How can Canada’s financial professions maintain a strategic advantage in an era defined by fractured trust and geopolitical instability? Join Canadian Club Toronto on June 9 as we host Tashia Batstone (President & CEO, FP Canada), Pamela Steer (CEO, CPA Canada) and Michael Thom, CFA (Managing Director, CFA Societies Canada), moderated by Rita Trichur (Senior Business Writer & Columnist, The Globe and Mail) for a timely discussion on how leading with integrity can strengthen trust, drive growth, and position Canada as a global leader in ethical finance. As Canada faces the challenges of deglobalization and a crowded information landscape, our financial professionals have a unique opportunity—and responsibility—to uphold trust, transparency and competence. From advocating for interprovincial harmonization to fostering cross-sector collaboration, our panel will explore how CPAs, CFA charterholders, and financial planners such as CFP professionals and QAFP professionals can help build a more resilient, unified financial system.
*For virtual attendees, please note that the live stream will begin at approximately 12:40 pm ET & the link will be provided closer to the event date*
Tashia Batstone, MBA, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D
President & CEO, FP Canada
Tashia Batstone is the President and CEO of FP Canada™, the leading education, certification and oversight body for the financial planning profession in Canada.
Since joining FP Canada, some of her biggest priorities have included promoting financial wellness for all Canadians; improving access to financial planning services; and increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the financial planning profession.
Before joining FP Canada, Tashia held senior executive positions at the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada and also served 5 years as CEO of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Newfoundland and Labrador. She played a significant role in the unification of the accounting profession in Canada and led the development of the CPA Certification Program.
Her belief in giving back led Tashia to volunteer roles at organizations such as the CPA Canada Martin Family Initiative and World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. She currently serves on the Board of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), and the Canadian Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC).
Pamela Steer, FCPA, FCA, CFA
President and CEO, CPA Canada
As president and CEO of CPA Canada, Pamela leads one of the most influential professional accounting bodies in the world. 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 Michael Garron Hospital board. She is an active and founding member of the advisory board for the Institute for Sustainable Finance as well as a faculty member for the Competent Boards designation. 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, former board member of Quarterhill Inc. (TSX: QTRH), 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 selected as Canada’s CFO of the Year™.
Michael Thom, CFA
Managing Director, CFA Canada
Michael Thom, CFA, is the Managing Director for CFA Societies Canada. He leads the strategic direction of CFA Societies Canada and advances the highest professional standards of integrity and ethics for the ultimate benefit of Canadian society. Michael joined CFA Societies Canada with over many years of leadership in capital markets and investment management roles. Michael holds an undergraduate degree from the University of British Columbia, and is both a CFA charterholder and CAIA charterholder.
Rita Trichur
Senior Business Writer and Columnist, The Globe and Mail
Rita Trichur is an award-winning journalist. She is a Senior Business Writer and Columnist in the Report on Business. Her previous roles at The Globe and Mail include Senior Editor, Financial Services Editor, and Canadian business columnist for the Report on Business Magazine. Rita returned to Globe in July 2016 after spending about 2 ½ years as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal’s Canada bureau. She primarily covered domestic banks and insurance companies from Toronto, but also wrote a variety of other stories about Canada for the U.S. newspaper. Prior to WSJ, Rita spent more than three years at the Globe, initially working as a general assignment reporter in the Report on Business before covering the telecom beat. Rita has also covered financial services and economics for the Toronto Star, and has held various roles at the Canadian Press and the Ottawa Sun. She got her first byline at age 6 when the Toronto Star published her short story about a fish-stealing cat and paid her $10. Rita, who also speaks French, was born in Toronto. She has a Bachelor of Journalism and Political Science and a M.A. in Canadian Studies – both from Carleton University in Ottawa.
