Short Bio

With over 35 years of experience spanning finance, operations, sales, marketing and general management, I have had the privilege of working in a variety of industries – from audit and video game distribution to tourism, hospitality, healthcare and now contract food and support services. As CEO for Sodexo Canada, I have honed my strategic and transformational leadership skills, the importance of talent management and developing skills for workplaces of the future, and the importance of alignment and transparent communication to drive results.

Having proudly served on CPA Ontario Council as Vice Chair over the past 2 years, I am eager to continue to serve and give back to the profession that has shaped my journey, advocate for public trust, advance our profession and help guide the next generation of CPAs.

Detailed Bio

Voluntary work with CPA Ontario or other professional bodies:

• CPA Ontario 
  
  • Vice Chair (2024-Present)
  • Chair of FCPA Selection Committee (2024-Present)
  • Member of the Human Resources Committee (2023-Present)
  • Member of Council (2022-Present)
  • Member of the Finance Committee (2022-Present)
• Canadian College of Health Leaders (2021-2023)
• InfoComm Asia Pte. Ltd (2017-2021)
• Metro Toronto Convention Centre (2015-2021)
• Tourism Industry Association of Canada (2016-2019)
• Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (2015-2019)
• AVIXA (formerly InfoComm International) (2010-2016) 
• Megaloid Resins (2009-2016)
• Destination Toronto (2007-2015) 

Career achievements:

• Women in Tourism & Hospitality
  • 2018 Katie Taylor Economic Empowerment Award
• Smart Meetings
  
  • Smart Women in Meetings Visionary Award
• Meeting Professionals International (MPI)
  
  • MPI Toronto Chapter 2018 Influence Award
• Biz Bash
  
  • 2018 Top 500 People in Events
  • 2017 Induction into Hall of Fame
• International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE)
  
  • 2014 Outstanding Achievement in Industry Leadership

Other professional accomplishments:

• Brilliant Minded Women Organization 
  
  • 2018 Global Excellence Award

Other voluntary service and recognition:

• New York Moves Magazine
  
  • 25 Power Women 2017 
• Canadian National Exhibition Association
  
  • Woman of Distinction
• Meetings + Incentive Travel (M+IT)
  
  • 2014 Hall of Fame

Candidate statement

Why are you interested in joining Council?

I wish to remain on Council because I am deeply committed to supporting our profession as we navigate significant challenges and opportunities. My continued presence will enable me to contribute to the stability, strategic direction and adaptability of our organization. I believe that my experience and perspective can help ensure CPA Ontario upholds its standards of excellence, maintains public trust, and responds proactively to the evolving needs of our members and stakeholders. By remaining on the board, I hope to facilitate thoughtful decision-making and collaborative leadership, guiding our community with integrity through these pivotal times.

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

As a trained CPA, I have demonstrated exceptional leadership throughout my career, holding progressively senior executive roles across significantly differing industries. My ability to navigate complex challenges, lead transformational change and drive innovation has been instrumental to not only my professional success but also that of the organizations I was privileged to steward. 

Most recently I accepted the challenge of uncoupling the Sodexo Canada organization from 10 years of segmented oversight by the US, with Canada having limited leadership talent, authority and autonomy. Canada was no longer reviewed as a geographical P&L and my task was to return it to a delegated stand-alone country. What no one had realized, however, is that Canada had lost $400MM in revenue during that time and was bleeding on the bottom line for years. Within two years, we have successfully created a simple, clearly articulated strategy, aligning both front lines and leadership teams nationally. We developed a culture of accountability at all levels, developed an SLT, as well as two levels below (many of which were already within the organization and needed to shine), we've developed clear go-to-market strategies for each of the 4 segments we operate in, restructured and aligned all transversal support teams to support our operations rather than develop pet initiatives in isolation, broken down silos, improved communication, started to drive a culture of innovation, created a people strategy with completely overhauled L&D to ensure career growth. Just as importantly, we have turned the profitability of the organization from loss making to break even in year one and profitable, albeit not at the levels we desire, by year two. We have created a culture of "Canada Proud" throughout, and Canada is now being used as an example of what good looks like.  

All the skills, attributes & experiences identified by Council above were critical to the success of this most recent example, although those have been obtained and built upon throughout my career and varied board experiences.

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

Globally, the profession faces a significant challenge: the declining attractiveness of becoming a CPA compared to other careers, leading to a shortage of skilled professionals. However, every challenge presents an opportunity. By leveraging emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, enhancing the profession's adaptability and responsiveness to evolving needs, and clearly linking the role of CPAs to these advancements, CPA Ontario can support increasing the profession's appeal and help attract new talent, retain existing talent and help develop new skills. CPA Ontario can be the thought leader our profession requires, as traditional roles and services are replaced, growing the importance of not only the technical expertise in the profession, but developing the soft skills and the value add to business leaders, while provoking its members to continue to evolve and move from status quo.