Dates and location
Pricing
Hours
Dates and location
Pricing
Hours
Description
The Edge - CPA Ontario's Industry Conference - brings together senior finance leaders, decision makers, and industry experts to explore how CPAs can lead in an environment shaped by AI, economic volatility, and heightened governance expectations.
Early Bird Sale: Save $50 off this conference by registering before June 30, 2026. Promotions cannot be combined with other offers or Passport. Access the early bird sale by logging into your account.
Designed for CPAs working across industry, this one day conference focuses on the evolving role of finance from traditional stewardship to enterprise wide value creation. Through keynote sessions, expert panels, hands on workshops, and interactive breakouts, participants will gain practical insights into applying AI and emerging technologies, leading strategic transformation, strengthening governance and risk frameworks, and navigating capital markets, regulation, and public sector change.
Attendees will leave with concrete tools, forward looking perspectives, and peer connections to help them guide organizations through complexity, uncertainty, and transformation with confidence.
At this conference, you will:
- Harness AI and emerging technologies by translating practical AI and finance tools from concept to real world use cases that enhance decision making, efficiency, and competitive advantage.
- Lead strategic business transformation by understanding how finance leaders are shifting from scorekeepers to value creators through investment strategy, transformation initiatives, and enterprise wide collaboration.
- Strengthen governance, risk, and internal controls by gaining insight into ethical governance, enterprise risk management, and controls needed to manage system level risks in a digital economy.
- Navigate capital markets, regulation, and public sector change by staying current on market trends, M&A considerations, financial reporting, AML/FINTRAC updates, and public sector modernization.
- Equip yourself to lead through economic uncertainty by understanding policy influences, market outlooks, and leadership strategies shaped by high pressure environments.
Can’t make it in person? We have a virtual option: Learn More.
Agenda
Agenda
Stream 1: AI & Finance Technology Lab (Hands-On): “Practical AI for Finance & Industry Leaders: From Concept to Use Case”
Speaker: Malik Datardina, CPA, CA, Assistant Professor at University of Waterloo - School of Accounting and Finance
Audience: CFOs, Controllers, Tax Leaders, Public Sector Finance
Stream 2: Public Sector Advancement & Modernization: Modernizing Public Sector Finance: Digital Reporting, Transparency & Accountability
Speaker: Émile Wandji, CPA, MBA, Director General of Finance and Administration & DCFO at Public Service Commission of Canada & Farhat Khan, CPA, CFO & Vice President Corporate Affairs Sector at Public Service Commission
Audience: Public Sector CFOs, Government Controllers, Public Sector Professionals
This session showcases how the Public Service Commission (PSC) successfully tackled expanding workloads and complex policy frameworks by deploying secure and bilingual AI Agents designed for day-to-day operation. Built efficiently within the organization's existing Microsoft 365 ecosystem, this pragmatic, low-cost solution modernizes internal service delivery by successfully reducing inquiry volumes and slashing response times down to mere seconds. It serves as a premier example of how public sector organizations can move responsibly from AI experimentation to tangible operational savings.
Moving beyond the underlying technology, the presentation delivers a comprehensive operational blueprint for successful AI adoption. The discussion emphasizes the critical foundational conditions required to scale these solutions, notably the power of unified executive sponsorship across Finance and IT. By establishing robust governance frameworks and responsible AI controls, the PSC demonstrates how departments can achieve high-velocity delivery and modernization without compromising compliance or data security.
Ultimately, attendees will walk away with practical, actionable insights derived directly from the PSC's implementation experience. The session details key lessons in low-cost development, strategic change management, and effective methods for measuring impact and scalability. Participants will learn how to apply these frameworks to their own organizations, transforming complex internal policies into secure, scalable, and employee-centric digital solutions.
Stream 3: Finance Transformation & Internal Controls: Strengthening Internal Controls in a Digital & Volatile Economy
Speaker: Sudeshna Banerjee, CPA, CA, Director Technology Risk & Banking Operation at KPMG
Audience: CFOs, Audit Committee Members, Risk Leaders
Conference Opening Remarks with Host
Opening Keynote
Topic | AI: The New Business Superpower
Artificial Intelligence is a superpower every business can benefit from. Tech titan Michele Romanow will show you how.
