GLOBAL LEADER and SENIOR VICE-PRESIDENT, RESEARCH AND TOTAL WELLBEING

Paula Allen is the Global Leader, Research and Total Wellbeing and a Senior Vice- President at Morneau Shepell. In this role she manages the research agenda for Morneau Shepell, which includes primary research conducted by Morneau Shepell, exploratory data science, research collaborations and meta-analyses. Given her focus on industry leading research, Paula also leads Morneau Shepell’s thought leadership and is co-chair of the organization’s product and innovation strategy.  

Paula is focused on the current and emerging issues that impact health and productivity and related costs. Her scope includes all areas of wellbeing – social, physical, financial and mental. She is also a well-recognized expert in all areas of workplace mental health, learning strategies, disability management and drug plan management. She designed and led the most comprehensive employer response to the H1N1 pandemic and is currently Morneau Shepell’s business response and resource lead for the COVID-19 pandemic. She also works directly with many of Canada’s leading organizations. 

Paula is a member of the Women’s College Hospital’s Board of Directors, a member of the Virtual Learning Advisory Board consulting to the public sector’s post-secondary on-line learning strategy, was co-chair of Civic Action’s Champions Council on workplace mental health, was part of the Income Security Working Group providing advice to the Ontario Government on issues relating to disability and income support, and sits on several research and strategy advisory boards that address issues ranging from e-mental health solutions to substance abuse in the workplace.  

Paula completed undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Toronto in psychological research and neuropsychological testing and clinical intervention.  She has more than 20 years of experience relating to workplace research, product development and operational leadership that spans the range of EFAP, Workplace Learning, Attendance and Disability Management and Health and Benefits Consulting.   

Paula is a sought-after speaker by organizations, national media and at conferences for her knowledge and expertise in current issues and the future direction of health, wellbeing, productivity and related risk management.  

Scott is a partner in the National and Global Accounting Consulting Services at PwC Canada working in the Calgary office. He has significant technical experience in International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), US GAAP, and Canadian GAAP. 

Scott began working in PwC Calgary’s office in 2009. While working in Calgary, Scott has focused on all aspects of IFRS for oil and gas companies and utilities. He also specializes in financial instruments accounting across all industries including investment management. 

Before joining the Calgary office, Scott worked for two years as part of PwC’s Global Accounting Consulting Services Central Team (GACS) in London, UK. His role was to review financial statements for PwC clients around the world to help ensure the consistency in application of IFRS globally. As part of his role, Scott observed International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) meetings, discussed topics with IASB staff and assisted in drafting comment letters setting out PwC’s position to IASB and International Financing Reporting Interpretations Committee exposure drafts. 

Before working in the UK, Scott worked in PwC’s national Risk & Quality department in Toronto. He was responsible for consulting on complex technical accounting issues under Canadian GAAP and US GAAP, including financial instruments, leasing, variable interest entities, hedging, and foreign currency. In addition, Scott was one of the primary authors of PwC Canada’s financial instruments training. 

He is a member of CPA Canada’s Oil and Gas Task Force, the Alberta Securities Commission Financial Advisory Committee and PwC’s Global Energy, Utilities and Mining Committee. Scott sits on PwC’s global financial instruments topic team and Global Corporate Treasury Committee. 

Scott is a contributor and reviewer of PwC’s Global IFRS Manual of Accounting, which sets out PwC’s position on the application of IFRS and is available to PwC team members and clients throughout the world. He has also contributed papers to the Canadian Accounting Standards Board’s IFRS Discussion Group. 

Scott received both his BMath and MAcc from the University of Waterloo. He is also a Chartered Accountant, Certified Public Accountant (Illinois) and a Licensed Public Accountant (Ontario). 

National Manager, Managed Services, Ricoh Canada 

Ryan is an accomplished executive with 15+ years with Ricoh and consults with global and enterprise clients to identify and remediate inefficient business processes.  Specializing in Finance and Transportation process automation, Ryan has led the Ricoh team from discovery and solution development through implementation for some of Ricoh’s largest business process automation engagements.   

Ryan also contributes to Ricoh’s own Digital Transformation Strategy and lends his expertise to the in-house Solution Design Team in expanding Ricoh’s BPA offering with an eye to delivering exceptional value across our clients’ organisations. 

Dave Bezanson is the 2022 Chair of the Board of Directors of FEI Canada. As a member and past president of the Atlantic Canada Chapter of FEI and Chair of the 2018 FEI National Conference in Halifax Dave has significant experience with FEI Canada. His focus for 2022 is to work collaboratively with his fellow directors to bring FEI out of the pandemic with a focus on re-engaging with our members and promoting the FEI brand throughout Canada. 

Dave is currently the VP of Investor Relations and Pensions at Emera Inc., an electric and gas utility holding company with operations in Atlantic Canada, Florida, New Mexico and the Caribbean. In this role Dave is responsible for managing company messaging to a global shareholder base and for managing pension plans with ~$4B in assets.  

Dave is a CPA and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Acadia University and lives in Halifax, N.S. with his wife and two children. 

