2021 McMaster Financial Forum:
Paths to sustainability

The purpose of this year’s financial forum is to engage financial leaders and administrators in a professional event that informs attendees about the global, federal and provincial landscape affecting the University and to provide updates on key university initiatives and strategies associated with strengthening McMaster’s financial position, its financial support processes and the well being of financial staff.

Date: Tuesday November 16, 2021 9:00am-3:15pm
Location: Online Event- Zoom
Who should attend:  Individuals engaged in financial functions at McMaster

Formal Agenda

• Virtual meet and greet with Saher Fazilat, Vice-President of Operations and Finance. Saher Fazilat recently joined McMaster in July 2021. She oversees the University’s administrative and ancillary services and ensures that all financial, physical, systems and human resources are effectively utilized, working closely with members of our community to address challenges and opportunities facing the University. Saher has over 20 years of leadership experience in academic and municipal settings, most recently as Chief Administrative Officer at the University of Toronto, Mississauga. As a warm introduction Saher will share what inspired her to come to McMaster, observations to-date and her vision for operational excellence initiatives ahead.

• Keynote address by Michael Kerr, Certified Speaking Professional and Canadian Speaking Hall of Fame inductee. Find personal and professional sustainability with Michael’s session on Putting Humour to Work for Less Stress and More Success! Michael Kerr is an international business speaker, very funny motivational speaker, workshop trainer, and the author of 8 books. Michael travels the world researching, writing, and speaking about inspiring workplace cultures, inspiring leaders, and businesses that leverage their humor resources to drive outrageous results for their employees and their customers. He is known as one of North America’s leading speakers on creating high-performing, service-first cultures.

• Assistant Vice President and CFO, Deidre (Dee) Henne will present on University Sector Financial Sustainability While Locally Delivering on McMaster’s Strategic Plan. Topics for conversation will include:

• • A review of the Ontario funding landscape through the Pandemic and its impact across the sector, including a look at what happened at Laurentian and could that happen at McMaster.
  • An update on the funding implications of the Ontario performance metric-based funding and what it might mean for McMaster’s decision makers and financial professionals.
  • An overview of McMaster’s key strategic plan priorities in relationship to current and projected consolidated financial health. An overview of what we must maintain, sustain, and grow to realize this vision and how financial administrators might work more broadly together to deliver operational excellence gains.

• The Fast Lane to Savings & Financial Sustainability Post COVID
  Hear about the ways savings were achieved during COVID and strategies for sustainable procurement in the future with Angelo DiLettera, Director – Strategic Procurement; Tracie Felton, Purchasing Manager – Strategic Procurement; and Susan Galloway, Executive Director (Finance) – Faculty of Health Sciences

• Creating A Path to The Future Of Financial Work At McMaster
  This panel discussion will cover current directions toward long-term options for work models.  What is working in-person and in the remote environment and what has been challenging?  What are the considerations are important in developing new work models?

And… Back by popular demand, we will have two (yes two!) Kahoot quizzes. See how well you stack up against your peers when it comes to trivia related to sustainability initiatives at McMaster as well as other finance-related topics.

Register Now

For additional information contact
Kriselle Saldanha at saldank@mcmaster.ca