Advisory Council (Past Presidents) 

Candice Hartwell, Partner, VEER Business Advisors
AWF - Past President

Candice is an award winning accountant and Partner of VEER Business Advisors.  Her focus at VEER is on exit planning and sell-side advisory for small- to medium-sized business owners, and facilitating employee ownership transitions.  Alongside her team, she helps business owners identify and manage the unique strategic, financial, emotional and structural implications of business transitions in a wide array of industries, working with business owners to ensure an amazing exit from their business. Previously, Candice worked as a commercial lender at the Business Development Bank of Canada. She also has experience working in Government, operations, and marketing-related roles.

Candice holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree (Honours) from the Sauder School of Business and is a Chartered Professional Accountant, earning the Certified Management Accountant’s Silver Medal for British Columbia in 2015.

Previously, Candice held the position of Director, Golf for Good (2019-2022), Vice-President (2022-2023) and President (2023-2024).

 

Emily Kerr, Vice President, Business Banking, BMO Bank of Montreal
AWF - Past President

Emily is a visionary and entrepreneurial change leader with a track record of leading high performing and highly engaged teams to deliver sustained and consistent results.  Over the past 15+ years, Emily has demonstrated a track record of Sales Leadership, Strategy Execution and Revenue Growth.  Prior to the financial services industry, Emily worked for Johnson & Johnson Inc. where she gained experience in the consumer packaged goods and pharmaceutical businesses. 

Emily holds a Master of Business Administration from Queen’s University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University and is an accredited Financial Planner through the Canadian Securities Institute. 

Emily held the position of President from 2022-2023. Previously, Emily held the position of Vice President (2021-2022) and Director, Major Events (2016-21).

Elly Seddon, Partner, Financial Services Group, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
AWF - Past President

Elly is a Partner in the Financial Services Group at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. Elly focuses her practice on debt financing, commercial lending and bankruptcy & insolvency.

Elly has been involved in large corporate finance transactions, including multi-jurisdictional lending transactions and syndicated loan transactions, as well as small- and medium- market lending transactions, with particular focus on asset-based lending, real estate financing and film financing. She has also been involved in various insolvency-related matters, including restructurings, bankruptcies and receiverships under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act and the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. 

Elly held the position of President from 2021-2022. Previously, Elly held the position of PEAK Marketing & Communications Director (2016-17), PEAK Chair (2017-18), Events Strategy (2018-19), Vice President (2019-2021).

 

Parveen Walia, CFA, CFP - Portforlio Manager, Odlum Brown Limited 
AWF - Past President

Parveen holds the highest distinction in the investment management profession — the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA) designation. As a Portfolio Manager at the Odlum Brown Langley branch, she uses a comprehensive process and works collaboratively with other professionals to ensure her clients maximize the probability of achieving all of their financial priorities. In addition, she holds the CFP (Certified Financial Planner) designation, and offers over 20 years of practical experience. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of British Columbia.

Parveen is active in the community and currently volunteers with Junior Achievement of BC and Rotary International. Outside of work, she is an avid news buff, and loves to travel. Prior to joining Odlum Brown, Parveen was an Investment Advisor with a Canadian chartered bank, and provided holistic financial planning and investment advice to high-net-worth individuals and business owners.

Parveen held the position of President from 2019-2021. Previously, Parveen held the position of Fraser Valley Events Director (2016-18), and Vice President (2018-19).

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 Louisa Lun, CPA, CA, Senior Manager, Assurance, EY LLP

AWF - Past President

Louisa Lun is a Senior Manager with EY and leads external audit engagements in providing assurance services of annual audits, quarterly financial statements reviews for large public and private clients in a variety of industries. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance from the University of British Columbia as well as CA and CPA (Illinois) designations.

Louisa previously held the position of Events Co-Chair on the AWF board (2014-15 and 2015-16) as well as Events Chair (2016-17), Vice President (2017-18) and President (2018-19). 

 

 

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Kristy Todd Millar, Senior Account Manager, Commercial Real Estate, HSBC Bank Canada 
AWF - Past President

Kristy Todd Millar has over 10 years of experience in the finance industry. She is currently a Senior Account Manager in Commercial Real Estate at HSBC Bank Canada. She and her team provide comprehensive real estate financial services, servicing some of Metro Vancouver's leading real estate developers. Her team manages a portfolio of over $500Million in loans. Kristy is a graduate from the Faculty of Arts at the University of Alberta in 2006.

