August 2007 Edition: FEI Canada Xpress


FEI Canada News

Dear Members,

"2007 Survey of Pension Plans in Canada"Vic Wells 
FEI President's Request for your Participation

As President of FEI Canada, I draw your attention to our 2007 pension survey and request your participation. FEI Canada has partnered with Aon Consulting (one of Canada's leading pension consulting firms) to provide the nation's most comprehensive and forward-looking pension survey. This is the first initiative of its kind for the Canadian Financial Executives Research Foundation (CFERF), the research arm of FEI Canada.

Participants will receive a copy of the survey report, an invitation to a public discussion of the survey results, and, if you request, a 30-minute telephone consultation with an Aon pension consultant on how the results impact your organization. In addition, Benefits Canada magazine has agreed to provide editorial coverage of the key findings in a future issue. This coverage will help raise awareness of FEI Canada, and the critical issues facing the provision of pension arrangements in Canada today.

Here are some of the questions the survey will answer:

The survey is comprehensive and it is best if you complete the whole document. But if parts pose difficulty, you can just omit them. Also, if some information is contained in actuarial and accounting reports or plan texts that you or your staff do not have time to review, please feel free to forward relevant documents to david.clapperton@aon.ca, and Aon will extract the survey information and enter it into your response.

We will treat your data with the utmost confidentiality and will report only grouped results.

To complete the survey, please go to www.aoncanada.com/surveynetwork directly. Please use the codeword retirementv2 to access the survey. You will be asked to register with a username and password to log onto the site, and from there you can access and complete the survey. Please see the attached user guide for further instructions. You can complete the survey at any time up to September 19, 2007.

UserGuide English | UserGuide French

If you have any question, please contact Ramona Dzinkowski at 416-366-3007 ext 5114.

With your help, valuable results will emerge from this initiative, now and for years to come. Please participate today and ensure its success.

Yours truly,

Vic Wells
President, FEI Canada.


FEI Strategic Plan Review

FEI Canada has made good progress concerning the implementation of our three year strategic plan. Since our annual conference in June, we have retained Fleishman-Hillard, one of Canada's leading public relations firms operating in the not-for-profit and professional association sectors, and have begun to build a strategic program of public awareness for FEI Canada and it's spokespeople. Also during the first quarter of this fiscal year, we have continued to improve our data base management and technological capabilities and expect to have a user friendly, robust data management system in place by mid-fall. Last but not least, our Governance sub-committee had an importantl meeting in August, which was attended by Chapter presidents. Many pressing issues were addressed related to chapter relations, programming, member value, and cross-country coordination between FEI National Office and local chapter committees and boards. We look forward to the ongoing participation of the all eleven chapters in Canada towards the seamless management and integration of all FEI Canada and local chapter initiatives.


Upcoming Events

September Breakfast Seminar - Getting Ready for IFRS – Top Ten Actions to Take Now

Sponsored by KPMG
KPMG

Mark your calendar for our next National Breakfast Seminar series in September, Getting Ready for IFRS – Top Ten Actions to Take Now. Is your organization a Canadian publicly traded company or a publicly accountable enterprise that will report under IFRS? If it is, you'll be interested in knowing what you should be doing now to set yourself up for a timely, well-organized and effective transition process.

Converting to IFRS is far more than just an accounting change – it has implications not only for financial reporting, but also for management reporting, budgeting and forecasting throughout the organization. The finance function will certainly be at the centre of the action, but you will also want to access resources from other parts of the business in developing and then implementing your transition plan.

In this series, we'll help you to examine some of the IFRS standards themselves, so you'll learn how to identify the ones most likely to create challenges for your organization. We'll also focus on the process of change. Many of the "top ten actions" that we'll discuss actually come from the lessons learned by international companies that made the change in 2005, and by AIM listed companies who are currently making this conversion. In certain locations, Canadian CFOs who are moving along in their transition will also share their experiences with us.

