Finance and Investing is pleased to announce The Top 25 CFOs of Montreal for 2023. Aside from its famous bagels and poutine, Montreal is best known for being one of the most bilingual cities in Canada and the largest French-speaking city behind Paris. With the second largest of all cities in Canada and the first in Quebec, Montreal’s economy is driven by a diverse workforce and industries such as technology, healthcare, finance, and aerospace. This year’s awardees are experienced financial executives, helping propel companies such as Crescita Therapeutics, GAL Aerospace, and Talent.com into success.
Among our awardees is Jose DaRocha, Crescita’s Chief Financial Officer, who played a pivotal role in taking the company to profitability through disciplined financial management, debt restructuring, and completing various strategic transactions. Awardee Arvind Utchanah, Chief Financial Officer of Knight Therapeutics, was central in the acquisition of Grupo Biotoscana in 2019. Also awarded is Jean-Claude Piedboeuf, the Chief Financial Officer and Director General of Corporate Services at the Canadian Space Agency. Piedbœuf has been with the agency since 1996, contributing to research in robotics, timely flight demonstrations, and pre-mission R&D.
Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Top 25 CFOs of Montreal for 2023.
1. Patrice Ouimet
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Cogeco
Patrice Ouimet is the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Cogeco. Prior to joining Cogeco, he was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Enerkem Inc. He also served as Vice President, Corporate Development and Enterprise Risk Management at Gildan Activewear Inc. Ouimet spent the previous 10 years in various roles in the investment banking sector at Lazard Limited and at CIBC World Markets Inc. In addition, he currently serves as a board member of the Montreal General Hospital Foundation and of Collège Durocher Saint-Lambert. Ouimet holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McGill University and a Diploma in accountancy from Concordia University. He is a Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant (FCPA).
2. Patrice Landry
Chief Financial Officer, Grey Canada
Patrice Landry is the Chief Financial Officer of Grey Canada. He manages all financial aspects of the organization, including budgeting, tax compliance, and investments. Before joining Grey Canada, Landry was a Director of Finance and Administration at Martel et Campagne. Before that, he was a Controller at BCP. Earlier in his career, he worked with Videotron as an Accountant. Landry graduated from University De Quebec Montreal with an undergraduate degree in accounting management.
3. Tony Veilleux
Chief Financial Officer, Syntax
Tony Veilleux is the Chief Financial Officer of Syntax. He leads strategic and operational finances worldwide, including risk management, treasury, and tax. He partners with the CEO and key contributors from all regions to create value and sustain a thriving, rewarding business. With more than 25 years of experience in financial accounting, risk management, treasury, acquisitions, and integration, he has managed growth throughout his career, strengthening his expertise in navigating the different phases of expansion and change in large organizations.
Before joining Syntax in 2017, Veilleux spent many years at WSP. He started as regional Corporate Controller and took on increasingly strategic roles, including Global VP of Finance and Treasury and CFO for Canada. He acted as a key business partner to the CEO and the leadership team. He was deeply involved in the planning and execution of the corporate strategy and in close to 50 important acquisition processes, making his mark by driving through transaction analysis, due diligence, and integration projects. Veilleux holds a Bachelor’s Degree, a license in accounting from Laval University in Quebec City, and a CPA and CMA designation.
4. Roland Ribotti
Chief Financial Officer, Behaviour Interactive
Roland Ribotti is the Chief Financial Officer of Behaviour Interactive. Ribotti leads Behaviour’s financial and administration team, including finance, accounting, legal, and information technology.
Ribotti has more than 25 years of experience in financial, strategic, and operational management, gained in institutional and entrepreneurial settings. He’s served in financial roles at Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, Worldcolor (formerly Quebecor World), BCE, and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. Throughout his career, Ribotti has sat on multiple boards and has proven to be result-oriented. Roland has an MBA from McGill University and a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from the Université du Québec à Montréal. He is a CFA Charterholder.
5. Benoit Crowe
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Novexco Inc.
Benoit Crowe is the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Novexco, a Canadian-owned office supplies distributor. Crowe first got his start in 1999 as a senior manager at KPMG. From there, he went on to Autorite des marches financiers before eventually rising to Vice President of Finance and Corporate Secretary at SupremeX Inc, his most recent position before joining Novexco Inc. Crowe graduated from HEC Montreal with a master’s in accounting and business management and an undergraduate degree in business administration.
6. Deborah Dumoulin
Chief Financial Officer, mdf commerce
Deborah Dumoulin is the Chief Financial Officer of mdf commerce. She joined the company in 2020 as a Strategic Advisor. Her extensive corporate finance, strategy, and global financial management experience is a key asset as mdf commerce continues to focus on accelerating SaaS revenue growth.
