Transition binder 2024: Commissioner Shereen Benzvy Miller

General information

Office locations and hours

Ottawa:

427 Laurier Avenue West, 5th Floor

Ottawa ON  K1R 7Y2

Toronto: 

121 King st West

Toronto ON M5H 3T9    

At the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC or the Agency), a normal workweek is 37.5 hours from Monday to Friday inclusive. A normal workday is 7.5 consecutive hours, exclusive of an unpaid lunch period with a minimum duration of 30 minutes. Flexible hours of work are an arrangement that enables any employee to request to vary their starting time, finishing time and/or unpaid lunch period. Subject to operational requirements, employees can request flexible hours between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Supervisors have the authority to approve work schedules. When the starting time is between 7:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. (Eastern Time), the finishing time is between 3:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) and the unpaid lunch period is between 30 and 60 minutes, requests and approvals can be done by email. Any request that deviates from these norms must be formalized with a Flexible Work Arrangement Application, and once approved, the schedule must be entered into MyGCHR.

Parking information

Parking Office – 613-786-3013

ID card / access pass

  1. Renewing or obtaining an FCAC ID card.docx
  2. Access pass: Provided by the Administration office. FCAC.reception-reception.acfc@fcac-acfc.gc.ca

IT support services

IM/IT Service Desk staff offers support from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. eastern time on Monday to Friday and can be reached through the following methods:

IT Equipment offered as the baseline:

IT Equipment offered outside of the baseline upon request:

IT Key Applications offered as the baseline:

Overview of the Agency

Mandate

The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada was established in 2001. It is a federal government agency that is mandated to protect the rights and interests of consumers of financial products and services in Canada.

FCAC achieves its mandate in 2 main ways:

The Agency is also mandated to:

Agency placemat

The Agency has developed a “placemat” that describes its mandate, roles and some of its current key activities, which can be shared when meeting with stakeholders, especially for initial meetings. The placemat is regularly updated and frequently used for meetings with the Minister’s office.

FCAC's placement - "Who we are and what we do". Text version follows.
Text version: Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, what we are and what we do

Financial Consumer Agency of Canada

Who we are and what we do

Supervision

FCAC supervises the compliance of federally regulated financial entities, primarily banks, with consumer protection measures set out in legislation, public commitments and codes of conduct.

Financial consumer protection framework

To address issues raised by FCAC in its review of bank sales practices, the Parliament of Canada adopted legislation to strengthen FCAC’s mandate and introduce new and enhanced protections for consumers in a Financial Consumer Protection Framework in the Bank Act. The Framework came into force on June 30, 2022.

Key changes include:

  • Enhanced complaints handling procedures for banks
  • A prohibition from providing fake or misleading information to consumers
  • Higher administrative monetary penalties
  • Enhanced procedures relating to appropriate products, services and remuneration
  • Enhanced corporate governance obligations for banks
  • Required whistleblower programs for bank employees
  • Enhanced powers to direct banks to comply with consumer provisions
  • FCAC’s Commissioner must make public the nature of all bank violations
  • Banks must send electronic alerts to help customers avoid overdraft and other fees
New mandate: consumer-driven banking

In 2024, the federal government passed legislation to expand FCAC’s mandate to oversee, administer and enforce consumer driven-banking, which is also known as open banking. FCAC is also mandated to foster an understanding of consumer-driven banking and related issues among consumers.

Raison d’être
  • FCAC is an independent federal government agency established in 2001 to protect consumers.
  • We fulfill our mandate, set out in the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada Act, by supervising federally regulated financial entities and strengthening the financial literacy of Canadians.
Our vision
  • To be a leader and innovator in financial consumer protection
Our mission
  • To protect consumer of financial products and services
  • To supervise regulated entities
  • To educate Canadians and strengthen their financial literacy
Our strategic goal: 2021-2026
  1. To be the national leader in financial consumer protection by effectively supervising banks and other regulated entities and contributing to policy development
  2. To strengthen the financial literacy of Canadians for an increasingly digital world using educational tools and resources, research, experimentation, stakeholder collaboration and partnerships that foster informed financial behaviours and decision-making
  3. To be the authoritative source of Canadian financial consumer information through the development of unbiased and evidence-based financial consumer information
  4. To enable the future of work by strengthening the Agency’s people management practices and fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration and excellence
Education and research

FCAC educates Canadians about their rights and responsibilities when dealing with financial institutions, and conducts research on their financial knowledge, abilities and behaviours. The Agency also collaborates with stakeholders to contribute to and develop content, tools and programs to help consumers make informed financial decisions.