Kristy previously held the position of PEAK Vice Chair on the AWF board (2014-15), PEAK Chair (2015-16), Vice-President (2016-17) and President (2017-18).

 

 

Erica McGuinness, CPA, CA, CBV, Vice President, Sequeira Partners
AWF - Past President

Erica McGuinness' experience in corporate finance, accounting and transaction engagements spans over 10 years. In that time, Erica has worked on private company transactions involving companies in industrial, manufacturing, building products and insurance industries.

In her role as Vice President with Sequeira Partners, Erica works closely with her clients to assist in pre-sale planning and to execute divestiture, and restructuring transactions to meet both their short and long term goals.

Before joining Sequeira Partners, Erica obtained her Chartered Accountant designation at Ernst & Young LLP. Erica has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from UBC with a specialization in accounting. Erica previously held the position of PEAK Vice Chair on the AWF board (2013-14); PEAK Chair (2014-15); Vice President (2015-16); and President (2016-17). 

Danielle Slavin, CFA, Portfolio Manager, RBC Dominion Securities 
AWF - Past President

Danielle Slavin is a portfolio manager providing discretionary investment management solutions for high net worth individuals and non-profit organizations. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder, and received her Bachelor of Commerce from Concordia University.

During her four years on the AWF Board, Danielle worked diligently to build visibility and awareness of the AWF. A true believer in collaboration, Danielle united the AWF in partnerships with likeminded associations to work together to achieve the common goal of advancing women in finance. Under Danielle's leadership, the AWF expanded into the Fraser Valley and broadened its scholarship offerings. She was also instrumental in adding structure to the annual PEAK Awards gala. Her strong industry knowledge and extensive network of contacts helped to expand the organization's reach and brought in new sponsors and attendees at AWF events.

Danielle previously held the positions on the AWF board of PEAK Chair (2013-14); Vice President (2014-15); and President (2015-16).

Julia Yan, Vice-President, Regional Sales, TMX Group
AWF - Past President

Julia Yan is a young, dynamic capital markets professional whose expertise is highly sought after in Canada and internationally. Based in Vancouver, BC, she is currently Vice-President, Regional Sales with TMX Group and is responsible for regional sales for TSX Trust as well as Listings Development for Toronto Stock Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange in BC, Pacific Northwest and Asia. Prior to joining TMX Group, Julia held progressively senior positions with two major Canadian Schedule I banks, specializing in Corporate Trust, Branch Management and Regulatory Compliance. 

Julia holds an MBA, is a Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute as well as holder of four professional designations in the field of Finance. A passionate supporter of lifelong learning, Julia has been a featured speaker at Board Governance Education programs as well as at numerous Women and Leadership focused summits and conferences held across Canada. In addition, Julia has extensive experience chairing and moderating economic forums and finance-focused speakers events. She has also been selected to participate in international trade missions and roundtables at both the federal and provincial level. Active in the community, Julia serves on the Terminal City Club Board of Directors and is also a Director with the Harvard Club of BC. 

Sandra Abley, Associate Counsel, Harper Grey LLP
AWF - Past President

Sandra Abley is Associate Counsel with Harper Grey practising with the Wills & Estates and Business Law Groups. Her practice is focused on wealth management and preservation.

Sandy has held the previous AWF board positions as President (2013-14), Vice President (2012-13) and Events Co-Chair (2011-12). 

Vanessa Noga, AVP, Credit Risk Management at Canadian Western Bank
AWF - Past President

Vanessa Noga joined Canadian Western Bank in September 2015 as an AVP, Credit Risk Management following 25 years with RBC in Toronto and Vancouver. Throughout her career, she has been supporting business clients through sales leadership and direct relationship management roles, as well as roles in risk management, portfolio management and corporate finance. Vanessa holds an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business and is a graduate of Leadership Vancouver. Her community board involvement includes Dive Ontario (10 years), the BC New Canadian Entrepreneur Awards and the Vancouver Tourism Awards.

Vanessa was recognized in 2014 with an RBC BC President’s Circle award and in 2013 received a Corporate Champion Award from Variety – The Children’s Charity of BC.

Vanessa is a strong supporter of the Women's Market with previous roles including President of The Association of Women in Finance in Vancouver (2010 – 2013) and while at RBC was Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the RBC BC Women’s Employee Resource Group (2012 – 2015). Vanessa enjoys teaching her two young daughters the importance of giving back to the community.