Follow Us A welcome note from Bill McFarland

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Welcome to the fall edition of PwC's national alumni newsletter
A welcome note from Bill McFarland
Welcome to this edition of PwC Connect. At our recent Partner Conference, I
shared four aspirational goals included in our Vision 2020 strategy. These goals
cover the market and accelerated growth; our people, by developing a diverse pool
of talent with capabilities for the future; our business model, by transforming how
we work while continuing to make investments in the long term sustainability of
our business; and the PwC team becoming more innovative and at the centre of
how technology disrupts us and our clients.
I’m excited to tell you that we’ve integrated ‘Google for Work’ tools into the technology our teams use
every day. We’ve had great feedback and are already seeing how these tools allow us to collaborate with
our clients and people and be more agile. Our global alliance with Google also allows us to help clients
with technology disruption.
This is the last edition of PwC Connect for this year and I want to thank you for your support in
2015. Our alumni network continues to play an important role in how we make a difference to the
success of our clients, people and in our communities. We look forward to seeing you in the new year
and I wish you and your families a relaxing and enjoyable holiday season.
Best regards,
Bill McFarland
CEO & Senior Partner
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Editor's pick
PwC’s publication, Up front, includes insights from Canadian business leaders on opportunities,
challenges and issues they see in their industries. We update our online version of Up front every month
to bring you ongoing and timely insights from Canadian business leaders. Click below to check out some of
the new articles and videos available online:
- Thomas Riegler, CFO of the Lenzing Group, the world’s leading
producer of man-made cellulose fibres, talks about how each strategic
decision made at Lenzing has a clear focus on sustainability and
innovation;
- Suzanne Labarge, Chancellor of McMaster University and Corporate
Director of The Coca-Cola Company talks about the importance of gender
diversity at the board level;
- Watch Ted Graham, Innovation Leader at PwC Canada talk about the
three things he learned as an Uber driver during his TEDx event at
Queens University in Ontario.
National news
Congratulations to PwC Canada’s successful UFE writers
Congratulations to PwC Canada’s 95 successful writers who wrote the
final UFE (Uniform Evaluation) in June 2015. Going forward students
working towards their CPA designation will write the CFE (Common
Final Exam). The first offering of the CFE was in mid-September.
Julien Le Goff from our Montreal office achieved the distinction of being
a member of the Chartered Accountants of Canada National Honour
Roll, we asked him a few questions about his writing experience, here.
Julien Le Goff,
PwC Montreal office
Introducing PwC Law LLP
The tax practice of Wilson & Partners LLP and the immigration practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers
Immigration Law LLP have combined forces and become PwC Law LLP. PwC Law LLP now offers tax law,
advice and representation in all areas of Canadian taxation and immigration law, Canadian, American and
global immigration legal services.
Canada's CFO of the Year ™ 2016 award nominations are now open!
Nominations are being accepted at www.cfoy.ca for the 2016
Canada's CFO of the Year Award. Candidates from any business
sector may be nominated and an independent selection
committee will select the winner. The recipient of Canada’s CFO
of the Year Award will be honoured at a gala dinner in May 2016
in Toronto. Visit www.cfoy.ca for more information on the
award, how to nominate, and previous winners.
We want to hear from you!
Have a story to share? Want to let your fellow alumni know what you’ve been up to since your time at
PwC? Email us and let us know! We’ll share your story on our alumni website and in our next newsletter.
How PwC Canada is reinventing digital sales & marketing
On July 22 PwC and PeopleLinx hosted a webinar on how PwC Canada is innovating for success in today’s
digital environment. Listen to Christine Robertson, Director of Sales & Marketing Transformation at PwC
Canada, talk about what we’re doing to rethink Sales & Marketing in the context of the modern
professional services firm.
The Gender Agenda blog
In our last alumni newsletter we told you about PwC’s partnership with the United Nations’
HeForShe initiative, a program that is accelerating global momentum toward gender equality. To continue
the conversation about diversity we want to share The Gender Agenda blog from PwC UK. The blog is
updated regularly and provides a discussion platform for the global issues and debates which relate to
women in business.