She has extensive global financial management and operational experience. Dumoulin was previously the Vice President of Finance and Financial Reporting of Fiera Capital Corporation and a Partner at PwC Canada. Dumoulin graduated from the University of Ottawa with a bachelor's degree with honors in accounting.
7. Brian Cosgrove
Chief Financial Officer, Equisoft
Brian Cosgrove is the Chief Financial Officer of Equisoft. As a strategy-focused CFO, Cosgrove enhances the company’s strong performance-oriented culture by focusing on adding long-term value through problem-solving, productivity enhancements, proactive and balanced approaches toward risk management, improved allocation of capital, and comprehensive decision support.
Cosgrove has over 20 years of executive and hands-on experience in the IT industry, with a strong record of success helping organizations articulate and execute global expansion and sustainable growth strategies. He was previously the CFO of Intelerad Medical Systems, TECSYS, and Logibec. Before this, he held financial roles at The Createch Group, Learnix-Multihexa, BGW Multimedia, and Sortie 22. Earlier in his career, he was a Senior Auditor at Deloitte & Touche. Cosgrove graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce from Université du Québec à Montréal.
8. Michel Fournier
Chief Financial Officer, Rodeo FX
Michel Fournier is the Chief Financial Officer of Rodeo FX. Fournier oversees a team of experts and focuses on creating strong tools to steer the studio forward and shift to a more proactive attitude in the long term.
Fournier formerly joined Framestore in 2013 as Head of Finance when the studio was just opening in Montreal. Building out from an original team of six, he helped its expansion to what it is today, securing resources for more than 900 employees. Before Rodeo FX, Fournier was the Finance Controller for Studios Framestore and the Director of Finance for Annexair.
9. Mark Bentler
Chief Financial Officer, Tecsys Inc.
Mark Bentler is the Chief Financial Officer of Tecsys Inc. Bentler is an expert in financial management with a focus on technology and software. He joined Tecsys in 2018.
He has more than 20 years of international experience. Before Tecsys, Bentler was the CFO for Aptos Retail. In addition to playing a significant role in the formation and growth of the company, he led the successful transition of the business’ retail management enterprise solutions to a cloud-centric platform. Prior to his work at Aptos Retail, he served as Vice President of Finance for Epicor Retail, a division of Epicor Software Corporation that was later spun out to create Aptos. In addition to building and leading teams with both companies, Bentler also played a key role in managing financing and M&A activity. Earlier in his career, he worked as a Senior Manager with KPMG in the U.S. and Switzerland. Bentler graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in accounting and finance.
10. Arvind Utchanah
Chief Financial Officer, Knight Therapeutics
Arvind Utchanah is the Chief Financial Officer of Knight Therapeutics. He joined Knight as the Director of Finance in 2016. He was promoted to Vice President of Finance in 2019 and Chief Financial Officer in 2020. At Knight, Utchanah is responsible for managing the finance and treasury functions, supply chain operations, and IT. He also played a key role in the acquisition of Grupo Biotoscana in 2019.
Before joining Knight, Utchanah held several senior finance roles with increasing responsibilities with Paladin Labs Inc., most recently as Director of Finance, Accounting, Financial Planning, and Analysis. In this role, he was instrumental in integrating with Endo Health Solutions Inc. Utchanah moved to Paladin Labs Inc. in 2012 after spending 5 years with the global public accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP within the assurance services group. Utchanah is a Chartered Professional Accountant with a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University and a graduate diploma in public accountancy from Concordia University.
11. Marc-Antoine Laberge-Genest
Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operations Officer, Sid Lee
Marc-Antoine Laberge-Genest is the Chief Financial and Operations Officer at Sid Lee. He first joined the company in 2021 as the VP of Finance and Administration.
Before Sid Lee, he was at CLG Capital for over six years, where he held several roles, including Vice President of Finance overseeing the Midway Group. Before this, he was at KPMG Canada and Dugré Laberge & Associés. Earlier in his career, he was a Controller at ODE Technologies. Laberge-Genest graduated from York University Osgoode Hall Law School with a Master of Laws and a bachelor's degree in finance from HEC Montreal.
12. Michael Gignac
VP of Finance, G Mining Services
Michael Gignac is the VP of Finance at G Mining Services. Gignac has been the financial leader of the company since its inception. His responsibilities include all financial matters inherent to the firm: financial and management reporting, internal controls, finance, tax, IT, payroll, and remuneration. He is also responsible for accounting and financial deliverables on certain mandates of the firm. He has played important roles in setting up ERPs, reporting, and control procedures at different mines and projects in North and South America (Canadian Malartic Mine, Merian Project, Fruta del Norte Project). He was previously VP Controller and became VP of Finance in 2020.
Gignac is a member of the Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Québec (CPA). He graduated from McGill University with a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Graduate Diploma in public accountancy.
