Ottawa-Outaouais
Communicate. Connect. Collaborate.
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May 27, 2026 -
8:00AM – 5:00PM
EST -
In-person event
The Ottawa-Outaouais Chapter (OOC) is pleased to invite you to an In-Person Professional Development Day: The Power of Meaningful Connections for the Financial Management Community
In today’s fast-paced and complex environment, the ability to communicate clearly and build strong relationships is essential.
Do you, as a finance professional, ask yourself the following types of questions:
- How can I better convey critical information during briefings?
- How can I make networking feel more natural and less forced?
- How do I develop strong relationships to better advance my work and my career?
If so, this event is for you!
This dynamic learning day is designed to strengthen your communication impact and elevate the way you connect and collaborate across your organization.
Agenda (EST)
- 08:00 am – 08:45 am Breakfast & Networking
- 08:45 am – 09:00 am Welcome and Housekeeping
- 09:00 am – 10:15 am Keynote Speaker and Fireside Chat: Alain Lagacé and Tom Roberts
- 10:15 am – 10:40 am Health Break
- 10:40 am – 12:00 pm Workshop: How to Give an Effective Presentation
- 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Lunch is served!
- 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Building Meaningful Relationships
- 2:30 pm – 2:55 pm Health Break
- 2:55 pm – 4:00 pm Panel and Q&A: Lessons Learned from your Finance colleagues
- 4:00 pm – 4:30 pm Closing Remarks
Participate in hands-on, practical workshops focused on:
- Communicating with clarity, confidence and impact
- Building strong internal networks and strategic partnerships
- Applying practical, real-world relationship-building techniques
Walk away with tools, techniques, and renewed confidence to communicate more effectively, strengthen professional relationships, and collaborate with purpose.
Event Details (EST)
- Date: Wednesday, May 27th, 2026
- Location: National Arts Centre | The Salon | 1 Elgin Street, Ottawa Ontario
- Breakfast and Lunch included
- Networking & Refreshments
- Up to 6 CPD hours
- Cost: $475.00 + HST
The registration deadline for this event is 5 PM (EST) May 22, 2026
For more information please contact: ottawa-outaouais@fmi.ca
THANK YOU TO OUR PATRONS
Speakers
Linda Drainville
Linda Drainville has served as Chief Financial Officer of the Defense Investment Agency (DIA) since December 2025. In this role, Ms. Drainville is responsible for overseeing all internal services, with a particular focus on establishing and strengthening the agency’s organizational and financial framework.Prior to joining DIA, Ms. Drainville served as Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister at Environment and Climate Change Canada, a position she held from March 2021. She also previously held the role of Associate Assistant Deputy Minister (Finance) at the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces.
Ms. Drainville has had a distinguished career in finance, audit, and forensic accounting, with experience at the United Nations, the Office of the Auditor General, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Canada Revenue Agency.
She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Université du Québec à Montréal and a Diploma in Investigative and Forensic Accounting from the University of Toronto. Ms. Drainville is a Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant (FCPA), a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), and holds a Financial Forensics certification (CFF).
Alain Lagacé
Alain Lagacé joined AAFC as Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Management Branch (CMB), on April 24, 2025. CMB has more than 700 employees assigned to the Financial Management and Strategic Reporting division, the Real Property and Asset Management division and Integrated Services division. Alain also assumes responsibility for the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency.
Prior to joining AAFC, Alain was the Director General, Budget Planning and Financial Management and Deputy Chief Financial Officer in the Finance Branch at Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) for 4 years
Prior to joining PSPC, Alain spent 10 years in various positions in financial management, materiel management and procurement at the department of Fisheries and Oceans, as well as numerous years in the private sector. He’s been a member of Chartered Professional Accountants Canada since 2008 and is a graduate of the University of Ottawa.
Tom Roberts
Tom Roberts is currently the Chief Financial Officer at ALTO since 2023. He has 15 years of experience in different management positions in ministries and central agencies, notably the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Infrastructure Canada, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canada School of Public Service.
Throughout his career, he has shown rigour, transparency and commitment in carrying out his different functions. He has played a key role in difficult issues, among them the updating and advancement of the government’s financial policies, the design and promotion of horizontal government programs, and major infrastructure programs involving several levels of government, private-sector partners and large-scale capital investment.
He has extensive expertise with the federal government apparatus, particularly the Treasury Board Secretariat and Infrastructure Canada, where he led complex negotiations in the drafting of realistic programs and implementation plans for successful projects. His work has notably focused on climate change, national shipbuilding, and the review of departmental spending, annual reports and business plans for State corporations within the economic sector.
Tom Roberts holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Comm) with a concentration in finance from Carleton University, as well as a certification for the Senior Executive Advanced Finance and Accounting Program (SEAFAP) from CPA Canada.