Canadian Chapter of the CFO Leadership Network
The network brings together a group of leading CFOs from large businesses seeking to embed the management of environmental and social issues into business processes and strategy.
The Canadian chapter was launched in Toronto in March 2017. Members come from large organizations across the region and are working together to take and inspire action through shared learning and being a leading source of knowledge and experience.
For more information on the Canadian chapter, please email info@a4s.org.
Brian Lawson, Vice Chair, Brookfield, talks about how investors are increasingly taking a more long-term, sustainable approach to investments.
Canadian Chapter Members:
Karen Higgins, The Co-operators Group (Co-Chair)
Executive Vice-President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer, The Co-operators Group and Co-Chair of the A4S CFO Leadership Network Canada Chapter
Karen is responsible for the financial management, strategic planning, and corporate development for the group of companies.
Karen brings almost two decades of leadership and management experience in the financial field, holding previous roles with Clarica, Sun Life Financial and Seniors Money Limited, before joining The Co-operators Group in 2008, as Vice-President, Corporate Finance. In 2011 she took on the role of Vice-President Finance, Property and Casualty Operations (CGIC, COSECO, CUMIS General), and in 2017 she led the finance team within the Life operations (CLIC and CUMIS Life) where she oversaw the financial analysis and actuarial valuation of the organizations in support of business strategies, initiatives and operations.
Karen earned her Chartered Director designation through The Directors College in 2016 and her Chartered Professional Accountant designation in 1990. In addition to her Honours BA and Business diploma from Wilfrid Laurier University, she completed Harvard Business School’s Leadership program and the Change Management program from Wharton Business School.
She is actively involved in her community as the Chairperson of St. Joseph's Health Centre Foundation.
Jonathan Simmons, OMERS (Co-chair)
Chief Financial and Strategy Officer, OMERS and Co-Chair of the A4S CFO Leadership Network Canada Chapter
Jonathan joined OMERS in January 2014 as CFO, with responsibility for operating planning, financial reporting, investment valuations, actuarial matters, financing and tax, adding responsibility for strategic planning and asset-liability management in 2021. Founded in 1962, OMERS is one of Canada’s largest defined benefit pension plans, with $105 billion in net assets and more than half a million members as at December 31, 2020. Prior to joining OMERS, Jonathan was a Partner at PwC for more than a decade, where he led PwC Canada’s insurance practice. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom and is a Fellow of The Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario.
Jonathan is a director of Economic Investment Trust, a TSX-listed investment company and a founding member of the Canadian Chapter of A4S.
Filipe Da Silva, Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.
Chief Financial Officer, Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.
Mr. Da Silva joined Alimentation Couche-Tard as Senior Vice President, Finance in March 2023, and was appointed Chief Financial Officer on July 1, 2023. Prior to joining Couche-Tard, Mr. Da Silva Nogueira held the position of Chief Financial Officer and Head of Real Estate at Walmart Canada, from April 2020 to March 2023 and CFO of Central America from April 2016 to January 2021.
Previously, Mr. Da Silva held various management positions within TotalEnergies, a French energy conglomerate, in Argentina, followed by Carrefour, a French multinational retail and wholesaling corporation, working out of Buenos Aires, Colombia, India and Indonesia. He later joined Groupe Exito, one of South America’s largest retailers before joining Walmart in 2016 as CFO for Central America operations.
Mr. Da Silva holds a Masters in Strategy and Finance from ESCP Business School.
Nicholas Goodman, Brookfield Asset Management
Managing Partner, Chief Financial Officer, Brookfield Asset Management
Nicholas Goodman is a Managing Partner and Chief Financial Officer of Brookfield Asset Management, responsible for Brookfield's global finance, treasury, risk management and technology functions.
Mr. Goodman joined Brookfield in London in 2010 and has held several finance roles across the organization. Most recently he served as Treasurer of Brookfield Asset Management and prior to that was Chief Financial Officer of Brookfield Renewable Partners. Prior to joining Brookfield, Mr. Goodman worked for several large financial institutions in London and New York.
Mr. Goodman holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Accounting and Finance from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland.
Maarika Paul, CDPQ
Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec
Maarika is responsible for monitoring financial performance, completing treasury operations, applying best practices in financial governance, and managing business services. She also oversees HR and talent management activities. She is a member of the Executive Committee, in addition to being a member of the Board of Ivanhoé Cambridge, the institution’s global real estate subsidiary.
