CCW | Fiona MacFarlane

On Tuesday 19^th of April, 2016 at the Holiday Inn and Suites Vancouver Downtown, we welcome Fiona Macfarlane, Managing Partner for Ernest & Young LLP and the firm’s Chief Inclusive Officer, to speak to us. Fiona will discuss her career path working in a male dominated industry, some of the hurdles she has faced and how she overcame those hurdles while supporting and emphasising the importance of women in industry.

Prior to her current role, Fiona was the Canadian Managing Partner, People and Ernst & Young’s Americas Chief Operating Officer, Tax; previously, she held the role of Ernst & Young’s Tax Managing Partner for the Canadian Tax practice, a team of more than 800 tax practitioners.  Fiona is the first woman among the Big Four accounting firms to have held such a position.

Fiona is a member of the Board of Governors of the Business Council of British Columbia and serves on the organization’s Executive Committee. She was appointed by the British Columbia Minister of Finance to the province’s Expert Panel on Business Taxation. Fiona was previously a member of the Aboriginal Business Investment Council (a provincially established council) and currently sits on the Executive Board of the Immigrant Employment Council of British Columbia. Additionally, she is Governor of the Board of UBC as well as Shawnigan Lake School. She is also a member of the Presidents Group.

Fiona was named as a Top 100 Award Winner of WXN Canada’s Most Powerful Women in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015. She was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2015. She was named as one of the 50 Most Influential Women in BC 2015, and is a 2015 recipient of the Big Sisters inaugural Luminary Award. Other accolades include;

• One of Canada’s most powerful women in the WXN (Women’s Executive Network) hall of fame.
• Winner of the 2015 Influential Women in Business Awards presented by Business in Vancouver.
• Top 25 Women of Influence, Professional Services, 2015
• Award winner “IWF Global Woman Who Makes a Difference” – October 2013
• One of Women of Influence’s 2012 Canadian Diversity Champions.
• In 2011 Fiona was awarded an Honorary CA.  Fiona holds a bachelor of arts, commerce and law degree from the University of Cape Town.  She also earned a master of law degree from Cambridge University.
• Fiona’s efforts in the immigrant community have been recognized with two awards, the TRIEC CBC Business Leader Award in 2008 and York University’s makeMORE Ontario Connections Award for Immigrants in 2010. Fiona’s professional achievements and volunteer commitments garnered her a place among “Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100”.  She is a regular speaker and writer on the topics of diversity and inclusiveness and leadership.

Agenda

5:30-6:00 – Registration at The Holiday Inn and Suites Vancouver Downtown
6:00-7:00 – Dinner
7:00-8:00 – Speaker

– See more at: https://www.constructionwomen.org/event/speaker-event-fiona-macfarlane#sthash.g7vkQy9g.dpuf