In this Women in Finance special episode of the Finance in 15 podcast, guest host Jill Satre sits down with Jana Mosley, President of ENMAX Power, and Preet Dhindsa, Executive Vice-president and Chief Financial Officer of ENMAX Corp., to discuss their roles in building an effective partnership between the finance function and other lines of the business. Preet and Jana share how they’ve created alignment across their teams by building trust and encouraging collaboration as they look for the best ways to move the business forward.
Dans cet épisode, l’animatrice invitée Dominique Fortier, directrice principale des services aux clients chez PwC Canada, continue d’explorer le leadership féminin au sein de la fonction finance. L’épisode met en lumière Maarika Paul, première vice-présidente et cheffe des opérations et de la direction financière de la Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, ainsi que Lisa To, cheffe de gestion financière et performance du Groupe Finance de la Banque de développement du Canada (BDC), afin d’imaginer ce que l'avenir réserve aux futurs leaders en finances. Quels sont les acquis nécessaires? Quelles sont les transformations à prévoir? Comment s’y prendre pour pallier à la pénurie de talents?
In this episode guest host Marino Fremis sits down with Darren Millman, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Centerra Gold. Darren discusses Centerra Gold's recent technology & finance transformation journey as part of the company's efforts to streamline and consolidate their data. They also talk about how a single source of truth can help generate key insights about performance on environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters as well as how finance leaders can demonstrate clear return on investment from these projects.
In this episode, guest host Alaina Tennison, CFO at PwC Canada, kicks off a special series that explores leadership within the finance function. Featuring perspectives from some of today’s well respected female finance leaders, the special series explores strategies for navigating the ever-changing business landscape. To launch the series, Alaina sits down with Vanessa Kanu, CFO of TELUS International, to discuss her journey to becoming CFO at a global digital customer experience (CX) innovator and her advice for the next generation of finance leaders.
In this episode, host Adam Boutros sits down with Louis Marcotte, EVP and CFO at Intact Financial Corporation, to discuss an area that's an ongoing opportunity and challenge for many CFOs, acquisitions and successful integration post-acquisition. They explore key strategies for approaching the M&A process, the importance of due diligence and planning, and other ways finance teams can support an organization's growth and value creation.
In this episode, host Adam Boutros sits down with France-Anne Fortin, PwC Canada Partner, Risk Assurance Services, and Shawn Reain, PwC Tax Partner and Compliance Transformed leader. Shawn and France-Anne discuss how key trends in the regulatory space are impacting the CFO approach to risk management. They explore some of the compliance solutions that can help CFOs accelerate their transformation journeys and ways to ensure they’re agile enough to adapt to the ever-increasing reporting demands.
In this episode, host Adam Boutros sits down with Jean McClellan, PwC Canada’s People and Transformation Leader. During their discussion, Jean offers insights into the evolving skills required by finance, including upskilling tips to retain and attract top finance talent. Jean also shares her perspectives on the future of hybrid work, as well as tangible recommendations for prioritizing well-being in a virtual work environment.
00:00- Adam’s introduction to Finance in 15 and guest Jean McClellan
01:33- Jean shares her thoughts on the recent Canadian CFO insights report and the importance of remaining agile in this rapidly changing environment
02:48- Jean discusses successful upskilling practices she’s seen clients implement and the role of the CFO in upskilling
07:28- Jean shares her perspective on the concept of a hybrid work environment
10:58- Jeans offers tips for prioritizing well-being in a virtual work environment
12:25- Jean outlines the top three areas companies should be focusing on in response to workforce challenges
14:14- Adam shares his closing thoughts and conclusions
In this episode, host Adam Boutros sits down with Sarah Marsh, partner at PwC Canada, ESG & reporting and Arlind Sulaj, a director with PwC Canada’s finance transformation practice. They discuss why ESG reporting has become imperative for finance teams and CFOs, how companies can modernize their finance functions and get 'data ready' for ESG reporting with the insights needed to execute on their strategy, and much more.