Maarika is a Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCPA, FCA) and a Chartered Business Valuator (CBV) with more than 30 years of experience in financial management. She initially spent 10 years with KPMG. In 1994, she joined BCE, where she worked until 2011. Her responsibilities included, in particular, performance evaluation of BCE subsidiaries, financial planning, mergers and acquisitions and investor relations. She was also Senior Vice-President, Corporate Communications and, subsequently, Senior Vice-President, Corporate Services. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (Accounting) from McGill University.
Robert Sedran, CIBC
Senior Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer, CIBC
Robert Sedran has overall responsibility for financial planning and analysis, financial management and regulatory reporting, maintenance of accounting records, tax planning and compliance, treasury and balance sheet management, and investor relations.
Robert joined our bank in 2010 and was most recently CIBC’s Executive Vice-President, Treasurer, where he oversaw balance sheet management activities across capital management, asset liability management and the bank’s investment portfolios. Before that, he held leadership roles in Enterprise Strategy, Planning and Corporate Development, and was Director of Research in CIBC Capital Markets. Robert began his career at CIBC, holding roles in Finance and on CIBC’s trading floor, before moving into Equity Research in CIBC Capital Markets and at National Bank Financial.
Robert holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University and a B.Sc. in Mathematics from McMaster University. He is also a CFA charter holder.
Patrice Impey, Translink
Chief Financial Officer, Translink
Patrice Impey is the Chief Financial Officer for Translink, an integrated, multi-modal transportation authority for the Metro Vancouver Region of British Columbia, Canada. Translink is responsible for planning, managing, and operating the region’s transportation network to help meet the needs of customers, residents, businesses, and goods movers – now and in the future - and plays a critical role in creating a more sustainable region. TransLink is one of only a few authorities worldwide that has a responsibility for managing an integrated urban transportation network, including the development of pedestrian and cycling infrastructure. It’s service area covers more than 1,800 square kilometers and includes 21 municipalities, one electoral area and one Treaty First Nation, with an average of 1.3 million boardings each weekday.
Patrice oversees all areas of Finance, as well as Strategic Sourcing and Enterprise Sustainability. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree and a Masters in Business Administration, as well as an ESG Designation from Competent Boards. She has over 20 years’ experience in senior financial and operational management positions in the private and public sectors. Patrice previously held CFO positions for the City of Vancouver, SAP Business Objects Americas, and Hewlett-Packard Canada.
Bill Tofflemire, Mattamy Asset Management
Chief Financial Officer, Mattamy Asset Management
Bill Tofflemire is the Chief Financial Officer of Mattamy Asset Management, playing an integral role in the organization’s strategies for growth, investment and operations, with responsibility for corporate finance and accounting. He was appointed in 2018, after serving as CFO for Mattamy Homes for four years. Previously, Bill was EVP/CFO and VP Commercial Finance with Walmart Canada. Prior to Walmart, Bill held senior roles with PepsiCo and Procter & Gamble
Mabel Wong, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan
Chief Financial Officer, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan
Mabel joined Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan as a Senior Managing Director in the Finance division in January 2023 and was named Acting Chief Financial Officer in April 2024. Mabel oversees Ontario Teachers’ Finance activities globally, supporting informed financial decision-making, risk management and sound governance. She is responsible for financial management and reporting; valuation, risk analytics and model valuation; financial operations; and strategic finance initiatives.
Mabel is a senior finance executive with 20 years of experience in financial services and asset management. Prior to Ontario Teachers’, she spent a number of years at Brookfield Asset Management, most recently as Chief Financial Officer of the Brookfield Reinsurance Group and previously in various senior finance leadership roles in its corporate, infrastructure, and private equity groups.
Mabel holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in finance and accounting from the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business and is a Chartered Professional Accountant. An active contributor to the community, she serves on the Board of UNICEF Canada, where she has held various Board positions since 2016.
Jean-François Bureau, Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments)
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial and Risk Officer, Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments)
Jean-François (JF) Bureau is Senior Vice President and Chief Financial and Risk Officer at the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments) where he is responsible for financial reporting, performance and valuation, treasury, risk management, operational due diligence and advisory, as well as internal audit. He has more than 30 years of experience in the North American and European financial markets.
JF joined PSP Investments in March 2010 as Chief Risk Officer and was appointed Chief Financial and Risk Officer in January 2020.
Prior to joining PSP Investments, he held executive finance positions at a number of companies, notably as Vice President, Credit - Specialized Products at National Bank of Canada; Vice President, Corporate Projects – M&A at Groupe Vidéotron ltée; and Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at DiagnoCure.
JF holds a Master’s degree in Finance from Université Laval. He is a CFA charterholder and was Chair of the Standards of Practice Council of the CFA Institute from September 2018 to August 2021