Mississauga, ON, December 3, 2021 — EllisDon is pleased to announce that John Bernhardt, Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer, has been named a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario. The Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) are known for high ethical standards, strategic insights and their capacity to identify solutions to complex issues in today’s business world.

“I feel humbled to be recognized as a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario and to be in the company of so many other fine colleagues and individuals. My career as a CPA has always been a fulfilling one, and to achieve one of the highest distinctions in the profession is truly an incredible honour,” says John Bernhardt, Executive Vice-President & CFO, EllisDon.

Each year, CPA Ontario seeks to honour select members who exemplify these attributes. The Fellows (FCPA) distinction formally recognizes those members whose achievements and contributions, in their careers and in the community, have rendered exceptional service to the profession. Becoming a Fellow is the highest honour that can be bestowed on a CPA.

When John first joined EllisDon in the early 1990’s, the company faced major challenges in the wake of the recession. John was instrumental in reshaping the company’s finance function and creating and implementing new controls that turned EllisDon around and ultimately led to a 316% growth revenue by 2006.

John also played a key leadership role in transforming EllisDon from a family-owned business to a 100% employee-owned company in what leadership considers the most impactful event in the business’ 70-year history. Marshalling the business through this process every step of the way, John’s foresight, expertise and strategic thinking were essential to the success of the transformation.

John is credited with having built out a surety bond program that represents one of the largest in North America. He effectively expanded the company’s revenue growth capabilities by hundreds of millions of dollars and creating a new industry best practice at the very same time.

During his tenure, John has spearheaded countless initiatives to expand, and helped create entirely new categories for the business. When John first assumed the CFO role, EllisDon had seven profit centres. Today, that number is approaching 30 and John had a hand in building every single one.

“I look forward to continuing to make an impact by supporting our communities and guiding young people to consider the rich and diverse possibilities that a CPA designation can bring,” says Mr. Bernhardt. In recognition of his outstanding achievements and the contributions made to the profession and community, Mr. Bernhardt was celebrated at the Fellows Evening of Distinction hosted by the CPA.

To read the full Press Release, click HERE.