FUNDAMENTALS OF FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING FOR NONFINANCIAL MANAGERS

Bridging the GAAP: Understanding financial statements
Dakshina Guda

Mastering the annual report
Wendy Conrod

Mastering the financial communication process
Stuart Hartley

Mr. Hartley is the President of FocusROI Inc., a specialized consulting firm that provides education, mentoring, risk management and internal auditing services. Stuart is currently focusing on helping public companies get prepared for the anticipated CEO/CFO certification on internal controls. Stuart is a chartered accountant in the U.K. and in Canada and has worked extensively in the U.S. Stuart's entire career has been spent in providing professional services (audit and consulting) to clients including public companies, government agencies and not-for-profit organizations. Prior to joining FocusROI he was a senior audit Partner in BDO Dunwoody. He was the National Director of Accounting and Auditing and a member of the CICA's Auditing Standards Committee. He helped develop BDO's international audit methodology and has trained extensively on auditing practice and CaseWare implementation around the world. Stuart was also Vice-President of the Canadian Soft Drink Association, where he was heavily involved in government relations activities. Before that he spent two years with the Auditor General of Canada, where he developed methodology for performing value for money assignments. Stuart is the author of the CICA Professional Engagement Manual and the soon to be released Quality Assurance Manual. He is also the author of Risk Management: A Primer for Directors of Not-For-Profit Organizations, published in 2005 by the Canadian Society of Association Executives.

Wendy Conrod has 25 years' experience in Finance, Accounting and Internal Audit at Geac Computer Corporation Limited, in Markham, Ontario. Geac is a public company listed on both the TSE and NASDAQ. She has been the Director of Internal Audit and Financial Risk Management since 1999. Other positions held at Geac include Director of Corporate Financial Reporting, which encompassed responsibility for the preparation of consolidated financial statements and public company reporting; and North American Controller. She has also performed due diligence on many candidates for acquisition, and post-acquisition integrations.

Ms. Conrod is a CMA and a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors. She has a Bachelor of Arts Cum Laude in English with a minor in Mathematics, and a Bachelor of Education, from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Dakshina Guda is Manager, Corporate Reporting & Controls in Xerox Canada Ltd. His responsibilities include performance reporting, U.S. GAAP reporting and plan submissions. Dakshina is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Lucio Milanovich is Director, Finance for Marsulex Inc., a leading industrial services company with a focus on outsourced environmental compliance services. Since joining Marsulex in 1999, Lucio has been closely involved in a broad range of financial assignments related to acquisitions, financings, prospectus preparation and disclosure requirements. Most recently, this entailed the preparation of detailed financial forecasts, business plan and preparation of a Confidential Information Memorandum for a $72 million acquisition and related $100 million financing. Prior to joining Marsulex, Lucio was Project Manager, Finance, Automotive Initiatives at Canadian Tire Corporation. Lucio is a Chartered Accountant and received his Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Ottawa.

Peter R. Pielsticker is the Vice President, Corporate Finance of Xentel DM Incorporated, a public company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. In late 2003 Xentel completed its second major U.S. acquisition in the last 5 years and prior to that he was a partner in a small U.S. merchant banking organization doing roll up acquisitions of environmental engineering companies. He has over 30 years financial experience as the senior financial officer in a number of companies, both in Canada and the U.S. His background includes 10 years with KPMG and a number of years in the engineering construction and manufacturing industries.