Short Bio

Chester Dawes is the COO & CFO for Palistar Capital, a private equity firm focused on digital infrastructure. He has over 25 years of experience in financial services and industrial companies.

Past roles include: Head of Finance Transformation, Global Wealth and Asset Management for Manulife, and Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer at one of the largest private equity firms in Canada. He also served as CFO (Specialty Funds) and Director, Finance at Brookfield Asset Management and also held progressively senior positions in Canada, Europe and Asia for Husky Technologies. He started his career with Deloitte in Toronto.

Detailed Bio

Voluntary work with CPA Ontario or other professional bodies:

• CPA Ontario – Chair, Finance & Audit Committee (2023-2024)
• CPA Ontario – Council Member (2021-2024)
• CPA Ontario – Tax Clinics (10+ years)

Career achievements:

COO & CFO, Palistar Capital, New York, NY (2019-Present)

• Palistar is a private equity firm with a focus on digital infrastructure   
• Led operational build-out of firm including investment, compliance, HR, IR, IT, Finance, administration and ESG
• As part of senior team, led M&A acquisitions, including carve-out transactions
• Secretary for the Investment Committee, Chair of the ESG Committee, and Chief Diversity Officer
• Board member for three portfolio companies providing strategic advice and governance

Other professional accomplishments:

• Head of Finance Transformation, Global Wealth & Asset Management, Manulife (2016-2018)
• CFO & Treasurer, The Catalyst Capital Group Inc (2009-2016) 
• Other
  • Brookfield Asset Management
  • Husky Technologies
  • Deloitte

Other voluntary service and recognition:

School of Accountancy and Finance, University of Waterloo

• Current Board Member, Sustainability Business Council
• Volunteer as a speaker, mentor, and presenter

Current or past member of various voluntary boards including:

• Co-chair – Swansea Jr. and Sr. Public School Black Student Success Committee
• Chair & Treasurer – TSCC 2166
• Keynote Speaker – 2018 University of Waterloo Accounting Conference
• Ambassador – St. Joseph’s Health Centre Foundation
• Volunteer – CPA Tax Clinics

Candidate statement

Why are you interested in joining Council?

I wish to play a leadership role helping CPA Ontario fulfil its mandate to serve and protect the public interest with an eye to evolving the organization to respond to the rapidly changing technological and global environment. I believe I have something to add both as an experienced board member, past Council member, and as a member of an underrepresented community. I have also previously served on council from 2021-2024 and after a year away, I’m eager to re-engage on the multiple priorities facing the profession.

How do your experiences align with the following skills, attributes and experiences that have been prioritized for incoming members of Council?

• Strategic and Transformational Leadership
• Emerging Technologies
• Future of Learning and Work
• Business Acumen

Strategic and Transformational Leadership: I have been working in an executive leadership position for many years, and strategy and transformation has been integral to many of my roles. As head of Finance Transformation, Global Wealth & Asset Management at Manulife, I was tasked with leading the transformation of the finance function in a multi-year, multi-million-dollar transformation. In my current role, I’m tasked with setting the strategic direction of the firm’s operations and finance, in addition to serving as a strategic advisor on M&A transactions, and with ongoing portfolio companies as a director.

Emerging Technologies: Working at a leading firm in digital infrastructure, we’re at the cutting edge of technology and adopt what we sell. We invest in 5G technologies, cell sites, data centres, fibre satellites, and other areas, many of which have seen exponential growth due to the growth in work from home and Artificial Intelligence. We heavily research, discuss and invest in emerging technologies, and where possible, adopt them in our in-house operations.

Future of Learning and Work: My current role is at a firm that invests in digital infrastructure, supporting businesses and investment that have a major impact on the future of learning and work. As operational leader and board member of several companies, this is an area that I enjoy assisting our own employees and companies to excel in, by broadening their skill base. I typically mentor several students and/or employees each year, including as a regular participant in the University of Waterloo Fellowship Program. I have also led HR functions, and specifically talent management, to identify needs and recruit executive talent and management teams.

Business Acumen: As an investor in a variety of businesses over many years, I have developed a diversified business acumen across many industries. I am sometimes called on to be a speaker at conferences, such as Private Equity International, or to serve on boards, such as the University of Waterloo Sustainability Council.

What is the greatest opportunity and challenge facing the accounting profession and CPA Ontario?

We have the opportunity to propel the profession and CPA Ontario forward by embracing and taking advantage of new technologies, business practices and models to deepen our members’ relationships as trusted advisors, partners and thought leaders for their clients, companies and communities. The challenge is to be able to do this in a thoughtful but nimble manner to maximize benefit in the face of increased competition, and maintaining the attractiveness of the profession. In addition, the ongoing changes with our major trading partners, centered on our relationship with the US, presents unique challenges and opportunities that I’m well positioned to help address, as I’ve been working in New York City for the past six years.