Finance Forward: AI, Innovation, and the Future of Public Sector Financial Management

Speaker: Former Chief Information Officer, Director General Information Technology, Information Management, Administration and Privacy at Veterans Affairs Canada. Current Director General at the Canada Revenue Agency.

• Chris joins us from the Canada Revenue Agency where he is the Director General IT, Debt Management, Regulatory Affairs, and Appeals Systems Directorate where he manages IT development and systems related to the mentioned CRA business lines. Previously he was with Veterans Affairs Canada, where he served as Chief Information Officer and Director General of IT/IM, Administration and Privacy. He graduated with a master’s degree in engineering management, and a bachelor’s degree in applied sciences: Computer Engineering from the University of Ottawa.

Chris is an advocate for being agile and innovative and is always looking for a digital way to solve problems. He brings skills from a very broad portfolio beyond just IT/IM, from project management, facilities/administration, physical security, and privacy. He looks forward to driving change through innovation and collaboration to deliver modern services.

Panelist: Vice-President Administration and Finance at the University of Prince Edward Island

• Tim Walker currently serves the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) as its Vice-President Administration and Finance, where he oversees functions including access to information and privacy; ancillary services; athletics and recreation; enterprise risk management; facilities management; financial; and information technology.

Before joining UPEI, Tim accumulated over a decade of experience at each of the New Brunswick Community College (NBCC) and the University of New Brunswick (UNB) serving in progressively complex roles focused on data-driven decision-making and resource planning and budgeting. Before his time at post-secondary institutions, Tim held positions at Enbridge Gas New Brunswick, the Office of the Comptroller, and the Office of the Auditor General for the Province of New Brunswick.

Tim holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (UNB); a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation; and has been awarded a Director designation (ICD.D) from the University of Toronto (Rotman School of Business) Director Education Program. He was awarded a Fellowship (FCPA) by CPA New Brunswick in 2026.

His expertise in accounting is complemented by his passion for both learning and teaching, as evidenced by his sponsorship of continuous improvement programs and regular contributions to management learning programs (on the topic of accountability and continuous improvement). Additionally, Tim has supported Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICAN) leadership institutes for managers by serving as an instructor sharing insights from his varied work experience.

• Jonathan Adams is currently the Deputy Chief Financial Officer for Veterans Affairs Canada. In this role, Jonathan is responsible for all aspects of financial management and stewardship with an expenditures base of over $8B per year in support of Veterans benefits and services. 

Jonathan started his career as a Tax Auditor with the Canada Revenue Agency before joining Veterans Affairs Canada in 2003. Over the course of his career with Veterans Affairs, Jonathan has held various executive positions responsible for Internal Audit and Evaluation, Access to Information, and different roles covering all aspects of Finance.

Jonathan graduated from the University of Prince Edward Island with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Certificate in Accounting as well as possesses a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) Designation.