Investment Funds and Securities - Chief Compliance Officer

In Alberta, chief compliance officers (CCOs) work in these types of registered securities firms:

• Portfolio manager

• Investment fund manager

• Exempt market dealer

• Scholarship plan dealer

• Investment dealer

• Mutual fund dealer

To register as a CCO for a firm, you must meet specific education, designation, and experience requirements. These requirements vary by the type of firm.

To meet the education requirements, you must pass 1 or more professional courses or exams, such as:

• The Canadian Securities Course (CSC)

• The Partners, Directors and Senior Officers Course (PDO) or Chief Compliance Officers Qualifying Examination Course (CCO)

• The Investment Funds in Canada (IFC) course

• The Exempt Market Proficiency Course (EXMP)

• The Dealing Representative Proficiency Course or the Branch Manager Proficiency Course

• Proficiency exams from the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO)

CCOs for portfolio manager firms may need to hold a designation, such as:

• Advising Representative (AR)

• Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)

• Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA)

• Lawyer

You must have relevant securities experience in the investment industry. The amount of experience ranges from 1 to 5 years, depending on what educational and designation requirements you have.

CCOs for portfolio manager, investment fund manager, exempt market dealer, or scholarship plan dealer firms must register with the ASC.

CCOs for investment dealer or mutual fund dealer firms must register with the ASC-delegated CIRO.

For details about all registration requirements, contact the ASC or CIRO, or visit their websites.

Chief compliance officers who are registered by and in good standing with a securities regulatory body elsewhere in Canada may be eligible for registration in Alberta.

For more information, see What if I am already certified in another province or territory in Canada? and the ASC or CIRO websites.