CPA Ontario
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Thought Leadership, Research & CPA Spotlights

CPA Ontario Council

The CPA Ontario Council governs CPA Ontario and is made up of 12 elected volunteer CPA Ontario members and four volunteer public representatives appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.

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Meet the Council

Council Officers
Council Members-at-Large
Public Representatives
Young CPA Representative

Council Officers

Headshot of Tony Pedari, FCPA, FCAHeadshot of Tony Pedari, FCPA, FCA

Tony Pedari, FCPA, FCA

Chair
Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Toronto
Council term ends 2025

A Senior Partner at PwC, Tony helps global businesses address complex risk and transformation priorities, including ESG, cybersecurity and other emerging technology risks. He is at the forefront of responding to emerging market themes and his commitment to good governance and corporate social responsibility is always a key focus. He has served on several boards and industry committees, including the Auditing Standards Board (ASB), leveraging his CPA skills including financial acumen, reputational and operational risk assessment and governance and controls. Tony is passionate about contributing to the profession and actively mentors CPA students in the firm, providing opportunities to hone their skills in both traditional and non-traditional areas of auditing and advisory.

Headshot of Johanne Belanger, FCPA, FCA, ICD.DHeadshot of Johanne Belanger, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D

Johanne Belanger, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D

Vice-Chair
Chief Executive Officer, Sodexo Canada
Council term ends 2025

For 35 years, Johanne has held roles across finance, operations, sales, marketing and management, serving on a variety of industry and not-for-profit boards. Johanne brings a mental health and wellness lens to boardroom discussions, business acumen, risk management, and innovation. With a passion for supporting and mentoring women in business, Johanne has developed a multifaceted skill set throughout her career which she applies to several charitable, corporate and industry organizations.

Headshot of Daniela Carcasole, CPA, CAHeadshot of Daniela Carcasole, CPA, CA

Daniela Carcasole, CPA, CA

Secretary
Ernst & Young LLP, Toronto
Council term ends 2024

Daniela served as Partner, Assurance Services, for five years, and her career has included leadership on complex and multifaceted client assignments across digital and innovation as well as power and utilities mandates. Daniela has also been the people leader of Toronto’s audit group at EY, and has spent extensive time recruiting candidates, and seeing them evolve throughout their careers. As Assurance Digital & Innovation Leader, her team is at the forefront of developing and testing new, next-generation audit tools which we believe will shape the industry in the years to come. This includes a lab run internally at EY to spur innovation and agile ways of servicing our clients.

Headshot of Chester Dawes, CPA, CA, CPA (Delaware), CFAHeadshot of Chester Dawes, CPA, CA, CPA (Delaware), CFA

Chester Dawes, CPA, CA, CPA (Delaware), CFA

Treasurer
Palistar Capital LP, Toronto
Council term ends 2024

Chester is an accomplished, results-oriented COO, CFO and transformation leader with over 20 years of experience. He is recognized for leveraging a breadth of expertise and a deep understanding of the big picture, enabling the achievement of corporate objectives while driving financial success. Currently, Chester is the COO & CFO at Palistar Capital LP, an alternative asset manager specializing in digital infrastructure. In addition, he serves as a director on several boards and co-chairs a school volunteer committee. Chester has championed the importance of risk management and ESG and has championed his current firm becoming a signatory to the UN principles of responsible investing. He aims to leverage his experience to help CPA Ontario propel the profession forward by embracing change and taking advantage of new technologies and business practices.

Council Members-at-Large

Headshot of Tiffany Cecchetto, CPA, CAHeadshot of Tiffany Cecchetto, CPA, CA

Tiffany Cecchetto, CPA, CA

KPMG LLP, Sudbury
Council term ends 2024

Tiffany is a partner with KPMG with over 18 years’ experience providing audit, accounting and operational assistance to organizations in the private and public sector. As a member of its National Inclusion and Diversity Council, she is actively involved in driving KPMG’s I&D strategy across the firm. She has been involved in educational programming with CPA Ontario as a session leader within the Professional Education Program, a facilitator for the preparatory programs and a member of the Professional Conduct Committee. She is active in her community, as Vice Chair of Meals on Wheels Sudbury and a member of the Women’s Executive Network (WXN) Diversity Council. She plans to leverage her understanding of the educational and regulatory processes at CPA Ontario, her experience in servicing small- and medium-sized enterprises, and the insights she has within the inclusion and diversity space to add value to Council.