Please note that these breakfast seminars will run until 10:00 am as opposed to our usual 9:30 finish. Registrations for the Seminar will be updated soon. For further information please contact Marita Dias at mdias@feicanada.org.

October National Breakfast Seminar Series - The High Tech Future of Finance – Managing Complexity

Sponsored by Microsoft
Microsoft

Mark your calendar for our next National Breakfast Seminar series in October, The High Tech Future of Finance – Managing Complexity. Senior finance executives today are expected to understand how emerging technologies can be applied to complex management strategies, compliance mandates and risk issues. They need to understand how to leverage information systems to create an efficient, flexible finance function in line with strategic business objectives—one that drives accountability to process owners, informs and accelerates decision making, cuts errors out of the picture and adapts on a dime—all while guaranteeing control, security and audit transparency.

Renowned educator, public speaker and management professor Tony Dimnik of the Queen's School of Business traces the impact of rapid technological change on the finance function and reveals his views on some of the emerging technologies that will drive strategic financial management in your organization over the next 20 years. In particular he will introduce the revolutionary new concept of "Open Book Management"—a philosophy of management and a practical roadmap for finance that ultimately puts information and tools in the hands of those who need them most. Professor Dimnik will also show how Open Book Management can provide an opportunity to achieve radical reductions in budgeting and planning cycle times while generating error-free financial information far more efficiently.

Registrations for the Seminar will be updated soon. For further information please contact Marita Dias at mdias@feicanada.org.


2nd Annual "Best in Class" Invitational MBA Case Competition,
Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, November 16-17,2007

FEIC Toronto Chapter is very proud to offer their support to business education in Canada by once again hosting the "Best in Class" Invitational MBA, Case Competition on November 16-17,2007. This year, we are extending invitations to the following MBA schools across Canada: Desautels School of Business; Haskayne School of Business; Ivey School of Business; Queen's School of Business; Rotman School of Management; Sauder School of Business; Sobey School of Business, Schulich School of Business.

The "Best in Class" case competition is unique in that it is not based upon a written case study. An existing public company is chosen as the case company. The identity of the company is not revealed until the launch on Friday morning of the two day competition, and is kicked off with an introduction to the case company executives followed by a question and answer period. Following the semi-final presentations which begin on Saturday morning and are open to public viewing, four teams are selected to compete in the final round, where they have two hours to respond to a fictitious crisis at the case company. A panel of six judges in the semi-final round and six judges in the final round representing distinguished Canadian business leaders will be selected by FEIC Toronto Chapter to judge the student team presentations. Cash prizes of $10,000, $5,000 and $2,500 are awarded for the first, second and third place teams. FEIC Toronto Chapter will also sponsor the first place team to attend the FEI Canada National Conference in Jasper, Alberta, in June 2008.

The competition will end with a reception and awards dinner at the Great Hall, Hart House, at the University of Toronto on the evening of Saturday, November 17,2007, to which all student participants, judges, media, corporate sponsors, FEI members, Deans and participating schools are invited. We are honoured to have Dean Roger Martin of our host school, the Rotman School of Management, welcome our guests as a keynote speaker at the Awards Dinner.

All FEI Canada members and their member companies are encouraged to show their support for the "Best in Class" MBA Case Competition on November 16th and 17th, 2007, by attending the live presentations on Saturday November 17,2007 at the Rotman School of Management, Fleck Auditorium (no charge) or by purchasing individual tickets or corporate tables to attend the awards dinner at the Great Hall, Hart House on Saturday, November 17,2007. It is a great opportunity to see Canada's best and brightest MBA students in action!

In the meantime, should you require any additional details, or wish to become more involved by volunteering to assist with the event, please do not hesitate to contact any of the committee members listed below, or the Toronto Chapter Administrator, Liz Bowell (lb@passport.ca).