Ameet has 18 + years of experience in leading and managing large scale Technology transformation programs and Analytics solution delivery in various industries such as Oil and Gas, Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT), Financial Services, and Consumer Business. A leader, mentor and coach with a focus on enabling organizations realize their strategic vision with a razor focus on Analytics to improve profitability, insights and drive actionable outcomes. Ameet spends an average of 50% of his time on business development, practice & people development 
 

Specialties: Analytics, predictive analytics, incentive compensation management, sales performance management, governance, risk and compliance, financial and management performance dashboards, management reporting, external reporting, disclosure management, budgeting and forecasting, balanced scorecards, data warehouses and analytical reporting, financial consolidations, xBRL 

As Executive Director of FEI Canada, Georgina’s mandate is focused on expanding FEI Canada’s national presence and enhancing the value that the association provides to Canada’s senior financial executives.

Georgina leads a team that focuses on meeting the increasingly complex needs of its members through research, guidance and thought-leadership on a broad range of matters that currently impact financial executive or will impact them in the future.

Thomas Brook is a business lawyer specializing in indirect tax.  Thomas’s practice includes domestica and international tax planning and corporate structuring.  He focuses on collaborating with his clients and their advisers to achieve the timely and efficient resolution of tax disputes with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and provincial authorities. 

Thomas has particular expertise in assisting clients who are undergoing tax audits, advising US, European and other foreign corporations on the application Canadian tax law, advising employers on compensation and benefit arrangements for their cross-border executive and resolving disputes with provincial tax authorities (e.g. Ontario EHT, British Columbia PST, Retail Sales Tax and provincial insurance taxation). 

Prior to joining EY Law, Thomas practiced law at a national law firm based in Toronto.  Thomas has also worked as an Operations Manager for a manufacturing company in China, as a Business Analyst and as a Professional Engineer.  During this time, he gained valuable experience with cross border negotiation, initiation of joint ventures and the marketing of technology start-ups.  Thomas has also built a wealth of experience negotiating licencing agreements and drafting contracts with business in Asia, Europe and the United States. 

Lisa Carroll is the Public Sector Lead for Microsoft Canada. Her most recent role prior to joining was as the Senior Vice-President, National Capital Region at CGI.

Lisa’s 29-year IT career has included leadership roles with other leading Canadian organizations, such as Sierra Systems, University Health Network, Liberty Technology Services and Compugen Systems Ltd. Her passions include supporting a strong Canadian economy by enabling a healthy ICT Sector and helping clients deliver on their commitments to the Citizens of Canada. She is currently co-chair of TECHNATION’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, formerly she was Vice-Chair Director on the National Board and chair of TECHNATION’s Ontario Board. She also has participated in many advocacy councils with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. Lisa is a recipient of the Silver Stevie Award – Canadian Female Executive of the Year (2013), TECHNATION’s Volunteer of the Year Award (2013), and the Queen’s Jubilee Award (2013).

Outside of work, Lisa focuses on her family and friends. She enjoys golfing, skiing, the outdoor life in Ottawa and walking her dog.

Keith Chatwin is a partner in the Capital Markets and Mergers & Acquisitions Groups. His practice involves a broad array of securities and general corporate transactions, ranging from public and private debt and equity financing to mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring and recapitalizations, and shareholder activism and defense. Keith has acted in respect of a number of contested and uncontested take-over situations, as well as a number of corporate and intercorporate arrangements, including reverse take-overs, trust conversions, spin-outs and asset acquisitions and divestitures. He is also an active member of the Korea and Japan Groups. 

Keith is a member of the Law Society of Alberta, the Canadian Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Calgary Bar Association, the Inter-Pacific Bar Association, the International Bar Association and is a member of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Korea. He is also a member of the Alberta Securities Commission’s Securities Advisory Committee and a past member of the Alberta Securities Commission’s Derivatives Advisory Committee

CFO, IBM Canada​

Leanne Clarke is the CFO of IBM Canada where she has responsibility for strategic financial planning, reporting, and execution.  In her 20-year IBM career, Leanne has held a variety of roles within Finance including planning, pricing and accounting.   Leanne is passionate about leveraging technology to drive business value and data-driven insights.  ​

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In her prior role as Director Talent & Skills Transformation, Leanne had responsibility for global Finance communications, acquisition and development of Finance skill worldwide, as well as broader Finance & operations skill development programs.  ​

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Leanne completed her Bachelor of Administrative Studies, Honours degree from York University and has been a CPA, CMA since 2001.  Leanne is a Board member for the not-for-profit organization, newchoir, and is a member of the AICPA Future of Finance Advisory Group influencing changes impacting our profession.   Leanne is the Executive co-sponsor for the Women at IBM Networking Group and founder of the Women in Finance group for Canada enhancing networking and education opportunities.   ​

Mike has extensive senior management & business development experience spanning over 28 years in the financial services industry. Mike is passionate and dedicated with a desire to continue in a senior leadership position offering personal development. 
 