As the co-founder of Clearco, the world’s largest ecommerce investor, Romanow revolutionized the venture capitalist game by leveraging AI and data to measure business success. Well-versed in the transformative impact of AI and new technologies, she dives into the latest tech innovations, including Alphabet, Metaverse, ChatGPT, and more, to explore the many opportunities ahead for business. Romanow will also walk audiences through the mindset required to drive innovation within an organization to help them jumpstart their AI transformation.
Topic | Strategic Business Investments & Transformation: From Scorekeeper to Value Creator
Scorekeepers tell you what happened … Value creators influence what happens next.
Finance has a choice, are we … Reporting the past (“scorekeepers”) or shaping the future (“value creators”).
Let's look at the opportunities we have to evolve the role of Finance through the value creation lense:
- Organic Growth
- Margin/Productivity
- Inorganic Growth (i.e. M&A/Licensing)
What are the problems in how we operate today and how can we transform to make finance a more strategic engine to help the business rethink its investment framework and drive consistency to both organic and inorganic capital allocations.
Leading finance teams shape BOTH organic and inorganic strategy > How can FP&A leaders and teams help to lead this evolution.
Speaker: The Honourable Bob Rae, Canada’s 25th Ambassador to the United Nations
Topic | Leadership Development Session: Redefining Leadership for Today’s Industry
Stream 1: AML & FINTRAC Updates
Speaker: Michael Eccleston, Principal Regulatory Assessments / Legal Counsel at The AML Shop
Stream 2: Internal Controls & Enterprise Risk Management
Speaker: Marc Y. Tassé, MBA,FCPA,FCA,FCG, Trusted Advisor to CEOs & Chairs & Board Member
In today’s increasingly complex and fast-moving environment, internal controls and enterprise risk management are no longer simply compliance functions—they are strategic enablers of resilience, performance, and organizational trust. This session will explore how finance leaders can strengthen governance, enhance decision-making, and proactively identify, assess, and mitigate key risks across their organizations. Drawing on practical examples and leadership perspectives, the discussion will highlight how robust internal controls and an integrated ERM approach can help organizations navigate uncertainty, protect value, and support sustainable success.
Three Key Takeaways:
- How to align internal controls and enterprise risk management with organizational strategy and governance priorities.
- How to identify and respond to emerging operational, financial, technological, and reputational risks in a practical and proactive manner.
- How finance and risk leaders can foster a stronger culture of accountability, oversight, and resilience across the organization.
Stream 3: Best Governance Practice - Managing System‑Level Risks Through Ethical Governance
Speaker: Rob DeRooy, Vice President Governance and Strategy, Governance Solutions Inc
Panelists: Sapna Malhotra, CPA, CMC, CPA, ICD.D, Principal & Founder at Digiruptor, Linda Williams, Managing Partner Clients & Industries and Executive Committee Member at EY Canada & Lewis Rose, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D, Strategic Advisor, Board Director and Investor; Former CEO Businesses in transition; Rapid scaling; Global growth
Topic | Enterprise Business Transformation: Lessons Learnt from the Field
Closing Keynote
Topic | Economic Outlook: Business and Policy (Policies affecting business, Interest rates, Tariffs) Narratives vs Realities
Speaker & Sponsor Forms
Are you interested in speaking at one of our conferences?
Click here for our speaking proposal form.
Are you interested in being a sponsor for one of our conferences?
Disclaimer
The views expressed in the course are non-authoritative and have not been formally endorsed by CPA Ontario and do not reflect the views of CPA Ontario. The information included in the course is for general information purposes only.
CPA Ontario, the presenters and the authors do not accept any responsibility or liability that might occur directly or indirectly as a consequence of the use or application of or reliance on this material.
How to Attend the Conference
This is an in person conference. You must attend the full conference to receive verifiable CPD hours.
Registration, cancellation, withdrawal and all other CPA Ontario Program policies can be found here.