Headshot of Lilian Lok-Kan Cheung, CPA, CAHeadshot of Lilian Lok-Kan Cheung, CPA, CA

Lilian Lok-Kan Cheung, FCPA, FCA

Partner, Professional Practice Director – Ontario, Deloitte LLP, Toronto
Council term ends 2026

Lilian is a partner in the Audit and Advisory group with Deloitte LLP. She was appointed Deloitte’s Ontario Audit Professional Practice Director (PPD) in 2023, after serving as Deputy PPD since 2021 and is a member of the PPD group since 2018. Lilian is responsible for setting the bar for quality, establishing quality and risk policies to safeguard the firm and uphold professional standards, leading technical consultations, and driving deployment of enabling technologies, designing training and technical resources. Since 2016, she has mentored CPA students through their professional education and practical experience process.

Headshot of Gillian Kunza, CPA, CMA Headshot of Gillian Kunza, CPA, CMA

Gillian Kunza, CPA, CMA

Chief Executive Officer, Designed Wealth Management, Peterborough
Council term ends 2026

Gillian has a decade of experience in senior leadership roles that have focused on risk management, strategic implementation, and talent development in the Canadian investment industry. Her experiences have provided her with unique insights into governance and strategy in fast-growing organizations in strongly regulated frameworks. As co-founder, director and CEO of a wealth management firm, she navigates the emergence of new technology in financial services and provides leadership across multiple partners. She advocates for the highest standards in governance and keeps the importance of the public’s best interest at the forefront of the firm’s initiatives.

Headshot of Paulina Molnar, CPA, CA, ICD.DHeadshot of Paulina Molnar, CPA, CA, ICD.D

Paulina Molnar, CPA, CA, ICD.D

Financial Executive and Corporate Director, Toronto
Council term ends 2024

Paulina is a seasoned Financial Executive with over 27 years of experience in the Telecommunications industry, holding a number of progressive finance roles including Financial Controller, Business Support, Planning, Financial Systems, Business Continuity, Internal Controls, Internal Audit, Risk Management, Treasury and Tax at Rogers Communications. Starting her Audit career at Deloitte, Paulina is a highly respected executive and leader, a change agent who is passionate about mentorship, innovation, technology and education. She established and led the CPA Training Office program and other internal Finance learning for Rogers Communications. Paulina was the Chair of the Finance Committee for 3 years for CPA Ontario and is current Chair of the Risk Committee. Paulina also is the Chair of the Finance Committee and Board member of Gilda’s Club of Simcoe Muskoka, a cancer support organization.

Headshot of Jennifer Roedding, CPA, CAHeadshot of Jennifer Roedding, CPA, CA

Jennifer Roedding, CPA, CA

Roedding Associates Management Consultants Inc., London
Council term ends 2025

Jennifer is President of Roedding Associates Management Consultants Inc., which provides business transformation expertise to multiple sectors across the country. Her distinguished career in both audit and consulting includes 25 years at KPMG, where she was National Consulting Partner for telecommunications and technology. Jennifer assists clients to achieve improved profitability, efficiency and effectiveness in alignment with their strategies in many areas including finance, procurement, mergers/divestitures and sales. Jennifer is a Director of the holding company of Robarts Clinical Trials Inc. Previously, Jennifer was a board member of London Health Sciences Centre and Vice-President of the London Regional Children’s Museum.

Headshot of Daniel Rogozynski, CPA, CA, CPA (Illinois)Headshot of Daniel Rogozynski, CPA, CA, CPA (Illinois)

Daniel Rogozynski, CPA, CA, CPA (Illinois)

University of Waterloo, Kitchener
Council term ends 2025

Dan is a lecturer at the University of Waterloo’s School of Accounting and Finance, where he provides his students with the practical perspectives he learned as an entrepreneur. Previously, Dan was the Founder, CEO and CFO of Big Sky Hospitality, which operated 11 Montana’s restaurants. Prior to that, he served as Secretary, Vice-President of Finance and Administration and Acting CFO of Sleeman Breweries, and as Vice-President of Finance of the Swiss Chalet and Harvey’s Divisions of Cara Operations Limited.

