Last night Business in Vancouver celebrated the achievements of financial executives from some of B.C.'s most notable companies at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel.
BIV's second annual BC CFO of the Year Awards set out to recognize chief financial officers who demonstrate strong leadership in finance and who contribute to their organization's strategic decision-making and growth.
On an occasion where it was their time to be recognized, many of the CFOs thanked their teams and said their successes would not be realized without the strength of those around them.
This year's winners were:
- Don MacDonald of KGHM International Ltd., formerly Quadra FNX Mining Ltd. (large public company category);
- Bill Keen of North Shore Credit Union (large publicly accountable company category);
- Annalisa King of Best Buy Canada Ltd. (large private company category);
- Tarunjeet Bhatia of the Association of Neighbourhood Houses of BC (not-for-profit company category); and
- Michael Taylor of Nicola Wealth Management Ltd. (small private company category.)
Three winners were also named in the transformation agent category, which recognized strategic excellence, leadership and exceptional growth at non-profits, Crown corporations, small private companies and emerging industry leaders:
- John Currie of Lululemon Athletica Inc. (TSX:LLL);
- Nancy McKenzie of Seaspan Marine Corp.; and
- Geri Prior of Insurance Corporation of BC.
Describing the role a CFO plays, MacDonald noted a balance between being "stern and frugal, yet creative and wise."
Bhatia summed up the work of a CFO in three words: "innovate, strategize and achieve."
The winners were profiled in the May 1-7 edition of Business in Vancouver and online at www.biv.com/people/cfo. A full feature on the event will appear in the May 29-June 4 edition.
