Zane Hansen, CPA, CMA
Zane Hansen, CPA, CMA on His Journey to President & CEO of SIGA
June 28, 2023
Zane Hansen is a member of Waterhen Lake First Nation whose career began with the Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) after attaining his Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance and Administration from the University of Saskatchewan. Zane credits his time at MLTC with providing a wide range of experience beyond his role as Director of Finance while also serving nine First Nation communities, including his own, through public services and business development.
While obtaining a CPA designation wasn’t immediately on his radar, he was fortunate to have mentors who suggested (or insisted!) that he further his education through an accounting designation. Their advice and encouragement led Zane to attain his CMA designation during his time with MLTC.
After many rewarding years, Zane decided to move on to a new role at Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) as the VP of Finance. At the time, SIGA was still developing its organizational capabilities and he believed his skill set and experience as a First Nation individual could make a contribution.
As his responsibilities at SIGA evolved, Zane soon took on the broader leadership role of President & CEO where he found the knowledge gained through his designation to be very valuable.
“I found accounting to be the perfect foundation to build off as my career responsibilities evolved and I was dealing with a wide range of organizational issues and stakeholders.”
Zane enjoys leading a company that is focused on creating opportunity and supporting First Nation development at the individual, business unit, and broader community level. He describes having the opportunity to lead so many highly capable people and see the pride of ownership at SIGA at all levels “extremely rewarding”.
Zane credits his CPA designation with equipping him with the fundamentals and language of business, giving him the ability to learn new things quickly, and work with colleagues and stakeholders on new developments.
“Without question [obtaining my designation] has been worth it in terms of opening up doors and giving me the confidence to take on new challenges in my career. I have certainly seen the value of an accounting designation as it provides you an immediate level of credibility and trust as you enter new chapters in your career.”
When asked why he would encourage individuals considering a designation to join the program, Zane notes that a CPA designation is a great way to obtain transferable skills for careers in many different industries, provides a great baseline to start your own business, and allows you to transition into assisting other organizations at the board level as you gain more experience.
“Having a good understanding of core financial accounting, management accounting, finance, cash management, and debt management will help you succeed in business and also your own personal affairs.”