Headshot of Benjie Thomas, FCPA, FCAHeadshot of Benjie Thomas, FCPA, FCA

Benjie Thomas, FCPA, FCA

Canadian Managing Partner, Advisory, KPMG Canada, Toronto
Council term ends 2026

Benjie currently serves as the Canadian Managing Partner for KPMG's Advisory practice overseeing operational growth strategies of the firm's Advisory business. Over 20 years, Benjie has played a pivotal role in major business transformations and transactions, including assisting clients in buying, planning, and executing acquisitions, reorganizations, and divestitures. In partnership with the ESG team at KPMG, he helped integrate ESG into business strategies, assisting clients in driving sustainable transformations. Benjie is senior advisor to the University of Waterloo School of Accounting and Finance and sits on the Financial Advisory Council. He advises the school director on issues impacting the achievement of the school's goals and assists with long-term planning.

Headshot of Iliana Oris Valiente, CPA, CAHeadshot of Iliana Oris Valiente, CPA, CA

Iliana Oris Valiente, CPA, CA

Managing Director, Canada Innovation & ESG Lead, Accenture, Toronto
Council term ends 2026

Iliana Oris Valiente is a Managing Director at Accenture where she is responsible for Canada's Innovation and ESG Strategy. Iliana established and oversees the Canada Innovation Hub, and is extensively involved with the broader technology and innovation community. She is widely recognized for her contributions to the blockchain industry, having advised corporations, government leaders, regulators, and startups as a translator between the web2 and web3 worlds. An experienced board member, Iliana currently serves on the CPA Ontario Council and is a director on the CPA Ontario Foundation Board.

Public Representatives

Headshot of John Beck, P.EngHeadshot of John Beck, P.Eng

John Beck, P.Eng

Aecon Group Inc., Toronto

John Beck is founder and Chairman of Aecon Group Inc. A graduate in Civil Engineering from McGill University, John has more than 50 years of experience in the construction industry in Canada and internationally. He is currently a board member of the Royal Conservatory of Music and has been Co-Chair of the Infrastructure & Urban Development Industries at the World Economic Forum. John is a member of the Advisory Council for the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary and a member of the Business Council of Canada.

Headshot of Ginny Dybenko, ICD.DHeadshot of Ginny Dybenko, ICD.D

Ginny Dybenko, ICD.D

Retired, Waterloo

Ginny Dybenko has recently retired as Executive Director of the University of Waterloo’s Stratford Campus. She was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women for her more than 30 years of corporate experience, which includes serving as Dean of the Wilfrid Laurier School of Business and Economics, supporting technical programs for youth, sitting on numerous boards and championing causes for women in business, such as acting as President and Founder of the Waterloo Chapter of the International Women’s Forum.

Headshot of Graham T. Parsons, BA (Econ)Headshot of Graham T. Parsons, BA (Econ)

Graham T. Parsons, BA (Econ)

Retired, Waterloo

Graham Parsons is a celebrated financial professional with over 30 years of experience. He brought the U.S. Harris business model to Canada, launching BMO Harris Private Banking. As Executive VP of Global Private Banking for BMO Financial Group, he developed private banking services clients in over 50 offices across North America and select Asian markets. Graham is a contributor to numerous charitable initiatives, including child wellness and cultural institutions.

Headshot of Mardi Witzel, BA, MBAHeadshot of Mardi Witzel, BA, MBA

Mardi Witzel, BA, MBA

Retired, Waterloo

Mardi Witzel is a graduate of Queen's University with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Political studies. After working in the advertising industry with J. Walter Thompson and Brighthouse Inc., she obtained an MBA from Wilfrid Laurier University. Mardi spent ten years working with AT&T Payment Processing Solutions, leading their worldwide product management and marketing groups. She has previously been a regular contributor to the Waterloo Region Record. Mardi lives in Waterloo with her husband Terry and has four children. She previously served as Chair of the Kitchener Waterloo KidsAbility Foundation Board.

Young CPA Representative | Non-voting

Katie Blum, CPAKatie Blum, CPA

Katie Blum, CPA

Persefoni, New York
Council term ends 2023

Katie is a Climate Solutions Director at Persefoni, a SaaS company that enables the creation of regulatory-grade carbon footprint inventories and climate disclosures. Addressing the urgent need to understand and decisively act on climate change, Katie empowers leaders to confidently navigate the climate landscape, providing them with the means, tools and knowledge necessary to do so. Beginning her career at Deloitte, Katie also has an extensive background delivering assurance and advisory services across a number of industries. Leveraging her expertise to move the needle, no matter the magnitude, Katie has been recognized as a CPA Ontario Emerging Leader. Her contributions range from helping nonprofits improve their governance, strategic direction and community position to empowering young entrepreneurs to build community-driven companies. As the Council's Young CPA Representative, she looks forward to leveraging her background and career journey to drive the profession forward in this ever-changing world.