Michael A. Pickup, CPA, CA

Mr. Pickup began his ten-year term as Auditor General of Nova Scotia on July 4, 2014. He obtained his CA designation in 1992 in Nova Scotia and is now a CPA, CA.

He obtained a BA from Acadia University with a focus in Canadian economics and political science. He leads an office that conducts both financial and performance audits with approximately 10 performance audits per year, as well as the annual financial audit of the Government’s financial statements and other related financial work.

Prior to becoming Auditor General of Nova Scotia, he worked at the Office of the Auditor General of Canada for nearly 25 years, with 15 years in Ottawa and 10 in the Halifax regional Office. He worked under the leadership of 5 different Auditors General. During his years in Ottawa he taught in the business schools of both Carleton University and the University of Ottawa. He has also invested considerable effort to obtain abilities in French including a certificate program at Université Sainte-Anne in Nova Scotia and in-depth individual training full-time in Ottawa.

Currently, Mr. Pickup serves on CPA Canada’s Auditing and Assurance Standards Board which sets assurance and related standards for the profession across Canada. He began his 3-year term on April 1, 2017. In addition, Michael contributes to the international advancement of the auditing profession through training and presentations with the Canadian Audit and Accountability Foundation (previously CCAF) in Africa and Thailand and a Norwegian-led international peer review of the United States’ Government Accountability Office. He also does presentations and shares his knowledge at events including: Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) Canada conferences, Institute of Internal Auditors events, and Financial Management Institute of Canada events.

A very active person, he spends considerable free time pursuing his love for exercise, travel, and gardening to name a few.