National financial literacy strategy

The National Financial Literacy Strategy 2021-2026 emphasizes the need for an evolution of the financial ecosystem to be more accessible, inclusive and effective for Canadians.

Reducing Barriers

  • Communicate in Ways People Understand
  • Build and Provide for Diverse Needs
  • Support Increased Digital Access and Digital Literacy

Catalyzing Action

  • Enhance Access to Trustworthy and Affordable Financial Help
  • Use Behavioural Design to Simplify Financial Decisions
  • Strengthen Consumer Protection Measures

5 Key Consumer Building Blocks

  • Skills: Navigating the Financial Marketplace
  • Capacity: Build Just-In-Time Financial Knowledge and Confidence
  • Behaviour: Manage Expenses
  • Behaviour: Manage Debt
  • Behaviour: Manage Savings

In 2022, FCAC published a Measurement Plan to guide ecosystem stakeholders in measuring collective progress towards the outcomes of the National Strategy.

Federally regulated financial entities

Entities FCAC supervises

  • 80 banks
  • 43 life insurance companies
  • 55 trust and loan companies
  • 7 payment card network operators
  • 2 external complaints bodies
  • 124 property and casualty insurance companies
External complaint bodies

In October 2023, the government announced the designation of the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI) to serve as Canada’s single external complaints body for banking. The designation was based on the recommendation of the FCAC, following an open and transparent application process. OBSI is a national, independent and not-for-profit organization that has been assisting Canadian banking consumers in resolving disputes for over 25 years. As the single ECB, OBSI will be responsible for providing a fair and impartial external process for consumers whose complaints have not been resolved to their satisfaction or dealt with in a timely manner by banks. OBSI will assume its responsibilities as Canada’s single external complaints body (ECB) on November 1, 2024, following a transition period of 12 months.

FCAC guideline on existing consumer mortgage loans in exceptional circumstances
Purpose

The Guideline sets out how FCAC expects federally regulated financial institutions (FRFIs) to provide tailored support to consumers. The Guideline contributes to protecting consumers who:

  • have an existing residential mortgage on their principal residence
  • are experiencing severe financial stress as a result of exceptional circumstances
  • are at risk of not keeping up with their regular payments
Protecting consumers at risk

FCAC expects FRFIs to provide support to consumers at risk including:

  • those whose payments on their variable-rate mortgages fluctuate with interest rates and whose payments have thus increased materially
  • those with fixed payments on variable-rate mortgages who have seen a materially larger portion (or all) of their payments allocated towards the increased interest costs or who may be facing negative amortization
  • those with fixed-rate mortgages reaching near-term maturity who may be facing a material increase in payments
Key expectations on FRFIs

FCAC does not recommend any specific mortgage relief measures. FCAC expects FRFIs to consider all available mortgage relief measures that may be appropriate for consumers who experience severe financial stress, such as:

  • waiving prepayment penalties
  • waiving internal fees and costs
  • not charging interest on interest
  • extending amortization for the shortest period possible

FCAC expects FRFIs to establish and implement effective policies and procedures that respect the principles of fairness, appropriateness, and accessibility for Canadian consumers.

Financial well-being of Canadian homeowners and renters

As the central financial consumer protection agency of Canada, FCAC collects regular data on Canadians’ financial well-being to help practitioners and policymakers make evidence-based decisions aimed at enhancing the financial resilience of Canadians. Data presented here speak to current financial indicators linked to housing. For other key indicators related to Canadians’ financial well-being, please see FCAC’s Dashboard on Canadians’ Financial Well-Being

