TORONTO, March 11, 2014 /CNW/ - Janice Fukakusa, Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Financial Officer at RBC, has been selected as Canada's CFO of the Year™ for 2014. Canada's CFO of the Year Award is presented annually by Financial Executives Canada, PwC and Robert Half. The award honours and recognizes the quality, insight, direction and leadership of Canada's senior financial executives.
"We congratulate Janice for being named Canada's top CFO for 2014," says Michael Conway, President and Chief Executive Officer, Financial Executives Canada. "Janice leads by example and has earned the respect of her peers by demonstrating leadership far beyond a traditional finance role. She not only leads RBC to consistently strong financial performance while supporting business growth, but also champions important social causes, including raising funds for health research, encouraging education in youth and promoting diversity initiatives."
Ms. Fukakusa was named Canada's CFO of the Year™ by an independent committee composed of several prominent members of Canada's business community. The judging criteria are as follows: vision and leadership; corporate reporting and performance; social responsibility; innovation and business complexity. Award candidates from a wide range of business sectors were nominated by CEOs, members of boards of directors, financial analysts and other senior executives.
As a member of RBC's Group Executive, Ms. Fukakusa is one of eight executives responsible for setting the overall strategic direction of RBC. She also chairs the Group Operating Committee which oversees the day-to-day functional, operating and technology activities across the bank. Since joining RBC in 1985, she has held positions in retail and business banking, corporate banking, account management, corporate finance, treasury, strategic development and corporate functions. Before taking on her current role, she served as Executive Vice-President, Finance and over the years, her various roles and responsibilities have included: Vice-President, Portfolio Management; Senior Vice-President, Multinational Banking; Chief Internal Auditor; and Executive Vice-President, Specialized Services, RBC Banking. She is also director of various RBC subsidiaries, including RBC Europe Limited, and Symcor Inc.
Ms. Fukakusa obtained her Bachelor of Arts from University of Toronto, holds a Master of Business Administration from Schulich School of Business and has earned the designation of FCA from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario. She volunteers for a number of organizations, including Wellspring Cancer Support, The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, Ryerson University and Schulich School of Business. In 2007 she was inducted into Canada's Most Powerful Women Hall of Fame, and in 2013 was named among the 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking by American Banker Magazine.
"Canada's CFO of the Year Award recognizes the drive and the innovative spirit needed to lead, particularly in a storied Canadian institution like RBC," says Tahir Ayub, Managing Partner, Markets and Industries, PwC Canada. "We congratulate Janice on this win and look forward to celebrating her success."
David King, Director, Robert Half, adds, "Robert Half is proud to support this program and the contributions of those who represent the finest in Canada's financial leaders. This award honours the expertise, leadership, and dedication that these professionals demonstrate in moving Canadian businesses forward to achieve financial success."
Previous recipients of Canada's CFO of the Year™ Award include:
2013: Brian Lawson, Senior Managing Partner and Chief Financial Officer, Brookfield Asset Management
2012: Colleen Johnston, Group Head Finance and Chief Financial Officer, TD Bank Group
2011: Gordon Maron, Chief Financial Officer, PCL Construction Holdings Ltd. (PCL)
2010: Cynthia Devine, Chief Financial Officer, Tim Hortons Inc.
2010: Richard Bird, Executive Vice-President, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Development, Enbridge Inc. *2010 had two winners
2009: David Garofalo, Senior Vice-President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer of Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd.
2008: Bruce Waterman, Senior Vice-President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer of Agrium Inc.
2007: Marvin Romanow, Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer of Nexen Inc.
2006: Karen Maidment, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer of BMO Financial Group
2005: Claude Mongeau, Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer of CN
2004: Peter Rubenovitch, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Manulife Financial Group
2003: Peter W. Currie, Vice-Chairman and Chief Financial Officer of RBC Financial Group
Canada's CFO of the Year Award 2014 is also sponsored by American Express, Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA Canada) and Lerners LLP. The media sponsor is The Globe and Mail. Presentation technology for the gala dinner is provided by AVW-TELAV Audio Visual Solutions.
Janice Fukakusa will be honoured at a gala dinner on May 8, 2014. Media are invited to cover the gala at the Hyatt Regency in Calgary. To confirm your attendance and arrange for interviews and camera space, please contact Melissa Homenuik at [email protected].
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 Canada
Financial Executives Canada is the all-industry professional membership association for senior financial executives. With 11 chapters across Canada and 1,700 members, it seeks to bring together senior financial executives to further enhance their leadership skills and broader management knowledge. 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. For more information, please visit www.financialexecutives.ca.
About PwC Canada
PwC Canada helps organizations and individuals create the value they're looking for. More than 5,700 partners and staff in offices across the country are committed to delivering quality in assurance, tax, consulting and deals services. PwC Canada is a member of the PwC network of firms with more than 180,000 people in 158 countries. Find out more by visiting us at www.pwc.com/ca.
Follow PwC on Twitter at @PwC_Canada_LLP and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pwccanada.
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PwC refers to the Canadian member firm, and may sometimes refer to the PwC network. Each member firm is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details.
About Robert Half
Founded in 1948, Robert Half, the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm, is a recognized leader in professional staffing services. The company has seven divisions including Robert Half® Finance & Accounting and Robert Half® Management Resources , for full-time and senior-level project professionals respectively, in the fields of accounting and finance. Robert Half International has staffing and consulting operations in more than 300 locations worldwide, including locations across Canada. Find more information at http://www.roberthalf.ca, and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/RobertHalf_CAN.
SOURCE: PwC Management Services LP
For Financial Executives Canada: Christian Bellavance, 416.366.8007 ext. 5114, [email protected]; For PwC: Emily Abrahams, 416.814.5734, [email protected]; For Robert Half International: Naz Araghian, 416.350.2330, [email protected]
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