Speaker(s)
| HOST | |
|---|---|
|
|
Eddie Lucarelli, CPA, CA, Partner in the Corporate Development Office of Deloitte Canada, focused on accelerating the firm’s inorganic growth through acquisitions, partnerships, and strategic investments. Prior to this, he served as Chief Financial Officer of a Canadian public company for 7 years, where he oversaw significant financial milestones, including going public, strategic financings, and transformative M&A. Previously, he was a VP in M&A at TD Securities, advising major Canadian companies, and he started his career at Deloitte, specializing in business valuation across various industries. Eddie holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Queen's University. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant and a Chartered Business Valuator. |
| OPENING KEYNOTE SPEAKER | |
|
|
Michele Romanow, Dragon, CBC’s Dragons’ Den | Co-Founder, Clearco Tech titan Michele Romanow is a serial entrepreneur who started six companies before her 35th birthday. A “Dragon” on CBC’s hit show Dragons’ Den, Romanow is the co-founder of Clearco, the world’s largest e-commerce investor. It has invested over $5 billion into 10,000 entrepreneurs in 13 countries. Prior to this, she co-founded SnapSaves, acquired by American tech giant Groupon, and Buytopia.ca, acquired by Emerge. Romanow joined Dragons’ Den in 2015, becoming their youngest judge to date. That same year, she co-founded Clearco which earned unicorn status by 2021, making it one of only 23 fintech unicorns in the world to be founded or co-founded by a woman as of 2022. A prolific investor, she was named one of Fortune’s “40 under 40”, a “Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum, one of Canada’s “100 Most Powerful in Canada” by WXN, and Canada’s “Angel Investor of the Year”. |
| MID-DAY KEYNOTE | |
|
|
The Honourable Bob Rae brings over five decades of leadership at the highest levels of international diplomacy, national politics, and public policy. As Canada's former Ambassador to the United Nations, Premier of Ontario, and interim Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, he offers audiences rare insight into navigating complex global challenges, building consensus across divides and leading through transformation. His keynotes draw on firsthand experience with humanitarian crises, negotiations with world leaders, and critical issues — delivered with the wisdom of a statesman and the accessibility of a natural storyteller. Rae served as the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations in New York from 2020 to 2025, joining the likes of Lester Pearson and George Davidson as Canadians elected in their personal capacity to preside over UN Charter bodies. |
| CLOSING KEYNOTE | |
|
|
Andrew Hencic is a Director & Senior Economist with TD Bank Group, where he forecasts Canadian economic data, major global currencies, and interest rates. He is also a regular contributor to a variety of TD publications, providing insights on financial market developments and trends in the Canadian and U.S. economies. Andrew holds a PhD. in Economics from York University and a Bachelor's in Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University. |
| FEATURED SPEAKERS | |
|
|
Malik Datardina, CPA, CA, CISA, is an Assistant Professor (Teaching Stream) focused on Emerging Technologies at the UW's School of Accounting and Finance. Beyond academia, he maintains deep industry connections through his AI and governance consulting practice. With over two decades of experience in audit innovation, data analytics, and governance, his recent focus has been on GenAI and its ability to streamline and enhance knowledge work within the CPA profession and beyond. |
|
|
Émile Wandji, CPA, MBA is a visionary executive with over 30 years of distinguished service within the Canadian federal government. He currently serves as the Director General of Finance and Administration and Deputy Chief Financial Officer at the Public Service Commission of Canada, where he is recognized for his unique ability to drive sustainable organizational transformation while putting people first. Throughout his career, Émile has pioneered high-impact initiatives that modernize public sector operations. Notably, he led the complete overhaul and modernization of his organization’s financial management system to FreeBalance V7, significantly enhancing governance, financial rigor, and data-driven decision-making. This innovative achievement, alongside his forward-thinking deployment of the department's first AI-powered agent to streamline policy compliance and improve employee experience, directly earned him the prestigious Experienced Leader Award from the Ordre des CPA du Québec. Beyond his technical and financial acumen, Émile is a dedicated champion for workplace wellness, mental health, and linguistic duality. He actively fosters inclusive, benevolent environments that advance diversity, bilingualism, and meaningful reconciliation. His profound commitment to both organizational excellence and community service has also been recognized with the King Charles III Coronation Medal. |
|
|