Best in Class Organizing Committee:
Judy Munro, Chair, (judy.munro@rogers.com) Ramona Dzinkowski (rdzinkowski@feicanada.org) Frank Hayes (fhayes@stanleysoftwarefinance.com) Bill Hewitt (wehew@sympatico.ca) Mark Walsh (exofficial member) (mark.walsh@cica.ca)


September 10-13, 2007 CICA Annual Financial Reporting Conference

CICA

Metro Toronto Convention Centre
Toronto, ON

Program Outline:

This is a two full day event with one-day post-conference optional workshops offered on September 13. This conference will provide you with the most up-to-date and extensive review of regulatory developments at the OSC and SEC, and the most recent (and pending) financial disclosure requirements from CICA, FASB and IASB. A series of general and concurrent sessions will be developed and delivered by Canadian and U.S. experts. Workshops highlighting timely and topical practical considerations on up-to-the-minute pronouncements will also be offered. This conference offers in-depth coverage of the latest financial trends and developments where you will immediately understand the implications of the issues discussed on your organization and your clients. Carefully selected, experienced speakers will deliver interpretations and insight, laced with practical, real-world examples to illustrate the points and you have the opportunity to ask questions and get immediate answers at interactive panel sessions. See brochure for more information at:

http://www.cpd.cica.ca/FRAC/About.cfm


CFO TV – programming schedule

Please note that attendance at FEI Breakfast Seminars and our Annual Conference qualifies for Continuing Professional Development credits.


Membership Services

The Economics of Affinity

The Member Value Program (MVP) is reborn as "The Affinity Centre".

Access to discounts on products and services available to members can be decisive in the member's decision to join FEI Canada or renew their membership. It is the economic side of your membership.

With opportunities to save money on things like special rates from thePersonal on home & auto insurance, discounted Blue Jays tickets and special offers from the Ottawa Senators, your membership brings value on a personal level. We have also highlighted those programs available through FEI US including Hertz, AVIS and Starwood Hotels.

For more information on these programs or if you want to become an Affinity Provider with FEIC, contact: Christopher Sheedy, Director, Membership & Chapter Relations
csheedy@feicanada.org or at 416-366-3007 x5103


August's Featured Affinity Partner
FEI Canada Corporate Discount Program

The Personal

Thanks to our association with The Personal Insurance Company, you could save money on your home and auto insurance.

The Personal offers you preferred group insurance rates because you are a member of Financial Executives International Canada.

These rates are not available to the general public – and they're on top of the savings you earn as a good driver and responsible property owner!

The Personal is there for you:

Plus, just for getting a quote on your auto or home insurance before December 31, 2007, you will be automatically entered for a chance to win 1 of 2 $25,000 cash prizes.

You choose how you want to spend it.

If you are already insured with The Personal you have been automatically entered into the contest. It's their way of saying thanks!


New Member Welcome

A warm welcome to 15 new members who joined in August 2007! Our thanks to all the members who have recommended their colleagues and friends.

Mr. Alan Ahlgren,
Vice President, Finance,
Kinross Gold Corporation,
Toronto Chapter

Mr. Christopher T. Burrows,
Vice President, Finance & Administration,
The Churchill Corporation,
Edmonton Chapter

Mr. Daniel D'Auteuil,
Treasurer,
Mittal Canada Inc.,
Québec Chapter

Ms. Allison L. Dent,
Audit Committee Member,
Synergis Capital Inc.,
Québec Chapter

Mr. Jacques Godbout,
Chief Financial Officer,
Sirius Conseils,
Québec Chapter

Mr. David Hayter,
Senior Vice President, Finance & Chief Financial Officer,
Hospitals of Ontario Pension Plan,
Toronto Chapter

Mr. Dean G. Hill,
Vice President, Finance,
Canadian Spirit Resources Inc.,
Calgary Chapter

Mrs. Anna Lentz,
Chief Financial Officer,
Alberta Mining Corporation,
Calgary Chapter

Mr. Barry R. Milne,
Consultant & Chief Financial Officer,
David Aplin Recruiting,
Winnipeg Chapter