00:00- Adam’s introduction to Finance in 15 and guests Sarah Marsh and Arlind Sulaj
01:50- Sarah explains the growing intersection between financial performance and sustainability
03:07- Sarah discusses the future of ESG reporting
04:32- Arlind discusses ESG reporting from the perspective of the CFO role
06:01- Sarah explains how CFOs can know which ESG reporting framework is right for their organization
07:19- Sarah explains the roadmap for ESG reporting beyond the first report
09:07- Sarah discusses the type of data companies are reporting on currently
10:08- Arlind explains current trends in data reporting overall
12:14- Sarah explains the role of comp in communicating a company’s ESG priorities
13:21- Arlind discusses new developments in reporting automation
15:01- Sarah discusses current trends in data collection and reporting
17:14- Arlind shares his recommended approach for building robust reporting models
19:00- Sarah offers tips for companies developing their ESG data strategies
19:49- Arlind offers tips for companies developing their ESG data strategies
20:22- Adam shares his closing thoughts and conclusions
In the last episode of 2021, host Adam Boutros sits down with the CFO of PwC Canada, Alaina Tennison, on the Finance in 15 podcast. During the episode, Alaina provides listeners with an overview of her CFO role at PwC, her playbook for leadership, and the future of the finance function. In advance of the release of PwC’s CFO Insights this coming January 2022, Alaina shares her perspectives for CFOs, emphasizing the importance of staying in close communication with finance teams, importance of data and analytics, how ESG is entering the CFO mandate and valuing people above all else.
Show Notes:
To kick off season two of Finance in 15, host Adam Boutros sits down with PwC Partner Marino Fremis and Helen Brand, the chief executive of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the global body for professional accountants. During the episode, Marino and Helen share their perspectives on some of the findings from the 2021 CFO survey conducted by the ACCA and PwC. They also share their insights about the importance of ESG investing moving forward, and what we can expect to see in the future with regards to the typical finance function and CFO role.
00:00- Adam’s introduction to Finance in 15 and Marino Fremis
01:51- Helen introduces herself and her role at the ACCA
03:05- Helen discusses the work she has been doing with CFOs in particular
05:04- Helen discusses some of the findings from the 2021 CFO survey
06:42- Marino shares his take on the survey findings
10:02- Helen discusses the role of ESGs in the future of finance
13:05- Helen shares her perspective on the future of the finance function and how she sees the CFO role evolving overtime
16:15- Helen and Marino share their final key takeaways from the survey
17:27- Adam’s closing thoughts and conclusions
The results are in, and Canadians have elected a Liberal minority government. The election campaign featured vigorous debate about several issues that Canadian chief financial officers and business executives will want to pay attention to, especially when it comes to tax policy changes as the government looks to manage rising debt obligations.
In a special episode of our Finance in 15 podcast, Dean Landry, PwC Canada’s National Tax Leader, and Finance in 15 host Adam Boutros discuss the issues that matter most to executives like Canadian CFOs and the key impacts of policy changes on businesses. They also explore how businesses can prepare for what comes next and the importance of trust and collaboration among the government and business leaders.
00:00- Adam’s introduction to Finance in 15
00:51- Dean shares his key takeaways from the election
02:29- Dean offers his tips for how finance teams can prepare for the future and be
proactive
04:26- Dean shares his thoughts on the key policy proposals in the election platform that
businesses need to pay attention to
07:02- Dean outlines how finance teams can measure success in the face of uncertainty
and ambiguity, and the importance of being proactive with your tax function
08:49- Adam shares his advice for how teams can be more proactive
09:27- Dean discusses the importance of integrating the tax and finance functions
10:40- Dean shares his thoughts on the impacts the election will have on tax from a
global perspective
11:43- Dean shares his final thoughts on the issue, underscoring the importance of
building trust and collaboration among government and corporations
12:31- Adam’s closing thoughts and conclusions
In the final episode of the first season, host Adam Boutros reviews some of the highlights from the Finance in 15 podcast so far. The episode reviews key takeaways and insights from episodes one through six, including concepts like the 3Ps of finance: people, process and performance, the process pillar and the ultimate goal of transformation in finance. Featuring snippets from guests Samir Bishara, Lee-Anne Kovacs, Kevin Ng, Marino Fremis, Marilyn Wang, Sebastien Doyon, Michelle Bourgeois and Alaina Tennison, the final episode provides a recap of the best learnings and nuggets of wisdom from the season. Be sure to tune into season two this fall for new episodes exploring emerging topics like ESG, developing the workforce of the future and cybersecurity.
