The Department of Management at U of T Scarborough
is proud to call Lindsay Chu a distinguished alumna of the Co-op
Management Program. She is notably recognized as an outstanding
role model to students and an inspiration to her colleagues and
friends. Her successes and contributions are unmatched and deem
her well deserving of reward and recognition.
In 2007 Lindsay received the prestigious Gold Medal in the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants’ (CICA) Uniform Final Exams (UFEs), after placing first in Ontario out of 1,393 participants. The UFEs entails a demanding three day case-based evaluation allowing students to demonstrate not only their technical competencies but also professional judgmental and analytical skills –passing the exam is also the last step in becoming a Chartered Accountant (CA). Lindsay credits the Management Program and the supportive faculty and staff at U of T Scarborough for preparing her for a career as a CA. “U of T Scarborough offered all the university courses required by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario (ICAO), as well as great co-op placements at all the top firms. The co-op staff was always available for consultation, and the professors tailored our accounting courses to prepare us for the CA qualification exams,” said Lindsay. In addition to a superior curriculum and great support, Lindsay’s own persistence and hard work were the most important factors in realizing her career goals and scoring the coveted Gold Medal. Still sitting on cloud nine when asked about her UFEs results, Lindsay replied, “the thought of possibly making the Honour Roll [and receiving the Gold Medal] is something that I feel stays in the back of everyone’s mind, but when you are studying, it seems so unattainable that you never really quite believe that it could happen.” For more information on Lindsay’s results and reaction, check out the article Graduates earn top marks in national accounting exam.
On her path to becoming a prominent businesswoman, Lindsay acknowledges the Co-op Management Program at the Scarborough campus for giving her a competitive advantage over other graduates by means of a solid 12-months of full time corporate work experience along with a strong B.B.A degree. “Not only did I have the technical skills for my job, but employers knew that I had the soft skills, such as time management and interpersonal skills to succeed in their organization,” she says. She also credits the smaller size of the campus for allowing her to enhance her leadership abilities and build life long relationships through a close-knit community.
Lindsay’s accomplishments are not dependent upon excellent academics alone, but also a result of her vast extracurricular experience at U of T Scarborough. Before graduating in 2006 from the Co-op Management Program, Lindsay devoted much of her time to serving on the campus’s first Departmental Student Association (DSA), the Management & Economics Students’ Association (MESA), fulfilling roles from Human Resources volunteer in her first year to President in her fourth year. Lindsay comments that, “the Management Program has provided me with the technical skills and theory I needed for the business world. However, academics can only get you so far. Thus, my experiences with MESA (which, in a business sense include, conflict management, leadership, decision making, strategic planning and most importantly, project management skills) are really what prepared me for reality.”
One of the most momentous successes experienced under Lindsay’s leadership as MESA’s 2005/06 President was the transition of MESA a former student club into the official DSA for the Department of Management. MESA became the formal unified voice of all Management students, mandated to represent the academic and program-related concerns of students in their department and also to provide programming, activities, and other events of interest to students in the department. Moreover, under Lindsay’s management MESA saw its highest membership base ever of more then 900 members, a 10% increase from the previous year.
During her time with MESA, Lindsay was involved in the creation and subsequent launch of new business programs such as the MESA Business Games (MBG), a case-based business competition and the Management Apprentice Program (MAP), a program designed after the reality TV series “The Apprentice”. Amazingly in its first year, MAP initiatives raised $10,000 in 48 hours for charity. In addition, Lindsay spearheaded two new initiatives including “Get Heard,” a program that actively encourages suggestions and feedback from all Management students, and Target 4.0, a student manual complete with survival tips for first year management students. On top of her numerous extracurricular commitments Lindsay was also a favoured Teaching Assistant, devoted to helping fellow students excel their academics.
Lindsay was a devoted advocate for student involvement, an approach which was frequently evident in her words and actions. She whole heartedly believed that U of T Scarborough business students were “tomorrow’s business leaders today” and dedicated her time to encouraging students to reach their potential. Her advice to current Management students is to make an effort at school and that “with even a little bit of effort, your time at UTSC will be something that helps you grow and something you will cherish when you leave.” Current MESA President, Cheryl Ho, calls Lindsay a “charismatic leader, who was always passionate, inspirational and supportive… [and who] has been a tremendous student leader and a prized contributor to the success of MESA today.” Sandra Daga, Lindsay’s former accounting professor calls her “a real leader, a MESA president and an ‘A’ student.” In her varied roles during her time at U of T Scarborough, Lindsay demonstrated that she was willing and able to take on many responsibilities and frequently acted beyond the requirements of her position. Lindsay showed that she was an outstanding student and an esteemed professional, traits evident to everyone around her.
Today, a soon-to-be CA, Lindsay works for Ernst & Young, one of the “Big Four” International Accounting firms. In her role as a Senior Staff Accountant, her focus is on auditing and analyzing financial information for mid to large-sized corporations. She is also responsible for supervising audit teams of various sizes. Lindsay reveals that she finds her position rewarding as she is continuously intellectually stimulated, which is something she finds invaluable. When asked why she chose to become a CA, Lindsay states “I really feel that accounting a career that leaves doors wide open for you. I knew that if I wanted to, I would be able to take the skills I developed while working towards any other profession of my choosing.”