13. Anna Accardi
Chief Financial Officer, Labelium
Anna Accardi is the Chief Financial Officer of Labelium. Accardi is a bilingual finance and accounting professional with 15 years of experience with solid hands-on experience in management and business operations.
Before joining Labelium in 2019, Accardi was Partner and Financial Controller at Embarq. Prior to this, she was the Controller at OZ Communications and an Accountant at Opsis Communications. Earlier in her career, she was an Accountant at Descarie & Complices. Accardi graduated from Concordia University.
14. Patrice Baig
Chief Financial Officer, Eidos-Montréal
Patrice Baig is the Chief Financial Officer of Eidos-Montréal. Before Eidos-Montréal, Baig was the Director of Finance and Administration at Aligo Innovation, société en commandite. Prior to this, he was the Corporate Controller at Laval and Auditor at Demers Beaulne LLP. Earlier in his career, he was an Accounting Analyst at Comerco Services Inc. Baig graduated from HEC Montreal with an undergraduate degree in business administration.
15. Julie Drouin
Chief Financial Officer and Member of the Executive Committee, Mirabaud Group
Julie Drouin is the Chief Financial Officer and Member of the Executive Committee at Mirabaud Group. On a daily basis, she oversees all activities related to financial and tax reporting. As a management committee member, she also helps define and implement the company’s vision. She’s been with the Mirabaud Canada team for nearly 18 years, first joining as a Controller.
Before the Mirabaud Group, she was an Assistant Controller at the National Bank of Canada. Prior to this, she was a First Auditor at PwC. Drouin graduated from HEC Montreal with a bachelor's degree in business administration and a post-graduate diploma in management consulting from Université du Québec à Montréal.
16. Nat Meirovici
Chief Financial Officer, Hypertec Holdings
Nat Meirovici is the Chief Financial Officer of Hypertec Holdings. He first joined the company in 1994. Hypertec is a global provider of information technology products and services. Its strategic divisions serve more than 3,000 customers in over 70 countries. Since its inception over 32 years ago, Hypertec’s continuous dedication to innovation, research, and development, together with its long-term collaborative relationships, has led it to become an internationally renowned global leader in IT. Previously, Meirovici was an Auditor at RSM Richter Chamberland.
17. Marie-Renée Boisclair
Vice President of Finance & Chief Financial Officer, Tennis Canada
Marie-Renée Boisclair joined Tennis Canada in July 2022 as Vice-President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer. A financial professional first and foremost and a results-driven leader, she has over 20 years’ experience in several activity sectors, including e-commerce and logistics, the legal field and telecommunications. In addition to receiving a CPA designation, she earned an MBA and Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
Recognized for her leadership rooted in an understanding of business processes with the power to influence an organization’s strategic directions, performance and long-term vision, she came to Tennis Canada from Intelcom Courier Canada Inc., a door-to-door delivery service for e-commerce platforms that employs over 2,000 people, where she served as chief financial officer. Among her major achievements as CFO was the creation of Intelcom’s finance unit, from hiring to the implementation of the processes and IT tools required to ensure the company’s success. She also played a key role in the oversight of planning, financial analysis and purchasing.
Previously, Marie-Renée held management positions in finance and accounting at a number of major North American companies such as Fasken, Intelcom and Bell Canada. In addition to her role at Tennis Canada, she sits on the committee for CPAs in Business and is the treasurer of the Carrefour Jeunesse Emploi de Montréal (CJE Montréal), which supports young people entering the job market.
18. Ghazwan Sheraidah
VP of Finance, GAL Aerospace
Ghazwan Sheraidah is the VP of Finance at GAL Aerospace. He is an ambitious professional with 20 years of experience in finance, strategic management, project monitoring, and controls.
Before GAL Aerospace, he was a Consultant CIO at A&G Global Associates. Previously, he was at Thabat Construction for over 11 years in several roles, including Board Member of the Operations and Maintenance Division and Director of Projects Monitoring and Control Department. Earlier in his career, he was a Financial Controller at Al-Massa International Inc and a Financial Analyst at Qurtuba Housing Coop.
19. Jose DaRocha
Chief Financial Officer, Crescita Therapeutics Inc.
Jose DaRocha is Crescita’s Chief Financial Officer. DaRocha is deeply involved in all areas of the company’s accounting, reporting and compliance, M&A and financing, manufacturing, and financial systems. He also oversees other corporate functions, including IT and Human Resources and Investor Relations. At Crescita, DaRocha has played a pivotal role in taking the company to profitability through disciplined financial management, debt restructuring, and in completing various strategic transactions.