Mr. Brendon Muller,
Controller, Nexen Inc.,
Calgary Chapter

Mr. Orhan Musayev,
Controller,
Hobart Food Equipment Group Canada Inc.,
Toronto Chapter

Mr. Royal Poulin,
Vice President Finance & Administration,
National Public Relations Inc.,
Toronto Chapter

Mr. Brian H. Staffen,
Assistant Vice President,
Securities Accounting, Manulife Financial Corporation,
Toronto Chapter

Mr. Bradley D. Sutherland,
Vice President,
Finance Shared Services, BMO Financial Group,
Toronto Chapter

Mr. Peter Zissis,
Chief Financial Officer,
Birch Hill Equity Partners Inc.,
Toronto Chapter


Members in the News

Mr. Kevin A. Glass (Toronto Chapter)
is now the Chief Financial Officer of Retirement Residence REIT.

Ms. Kate B. Stevenson (Toronto Chapter)
has been promoted to Treasurer & Head of Business Development for Nortel Networks Corporation.

Mr. Geoff R. Bedford (Toronto Chapter)
is Executive Vice President, AMR Performance Materials Division for Neo Material Technologies.

Ms. Jennifer A. Maki (Toronto Chapter)
is now Vice President & Treasurer for CVRD Inco Limited.

Mrs. Susan P. Brioux (Toronto Chapter),
formerly of Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Ltd., is now Vice President, Finance for the Shopping Channel.

Mr. Kriss W. Bush (Toronto Chapter)
is now Associate Director for Scotia Capital Incorporated.

Mr. Don W. Wilson (Edmonton Chapter)
has been promoted to Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer of Stantec Inc.

M. François Vimard (Toronto Chapter),
former Executive Vice President, is now Chief Financial Officer of Sobeys Inc.

Ms. Rohini Halli (Winnipeg Chapter),
formerly of Healthcare Employees Pension & Benefits Plan of Manitoba, is now the Senior Manager, Assurance & Advisory for Deloitte & Touche LLP.

Mr. Gordon K. Case (Calgary Chapter),
formerly of Tusk Energy Inc., is now the Chief Operating Officer & Chief Financial Officer for Opengate Properties Ltd.

Mr. Pierre Duhamel (Quebec Chapter)
is now Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer for Kruger Inc.

Mr. Brian P. Gabel (Vancouver Chapter)
is now Vice President & Chief Financial Officer for thye Greater Toronto Airports Authority.

Mr. Lorne B. Anderson (Vancouver Chapter)
is now Chief Financial Officer for Tyhee Development Corp.

Mr. Donald E. Connor (Atlantic Chapter),
has been been promoted to Chief Operating Officer & Executive Director for the Certified General Accountants Association of Nova Scotia.

Trent A. Krauel (London Chapter)
is the Chief Financial Officer of Southside Group.

Richard N. Hughes (Edmonton Chapter)
is now the Vice President, Finance of Big Eagle Services.

Mr. David A. Wood (Atlantic Chapter)
has been promoted to Vice President, Finance & Chief Financial Officer of Municipal Enterprises Limited.

Mr. David W. Wong (Vancouver Chapter),
formerly of Powerex Corp., is now the Chief Accounting Officer of BC Hydro.

Mr. Robin Merrifield (Vancouver Chapter)
is now the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Uranium One Inc.

Mr. Mike Standbrook (Vancouver Chapter),
former Chief Risk Officer of British Columbia Hydro & Power Authority, is now Chief Financial Officer at Powerex Corp.

Mr. Fred H. Burke (Toronto Chapter)
is the Chief Financial Officer of Santa Maria Foods ULC.

Mr. Stephen Bitove (Toronto Chapter)
has been promoted to Vice President, Internal Audit Services of Royal Bank of Canada.

Mr. Robert J. Kunihiro (Toronto Chapter),
formerly of MI Developments Inc., is now Vice President & Chief Financial Officer of ABC Group Inc.

