2024 McMaster Financial Forum

Houston, Prepare for Financial Launch! 

Monday, November 25, 2024

LAUNCH SEQUENCE 1: 

Welcome Address | Saher Fazilat, Vice-President Operations and Finance

Since assuming the role of Vice-President (Operations and Finance) in the summer of 2021, Saher has been at the helm of McMaster University’s operational “mission control.” She ensures that the university’s administrative and ancillary services run like a well-coordinated space station, utilizing financial, physical, and human resources efficiently. Saher’s leadership has been instrumental in propelling McMaster toward operational excellence, keeping everything on course and aligned with the university’s goals.

Keynote Speaker | Dr. Alison Sills, Professor, Physics and Astronomy

Alison Sills is a computational astrophysicist who studies the formation and evolution of star clusters and their stellar populations. She also has been sucked into university finance through various roles including department chair, Budget Committee, and two Budget Model review committees. In this talk, she will explain how this combination of interests is not quite as diverse as it might seem, and how the same skills can solve problems in both astronomy and finance.

Innovation: How Creative Thinking and Collaboration Shape McMaster’s Approach to Budget Management | Dr. Susan Tighe, Provost and Vice-President (Academic)

At a time of financial pressures for Ontario’s universities, innovation is essential for sustainability and advancing McMaster academic mission. In this presentation, Dr. Tighe will share how McMaster’s faculty and staff are driving innovation in budget management through creative thinking and collaboration across departments. The Provost will share specific examples from around campus on the efforts being made to position the university well in preparation for navigating the financial landscape of tomorrow. In this odyssey of financial innovation, McMaster’s internal expertise is harnessed and strategically applied achieve financial sustainability and operation excellence benefitting the entire university community.

Gravity – Negotiating the Next Strategic Mandate Agreement | Melissa Pool, AVP Academic Planning and Finance

Gravity, sounds serious – about $250 million dollars a year serious. In this session Melissa Pool, AVP Academic Planning and Finance will space walk you through the key attributes of the agreement between McMaster and the Ministry of Colleges and Universities as McMaster readies itself to enter into negotiations for SMA4. Learn about metrics and envelopes and performance-based funding as you gain understanding about the key accountability framework under which we operate as a public-assisted university. Catch a glimpse of the future as we talk about what the MCU will expect of us for the next five years.

Financial Landscape | Omer Ahmed, AVP and Chief Financial Officer

Take a journey through the key highlights of the audited financial statements for the year-ended 2023-24. We’ll explore our current position and chart the course for what’s ahead as we navigate the financial horizon!

Star Tech: The Next Generation of University Finance | Matheus Grasselli, Deputy Provost

Engage thrusters and set course for the final frontier of university finance! Captain Picard AI will guide our mission aboard the USS Financial Enterprise, where we’ll explore strange new algorithms and seek out new efficiencies in budgeting, forecasting, and data analysis. By the time we dock at our home starbase, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge to harness the power of generative AI in your daily operations, boldly taking McMaster University’s finance department where no finance department has gone before!

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

LAUNCH SEQUENCE 2: Virtual Breakout Sessions:

Data Governance: Your Map for Navigating Financial Innovation | Hamza Olabi, Stacey Farkas and Samantha Petryk  

On the odyssey of financial innovation, McMaster University’s data governance helps guide financial teams by ensuring data is accurate, consistent, and secure. Join this session to learn how governance framework supports growth, enhances decision-making, ensures compliance, and drives innovation with university’s financial operations.

Galactic Best Practices in Research Finance | Sonya Caissie and Mahnoor Mapara 

Interested in successfully managing your Research Portfolio? Who is the right point of contact to get the information you are looking for? What tools are provided in the Business Intelligence Portal and by the Research Finance Offices to aid in effectively and efficiently reviewing financial information? How can you collaborate with the Research Finance Offices to pro-actively administer your grants? Join us as we discuss the Best Practices in Research Finance!

Stellar Risk Management: Exploring New Frontiers | Colin George and Jessica Fry

In this engaging session, we’ll journey through the risk management universe. Discover innovative strategies to identify, assess, and mitigate risks while navigating the vast organizational challenges. Whether seasoned at managing risks or new to the field, this session will provide stellar insights and practical solutions.

Securing the Financial Galaxy: Cybersecurity | Tracy Dallaire and Greg Atkinson 

Today, there is little that we do that does not involve technology in some way. This is true for our financial processes, systems and transactions. Where technology exists, so too do the threats to the security of this technology, that data it manages, the transactions it supports and the business it enables. Cybersecurity threat actors are entrepreneurial, creative and innovative in their tactics to exploit these technologies for financial gain. Join Tracy Dallaire, Director Information Security Systems and Greg Atkinson, Senior Manager Cyber Security Systems for this breakout session where they will share insights about the current state of the Financial Galaxy’s threat landscape; what is being done to prevent, detect and respond to cyber threats; and how you can play a role.