CBU Stalwart Derrick Hayes Awarded Fellow CPA Designation

Derrick Hayes is a familiar face to most on campus, wearing many hats over the course of his decades-long association with Cape Breton University. A student turned professor, Derrick began his professional career at CBU as a part-time employee in 1992 before accepting a full-time position in 2003. He currently holds the position of Associate Professor of Accounting and the George Unsworth Chair in Accounting in CBU’s Shannon School of Business. 

Derrick is one of the few people who can say he has witnessed the growth of CBU first-hand. He earned a Business Diploma when the institution was known as the College of Cape Breton, a Bachelor of Business Administration when it was known as the University College of Cape Breton, and finally a Master of Business Administration in Community Economic Development here at CBU. He also previously sat as the President of the CBU Alumni Association. 

Derrick recently added another achievement to his resume, as he was awarded the Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant designation. This is an honorary designation awarded to Chartered Professional Accountants whose achievements in their careers or the community earn them distinction and bring honour to the profession. Derrick was one of several professional accountants to have received the Fellow CPA designation, the profession’s highest mark of distinction from the Chartered Professional Accountants of Nova Scotia. 

CPA Nova Scotia congratulated the recipients of this award on their extraordinary achievements and philanthropic contributions. Naturally, Derrick is pleased to have received the award. “I am both extremely honoured that people have valued what I have done throughout my career, but also extremely humbled in that we do things in our lives not to be recognized, but because it is the right thing to do,” shares Derrick. “And let’s be honest, to get that warm fuzzy feeling in your belly from helping others.” 

With over two decades of experience working at CBU, Derrick feels there isn’t much that will change with his latest designation. “Nothing will change with this honorary designation,” he says. “But it will, as my previous designations have done, contribute significantly to my classroom discussions.” 

Few can boast of such a long and distinguished connection with the University as Derrick, and we are so proud to have him as part of the CBU family.