Mike has built an effective network of customers and colleagues through a series of progressive appointments spanning personal and commercial banking, private banking, and specialty financing in four diverse geographic locations within Canada.  
 

In addition to his business acumen, Mike enjoys spending time with his family in activities such as biking, skiing and traveling. He also enjoys committee work and has volunteered with various Chambers of Commerce.  
 

Mike brings a strong sense of commitment and purpose to all of his endeavors and actively pursues opportunities for personal development and growth. This character trait has provided Mike the opportunity to pursue diverse roles that stretch his abilities and provide opportunities for career advancement. Mike is an advocate for higher education, training and development and has most recently concentrated on further developing his leadership skills. Mike’s personal mission is to lead his teams to top quarterly performance while exceeding the strategic goals of the organization. 

Mark Deller works with businesses going through a period of transition and/or growth. By leveraging experience in finance, accounting, operations and business development, he works with businesses as a key team member as they implement their strategical and tactical plans. 
 

Mark’s experience includes (but is not limited to): 
– change and growth management 
– cash and capital management  
– information systems & reporting (planning & implementation) 
– accounting policies and procedures development and implementation 
– risk assessment and solution development 
– corporate restructuring and financial capitalization and structuring 
– financial and management reporting  
– operations optimization and integration 
– planning, forecasting and budgeting 
– cross-functional integration 
– business technology review and implementation, including ERP, data analytics, etc. 
 

Mark has worked in a variety of sectors that include real estate, oil & gas services, technology, and manufacturing and distribution. 

 Christine Diaz is a Sr. Director at SAP working in the Finance and Risk, Centre of Excellence.  In her role, Christine works with customers who are considering a Finance Transformation.   Christine presents how SAP solutions drive business value and how they support the strategic direction of organizations using the latest innovation.  

Christine has over 25 years of SAP experience including a wide variety of industries such as manufacturing, retail, utilities, mining, and public sector.  Christine is based out of Toronto and supports the Canadian region nationwide.  

In Christine former role, Christine was in accounting and bookkeeping.  Christine has branched out into SAP as a super user gaining hands on experience in testing and configuration and implementation of SAP software. During that time, she also played an essential part in driving change with SAP R/3 solution modules such as Finance, order to cash, project systems and logistics. 

Associate Director, Sustainable Finance,  Scotiabank

Patrycja is an award-winning, sustainability and ESG professional in the Canadian business community. She currently works with Scotiabank’s Sustainable Finance team to provide ESG advice and solutions to corporate, financial, public sector, and institutional clients and deliver on the bank’s commitment to mobilize $100 billion of sustainable financing by 2025. Patrycja has extensive experience advancing sustainability strategy with medium and large North American energy companies leading the way in ESG integration, corporate strategy and reporting opportunities for the sector. She also held the role of Chair, representing the oil and natural gas sector in the development of the Canadian Standards Association’s Sustainable & Transition Principles and Taxonomy. 

Patrycja holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Calgary and is currently working towards her MBA at Dalhousie University specializing in Sustainable Finance. She is board member of the Canadian network of the UN Global Compact, an active mentor and board member of the University of Calgary’s sustainability student association Fuse Collective and was awarded the 2018 Young Women in Energy Award, recognizing women in the oil and gas industry for their leadership, innovation and community service. 

Laura Didyk, Vice President, Client Diversity at BDC  since 2020. Diversity and inclusion are at the core of BDC’s corporate values and business strategy. Laura leads the bank’s national approach to support Canada’s diverse entrepreneurs, including women, Black, Indigenous, LGBTQ2, veterans, and newcomers: helping their businesses, and our economy, thrive. 

Laura is a long-term advocate for small businesses and inclusivity. In 2018, she was promoted to National Lead, Women Entrepreneurs and helped BDC reach its ambitious $1.4B financing target ahead of schedule to inspire more women to start or grow their businesses. Since joining the bank in 1994, she has held progressively senior roles across many divisions that always centre on helping entrepreneurs thrive. 

Having lived and worked in Calgary for over 20 years, Laura loves spending time in the mountains skiing and hiking with her husband and two daughters. She supports many like-minded organizations including sitting on WBE Canada’s Board of Directors, and national advisory committees for the Community Business Development Corporation, WEConnect International’s Expert Advisory Council, and the International Women’s Forum. She is also a mentor with the Haskayne School of Business MBA Program through the University of Calgary. 

A Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), she holds a Business degree and a degree in Actuarial Science from the University of Manitoba. 

As Vice President, Finance at Interac Corp, Kenneth leads the financial reporting, accounting, and treasury functions while also providing support to the Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) team. In addition, Kenneth has over 16 years of experience in FP&A, assisting private companies in setting pricing, achieving operational efficiencies and driving change to exceed corporate objectives.  Prior to engaging in a career in corporate finance, Kenneth worked in consulting, investment banking and also co-founded a software/service company targeting the conference/event industry. 