Indicator 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
% of Canadians struggling or having trouble with financial commitments 39.1% 42.7% 47.1% 57.2% 56.6%
Homeowners with a mortgage 44.0% 43.5% 49.0% 58.3% 61.3%
Homeowners without a mortgage 19.8% 26.0% 28.5% 38.9% 34.8%
Renters 49.9% 53.4% 56.2% 65.2% 65.1%
% of Canadians who spent more than they earned 17.1% 19.8% 21.8% 28.1% 28.5%
Homeowners with a mortgage 18.2% 20.2% 20.3% 28.5% 29.2%
Homeowners without a mortgage 10.9% 15.3% 17.1% 20.4% 21.8%
Renters 21.2% 23.2% 26.0% 31.4% 32.2%
% of Canadians who borrowed for daily expenses 27.3% 27.1% 30.7% 36.2% 35.6%
Homeowners with a mortgage 30.7% 26.9% 31.3% 35.6% 37.9%
Homeowners without a mortgage 10.2% 10.1% 14.5% 17.6% 14.9%
Renters 61.0% 59.9% 60.4% 53.8% 53.7%

Organizational structure

Organizational structure, text version below.
Text version: organizational structure

Commissioner

Reporting to the Commissioner

  • Deputy Commissioner, Supervision and Enforcement Branch (Frank Lofranco) 
    • Supervision Directorate
    • Compliance Promotion Division
    • Enforcement Division
  • Deputy Commissioner, Research, Policy and Education Branch (Supriya Syal)
    • Program and Policy Innovation Directorate
    • Behavioural Finance Lab
  • Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Commissioner, Corporate Services Branch (Werner Liedtke)
    • Information Management / Information Technology Directorate
    • Finance, Procurement and Reporting Division
    • Security and Administration Division
  • Chief Human Resources Officer and Assistant Commissioner, Human Resources Branch (Julie Neveu)
    • Human Resources Programs and Policies Division
    • Human Resources Operations Division
  • Assistant Commissioner, Public Affairs Branch (Jason Bouzanis)
    • Communications and Marketing Division
    • Consumer information and Stakeholder Engagement Division

Corporate planning and reporting

As per the Treasury Board of Canada’s Policy on Results, Government of Canada entities like FCAC are expected to identify core responsibilities and describe at a high level what the organization does, what it is trying to achieve, and how it will assess its progress.

Below are the key docum    ents that discuss our plans and results that are publicly available: 

Accountability and transparency

Access to information

Under the Access to Information Act, Deputy Heads have several key responsibilities:

Proactive disclosure

As a federal government agency, we are subject to proactive disclosure requirements, including the disclosure of contracts, travel and hospitality expenses, materials prepared for parliamentary appearances and transition binders for new Commissioners.

Funding: Assessment methodology

FCAC operates on a cost recovery basis and is largely funded by the regulated entities it supervises. This places the burden of paying for financial sector regulation on the financial industry directly.

The Agency charges regulated entities an annual assessment in accordance with its Financial Assessment Methodology, which is publicly available.

In addition to revenues from these assessments, FCAC receives an annual statutory authority of a maximum of $5 million to support the financial literacy of Canadians.

See the presentation on FCAC Sources of Funding prepared by Corporate Services for more information.

Governance

FCAC's governance structure with in order, Commissioner, EXCO (eseccutive committee), DCOM (Directors committee), Executive steering committees, and Champions

FCAC’s Commissioner is the head of the Agency. The Commissioner’s powers and authorities include the authority to delegate certain responsibilities and decision-making authority to others (e.g., financial approval authorities). The Commissioner reports annually to Parliament, through the Minister of Finance, on the Agency’s activities and on the compliance of financial institutions with the consumer protection measures in, for example, the Bank Act (consumer provisions).

The Executive Committee (EXCO) provides the Commissioner executive advice and support for the effective and efficient management of the Agency.

The Directors’ Committee (DCOM) provides the Executive Committee with strategic advice and provides a forum for consultation, coordination, discussion and challenge of all operational program, policy development and internal services matters.

The Executive Committee and the Director’s Committee are supported by the following:

Regulatory landscape

FCAC considers the work of other national and provincial regulatory agencies that have a responsibility for overseeing Canada’s financial system and keeping it safe.

Financial Institutions Supervisory Committee (FISC)

FCAC is a member of the Financial Institutions Supervisory Committee, which shares information and discusses issues relating to the supervision of federally regulated financial institutions and financial sector policy. The other members are the Office of the Superintendent of Financial institutions, the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Bank of Canada, and the Department of Finance Canada.

