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 Jean Desgagné, CPA, CA, ICD.DHeadshot of Jean Desgagné, CPA, CA, ICD.D

Jean Desgagné, CPA, CA, ICD.D

Chair
Consultant & Corporate Director, Toronto
Council term ends 2023

Jean is a seasoned C-suite executive and corporate director, having worked in large multinational financial institutions, exchanges and market infrastructures. He loves leading change and innovation by building, fixing and growing future-focused businesses and organizations. He is a current and past Board Member for regulated financial companies, industry associations, universities and not-for-profit organizations. He has held senior executive roles at TMX, TD Bank, BMO Bank of Montreal and UBS. He currently sits on the boards of CPA Ontario, CAA Club Group, CAA Insurance and Echelon Insurance. He chairs the Internal Audit Committee for the Province of Ontario (Technology Sector) and is Executive in Residence at the University of Ottawa. He is an advisor to a number of startups and is CEO of one.

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

Tony Pedari, FCPA, FCA

Vice-Chair
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Toronto
Council term ends 2023

Tony has been at PwC Canada for over 30 years, advising organizations on technology risk management and controls, as well as complex risk and control issues including cybersecurity, cloud computing and automation. He currently leads PwC’s Third Party Trusted Services practice nationally and has been focused on expanding their assurance services, identifying new market opportunities for non-financial assurance with a focus on emerging technologies and digital services. Tony has been a long-serving member on two not-for-profit boards, Alzheimer’s Society of Toronto (AST) and Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR).

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

Tiffany Cecchetto, CPA, CA

Treasurer
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.

Council Members-at-Large

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

Johanne Belanger, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D

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 Michael Cherny, CPA, CAHeadshot of Michael Cherny, CPA, CA

Michael Cherny, CPA, CA

Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, Toronto
Council term ends 2023

A strategic, diverse leader and a CPA, CA, Michael is the Director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, having previously served as the Senior Lead for Deloitte Canada’s Centre for Trust. Michael also has an extensive background delivering assurance, advisory and consulting services to clients in the consumer, financial services and mining industries during his time at Deloitte. An active member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, Michael currently serves as the Treasurer on the board of The 519 and is a member of Women College Hospital Foundation's Development Committee, having previously served as Treasurer on the board of Pride Toronto and a director on the board of Start Proud. A member of CPA Ontario's Council as the Young CPA Representative for the past two years, he is a proud ambassador for the profession. A community builder at heart, Michael has been recognized as a Catalyst Canada Honours Champion, CPA Ontario Emerging Leader and Notable Life 2SLGBTQ+ Leader of the Year.

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

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

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.

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

KPMG LLP, Toronto
Council term ends 2023

As the Canadian Managing Partner for KPMG’s Advisory practice, Benjie is responsible for the operational and growth strategies of the firm’s Advisory business. As an adviser, Benjie has almost 20 years of experience assisting Canada’s most prominent private equity funds and strategic buyers. Benjie has advised on some of Canada's largest transactions with a consistent track record of providing sought-after advice and innovative solutions to create success. Benjie also serves as advisory member to The School of Accounting and Finance (SAF) at the University of Waterloo.

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

Iliana Oris Valiente, CPA, CA

Accenture, Toronto
Council term ends 2023

Iliana is a Managing Director and Canada Innovation Lead at Accenture Canada, working with senior executives and corporate boards to support their strategic transformations. Previously, she was the Accenture Global Blockchain Innovation lead and continues to run the Canadian business today; she established and oversees the Canada Innovation Hub and the blockchain practice. Iliana has written and spoken at conferences about emerging technologies and their impact on CPAs and is an advocate of the profession’s continued evolution. She is a contributor to the Don Tapscott-led Blockchain Research Institute and an Associate at the Creative Destruction Lab incubator at the University of Toronto.

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.