Short Bio

As a Senior Compliance Manager at Microsoft, Diana Williams has extensive experience in finance, governance, risk management and business transformation. Throughout her career, she has led global operational and financial initiatives, strengthened governance frameworks, advanced technology adoption and built highly effective compliance programs that delivered sustained audit excellence across Canada and the United States. Working at the forefront of AI and emerging technologies, Diana is passionate about helping organizations navigate change while balancing innovation, ethics and accountability. She is also an active mentor to students and early-in-career professionals, supporting the development of the next generation of business and finance leaders.

Detailed Bio

Voluntary work with CPA Ontario or other professional bodies:

Diana has volunteered with CPA Canada as a Global Leadership Summit Committee member from 2018 to 2019, helping to shape the agenda and effectiveness of the annual Global Leadership Summit. She has also volunteered as the Director of Corporate and Community Affairs for the Black Females Accountants Network (BFAN) from 2023 to 2024. She is currently serving on the Board of Directors for Bannockburn Independent School where she is Chair of the Finance Committee and she also serves on the Governance Committee with this board.

Career achievements:

Top Career Achievements at Microsoft so far:

• Drove technology adoption and business growth by creating and scaling Microsoft Office workshops across university campuses in Canada and the US.
• Led business continuity during a key leadership transition, guiding executive business reviews and forecast decisions that shaped the discussions for the planning of the next fiscal year for the largest business division in Canada.
• Transformed global financial operations by redesigning and centralizing the budget process globally for a key line item on our financial statement worth $4B, this drove significant time savings globally and led to 100% accuracy of financial plans in the global budget tool.
• Championed diversity and inclusion through the leadership of Microsoft’s DigiGirlz initiative for Canada, receiving an award for the strong execution of the event and creating a positive culture for Canada.
• Built a culture of compliance and accountability, achieving 10 consecutive years of green audits in Canada and improving the US audit results from yellow to green.
• Led the AI automation virtual team, creating automation for key processes in the business that improve operational efficiency and reduce risk to the company.

Diana’s career has been defined by leading transformation, strengthening governance and helping teams within her company navigate change. Her key accomplishments include scaling innovative technology adoption of programs across the US and Canada, leading teams through leadership transitions, redesigning global financial processes to improve governance and efficiency, advancing diversity, building robust compliance frameworks and governance that deliver sustained audit excellence, and leading technology adoption across compliance to drive more efficient processes while managing risk. These experiences have given Diana a unique combination of business leadership, governance expertise, technology insight and change management experience that she would bring to the CPA Ontario Council.

Candidate statement

Why are you interested in joining Council?

As a CPA Ontario member for more than 20 years, I have witnessed firsthand the remarkable evolution of our profession. The role of accountants has expanded far beyond traditional finance and reporting responsibilities to become a critical driver of strategy, governance, risk management and business transformation. Throughout this journey, CPA Ontario has played an important role in shaping and advancing the profession, and I’m excited about the opportunity to contribute to this work as a member of the Council.

Today, we are entering a new era defined by AI and agentic technologies that will fundamentally reshape how organizations operate and how accountants create value. While these innovations will automate many routine tasks, they will also elevate the importance of professional judgment, ethics, governance and strategic decision making. I am passionate about helping ensure the CPA profession remains at the forefront of this transformation and continues to prepare its members with the skills, perspectives and leadership capabilities needed to thrive in the future.

Over the past 20 years of working at Microsoft, I have had the privilege of leading and supporting a variety of business, compliance and governance functions. These experiences have broadened my perspective on the diverse and evolving opportunities available to CPAs and reinforced my belief that our designation prepares accounting professionals to lead well beyond traditional accounting roles. In addition, my experience serving on a not-for-profit board has strengthened my understanding of governance and strategic oversight, which I believe will add value to the Council.

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
• Board Experience and Governance
• Business Acumen

My experiences align strongly with the skills and attributes prioritized for members of Council through a combination of leadership roles in a global technology organization, governance experience and financial expertise. I have led and supported business transformation, compliance and governance initiatives across a complex organization. In my current position as the Compliance Lead for Microsoft’s Americas Enterprise business, I partner with senior leaders to navigate organization change, implement governance frameworks, lead cross-functional initiatives and improve operational effectiveness. These experiences have strengthened my strategic leadership capabilities and ability to drive change while balancing risk, compliance and business outcomes.

I also bring experience with emerging technologies and their impact on organizations and our profession. Working in a technology company at the forefront of artificial intelligence has given me firsthand insight into how AI, automation and agentic technologies are transforming organizations which in turn will change how decisions are made and the requirements and skills needed in the workforce in the future. I am passionate about helping the profession prepare for these changes while maintaining a strong focus on ethics, governance and risk management.

My experience serving on the Board of Directors of an independent school, combined with leadership roles in finance and compliance at Microsoft has provided me with a strong foundation in governance, financial stewardship and strategic oversight. I am currently serving on the Finance and Governance Committees of the board. I have extensive experience analysing complex business deal structures, supporting strategic decisions and ensuring effective governance and accountability. My financial acumen along with experience in governance and business transformation would allow me to contribute in a meaningful way to CPA Ontario’s Council as the profession navigates this period of significant change.

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

The greatest opportunity and challenge facing the accounting profession and CPA Ontario is the rapid advancement of AI and emerging technologies. With this change there is an opportunity for CPAs to move beyond traditional reporting and compliance activities and become strategic advisors by leveraging technology to deliver deeper insights and greater value. The challenge is ensuring we adapt quickly enough while preserving the ethics, professional judgment, governance and public trust that are the foundation of our profession. CPA Ontario has a critical role to play in helping members successfully navigate this transformation and preparing the next generation of CPAs to lead in a technology-driven world.