00:00- Adam’s introduction to Finance in 15
00:21- Adam discusses how listeners have responded to the season
00:52- Adam discusses what will be happening in today’s episode- exploring key points from previous episodes and guests
01:27- Samir Bishara discussing the finance transformation journey
02:06- Adam reviews the three Ps of finance transformation and introduces the next clip from episode 3 with Lee-Anne Kovacs
2:56- Lee-Anne talks about the “People” aspect of finance transformation
04:06- Adam introduced the next clip with Kevin Ng
04:56- Kevin reviews the savings and efficiencies for automating tax processes
06:24- Adam introduces the next clip with Marilyn Wang
06:58- Marilyn reviews points about how to start improving data capabilities
08:33- Adam introduced the next clip with Alaina Tennison
09:05 Alaina speaks about her experiences with significant finance transformation
10:20- Adam’s closing thoughts and conclusions
According to PwC’s Finance Effectiveness Benchmarking report, leading organizations take less than three days to close. They also have fewer errors for first-time processing of journal entries, and they spend an average of three times more effort on reporting and analytics for improved business performance. For many finance companies, accelerating the close is an ongoing challenge. In this episode, host Adam Boutros sits down with Jill Satre, a partner in Risk Assurance Services at PwC Canada and Marino Fremis, Finance Transformation Lead at PwC Canada, to explore the compliance processes that can slow down the close and opportunities for improvement to ultimately deliver more value to the business. We offer tips for speeding up the process without compromising on quality, and why accelerating the close is such a crucial opportunity for finance companies.
00:12- Adam introduces the theme of today's episode: accelerating the close
00:34- Adam introduces today's guests: Jill and Marino
00:48- Jill and Marino provide background on what they do at PwC
02:15- Marino dives into the meaning of "accelerating the close" and what it means to him
03:22- Jill explores the role of compliance in the close process
04:47- Marino discusses opportunities that usually have the biggest impact
06:17- Jill and Marino discuss how companies can get deeper insights for running their businesses by reimagining their compliance processes.
08:10- Marino offers his take on where companies should start with accelerating the close
09:34- Jill and Marino discuss strategies for working with organizations that help them through change management
11:29- Jill shares her final thoughts on accelerating the close
12:11- Adam's closing reflections
PwC’s Finance in 15 podcast series offers finance executives and business leaders insight into the pivotal ways finance can increase strategic value for their organizations. In this episode, our specialists discuss the last of the 3 Ps of finance transformation: performance. As finance teams struggle to produce data fast enough to help the business make key decisions, performance is an essential component of the transformation journey today. During the episode, National Future of Finance Leader at PwC Canada Adam Boutros sits down with Marilyn Wang, a Partner in PwC Canada’s One Analytics group and Sébastien Doyon, who leads the company’s Quebec finance transformation practice. They discuss trends around performance in finance and the tools leaders need to get started on the performance stage of their journey.00:12 Adam introduces today's episode- part two our the discussion on performance in finance transformation00:27 Adam introduces today’s guests: Marilyn and Sebastien00:47 Sebastien and Marilyn discuss some of the key trends around performance and finance04:35 Marilyn and Sebastien explores how organizations can get started on the their journey of finding the right tools, solutions and technologies for their finance transformation journey07:33 Adam’s reflection on the interview
PwC’s Finance in 15 podcast series offers finance executives and business leaders insight into the pivotal ways finance can increase strategic value for their organizations. In this episode, we discuss the last of the 3 Ps of finance transformation: performance. As finance teams can struggle to produce data fast enough to help the business make key decisions, a focus on performance is an essential component of the transformation journey. During the episode, National Future of Finance Leader at PwC Canada Adam Boutros sits down with Marilyn Wang, a Partner in PwC Canada’s One Analytics group and Sébastien Doyon, who leads the company’s Quebec finance transformation practice. They discuss the fundamentals of performance in finance transformation and how teams can address it within their organizations.
