Couvrette/Ottawa

I am honoured and delighted to serve as the Honorary Chair of the Financial Management Institute of Canada’s Professional Development Week 2009. In these challenging times, you, your employers, your clients, and Canadians collectively, will benefit from your participation in a program that will educate, inform and inspire you, introduce you to new ideas, products and services, and connect you with colleagues from across the country.

FMI-PD Week 2009 is taking place barely a year after governments the world over started seeing signs pointing to the likelihood of a global recession. And the intervening months have brought with them a succession of challenges. Governments, businesses and individual Canadians, whether in the labour force or retired, have been negatively and profoundly affected. Meanwhile, public sector resources have been applied to the cause of economic recovery on a potentially unprecedented scale. Indeed, leadership is more important than ever for public sector managers and financial professionals. The economic situation and the action plan are just one of the challenges.

Another important challenge, which has become an ongoing focus, is public service renewal. As the boomer generation continues to retire at an increasing rate, valuable experience and knowledge will keep walking out the door. Leaders will be faced with managing significant turnover, orienting and training a multi-generational workforce, while trying to ensure they continue to deliver excellent public services and policy advice. 
 
The theme of PD Week 2009, “Leadership in challenging times,” has been chosen to reflect these new realities. And the event program has been designed to help you strengthen your ability to deal with them successfully. You will hear from people who have demonstrated leadership in various fields about what it takes to be a good leader, and learn how to guide your team to get the results you need, even in the face of exceptional difficulties.

Participating in FMI-PD Week 2009 is one of the most important investments you can make this year. And the returns are among the highest anywhere: the knowledge and tools you need to overcome current challenges and build a successful future.

I hope you will all join me at the Hilton Lac-Leamy in Gatineau this November!


Sheila Fraser, FCA
Auditor General of Canada