Mr. Kriss W. Bush (Toronto Chapter)
is now Associated Director of Scotia Capital Incorporated.

Mr. Paul J. Gallagher (Toronto Chapter),
former President and CEO of Avana Capital Corporation, is now Chief Financial Officer of Wittington Investments Limited.

Glenn R. Hynes (Atlantic Chapter)
former Executive Vice President & Chief Development Officer of Sobeys Inc. is now the Chief Financial Officer of Gammon Gold Inc.

Dean Chambers (Toronto Chapter)
is now the Managing Director, Finance of Sherritt International Corporation.

Michael O. Moran (Toronto Chapter)
formerly of Pitney Bowes of Canada Ltd. is now the Vice President, Finance of ADP Canada Employer Services.

P. Bruce West (Toronto Chapter)
is the Senior Vice President, Finance & Chief Financial Officer of The Co-Operators Group Limited.

Peter Papagiannis (Toronto Chapter)
is now the Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer of Ontario Realty Corporation.

Sean Bovingdon (Calgary Chapter)
former Chief Financial Officer of Fuel-x International Inc. is now the Vice President, Finance & Chief Financial Officer of Great Plains Exploration Inc.

Stephen A. Smith (Toronto Chapter)
is the Chief Financial Officer of Cara Operations Limited.

Lenka Stuchlik (Edmonton Chapter)
is now the Vice President, Finance of Alberta Motor Association.

Gerry A. J. Cantin (Winnipeg Chapter)
has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer Canterra Seeds (2002) Ltd.

Susan E. Deans (Vancouver Chapter)
is now the Chief Administrative Officer of Oyen Wiggs Green & Mutala LLP.

Joseph W. Bronneberg (Calgary Chapter)
is the Chief Financial Officer of Calvalley Petroleum Inc.

George C. Chiarucci (Toronto Chapter)
formerly the Vice President, Finance & CFO of Timminco Limited is now the Chief Financial Officer of Atlantis Systems Corp.

Frank Hunaus (Vancouver Chapter)
is now the Chief Financial Officer of Ebco Metal Finishers LP.

John Forester (Toronto Chapter)
is the Director, Corporate Planning of Nissan Canada Inc.

John McCarthy (Toronto Chapter)
formerly the Vice President, Finance & Retail Service of Loblaw Companies Limited is now the Chief Financial Officer of National Express Corporation.

J. Christopher McFarlane (Toronto Chapter)
is now the Chief Financial Officer of Envirotower Inc.

Douglas L. Ludwig (Toronto Chapter)
is the Chief Financial Officer of Baha Mar Resorts Ltd., Bahamas

Chris M. Lore (Toronto Chapter)
has been promoted to Vice President, Finance of Taro Pharmaceuticals Inc.

G. Ross Clark (Toronto Chapter)
is now the Vice President, Finance & Administration of L. V. Lomas Limited.

Anthony R. Lam (Toronto Chapter)
is the Chief Financial Officer of Points International Ltd.

Brent D. Sjoberg (Regina Chapter)
formerly of DirectWest Corporation is now the Vice President, Corporate Development at the City of Regina.

Wendy A. Brodkin (Toronto Chapter)
is the Director, Canada at T. Rowe Price (Canada), Inc.

Eileen Gukert (Calgary Chapter)
is now the Chief Risk Officer at North American Oil Sands Corporation.

Brad Thompson (Calgary Chapter)
is the Senior Advisor, Investor Relations of Petro-Canada.


Résumé Bank

POST YOUR RÉSUMÉ: For FEI members only Make sure Canadian recruiters know who you are! Just 15 minutes is all it takes to complete your Professional Profile and upload your resume. Why not do it today?

FEI MEMBERS: Register for National Career Services by completing your Professional Profile in the Resume Bank. Once we receive your information, a career services representative will confirm your registration and provide additional information about the benefits of the National Career Services program.

