History
Please list your most recent experience first and ensure that your professional history covers a minimum of
three years of qualifying work experience.
For each employer/organization, please provide:
 employer/organization name
 nature of business
 address
 your position or title
 start and end dates
 your major corporate finance responsibilities and/or accomplishments in each position.
Formal Corporate Finance Education (if any)
Please list your most recent formal corporate finance education first.
For each qualification, please provide:
 name of institution
 address of institution
 year of graduation
 degree/qualification attained
 a brief description of the corporate finance curriculum covered by each course.
Professional Designations (if any)
Please list all of your professional designations.
Academic, Business or Professional Awards and Achievements (if any)
Please list any relevant academic, business or professional awards and achievements that you have
received.
Professional Activities (if any)
Please list any corporate finance-related professional activities in which you are involved, such as:
 committee involvement
 articles you have written
 courses you have delivered.
Other
Please note any other information that would be of assistance to the CICA when it considers your
application. For example, a description of relevant community activities in which you are involved and known
as someone who is qualified in corporate finance.
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