Senior Advisory Committee (SAC)

The Senior Advisory Committee is a discussion forum for financial sector policy issues, including financial stability and systemic vulnerabilities. It is chaired by the Deputy Minister of Finance and includes the same members as FISC.

Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation Board of Directors

The FCAC Commissioner sits as an “ex officio” member on the Board of Directors of the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC), along with the colleagues of the Department of Finance, the Bank of Canada, and the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions. Board members provide knowledge of the financial, supervisory and regulatory environment in which the CDIC operates.

Heads of Regulatory Agencies (HoA) Committee

The FCAC Commissioner is regularly invited to participate in this federal-provincial forum on financial sector issues, which is chaired by the Governor of the Bank of Canada. The Head of Regulatory Agencies also includes the Department of Finance Canada, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, the Autorité des marchés financiers (Quebec), the Ontario Securities Commission, the Alberta Securities Commission and the British Columbia Securities Commission.

Provincial and territorial regulators

FCAC engages regularly and exchanges information on financial consumer protection matters with provincial and territorial agencies that have a responsibility for regulating financial institutions in their jurisdictions. These financial institutions include securities dealers, credit unions and caisses populaires, as well as other institutions that are registered or incorporated at the provincial level.

Security (Corporate services)

Roles and responsibilities of Commissioner (PDF)

2022 Agency Security Plan (2024 in early stage of development)

Agency Business Continuity Plan (2024 version being finalised)

Human Resources Management Authorities

Background

The Commissioner’s authorities and responsibilities for human resources management are set out in the FCAC Act and derived from several other statutes.

 Other key legislation that FCAC is subject to as a federal agency and employer:

Notably, the FCAC Act and Financial Administration Act establish FCAC as a separate employer and confer responsibility for HR management, appointment authorities and delegation powers to the Commissioner. As examples, the Commissioner approves our terms and conditions of employment, determines resource requirements and organization of the Agency and fulfills other responsibilities of a Deputy Head.

The FCAC Act provides that the Commissioner has direct authority to appoint the senior leadership of the Agency at the Deputy Commissioner level and above, and also confirms that the Commissioner has delegated authority to appoint staff of the Agency, who are to be appointed in accordance with the Public Service Employment Act.

In carrying out appointment and appointment-related authorities under the Public Service Employment Act, sub-delegated persons must respect the requirements of the Appointment Delegation and Accountability Instrument (ADAI) and the Agency has associated annual reporting requirements. You will receive a letter from the Public Service Commission explaining the authorities delegated to you under the Appointment Delegation and Accountability Instrument. As this is your first Deputy Head role, the President of the Public Service Commission will organize a meeting with you to review these authorities in more detail.

As a federal agency, we are subject to the Official Languages Act, which includes obligations related to communications with and services to the public, language of work, participation of English and French speaking Canadians in the federal workforce, and advancement of English and French in Canadian society through support of official language minority communities. We are also subject to the Employment Equity Act, which seeks to achieve equality in the workplace and to correct conditions of disadvantage experienced by women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities. We have annual reporting requirements under both acts. Our official languages data was submitted in June, and our Employment Equity report was submitted in September. The Canadian Human Rights Commission is mandated under the Employment Equity Act to ensure federally regulated employers comply with their obligations; it is currently conducting its first audit of our compliance as part of its latest wave of audits.

We introduced a new Sub-delegation of Human Resources Authorities Instrument, which took effect April 1, 2023. The instrument enables you to entrust executives, managers and others with appropriate authorities to approve various people management-related decisions and actions. Its authorities and limitations respect those articulated in the FCAC Act, Public Service Employment Act, Appointment Delegation and Accountability Instrument, Financial Administration Act, Official Languages Act, Canada Labour Code and Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act, which addresses wrongdoing. The instrument was subsequently amended in November 2023 to add authorities for the newly created Director General and Chief Information Officer positions.

