Canada's CFO of the Year™ welcomes new 2011 Selection Committee members

Submit your nomination at CFOY.ca

TORONTO, Dec. 9 /CNW/ - Canada's CFO of the Year™ program welcomes Richard Bird, John Clappison, Cynthia Devine and The Hon. Brian Tobin to the distinguished panel of business leaders from across the country which will review nominations and select Canada's 2011 CFO of the Year Award. This independent selection committee includes the following notable names from the Canadian finance community:

• Peter Dey, Chairman, Paradigm Capital, Selection Committee Chair
• Richard Bird, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer & Corporate Development, Enbridge Inc.
• Bev Briscoe, former President and owner, Hiway Refrigeration Ltd.
• John Clappison, former Greater Toronto Area Managing Partner of PwC from 1990 - 2005
• Cynthia Devine, Chief Financial Officer, Tim Hortons Inc.
• Fred Gorbet, CIT Chair in Financial Services, Schulich School of Business, York University
• Brian MacNeill, former Chairman of the Board of Directors of Petro Canada
• Guylaine Saucier, former Chair of the Joint Committee on Corporate Governance
• The Hon. Brian Tobin, P.C., Executive Chairman and CEO, Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines Limited
• Bruce Waterman, Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer, Agrium Inc.
  

Now in its ninth year, the award honours the quality, insight, direction and leadership of Canada's senior financial leaders. Nominations are still being accepted at www.cfoy.ca, and close on December 17, 2010. Presenting sponsors for the 2011 award are Financial Executives International Canada (FEI Canada), PwC, and Robert Half International (RHI).

Candidates from any business sector may be nominated by CEOs, corporate directors, financial analysts and other senior executives. The 2011 recipient of Canada's CFO of the Year Award will be honoured at a gala dinner on April 28, 2011 at The Fairmont Royal York in Toronto.

"We are pleased that such an accomplished selection committee will be choosing Canada's next CFO of the Year," said Michael Conway, Chief Executive and National President of FEI Canada. "Leaders of distinction are well positioned to recognize these traits in their peers."

The CFO of the Year program thanks the following outgoing committee members for their valuable contributions:

• Tom O'Neill, former CEO of PwC from 1998 to 2001
• Dr. Elizabeth Parr-Johnston, former President and Vice Chancellor, University of New Brunswick
• Robert Youden, CEO, Jacques Whitford Group Ltd.

Previous recipients of Canada's CFO of the Year Award include:

2010			Richard Bird, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Development, Enbridge Inc.
2010			Cynthia Devine, Chief Financial Officer, Tim Hortons Inc.
2009			David Garofalo, President and CEO, HudBay Minerals Inc. (former Chief Financial Officer, Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd.)
2008			Bruce Waterman, Senior Vice President Finance and Chief Financial Officer, Agrium Inc.
2007			Marvin Romanow, CEO (former Chief Financial Officer), Nexen Inc.
2006			Karen Maidment, former Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, BMO Financial Group
2005			Claude Mongeau, CEO (former Chief Financial Officer), Canadian National Railway Co.
2004			Peter Rubenovitch, former Senior Executive Vice-President and CFO, Manulife Financial Group
2003			Peter Currie, former Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer, RBC Financial Group

"Winners of the CFO of the Year Award represent the best of Canada's financial leaders," says Gino Scapillati, National Managing Partner, PwC. "We are looking forward to another winner being added to an impressive list of award recipients."

Kathryn Bolt, President of Robert Half Canada, adds, "We are thrilled to be partnering with FEI Canada and PwC as presenting sponsors for this year's program.  With the pressures that are currently facing Canada's CFOs, they certainly deserve our recognition and praise for their contribution."

Canada's CFO of the Year Award 2011 is also sponsored by American Express, the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA), Microsoft, Lerners LLP, Sherrard Kuzz LLP and The Fairmont Royal York. The media sponsor is The Globe and Mail. Presentation technology for the gala dinner is provided by AVW-TELAV Audio Visual Solutions.

For more information or to submit your nomination for the next Canada's CFO of the Year, please visit www.cfoy.ca.

About Financial Executives International Canada (FEI Canada)
FEI Canada is the all-industry professional membership association for senior financial executives. With eleven chapters across Canada and 2,000 members, FEI Canada provides professional development, thought leadership and advocacy services to its members. The association membership, which consists of Chief Financial Officers, Audit Committee Directors and senior executives in the Finance, Controller, Treasury and Taxation functions, represents a significant number of Canada's leading and most influential corporations. Further information can be found at www.feicanada.org.

About PwC
PwC firms provide industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory services to enhance value for their clients. More than 161,000 people in 154 countries in firms across the PwC network share their thinking, experience and solutions to develop fresh perspectives and practical advice. See www.pwc.com for more information. In Canada, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (www.pwc.com/ca) and its related entities have more than 5,300 partners and staff in offices across the country. "PwC" is the brand under which member firms of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited (PwCIL) operate and provide services. Together, these firms form the PwC network. Each firm in the network is a separate legal entity and does not act as agent of PwCIL or any other member firm. PwCIL does not provide any services to clients. PwCIL is not responsible or liable for the acts or omissions of any of its member firms nor can it control the exercise of their professional judgment or bind them in any way.

About Robert Half International
Founded in 1948, Robert Half International (RHI) is the world's first and largest specialized financial recruitment service and member of the S&P 500.  With over 360 locations worldwide including 22 in Canada, we have an unparalleled track record helping companies hire highly skilled accounting and finance professionals.  From project consulting to permanent recruitment to executive search solutions, we provide clients with access to Canada's top talent.  For the second consecutive year, Robert Half has been named number one in our industry on FORTUNE^® magazine's list of the "World's Most Admired Companies." (FORTUNE^®, March 22, 2010.)  For more information, call [phone] or visit www.roberthalf.ca.

For further information:

For FEI Canada:
Christian Bellavance, 416-366-3007, ext 5114, [email protected]

For PwC:
David Rowney, 416-365-8858, [email protected]

For Robert Half International:
Linda Christensen, 416-350-2330, [email protected]