Martin has been with the Robert Walers Group for 15 years including working in their Dublin, Ireland and London, UK offices before returning home to his native Toronto to establish the Group’s first Canadian office in 2016. As Country Manager, Martin is responsible for leading and growing a team of specialized recruitment consultants that focus on placing mid-senior level accounting & finance and legal & compliance professionals into a client base that ranges from small-medium sized private businesses to multinational public companies. Martin graduated from McGill University with a BA in Political Science in 2006, is Co-Chair of St. Joseph Hospital’s Young Professional Network (SJYP) and is on the Toronto Chapter Board of the Association of Canadian Search, Employment & Staffing Services (ACSESS). 

As Robert Walters’ Country Manager, Martin’s responsible for leading growing recruiting consulant teams focused on placing mid-senior level accounting & finance, legal & compliance professionals into client bases that range from small-medium size private businesses to multinational public companies.

 Kyndryl Canada Finance Leader  

Darren Gopeesingh a Finance Executive with over 30 years of experience in all aspects of accounting and finance including strategic planning, process implementation and change management. 

He thrives on leading growth and change turnarounds with a deep cross-functional expertise and track record for creatively solving complex business challenges and driving accelerated execution to achieve optimal results. 

As Managing Principal of Cresa’s Toronto office, Jamie has grown the company to become one of Canada’s largest occupier focused commercial real estate companies.  

Working alongside his team to service clients, the key to Cresa’s success has been their ability to align real estate to enable their client’s business needs, growth strategy, and culture. As a result, year over year, Jamie is one of the top advisors in Canada, and takes enormous pride in helping organizations create work environments that inspire Canada’s top talent. 

He is also an active member of his community. He is currently a Venture Sinai member, a Director of Cresa Global, and a hockey coach for the Goulding Park Rangers.

Constantine has spent most of his 19-year career in acquisitions, financing and hands-on private equity roles in Western Canada. Before joining BDC as Partner, Growth Equity Partners, he worked with VetCare Canada, where he helped the start-up develop corporate structures and build relationships with key industry influencers and stakeholders. 

In his role as Director, Insurance, Alex is accountable for the management of insurance across the organization, including procurement, captive management, advisory and claims administration.​
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Alex has been with Enbridge for 11 years and holding roles of progressive seniority within the Insurance group. Prior to his appointment as Director, Insurance in September 2020, Alex was the Manager, Insurance, and was responsible for implementing the centralized insurance operating model.​

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Alex is a Chartered Insurance Professional and Canadian Risk Manager and has a Bachelor of Commerce in Risk Management and Insurance from the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary.​

Bob Hirth was appointed to the standard setting board of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) upon its formation in 2017 and serves as a Vice Chair of the board. He currently heads SASB’s Technology and Communications sector committee. He is a 2021 NACD Directorship 100 Governance Professional honoree.   

Serving as COSO Chair from June 2013 to February 2018, his activities included leading COSO’s project on revising its Enterprise Risk Management Framework which was released in September 2017, issuing COSO’s Guide on Fraud Risk Management, and actively promoting COSO’s 2013 Internal Control Integrated Framework around the world and through the media. Bob initiated COSO’s guidance on ERM/ESG integration which was issued in 2018. He has worked on assignments and made presentations in over 20 countries, serving more than 50 organizations and working closely with board members, C-level executives, University professors, finance and accounting personnel as well as public accounting firm partners and employees on governance, risk management, and sustainability matters.  

He is a Senior Managing Director of Protiviti, a global internal audit and business consulting firm with over 7,000 employees operating in more than 25 countries. Prior to that, he was Executive Vice President, Global Internal Audit and a member of the Firm’s six-person executive management team for the first ten years of Protiviti’s development. 

In 2012, Bob was appointed to serve a two-year term on the Standing Advisory Group of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) and was re-appointed to serve a three-year term ending December 31, 2016.  

Bob started his career in public accounting and became a global equity partner of Arthur Andersen in 1988. During his tenure there, he worked in the Dallas, Melbourne Australia, San Jose and San Francisco offices, serving as a partner in both the audit and advisory practices of the firm. For over 20 years, he practiced as a CPA in Texas and California and also qualified as a chartered accountant and registered company auditor while working in Australia. In 2013, Bob was inducted into The American Hall of Distinguished Audit Practitioners. In 2014 and 2015, he served as the Chairman of the IIA’s IPPF re-look task force. Bob graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, with a concentration in accounting. 

CFO, ATB

What drew Dan to ATB is our relentless focus on purpose, and our balance of social responsibility and profitability. Most importantly though, Dan believes ATB’s ‘why’ aligns with his own values. His ‘why’ is to truly make a difference and to impact people’s lives in a positive and authentic manner.

Dan is a highly-accomplished financial service executive and corporate officer and has spent significant time in senior leadership with companies such as Bank of America, Capital One, and Ernst & Young. Dan is actively involved with the FinTech community and was also a part of eBay at the height of the internet revolution.

Dan has established a reputation as a sage business advisor who strategically balances stakeholder needs with those of the business. His 30-years of experience has gained him an expert knowledge base in financial/commercial business operations, financial planning/reporting, forecasting, expense management, corporate development, and strategy. He has a proven track record of growing businesses and finding innovative solutions to modern day business challenges.