The instrument is comprehensive and details authorities related to 15 areas of management responsibility, delineated at 6 levels:

Areas of management responsibilities. Text version follows.
Text version: Authorities related to areas of management responsibilities

Six levels of authorities: 

  • Commissioner
  • Chief Human Resources Officer
  • Branch Heads
  • Other executives
  • Managers
  • Other supervisory positions

Areas of management responsabilities: 

  1. HR planning
  2. Organization design and classification
  3. Values and ethics
  4. Performance management
  5. Awards and recognition
  6. Learning and development
  7. Official languages
  8. Appointment and appointment-related
  9. Compensation
  10. Employee relations - Hours of word and flexible work arrangement
  11. Employee relations - Leave
  12. Employee relations - Wellness
  13. Employee relations - Grievances and discipline
  14. Employee relations - Separation 
  15. Workforce adjustment and career transition

When the new instrument was introduced, the Human Resources Branch provided training to all delegates. The Human Resources Branch provides this training to new delegates on an ongoing basis. Training on Inclusive Hiring Practices for a Diverse Workforce was also added as a pre-requisite of sub-delegation, to ensure compliance with new requirements under the Public Service Employment Act.

Authorities are delegated to the lowest appropriate level, to empower management and increase efficiency in decision-making. Some authorities require consultation or recommendation from subject matter experts or the Chief Human Resources Officer. Senior HR personnel are available to provide advice and guidance on all people management matters.

Current state

The current Sub-delegation of Human Resources Authorities Instrument took effect as of November 6, 2023 and will remain effective until you sign a new instrument.

Next steps

The Human Resources Branch will present a new instrument for you to sign within 30 days of your appointment. The proposed changes include the addition of the Senior Deputy Commissioner role, as well as updates to authorities to approve short-term acting pay and telework agreements, and to respond to grievances. Any additional changes that you may like to see could be incorporated at that time.

Resources to support you

The Human Resources Branch will provide overviews of your delegated human resources authorities and our performance management program to prepare you to exercise your accountabilities. These overviews will be tailored to your needs and familiarity with the subject matter.

We may also offer or recommend additional resources for you based on your needs and interests. For example, the Canada School of Public Service (CSPS) offers tailored resources for executives, as well as learning paths and series on current Government of Canada priorities. You are also eligible for membership in the Association of Professional Executives of the Public Service of Canada (APEX), which offers a variety of learning events, confidential advisory services and other tools and resources to support you in your role.

First 60 days – Key HR decisions and actions

Continuity of operations

First 30 days

First 60 days

Legislative obligations

First 30 days

Other

First 60 days

Commissioner’s adjudicative role

Under the FCAC Act, the Commissioner adjudicates proceedings commenced by the Deputy Commissioner against Federally Regulated Financial Institutions that allege violation(s) of consumer provisions. Decisions are published in both official languages on the FCAC webpageFootnote 1 .

The Commissioner undertakes an impartial and independent examination of the evidence and other information relevant to the proceeding that is put before the Commissioner by FCAC Staff and the Federally Regulated Financial Institution, to decide—for each violation alleged—whether the Federally Regulated Financial Institution has committed the violation on a balance of probabilities and whether to impose the penalty proposed by FCAC staff or a lesser/no penalty.

To uphold fairness in the proceeding, FCAC staff carry out their investigation and support the Deputy Commissioner’s decision to commence proceedings separately and without the Commissioner’s involvement or oversight. Furthermore, throughout the course of the proceeding, the Commissioner and FCAC staff maintain their separation and do not engage in discussions about the proceedings outside of the process described in the Guidelines for Adjudicative Process.

The Commissioner has the authority to direct a bank, authorized foreign bank or person who has failed to comply, or who will fail to comply, with a compliance agreement, a consumer provision or Part XIV of the Bank Act to perform an act or refrain from performing an act. The Commissioner may issue the direction or a temporary direction on their own initiative of further to a request made from the Supervision and Enforcement Branch (SEB).

Overview of branches

Secretariat/Office of the Commissioner

The Secretariat/Office of the Commissioner (Secretariat) plays a coordination role for Agency-wide initiatives and organizes the initiatives led by the Commissioner. The Secretariat has also recently taken the responsibility for the development of the Agency’s Business Plan and the Annual Report.

The Secretariat organizes interactions with the Agency’s counterparts and other governmental entities when the Commissioner participates or when they are of a cross-Agency scope. This includes the FCAC’s yearly attendance at the board meetings for the 6 domestic systemically important banks, visits from international representatives, and the visit of the Commissioner and Senior Executives to international and domestic stakeholders, including provincial regulators.