00:18 Adam introduces the theme of today's episode- performance
00:44 Adam introduces today’s guests: Marilyn and Sebastien
1:06 Marilyn and Sebastien explain what they each do in their roles at PwC
2:40 Marilyn and Sebastien each provide an overview of their interpretation of the meaning of “performance”
7:44 Marilyn shares some information about the tools that can help leaders get started in their finance transformation journey
9:06 Marilyn and Sebastien explore best practices for finance teams addressing performance
13:13 Adam’s reflection on the interview
Within critical data lies a huge opportunity. Yet, in finance, the phrase digital transformation is something that tends not to be fully understood. In this episode, Adam takes you through the key things you need to know to transform your finance department with guest, Michelle Bourgeois, ERP Consulting Partner at PwC Canada. Together they explore what movement to the cloud means for your organization, including SAP S/4HANA, how to take an integrated approach, and getting your people on board to ensure a seamless, successful transition.
00:18- Adam introduces the theme of today's episode- digital transformation
00:48- Adam introduces today's guests, Michelle
1:10- Michelle explores what digital transformation means for finance leaders
2:12- The value of digitizing and modernizing reporting and data
2:58- The struggles CFOs face with reporting
3:45- A business led approach to technology change and the value of your CFO having a vision
5:25- Getting your organization on board with a successful transformation
7:04- Michelle's knowledge of the landscape of PwC client companies; when and how they are digitizing
9:24- Michelle's summary of how to get started on your digital transformation journey
9:57- Adam's reflection on the interview
This week, Adam sits down with PwC Canada partners, Marino Fremis, Partner, Finance Transformation Lead and Kevin Ng, Partner, Tax to walk through the second P of finance transformation, “process”. Together they walk through how new processes can transform your finance department, what those processes could look like, and how to remain competitive during the implementation stage.
Check out our website: https://www.pwc.com/ca/en/today-s-issues/future-of-finance/finance-in-15-podcast.html
Show Notes:
In today’s rapidly changing landscape, it has never been more important for your team members to be digitally savvy and collaborative. In our third episode of Finance in 15, Adam speaks to the intersection of people and technology in the finance transformation process with PwC partners Phil Hagel, Partner, Energy, Utilities & Mining and Lee-Anne Kovacs, Partner, Technology, Media & Consumer Markets. Tune in as they discuss the first P of finance transformation, “people” in more detail, why organizations need to focus and invest in it, what the workforce of the future will look like, and the operating model of reinventing your finance function.
For more information on the Future of Finance, check out our website: https://www.pwc.com/ca/en/today-s-issues/future-of-finance/finance-in-15-podcast.html
Show Notes
What does a finance transformation journey look like? In this episode of Finance in 15, Adam walks you through PwC’s finance transformation with colleagues, Samir Bishara, Canada’s Finance Transformation Leader and Alaina Tennison, CFO of PwC Canada. Together they chat about how the transformation happened and the impact it had on the organization in a short period of time.
For more information about the Future of Finance, check out our website: https://www.pwc.com/ca/en/today-s-issues/future-of-finance/finance-in-15-podcast.html
Show Notes:
Finance transformation is about more than technology. In our first episode of Finance in 15, Adam sits down with Samir Bishara, who leads PwC Canada’s National Finance Transformation practice, to discuss what executives need to know to transform their department. The two walk through what PwC has established as the three Ps of a successful finance transformation (People, Process, Performance), Samir’s unique point of view on these engagements, the outcomes that leaders need to aim for, and of course, where to start.
For more information about the Future of Finance, check out our website: https://www.pwc.com/ca/en/today-s-issues/future-of-finance/finance-in-15-podcast.html
Show Notes:
