South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) members in North America
This is the Chartered Accountants Network USA landing page for SAICA members. Its purpose is to highlight SAICA related activity and connect you to both our SAICA representative Ryan Wheeler, and to SAICA itself.
What is Chartered Accountants Worldwide Network USA?
Chartered Accountants Worldwide Network USA (CAW Network USA) is an organization dedicated to helping Chartered Accountants succeed in North America. CAW Network USA is run by a team of US based volunteers with a full time Chief Executive.
CAW Network USA is the first local network of Chartered Accountants Worldwide, an organization that represents 1.8 million Chartered Accountants and students worldwide and is dedicated to global promotion of the Chartered Accountancy profession.
If you haven’t registered with CAW Network USA, membership is covered by SAICA for all members living / working in the United States. Since 2023, Canadian and Caribbean members living/working in those geographic locations have been eligible to join. We have added several chapters in Canada since 2023 and expanded to include Cayman Islands in 2024.
What are the benefits of registering with CAW Network USA for SAICA members?
- By registering with CAW Network USA, you will be participating in a 7,000+ strong, US based organization with a nationwide presence that now also includes members in Canada and the Caribbean. We are dedicated to supporting the needs of Chartered Accountants who reside in North America.
- Networking with like-minded individuals and access to technical and other resources to help you fulfil CPD requirements of SAICA membership. We also provide CPE credits for members who are also US CPAs.
- No membership fees – SAICA automatically pays membership fees and all SAICA ACAs and FCAs resident in North America are eligible for membership.
- Access to in person local Chapter events in 26 cities as of December 2024.
- Access to webinars and events put on by CAW Network USA, and its strategic partners.
- Supporting SAICA members working/living in the North America. CAW Network USA is a non-profit organization helping educate and network CAs. All revenue goes towards supporting and improving our support for members.
SAICA Representatives
Ryan Wheeler
SAICA Home Institute Representative
As a SAICA member resident in the United States or North America, you are automatically a member of CAW Network USA. If you also register with us, you will have access to our fellow institutes’ knowledge base, local events and networking with fellow CAs from around the world located in North America. There is also an opportunity to get involved with the Board, Chapters and individual events. Newly arrived CAs should make CAW Network USA a first stop as they get used to their new country.
About Ryan Wheeler
Ryan is CAW Network USA’s Member Organization representative for the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA). He is a well-informed and people-focused leader, with a passion for lifelong learning and value creation. He strives to create ever-strengthening teams that collaboratively innovate, disrupt the status quo, and lead change. His core values are accountability, transparency and recognition. He loves seeing individuals, teams and peers succeed due to either his direct or indirect involvement and influence in their professional lives.
Being an experienced strategic leader, with a very multicultural and diverse background, Ryan specializes in providing clients and stakeholders with high quality service and results, utilizing his more than 15 years of global & broad audit, accounting, digital upskilling, automation tools, project management and financial industry experience. He is a South African qualified CA(SA) and US CPA, having obtained his US CPA license for the State of New York, after passing the IQEX with a score of 97.
He is currently a Director and Assistant Treasurer within the Fund Administration & Oversight Group with Franklin Templeton, focusing on the FT mutual funds. He also serves as a Strategic Advisor for various US based private entities (usually with a strong business link with South Africa). Previous roles include audit-related leadership roles with PwC in both New York City and South Africa.
While Ryan is the overall contact for SAICA members for this region, he is building a team to support SAICA members by region.
Canada
Open
USA
Ryan Clacher
Based in New York, Ryan is a director with the Siegfried Group. He is also closely involved with CAW Network USA, having been its New York Chapter head prior to taking on the role of Member Advocacy leader for the ‘East’. This covers 14 chapters and 2/3 of CAW Network USA members in the North America. Since 2023 Ryan is also SAICA’s international council member covering the USA, Canada and the Caribbean.
Cayman Islands
Alison Palmer
Alison is Vice President of Finance and Operations at +ND Capital, a venture capital firm that invests in disruptive technologies across the life, physical and data sciences, and is based in the Grand Cayman office.
Alison has extensive experience in the financial services industry, with a focus on private equity and hedge funds. She spent 8 years working in fund administration and 5 years in investment management and funds audit working for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Grand Cayman and for KPMG in Cape Town.
Alison qualified as a chartered accountant in South Africa and is a member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants and the Cayman Islands Institute of Professional Accountants. She holds a Bachelor of Business Science (Finance Honours) and Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting, both obtained from the University of Cape Town. Alison is chair of the SAICA Cayman committee and part of the CAW Network USA Cayman Islands Chapter team.
Bermuda
Open
SAICA members wanting to become US CPAs
SAICA has a Mutual Recognition Agreement in pace with AICPA/NASBA, meaning that if a qualified CA wishes to become a US CPA, they need to agree with the local State Board that they qualify. They can then apply to take a single exam covering Legal, Tax and Ethics, rather than the full CPA examinations.
CAW Network USA has launched an online course to help prepare CA’s to take the IQEX exam.
USCPA NOW
Our Comprehensive IQEX Program
Based on over twenty years of experience in teaching IQEX courses, Henry Zimmer has prepared a Comprehensive IQEX Program that covers everything an eligible professional needs to learn to successfully pass the exam.
All participants will receive study notes written in an easy-to-follow conversational style that emphasize the most likely topics tested on the exam.
Useful links:
- SAICA MRA update (Nov 2021) – Becoming a US CPA
- Becoming a US CPA – FAQs
Registration for SAICA members for CAW Network USA
In order to be added to our membership database and to gain access to member only events and resources, please fill out the request form below.
Stay connected with CAW Network USA Events
New York Chapter Charity Winter Soiree
You are cordially invited to attend the CAW Network USA charity black-tie dinner being held on Friday January 24th, 2025 from 7pm. Join us for an evening of fine drinks, fine dining, and exceptional company, at the Orsay restaurant’s intimate private dining space located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Spouses, partners, clients, guests, friends are all encouraged to attend!
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Vancouver Chapter Mix and Mingle Social
To kick off 2025, the Vancouver Chapter is hosting an informal social gathering in Coquitlam. Please join Jade Fester on February 6th, 2025 at The Taphouse Coquitlam from 6pm Pacific. This will be a great opportunity to connect with fellow local CAs. Open to CAW Network USA members, associates and guests. Food and beverages will be sponsored in part for members and paid-up associates by CAW Network USA. Guests welcome.
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New England Chapter Holiday Dinner + Darts
Join our New England Chapter for a fun evening of darts, dinner and drinks in the heart of Seaport, Boston. Wednesday February 19th at 6pm at Flight Club in the Seaport area of Boston.
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