Raise the bar for yourself
Nora Wu, PwC’s Global Human Capital Leader, came from humble
beginnings. Growing up in China, her parent’s dream was for her to become a
factory worker.
She now leads PwC’s global people strategy and is the first
woman from China to take this role. Watch her inspiring TEDx Talk
where she talks about her journey to success.
If you have a background in auditing, tax or support services, but still want to pursue other ambitions,
consider PwC's Flexible Talent Network (FTN). Join us for our busy season from January to April, and
what you do with the rest of the year - that's up to you!
#tweetofthequarter
Natalie Spooner, who won gold in the 2014
Olympics playing for Team Canada’s national
ice hockey team, is a Team PwC athlete.
Watch her Twitter video announcement here.
Thought leadership
You can access all PwC publications and thought leadership on our website at www.pwc.com/ca/publications.
Emerging Trends in Real Estate
What’s expected in real estate in 2016? What are the best bets
for investors? Emerging Trends in Real Estate provides an
outlook on Canadian and US investment and development
trends real estate finance and capital markets, property sectors,
metropolitan areas and other real estate issues. Now in its 37th
year, the publication, co-produced by PwC and Urban Land
Institute reflects the views of real estate industry
experts, including investors, developers, lenders, brokers and
consultants.
Total Retail
Retail today is more complex than ever before. Consumers may
engage with a retailer across multiple channels before they
make a purchase – a purchase that can be influenced through a
variety of ways including social media and other innovative
technology.
Visit our Total Retail page for resources on how
your organization can operate to win in the digital world
including, the 2015 Total Retail report, 3 Forces of retail
disruption and an opportunity to sign up for the 2016 Total
Retail survey results – launching in spring 2016.
On the page you can also find out how your retail business translates to digital with our interactive binary
code translator. Select a retail category, insert your company name and share your binary result!
(That's binary for 'PwC alumni' in fresh food!)
Worldwide Tax Summaries – Corporate Taxes 2015/16
Stay up-to-date, find the information you need and manage taxes
around the world with PwC’s Worldwide Tax Summaries. This
useful reference tool covers corporate tax systems in over 150
countries in an easy to read format. Written by local PwC tax
specialists, it includes the latest changes in legislation, residency,
gross income, deductions, tax credits and incentives, tax
administration, other taxes and tax rates.
Achieving excellence: Cybermetrics -- What directors need to know
Making sure companies have adequate cybersecurity can be a
challenging task for corporate directors. The topic is complex and
technical jargon can be difficult to understand. In this edition we
look at cybermetrics, the information and statistics about digital
data and IT systems that are used to provide effective oversight of
IT risks and strategy.
A nation of innovators
2015 Canadian emerging technology companies’ survey
In this survey we find that emerging companies’ are fighting talent wars
by providing great workplaces and putting culture first. We also see that
Canada’s startup founders plan to exit their business within six years,
most often through sale or acquisition. Click here to find out more about
how Canada’s emerging companies are turning their vision into reality.
Insurance Banana Skins 2015
Regulation, cyber risk and low interest rates are just a few issues
that are top of mind for Canada’s Insurers. We explore these issues
and more in our biennial survey, Insurance Banana Skins.
Alumni profiles
We caught up with PwC alumnus, Yvon Roy, SVP, Investor Relations and
Mergers and Acquisitions at Lumenpulse. Find out what he likes about his
job, why he’d like to have dinner with Winston Churchill and the biggest
lesson he learned at PwC.
PwC alumnus Ainslie Muzzin left the firm in 2012 and now works at
lululemon athletica. She talks to us about what she values in her coworkers,
her last vacation (that ended with a surprise) and the product she thinks will
reshape the world.
Upcoming events
For a complete list of PwC events, please visit www.pwc.com/ca/events.