Originally from South Africa, Dan is a Chartered Accountant and Certified Public Accountant. Dan currently sits on both the Board of Governors for Norquest College and the Board of Directors for the Edmonton Humane Society.

John joined Workday, Inc. as Vice President, Financials Products and Go To Market in 2015. Prior to Workday, John was Senior Vice President & Corporate Controller, and Principal Accounting Officer, at Life Time Fitness, Inc., a Minneapolis, Minnesota based Healthy Way of Life company. Prior to Life Time Fitness, John held accounting and financial leadership roles with CompleTel Europe, N.V. (Paris, France), Jones Intercable, Inc. (Denver, Colorado), and started his career at Arthur Andersen LLP (Denver, Colorado).  John has a B.B.A. in Accountancy from Iowa State University, and is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive) in the state of Colorado. 

Virtual CIO, Ricoh IT Services 

Epsit brings 25+ years of leadership, business innovation, and digital transformation experience gained across a broad spectrum of industries via operational and leadership roles in finance, IT, consulting, public sector (all levels), service delivery, and professional services.

As Ricoh’s vCIO with experience in senior finance roles, Epsit provides innovative and nuanced leadership to our clients, develops digital roadmaps, designs and manages process optimization, and implements solutions that maximize client’s digital investments that enables achievement of their business goals. 

Epsit has an MBA from the Ivey School of Business and is a licensed chartered professional accountant (CPA).  He also volunteers as a board member and mentor for organizations such as Achev, Centre for Education & Training, Change Foundation, Woodgreen Community Services, and Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council. 

Howard is a Managing Director and Canada Market Leader at Duff & Phelps (one of the world’s largest independent valuation and corporate finance firms). He advises business owners and executives on acquisitions, divestitures, financing and shareholder value matters.  Howard’s previous positions include Chairman of M&A International Inc (an investment banking alliance that provides financial advisory services), Managing Director of Veracap International Inc. (a mid-market investment bank) and Managing Director of Campbell Valuation Partners. (Canada’s longest established and largest independent consultancy specializing in business valuation).  He has also held senior positions in industry and has served on the board of public, private and not-for-profit organizations.

Howard is the author of several books on the subjects of business valuation, M&A and corporate finance primarily published by CPA Canada. 

Howard has been a member of FEI Canada since 2002.  He is the past President of the Southern Golden Horseshoe Chapter and was a member of the inaugural Board of Directors for CFERF. Howard was the recipient of the Frank S. Capon award in 2019.

Vice President, Finance, Customer Administration and IT  

Julian Jugmohan was appointed Vice President, Finance for Ricoh Canada in April 2019.  

As Ricoh’s executive Finance leader, Julian oversees Financial Planning and Analysis, Sales Compensation; Corporate and Sales Tax; Treasury; Accounting; SOX; Policy Design and Administration. His leadership in risk mitigation and partner management has provided opportunities to contribute to organizational revenue and profit. Julian is also responsible for Ricoh’s IT digital transformation journey and enabling employees. 

Julian’s entrepreneurial roots in Healthcare guided the creation of his own business and provided an invaluable understanding of how all aspects of a business operate. Progressive Finance and Business partnership roles in various industries including Telecom and Hospitality led him to Ricoh in 2011. Julian is a designated CPA and holds a BBA from Schulich School of Business. 

As CEO of Hut 8, Jaime sets the strategic direction for the company that is defining the digital asset revolution. Since joining the organization, she has transformed Hut 8 into a high-performance mining organization, with a new mine coming online in North Bay, Ontario, and through the recent acquisition of five data centers, which Jaime and her team are innovating to build the infrastructure supporting companies in the Blockchain and Web 3.0 industries. Jaime is passionate about advancing high-growth and future-forward technology companies, most recently serving as the Chief Commercial Officer at eStruxture Data Centers. Her 20-plus years of leadership experience also includes driving revenue programs as General Manager of Canada and APAC, with data center and cloud provider Cogeco Peer 1 (now Aptum). Previously, she held leadership roles with National Bank, BlackBerry, Bell Canada and IBM Canada. She sits on the boards of the Stratford Festival, Technation, and ComKids, and serves as the Chair of IMWomen Canada. 

Art Madden is Chief Financial Officer of Crown Point Ventures Ltd. from October 2009 and President of 554492 Alberta Ltd. (a private company providing consulting services to the energy sector since 1993). Madden was Vice President Finance, Chief Financial Officer, and Director of Adamant Energy Inc. (a private oil and gas company) from July 2004 to May 2008. 

Art was Vice President, Finance, and Chief Financial Officer of Cavell Energy Corporation (a public oil and gas company) from June 1994 to July 2004. 

Art Madden, C.M.A., M.B.A., ICD.D has a Certified Management Accountant designation, Masters of Business Administration from Queens University as well as certification from the Institute of Corporate Directors. Madden is a member of Financial Executives International. 