SEARCH RÉSUMÉS: For FEI members, retained recruiters and qualified prospective employers Looking for the best senior-level financial talent online? You just found it. Available to retained search firms and qualified employers, the FEI Resume Bank features top-line talent at competitive subscription rates. Check out the details. Then register today!

For more information on this and other jobs and how to apply, visit the FEI Canada Job Center at
http://www.feicanada/careers/jobcenter/

The FEI Canada Job Center is a members-only benefit, Click here to join FEI now


HOT JOBS

Job Title: Director of Finance and Administration (CFO)

LOCATION City/area/region: Victoria, Vancouver Island

Position Description

O.K. Industries is a full service asphalt paving contractor and, with over 40 years of experience, is recognized as Vancouver Island's leader in paving … from driveways to highways. The company has 7 asphalt plants throughout the Island and personnel located in Victoria, Duncan, Parksville, Courtenay, Campbell River and Port Hardy. The company's modern well-maintained equipment, experienced personnel, and commitment to safety and quality have enabled it to sustain an enviable record of growth and profitability. The Director of Finance and Administration is a key manager in the company and a trusted advisor to the CEO. With a capable team of accounting and administrative staff, the Director F&A ensures effective management of accounting, information and people. This includes all aspects of accounting, investments, information systems and technology, human resources and administrative responsibilities for leases, facilities, capital purchases, insurance and other related areas. We are looking for an experienced financial manager with a strong accounting background and management experience in industrial sectors such as construction, mining, forest or manufacturing industries. You have evolved good systems for financial reporting and management information, likely in a multi-office organization. An accounting designation would be valuable. OK Industries' website is at www.islandpaving.com. Your interest in this opportunity will be treated in confidence.

Contact Information
Name:
Brian Morrison, Executive Search, Western Management Consultants

Address:
Ste. 2000 - 1188 West Georgia
Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada

Phone:
(604) 687-0391

Email:
search@wmc.bc.ca


Job Title: DirectorVP Finance

LOCATION City/area/region:
Toronto

Position Description

Director / Vice President of Finance Q9 Networks is a leading Canadian provider of outsourced data centre infrastructure for organizations with mission-critical IT operations. Q9's data centres and network are backed by an industry leading SLA which guarantees 100% network and power availability. Q9 managed services, including: bandwidth, dedicated servers, firewalls, load balancing, virtual private networking (VPN) and back-up/restore, enable the rapid provisioning and scalability of client infrastructure. Responsibilities: Reporting to the CFO, the VP Finance acts as second in command in the Finance department, overseeing internal Finance operations, reporting, and special projects. You will be primarily responsible for overseeing the preparation of our quarterly and annual financial statements, drafting our MD&A and other required financial reporting documents. You will coordinate the various inputs into these documents with other members of the Finance team - ensuring accuracy, completeness, timely production, and adherence to GAAP. You will also play a key role in ensuring we meet our Canadian regulatory obligations as a publicly traded company on the TSX, including responsibility for ensuring our internal financial controls comply with Bill 198. You would be responsible for acting as the primary liaison with our auditors. You will support the CFO in matters pertaining to securities regulations compliance, corporate tax, insurance, managing capital assets, financial controls and processes, modeling & analysis, accounting software implementation/changes, sales forecasting, budgeting, and other projects as they arise. Requirements:

Contact Information

Name:
Tim Smart , CFO , Q9 Networks Inc.

Address:
77 King Street West
Toronto, Ontario
M5K 1J3
Canada

Phone:
416-848-3233

Email:
tim.smart@q9.com


Copyright Notice
Copyright © 2007 by Financial Executives International Canada (FEIC).
All rights reserved. This content is owned by FEIC. This information may be downloaded once but may not be further reproduced, publicly distributed, publicly displayed or otherwise used by any person or entity without approval from Financial Executives International Canada (
www.feicanada.org).

In This Issue

Dear Members
CFO TV
Membership Services
August's Featured Affinity Partner
New Member Welcome
Members in the News
Resume Bank