Farhat Khan, CPA, is a progressive, strategic executive leader with over 20 years of distinguished service driving institutional transformation and robust fiscal stewardship across the Canadian federal government. She currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer and Vice President at the Public Service Commission of Canada, where she is recognized for transforming traditional financial controllership into a high-impact strategic enabler for enterprise excellence. Under her executive direction, the PSC steered a department-wide financial system modernization to FreeBalance V7 - a major transition that significantly enhanced financial controls and enterprise reporting, earning her team the prestigious 2025 Comptrollership Innovation Award and the Comptrollership Excellence Award from the Comptroller General of Canada. Furthermore, her forward-thinking executive sponsorship championed the development of a pioneering AI Agent solution to resolve complex operational bottlenecks in travel and expense inquiries, advancing the broader agenda on responsible AI adoption, transparency, and automated compliance. |
|
|
Kelly Martin, CA, CPA, is a Finance professional with over 25 years of organizational and C-Suite leadership experience, across many industries, with a primary focus in HealthCare. She has held multiple Chief Financial Officer positions, with well-known companies such as TELUS Health, Life Labs Inc.; Wolseley Canada Inc.; and Janssen Inc., a division of Johnson & Johnson. She is currently serving as Global Vice President Financial Planning and Analysis at Apotex Inc., the largest generic drug manufacturer in Canada.Kelly brings an extensive and unique background across all aspects of Finance, with augmenting experience in Capital Investments, Enterprise Risk Management, Process Excellence, Operations, Supply Chain and Logistics. She leads through a collaborative approach believing that enterprise growth requires strategic and measured investments. |
|
|
Rob DeRooy, Vice President of Governance & Strategy at Governance Solutions, is a highly respected consultant who regularly performs board and CEO evaluations, governance audits and best practice reviews in addition to facilitating strategic planning and thinking sessions. A faculty member for both The Directors College and The Professional Director Certification Program®, Rob is a skilled presenter and passionate about sharing his governance expertise. Prior to joining Governance Solutions, Rob had a 20+ year career as a senior executive, serving both as a CEO and a board member on several boards. Having been on both sides of the table gave Rob the opportunity to see where the “bright red line” between the Board and Management should be and how to best keep it in place. |
|
|
Marc Y. Tassé, MBA, FCPA, FCA, FCG is a globally recognized authority on governance, ethics, and strategic leadership. Holder of some of the highest professional distinctions in business and governance—Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant (FCPA, FCA) and Fellow Chartered Governance Professional (FCG)—Mr. Tassé exemplifies unwavering fiduciary duty and a deep commitment to organizational integrity. In addition, he has earned advanced executive credentials from several leading international academic institutions and professional associations. |
|
|
Sapna Malhotra is a C-Suite executive and ICD.D certified Director with over 30 years of experience leading $1.5B+ technology and regulatory transformations in highly governed environments. She brings a distinctive combination of governance discipline, financial rigor, and hands-on technology transformation leadership. She is recognized for bridging the gap between board-level oversight and operational execution, ensuring large-scale modernization initiatives are not only strategically aligned but delivered with strong governance, proactive risk mitigation, and fiscal discipline. Most recently served as an independent external executive leader & advisor at FSRA, where she stabilized board-visible regulatory initiatives by resetting governance and financial controls to restore delivery predictability and executive confidence. Her CPA & CMC foundation strengthens board oversight through disciplined financial stewardship, ensuring that technology investments deliver long-term value, resilience, and accountability. |
|
|
Linda Williams, is the Managing Partner – Clients & Industries at EY Canada. She sits on the EY Canada Executive Committee and is a member of the EY Global Clients & Industries Board. With more than three decades of experience spanning audit, strategy and transactions, and technology‑enabled transformation, Linda helps organizations – including EY – navigate disruption, unlock new sources of value, and accelerate growth in an increasingly complex market landscape. Throughout her career, she has led multidisciplinary teams across financial services, aerospace, telecommunications and other sectors – guiding large‑scale transformations and empowering organizations to build long‑term resilience. As the former managing partner of EY Canada’s Consulting practice, Linda doubled the size of the business while attracting top talent nationwide. A passionate people leader, Linda is deeply committed to developing and elevating the next generation of leaders. She invests in fostering diverse, high‑performing teams and strengthening the pipeline of future market shapers – an emphasis throughout her leadership roles. Linda is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA). Outside of her professional life, she’s a passionate traveller, photographer, skier and adventure seeker with her sons and friends. |