Dave Malenfant is a strategic supply chain operations leader with more than 40 years’​ experience in driving change and performance improvement across the supply chain.  Dave led a global supply chain team of 10 direct and over 1000 indirect reports achieving extraordinary results.  Dave also has the unique ability of identifying good talent and developing them into future Supply Chain Leaders.  
 

His leadership and performance excellence are demonstrated by capturing new business opportunities, creating best-in-class processes, innovating operational improvements, eliminating costs, and engaging teams. His career has focused on these key elements of supply chain management: 

Global Orientation-as a globally capable supply chain executive, Dave managed enterprises that sourced and sold globally, and extend across continents. By effectively interacting with suppliers and customers worldwide, Dave establish greater efficiencies in planning and inventory management. 

Partner, National ESG Report and Assurance Leader, PwC Canada 

Sarah is a partner in our Risk Assurance Services practice, based in Vancouver. She leads PwC Canada’s ESG Reporting and Assurance Practice. She is qualified as a Chartered Accountant in both Canada and the UK and has over 22 years of experience with PwC. Sarah has extensive experience in our sustainability practice, helping clients meet their non-financial assurance needs. Sarah is recognized for her ability to understand a client’s reporting requirements, and to then develop a strategy and approach to meeting those needs. Sarah is also lead verifier on regulatory GHG emissions reporting for many clients in Canada. 

Sarah has provided assurance against a wide range of criteria and KPI’s using criteria such as TCFD Carbon Footprinting metrics, GRI, SASB, BC performance reporting principles, Recycling Regulations, GHG Protocol, ICMM, Mining Association of Canada’s Towards Sustainable mining protocols, Responsible Gold Mining Principles, World Gold Council Conflict-Free Gold Standard and Guidance for Assurance Providers. 

Sarah is also on Canada’s IASB working group reviewing assurance of extended external reporting, CPA Canada’s Sustainability Reporting Committee and is part of PwC’s Global ESG Reporting and Assurance Working Group, meeting regularly to determine global sustainability assurance methodologies. 

Meghan is a partner and leader in EY’s Canadian Climate Change and Sustainability Services practice.  She has experience working with multinational organization in Europe and North America to develop strategies for building long-term value for stakeholders and society.  She spends her time working with boards, executive leadership teams and operational leadership team to strategically address climate change and other environment, social and governance (ESG) mattes that have a significant impact on access and retention of capital and long-term performance. Also a member of EY’s North American Climate Change and Sustainability Services leadership team, Meghan leads a team of professionals in delivering audit and consulting services across Canada. 

A passional thought leader on EST, Meghan has over two decades of combined international and local experience in sustainability, government relations and providing climate change, consulting and assurance services to client in the public sector, mining, energy, utilities, private equity and pension sectors. 

Meghan hold a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations from the University of Calgary, and has completed courses in Corporate Social Responsibility and Leadership through Harvard Business School. 

Dr. Tu Nguyen is Economist an ESG Director and is a member of RSM’s Global Economics team, providing regular thought leadership and data-driven analysis on both the Canadian and global economies. Additionally, Dr. Nguyen works closely with the firm’s ESG group to develop quantitative models and a standardized process to service their clients, and in turn lay a foundation for the practice for Canadian and global middle markets. 

“Tu’s deep capabilities in econometrics and economic modelling, combined with her strong business background and expertise in ESG will allow us to further expand our network and provide progressive services to our clients,” said Harry Blum, RSM Canada’s national managing partner. “ESG is no longer nice to have, but rather a critical element for organizations in today’s world. Tu and the rest of RSM Canada’s highly-skilled ESG team will be at the forefront of data and metrics that matter to middle market business across North America.” 

Tu obtained her PhD in Economics from Oregon State University. Prior to that, she graduated Cum Laude from CUNY Baruch College with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics, and a double minor in Mathematics and Political Science. Most recently, Tu worked at the Department of Marine Affairs at Dalhousie University to develop a national survey to obtain data and estimate the economic impact of COVID-19. 

Daniel Oh is the acting Managing Director for Sage Canada. In his leadership role, Daniel brings over 20 years’ experience building and developing strong teams, nurturing partner relationships, improving customer satisfaction, and growing revenue. He works with mid-sized companies to digitally transform their finances and operations through a cloud-first strategy that helps them achieve scalable growth and success.

As EY Canada’s Tax Policy leader, Fred assists and advises global companies on how to work effectively with the Canada Revenue Agency to manage tax risk and controversy issues. He plays a significant thought leadership role for the Canadian firm in the areas of global tax policy and tax controversy. Fred is also the Leader of EY Canada’s Economics and Analytical Services practice, which provides a wide range of economic and statistical advisory services to private and public-sector clients. 

He joined EY in 2010 after an accomplished 33-year career in the Canadian federal public service, the last 20 years of which he served in various senior executive roles with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
Fred is a member and former councillor of the Canadian branch of the International Fiscal Association and a member of the Canadian Tax Foundation and the Canadian Association for Business Economics. He’s served as a consultant to the IMF and been a frequent speaker and moderator at domestic and international tax conferences. 

He holds a B.A. Honours (Economics) from Queen’s University and an M.A. (Economics) from Western University. 

