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Season 2, Episode #6: Beyond the Numbers - The emerging role of accountants and CPA Canada

Pamela Steer, President and CEO of CPA Canada discusses the evolution of the CPA profession.

Derek Dobson and Susan Black headshot “What are we here for? What are the values that we aspire to that we want to personify? The organization from a corporate level undertook a big course of work on values. And certainly in the finance team having two of us coming from the private sector, high tech, fast moving, publicly traded, accountable to shareholders as well as stakeholders. The philosophy changed. We're here to make change. We're here to be part of a historic transformation. We need to be courageous. We need to be held responsible and accountable for our decisions.” - Pamela Steer

In this episode, Russell sits down with Pamela Steer, President and CEO of CPA Canada. Russell and Pamela dissect the evolution of the CPA profession, and discuss how accountants-turned-CFOs, in particular, are an organization's secret weapon. The episode also covers financial literacy, including why it’s a top priority for Charters Professional Accountants and how the association provides resources and training to help Canadians and their future.

  • The key role of CFOs in a changing world.
  • How to create meaningful ESG reporting by going beyond the numbers.
  • What CPA Canada is doing to influence financial literacy in Canada’s high school curriculum.
  • A peek into an evolving ‘Integrated Reporting’ approach
  • And more.

Listen to Pamela's episode:

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Biography

Pamela Steer, FCPA, FCA, CFA
President and CEO
CPA Canada

As president and CEO of Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada), Pamela leads one of the largest professional accounting bodies in the world, with more than 220,000 members.

Prior to assuming this role, she was the chief financial and corporate strategy officer at Payments Canada where she oversaw the organization’s finance and corporate planning functions. Previously, she was the chief financial officer and head of finance and employer services with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board.

Over the course of her career, Pamela has worked in the technology and financial services industries (pensions, insurance), including publicly traded, private and regulated entities in Canada and abroad.

Today, Pamela sits on the City of Toronto Investment Board and the boards of Michael Garron Hospital and Quarterhill Inc. (TSX: QTRH). She is an active and founding member of the advisory board for the Institute for Sustainable Finance. Also, she currently sits on the University of Waterloo’s School of Accounting and Finance advisory council. She is a past Chair of the CFA Society Toronto and was a founding member of the Canadian Chapter of the Accounting for Sustainability CFO Leadership Network.

Pamela is a CPA Fellow and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst and Chartered Business Valuator designations. In 2019, she was awarded Canada’s CFO of the Year.

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