Canadian insights of The Global State of Information Security Survey 2016
Cybersecurity attacks are here to stay. What is your organization doing to prevent cyber breaches and
effectively manage their impact when they occur? Join us for a discussion about what you should be
thinking about around cybersecurity and how to deal with these challenges. Register for a session in your
region to join the discussion and use PwC’s “Game of Threats” tool that helps Boards and Management get
a better understanding of the cyber-threat world and how to design and manage effective cybersecurity
programs.
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Victoria: Date TBD
Vancouver: Date TBD
Calgary: Tuesday, January, 19, 2016 from 7:30 – 9:30 am
Developments in Financial and Regulatory Reporting Events 2015
Join PwC's accounting and SEC consulting leaders as they provide expert insight on the latest
developments from the IASB and FASB as well as Canadian and SEC regulatory developments. Events will
be hosted across the country, to learn more about the session in your region click the link below to email
the local contact.
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Halifax: Thursday, November 12 at the Courtyard Halifax Downtown
Quebec (French): Thursday, November 12 at the Hotel Chateau Laurier Quebec
Montreal (French): Thursday, November 19 at the Marriott Chateau Champlain
Regional News
Learn, connect and keep up to date on all things PwC: www.pwc.com/ca/alumni
Alberta
Great seeing you at our Edmonton alumni patio mixer!
Thank you for attending our Edmonton alumni mixer on June 25. It was a great time reconnecting
on one of Edmonton’s nicest summer evenings. Check out some photos from the event, here.
2015 Calgary International Film Festival
PwC was pleased to sponsor the Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF) again this year. This year,
the PwC sponsored film was ‘Made in Japan' a documentary chronicling the career of Tomi Fujiyama,
a Japanese country musician who reached the height of her success in 1964, performing in Nashville
with Johnny Cash.
Presented by PwC Women Upfront, clients and alumni enjoyed a great night watching the screening,
hearing Tomi sing live and networking over cocktails at a reception afterwards.
British Columbia
Vancouver Business Transitions Forum
Planning for a transition of business ownership? Don’t know where to start? PwC is the presenting
sponsor for the upcoming Business Transitions Forum (BTF) on November 25 – 26 in Vancouver.
This conference and networking event will provide you with an opportunity to plan for the future of
your business. PwC partners Jim McGuigan and Jim Crooks, along with other industry experts will
share information on the process.
Where are they now?
We caught up with some of our Vancouver alumni to see what they’re up to now. Golfing and
travelling to managing an internal audit function are just a few things these alumni do now.
Ontario & Greater Toronto Area
PwC rocks!
PwC rocked the house at the annual battle of the bands held at The Hoxton in downtown Toronto on
September 17.
Four bands made up of all lines of service, staff levels and alumni battled against each other for the
chance to represent PwC at the annual Big 4 Battle of the Bands. Find out who won and more about
the “rocking” night, here.
An epic ride for a good cause: PwC Epic Tour
Our third annual GranFondo cycling event, held September 13,
was a success, raising $80,000 for Halton Region’s hospitals.
4,000 cyclists braved the rain to complete the Epic ride.
Afterwards, many relaxed in the PwC VIP tent enjoying
conversation over food and drinks. Read about the day here
and make sure to mark your calendars early for next year –
September 11, 2016.
PwC alumnus Jana Paniccia after completing
her 80km ride
Quebec
Family Inc.
PwC’s Family Inc. is designed to help Quebec family businesses grow and develop. Through family
dinners and conferences we meet with family business owners and their successors to share
experiences and talk about issues they face. Family Inc. provides coaching, succession planning and
estate planning, growth management and more.
Interested in getting involved? Contact PwC’s Martine Collins at 514 205 5256, or Sonia Boisvert at
514 205 5312 to find out more.
Sébastien Doyon is the new Consulting Leader for Quebec
Congratulations to Sébastien Doyon who has taken over for Josée St-Onge as the new Consulting
Leader for Quebec.
Find out more about Sébastien and his career, here.