Idalin McKenzie is an accomplished finance and transformation executive renowned for her strategic insight, innovation prowess, and risk management and governance skills. She boasts over two decades of leadership experience across diverse sectors, from professional services to energy, crown corporations to utilities, retail to real estate, and beyond. Idalin has left an indelible mark on organizations in the public, private and social sectors.
A seasoned entrepreneur, Idalin’s journey encompasses founding, transforming, and exiting several businesses. Currently, she is the managing director and principal at KLAM Consulting, a boutique firm focused on finance, strategy, and transformation that offers specialized expertise. In her role, Idalin acts as a CFO, trusted advisor, and strategic partner for a diverse portfolio of clients ranging from growing startups to established industry leaders. She is dedicated to steering these companies toward sustainable growth and operational excellence.
Throughout her career, Idalin has garnered a reputation for her unparalleled ability to discern individual and organizational potentials and pain points, crafting and implementing strategies that drive business success. She also imparts her knowledge as a professor at the esteemed Pilon School of Business—Sheridan College, where she educates postgraduate students on subjects spanning accounting, finance, technology, and audit.
Leveraging her diverse expertise, Idalin serves as a board director to further the missions within the social services sector. Idalin also takes great pride in empowering the next generation of professionals as a mentor with CPA Ontario and a women’s ambassador for the Executive MBA program at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto.
Idalin’s academic credentials underscore her commitment to continuous learning and professional development. She holds an Executive MBA from the University of Toronto, a Chartered Professional Accounting (CPA) Designation, a Master of Science in Computer-Based Management Information Systems, and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Accounting. Furthermore, she has earned an array of professional certifications in Corporate Board Governance (CDI.D), Audit (CISA), Risk Management (CRMA, CRISC), Business Analysis (BAP), and IT (ITIL).
Recognized for her exceptional leadership and influence, Idalin was honoured as one of Canada’s WXN Top 100 Most Powerful Women in 2023 under the theme “Like a Legend.” Additionally, in 2022, Poet & Quants distinguished her as one of the World’s Top 100 “best and brightest” executive MBAs following her nomination by the Rotman School of Management. Driven by a passion for excellence and a commitment to empowering individuals and organizations, Idalin inspires and shapes the landscape of business, finance, and leadership.
In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, terms like digitization, digitalization, and digital transformation have become synonymous with transformation. We often hear about digital disruption, digital transformation initiatives, and the onset of the digital age. Technology undoubtedly plays a pivotal role in driving innovation, streamlining operations, and improving outcomes, including enriching the stakeholder experience. However, is technology alone the sole catalyst for transformation? What other factors contribute to meaningful change? This presentation delves into the critical facets of business transformation that extend beyond technology. While technology undeniably serves as a cornerstone, it’s essential to recognize the multifaceted nature of change. Factors such as organizational structures, processes, leadership paradigms, human capital, skillsets, cultural dynamics, and strategic frameworks all wield significant influence. By comprehensively addressing these elements, organizations can effectively navigate change, foster innovation, and attain enduring success amidst the complexities of today’s dynamic business environment.
In today’s dynamic business environment, organizational resilience is paramount for navigating uncertainties and ensuring sustained success. This presentation focuses on bolstering organizational resilience through effective risk management practices. It delves into Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) ‘s proactive strategies, which encompass risk governance and oversight, risk appetite and tolerance, identification, assessment, mitigation, and monitoring. The presentation will also explore practical steps for implementing ERM, emphasizing a holistic approach involving leadership, employees, processes, systems, and culture. Participants will gain insights into how robust risk management can strengthen organizational foundations and foster adaptability in the face of adversity.