Sandra is an accomplished senior Tax Executive.  Currently, she is Senior Vice President, Global Head of Tax at a Canadian and U.S. listed public company, Tricon Residential Inc.  A member of the senior management team for the last 8 years, she is involved in leading all aspects of the tax function including developing strategy, structuring acquisitions, mitigating risk, advocating with tax authorities, transforming technology, and supporting growth initiatives, investor relations and capital markets.  

Prior to Tricon, Sandra was at Manulife Financial where she led Global Tax Transformation, which was part of a company-wide Finance Transformation initiative.  She was responsible for working with the Global Tax Leadership group in Asia, Canada and the U.S. to develop a future state operating model and establish a roadmap to achieve greater operating efficiency. 

Prior to Manulife Financial, she spent a combined 10 years at Deloitte.  Most recently as a Tax Partner and National Tax Leader of the Post Merger Integration tax practice in Canada.  She was responsible for advising international clients on operational tax issues, transforming the tax function and optimizing tax benefits from strategic acquisitions. She published Thought white papers on tax integration issues and recently lectured at the Tax Executive Institute Canadian Tax Course on Corporate Reorganizations.  

Sandra was a Director, Tax at the Corporate Office of GE Capital/GE Canada.  Over her 10-year tenure at GE she practiced International Tax with an emphasis on corporate reorganizations, structured transactions, capital markets, and strategic acquisitions and divestitures.  She received recognition for her leadership and was identified as the “franchise player” of GE Canada’s tax organization, responsible for consistently delivering significant tax savings, improving controllership, mitigating tax risk and creating shareholder value. 

Sandra is the current Chair of the Financial Executive International Canada Tax Policy Forum (2015 – present) and has been a Board member of the Trillium Health Partners Volunteer Board (2012-2019), a member of the Board of Directors of the Living Arts Center (2016-2019), a Board member of the Tax Executive Institute, Toronto Chapter (2008-2011) and Chair of the Tax Executive Institute Toronto Chapter Income Tax Committee (2010-2011).   She has prepared submissions to the Department of Finance and led various public-private forums on tax policy matters with both the federal and provincial governments.  Sandra is a former Adjunct Professor of Income Tax Policy at both the University of Toronto and York University Taxation programs. 

Sandra received her Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto, is a Chartered Professional Accountant, a Chartered Accountant, and a graduate from the Rotman School of Management Executive Leadership Program.  She has completed numerous leadership training programs at GE’s John F. Welch Leadership Development Center in Crotonville, New York and is also Six Sigma Certified.  Sandra has led the mentoring and senior women’s network programs of GE, Deloitte and Tricon and is committed to influencing and accelerating the professional development of others. 

Veena Ravi leads the Finance and Performance practice consulting practice for British Columbia. Veena has extensive experience in finance solution architecture, large/complex ERP implementations, finance transformation and business process re-engineering. Veena has built strong relationships and credentials within the Financial Services, Public Sector and Higher-Education industries as well as showcasing and building capabilities to strengthen this across the market.  

Veena is passionate about people and culture and works actively to build a positive and collaborative work environment.

Director, National Energy Business Centre of Excellence

Steve Saddleback, Director of the National Energy Business Centre of Excellence (NEBCE) at the Indian Resource Council of Canada (IRC).

A member of Treaty 6 from the Samson Cree Nation located in Maskwacis, AB. Mr. Saddleback has worked for a number of national and international organizations in Finance, Real Estate investment, Banking, Economic Development, Fiscal Relations and was a co-owner of an Oil and Gas lease construction company in Northeastern British Columbia.

Steve volunteers his time on numerous boards including the Indigenous Opportunities Committee at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, SADLBAK Trucking, Samson Cree Nation – Nipishkopahk Wellness and Social Development Committee, Nipisihkopahk Miyomacihowyn Society, Co-Chair of the program advisory committee and board member for the ReDeveLop initiative – University of Calgary, and is the Vice-President of the Circle for Aboriginal Relations Society.

Steve is adamant on working towards meaningful involvement of indigenous communities in all areas of the economy with a focus on the Energy sector.

Michael Shultz is an accounting leader. As BlackLine’s Director of Solutions Marketing, Michael combines nearly 20 years of accounting experience in auditing (Big 4), consulting, and financial reporting management to guide companies on their path to Modern Finance. Michael earned his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting with a Finance Minor from the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University in 1997. Today, when not writing bios in third person, Michael travels the world sharing his experience and presenting innovative approaches to increase productivity and optimize the close.  

In her role as National Energy & Power Leader, Joanne is accountable for the Energy & Power Specialty for Marsh in Canada, which includes over 45 Canadian based colleagues specializing in client service, placement, claims, risk engineering and weather and energy specialty products.​

Joanne works with some of Canada’s largest Energy, Power and Renewable Energy clients providing strategic insight, senior relationship management and global co-ordination for complex risk placements.​

In addition, Joanne sits on Marsh’s Global Executive for Energy and Power and Renewable Energy and the North American Executive for Energy and Power and is responsible for co-ordination of global and local capabilities for Canadian Energy and Power clients. ​

Joanne has been with Marsh for 18 years and holding roles of progressive seniority within Canada and Australia. Joanne has dual bachelor degrees in Law and International Business from Queensland University of Technology and a Graduate Diploma in Financial Services (Insurance) from Deakin University.  ​

Gagandeep has over 12 years’ experience in tax transformation, tax function effectiveness, corporate and international taxation including GST.

