Board of Directors

Merwan N. Saher, FCPA, FCA

Former Auditor General of Alberta

Merwan Saher’s eight-year term as Auditor General of Alberta ended in April 2018. His career as a legislative auditor began with the Office of the Auditor General in 1980, where he performed in various roles. With nearly four decades of service in the Office of the Auditor General of Alberta, Merwan showed an unwavering commitment to helping government managers wisely use the funds and resources that had been entrusted to them. In May 2018, Merwan received a Lifetime Achievement Award from CPA Alberta.

Merwan became a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales in 1972, and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta in 1982. In 2012, he was made a Fellow of the Chartered Accountants of Alberta (FCA). With his extensive experience, he represented the office in the work of the Canadian Council of Legislative Auditors, and served on the Public Sector Accounting Board Task Force on Indicators of Financial Condition. Currently, he is a member of CPA Canada’s Public Sector Accounting Board Conceptual Framework Task Force. At the international level, Merwan has provided mentorship and guidance to other governmental auditors in an effort to ensure key learnings are shared on efficiencies in performance auditing.

It is the job of government to communicate relevant and reliable material to its citizens about the effectiveness of government services. This necessary demonstration of accountability for results is why Merwan focused on promoting the integration of financial and non-financial performance information. With his desire to engage with and communicate key messages to stakeholders, Merwan was determined to have the work of his office effectively deliver information to make a difference in the lives of Albertans.

Merwan specifically draws attention to two public reports in his term as Auditor General:

• Better Healthcare for Albertans (May 2017)
• Putting Alberta’s Financial Future in Focus (April 2018)