DaRocha is an accomplished finance executive with over 30 years of experience with increasing levels of responsibility in multinational public corporations in both the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, such as Coty Inc. and Bausch Health Inc. (formerly Valeant Pharmaceuticals Inc.). He earned his Bachelor of Commerce degree from the Université du Québec à Montréal and is a member of the Order of Chartered Professional Accountants.
20. Vanessa Palumbo
Chief Financial Officer, Mid-Day Squares
Vanessa Palumbo is the Chief Financial Officer of Mid-Day Squares, a chocolate manufacturer. The creator of the first FUNCTIONAL CHOCOLATE BAR. Mid-Day Squares was designed for those on the go that want to cut their hunger and cravings in between meals. It’s made entirely with superfoods and all ingredients are raw, vegan, gluten-free and organic.
Vanessa is an experienced and energetic CFO with a proven record of driving results. She’s a strategic leader accustomed to managing multiple projects simultaneously in fast-paced, deadline-driven environments. Vanessa has previously been accountable for multi-million-dollar budgets in Fortune 100 companies and is particularly skilled in reorganizing, streamlining and leading teams productively.
21. Alberto Medina
Chief Financial Officer, West Penetone Inc
Alberto Medina is the Chief Financial Officer of West Penetone Inc. He first joined the company in 2011. Previously, Medina was the Director of Finance and Operations at Larose et Fils Ltée. Before that, he was an Accounting Analyst at Positron Technologies. Earlier in his career, he worked as an Accountant with PDVSA Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. Medina earned an undergraduate degree in accounting from École des Hautes Etudes Commerciales.
22. Jonathan Houle-Mireault
Chief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy Officer, Les Meubles Saint-Damase
Jonathan Houle-Mireault is the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy Officer at Groupe Saint-Damase, a leading manufacturer of high-end hotel furniture (Meubles St-Damase), and architectural doors & windows (Bosquet). Houle-Mireault contributes to the company’s expansion by leading organic growth initiatives and strategic acquisitions. Prior to joining Groupe Saint-Damase, he spent a decade at KPMG guiding and advising clients through complex M&A transactions, while putting forward his significant expertise in financial due diligence and operational integration. He was most recently vice-president in the corporate finance department in Montreal.
As President of the board of the Junior Chamber of commerce of Montréal and as Co-President of the New Generation Committee at Réseau Capital, he has demonstrated his commitment to nurturing a strong network and to contributing to the finance community’s vibrancy. Houle-Mireault earned his CPA designation at HEC Montreal and completed a certificate in business strategy at Cornell University.
23. Jean-Claude Piedboeuf
Chief Financial Officer & Director General, Corporate Services, Canadian Space Agency
Jean-Claude Piedbœuf is the Chief Financial Officer at the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). He has a strategic role in budget and investment planning to align the funding with the CSA’s priorities. He is also the DG for Corporate Services, including human resources, security and facilities, intellectual property, and the new function of service management. In addition, he is co-chair of the Continuous Improvement Committee and CSA’s Champion for the Public Service renewal initiative Beyond 2020.
After completing his Ph.D. in robotics in 1989, Dr. Piedbœuf spent a year as a post-doctoral researcher in Germany. He then joined the Royal Military College of Kingston, Ontario, in August 1990 as a Professor in mechanical engineering. He joined the Canadian Space Agency in 1996 as a Researcher in robotics. He moved to various management, strategic planning, and executive positions in Space Technology until 2010 and in Space Exploration from 2010 to 2014, where he ended up as Acting Director General. From April 2014 to May 2018, he was the CSA's Director General of Space Science and Technology. His group carried out activities ranging from pre-mission R&D to timely flight demonstrations, aiming to position the Canadian space sector for global opportunities.
24. Michael Granshaw
Chief Financial Officer, Gexel Telecommunications
Michael Granshaw is the Chief Financial Officer of Gexel Telecommunications. Granshaw has been with the company for over 13 years.
He brings over 30 years of experience in a number of industries in North America and Europe. His business experience ranges from start-up companies to large corporations covering consumer products, high technology, and airline industries. Before Gexel, he was a Partner at LBC Consulting Services. He completed a number of merger and acquisition mandates involving the sale and purchase of companies, including a transaction of $36 million involving the acquisition of an automation and control company by a TSX-quoted company. Prior to this, he was the COO of Jetsgo and General Manager of Coty.
25. Allan Weizmann
Chief Financial Officer, North America Moroccanoil
Allan Weizmann is the Chief Financial Officer of North America Moroccanoil. He first joined the company in 2011. Previously, Weizmann was a VP of Finance for Canada at Tommy Hilfiger. Before that, he was an Assistant Corporate Controller at Richter Systems International. Earlier in his career, he worked with Tower Group International as a Manager of Financial Reporting. Weizmann earned an undergraduate degree in mathematics and computer science from McGill University.