Gagandeep’s practice focuses primarily on advising clients across all sectors on improving the efficiency of a tax function. It includes areas such as tax transformation, tax function effectiveness, tax process improvements, tax process automation, ERP implementation from tax perspective, tax compliance efficiency and automation.

Gagandeep has worked in the consulting as well as in the industry. He has developed a close understanding of client requirements having worked himself in such roles and understood the dependencies on other functions within an organization. Such experience reflects on the advise to clients which already factors potential issues or concerns which may arise.

Gagandeep has worked in many countries including India, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Poland and Indonesia thereby developing a global tax knowledge. Gagandeep was part of the team leading efforts in building finance shared service centre.

Gagandeep has been a frequent speaker on various international tax topics related to the tax transformation for various tax organizations including the Canadian Tax Foundation and the Canadian Petroleum Tax Society.

How Gagandeep is Building a Better Working World

As businesses transform around the world and tax authorities become more digital, I help clients improve the way they do tax through improved operating models incorporating enhanced processes, automation and tax data intelligence.

Vladlen is the Director of Finance at the industry-leading natural gas liquids wholesale marketing company NGL Supply Co. Ltd.  

Vladlen is also a dedicated member of FEI Canada, serving as Chair of Programming for FEI Calgary Board of Directors, as well as Vice-Chair of Audit & Finance for the FEI National Board of Directors and Vice-Chair of IT Thought Leadership Committee. 

Vladlen brings experience in public accounting, finance, tax, compliance and leadership developed through working in public accounting and energy industry in Canada and New Zealand. Vladlen is an entrepreneur at heart, starting businesses in Canada and Central America, as well as serving on various not-for-profit boards. 

Vladlen is a Ukrainian immigrant and proud alumnus of Western University with an Honors degree in Accounting and Economics. He is passionate about travel and bodybuilding. Vladlen now lives in Calgary with his incredible wife and son, enjoying everything the Rockies have to offer to the fullest. 

Craig Steele

Senior Advisor, Estate Planning, The Targeted Strategies Group

Gary is a trusted expert in his field, delivering seminars on wealth management and lectures on tax and estate planning at the University of Toronto, York University and McMaster University. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Physics from Western University.

Deputy Director , ARC Energy Research Institute

A respected public speaker, podcaster, blogger  and author,  Peter  has  devoted his career to energy, first as a geophysicist, then  as an economist and investment strategist. Peter has written two  bestsellers — A  Thousand Barrels a  Second  and  The End of  Energy Obesity — and  in 2020 launched his new project, energyphile.org,  and book,  The Investor Visit and Other Stories: Disruption, Denial and Transition in the Energy Business.  Passionate about studying  how society evolves its energy use and applying  lessons of the past to today’s strategic business issues, Peter created  Energyphile to  encourage people to think about the energy business in a whole  new way.   

In 2015, Peter was seconded to the four-person Royalty Review Panel for the province of Alberta — the world’s eighth largest producer of oil and gas — where he led the redesign of the fiscal policy. In 2016 he was inducted into the Alberta Petroleum Hall of Fame and in 2021, he joined the Institute of Sustainable Finance Advisory Board and became the Chair of the board of Contemporary Calgary Art Gallery. 

Peter has an undergraduate degree in Geophysics from the University of Alberta, a graduate degree in Econometrics from the University of Southampton UK, and a Master of Science in Management of Technology from the Sloan School of Management at MIT.  

Peter  and his colleague Jackie Forrest  also host  the ARC Energy Ideas  podcast, exploring  trends influencing the energy industry. 

Subscribe to the podcast.  

As EY Canada’s Tax Technology and Transformation Practice Leader, Michelle works with multinational organizations to redefine their tax function and navigate the digital revolution. 

With more than two decades’ experience, Michelle brings specialized expertise assessing and redesigning operating models and end-to-end tax processes. She delivers pointed solutions to address challenges, implement tax technology road maps, and evolve functional teams and processes to create value for her clients. Before joining EY in 2016, Michelle built a career in industry roles spanning tax, accounting and finance. 

Michelle is a Chartered Professional Accountant and Certified Management Accountant in Alberta. An avid public speaker and facilitator, she speaks regularly on the art of the possible, robotics in tax and automating tax processes at professional and industry events. 

Guy Williams is the Financials Lead at Workday Canada, of his 12 years at Workday, the last 6 have solely been focused on the  Office of Finance. Having worked closely with Workday prospects and customers in Canada and the USA, he brings a broad range of technology experience to help solve the unique challenges faced by finance executives today. Prior to moving into customer facing roles, he started his career in software development, project management, and consulting.