Achieving organizational excellence hinges upon the perpetual process of learning, reflection, and redirection. This underscores the importance of continually adapting strategies, drawing from successes and setbacks to fuel innovation and empower employees to acquire and apply new skills. Learning is the bedrock for expansion, flexibility, and sustained growth amid ever-evolving landscapes. The triad of learning, reflecting, and redirecting constitutes the linchpin for unlocking excellence, individually and organizationally. These foundational principles not only chart a course but also offer a blueprint for ongoing advancement, evolution, and success. This presentation emphasizes cultivating a culture steeped in curiosity and inventive thinking. Reflection underscores the value of introspection and gaining clarity to shape future endeavours. Redirection can propel organizations’ progress toward their objectives through deliberate actions informed by insights garnered.
Frontline leaders play a pivotal role in igniting organizational performance by actively engaging with their teams to achieve collective goals and fostering trust and collaboration. Emphasizing hands-on involvement in day-to-day operations, this presentation explores how frontline leaders’ approach can cultivate a culture of accountability and excellence. While frontline leadership takes center stage, acknowledging the indispensable contribution of middle management and their role as vital conduits between senior leadership and frontline staff is as important. Through real-world examples and insights, this presentation will showcase how embracing frontline leadership and its interplay with middle management can unlock innovation, boost productivity, foster a culture of excellence and propel organizations toward sustainable success.
As technology reshapes traditional roles and skill demands shift, finance departments must evolve their hiring approaches. This presentation delves into how skills-based recruitment is transforming hiring norms and fostering inclusivity within finance. By integrating skills-based assessment alongside traditional qualifications, organizations can cultivate diverse, high-performing teams, elevating decision-making and fueling innovation. The presentation offers practical guidance for implementing skills-based recruitment, empowering finance leaders to construct resilient teams primed for the future. It also addresses emerging trends like technology integration, remote work, and ongoing learning, equipping participants with strategies to remain adaptable and future-ready in the ever-evolving industry landscape.
A finely tuned business plan acts as a navigational guide for your enterprise to reach its objectives and a compelling instrument for garnering support from investors and stakeholders. This presentation offers an exploration of business planning, encompassing vital elements such as defining core products or services, determining different legal and governance structures, outlining management hierarchies and resource allocation strategies, conducting market research and analysis, forecasting financial outcomes, crafting effective marketing and sales approaches, devising operational blueprints, and implementing risk management protocols.
Each aspect of business planning provides insights into gathering essential data for assessing internal operations and external market dynamics. By demystifying the intricacies of business planning, this presentation seeks to equip professionals and entrepreneurs at every stage – startup, scaling or sustaining, with the knowledge and strategies necessary to initiate or refine their business planning endeavours.
In a data-driven era where business velocity is unprecedented, leveraging these technologies is no longer merely advantageous; it’s increasingly essential for achieving successful business outcomes. This presentation will explore the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its advanced counterpart, Gen-AI, within Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A). It will spotlight how AI reshapes FP&A by analyzing extensive data sets to enable precise forecasting and decision-making. Gen-AI’s incorporation of human-like reasoning elevates strategic insights and fosters collaboration, fundamentally altering the FP&A landscape. While AI and Gen-AI offer numerous benefits, such as heightened efficiency, strategic insights, and resource optimization, they also present challenges like ethical considerations and talent cultivation. Ultimately, embracing AI and Gen-AI will catalyze innovation, streamline processes, and empower well-informed decision-making in FP&A, fundamentally shaping the trajectory of finance.
In contemporary board governance, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and Generative AI (Gen-AI) presents both opportunities and challenges. AI can equip boards with data-driven insights, enhancing decision-making and operational efficiency. Gen-AI can contribute to invaluable digital fluency and fresh perspectives, fostering enhanced stakeholder engagement. To effectively implement AI and Gen-AI, strategic approaches are essential. Clear governance policies must be established, delineating ethical AI usage, data privacy protection, and regulatory compliance. Additionally, prioritizing continuous learning ensures board members stay abreast of technological advancements. This presentation will explore these and other strategies that can enable boards to leverage AI and Gen-AI effectively, navigating modern governance complexities.
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