The Secretariat also administers the meeting of the FCAC’s Consumer Protection Advisory Committee, whose members represent the private, non-profit and academic sectors. The Consumer Protection Advisory Committee members provide advice and share insights in support of the FCAC’s consumer protection mandate on priorities and objectives, emerging trends, issues and research and other matters relevant to financial consumers.

Internally, the Secretariat is responsible for the management of the Executive Committee and the Director’s Committee meetings. To fulfill its responsibilities, the Secretariat meets regularly with the Commissioner and the Directors’ Committee Co-Chairs to finalize the agendas, ensures that the meeting runs smoothly and drafts the minutes.

In addition to this, the Secretariat also plays an important role in maintaining the Commissioner’s independence as the Commissioner performs their adjudicative functions, by relying on the Secretariat to administer the proceedings.

Picture of Marilyn Leblanc Director, Secretariat and Office of the Commissioner at FCAC

Marilyn Leblanc
Director, Secretariat and Office of the Commissioner

As the Director of the Secretariat and Office of the Commissioner, Marilyn acts as the primary liaison between the Commissioner’s office and the executive team. She also provides strategic advice to the Commissioner on a wide range of policy and operational issues.

Marilyn joined the FCAC in February 2016, transitioning from the Canadian Competition Bureau where she held various strategic policy and legal positions. From 2011 to 2013, she served as counsel at McCarthy Tétrault, advising Canadian and international companies on all aspects of competition law.

A member of the Law Society of Quebec, Marilyn holds a degree in civil and international law from Laval University. She has also completed a general management certificate at Queen’s University, and a Certificate in Canadian Financial Services Regulation, Analysis and Decision-Making from Osgoode Hall Law School.

Over the past decade, Marilyn has served on various boards of directors and was honoured with the Leaders of Tomorrow: Lawyer of the Year Award by the Young Bar Association of Montreal.


Supervision and Enforcement Branch

Picture of Frank Lofranco Deputy Commissioner, Supervision and Enforcement Branch at FCAC

Frank Lofranco
Deputy Commissioner, Supervision and Enforcement Branch

Frank Lofranco was appointed Deputy Commissioner, Supervision and Enforcement at the FCAC in 2020.

Frank joined the federal public service in 1995 and has management experience in public policy, program delivery, regulatory compliance, and business transformation He has served in senior executive roles with the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy, FedDev Ontario, and the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC).

Frank holds a master’s degree in public administration.

  • Overview: Supervision and Enforcement Branch

Research, Policy and Education Branch

Picture of Dr. Supriya Syal Deputy Commissioner, Research, Policy and Education Branch at FCAC

Dr. Supriya Syal
Deputy Commissioner, Research, Policy and Education Branch

Dr. Supriya Syal is a leading expert in research and evidence-based policy innovation in Canada.

She is the Deputy Commissioner of Research, Policy, and Education at the FCAC, where she recently led the renewal of the National Financial Literacy Strategy and is now guiding its implementation to help Canadians achieve positive financial outcomes.

She is the former Chief Science Advisor to the Treasury Board Secretariat Talent Cloud, and the former Chief Behavioural Scientist of the Privy Council Office Innovation Hub. Prior to joining the public sector, Dr. Syal was VP Research and Innovation at BEworks Inc. She is also the founder and former President of Dulcimer Labs, a purpose-driven company that creates social impact through evidence-based decision making.

She has won multiple awards, published in top academic and popular journals and coauthored a number of policy white papers. She is a regular invited speaker at research, tech and innovative government conferences, and has also appeared on crowdcast, radio and television, including National Public Radio (US) and on TVO’s flagship current affairs show in Canada, The Agenda.

Dr. Syal holds a PhD in psychology from Cornell University, as well as a master’s degree in

neuroscience and a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry.

  • RPE Branch
  • RPE Org Chart
  • Roles and Responsibilities

Corporate Services Branch

Picture of Werner Liedtke, Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Commissioner, Corporate Services Branch at FCAC

Werner Liedtke
Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Commissioner, Corporate Services Branch

In March 2019, Werner Liedtke joined the Agency as Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Commissioner, Corporate Services.

Before joining FCAC, he had a long career in the military. He began as a member of the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders. Upon reaching the rank of Corporal, he was accepted as an Officer Cadet at Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario. In 1988, he graduated with a Bachelor of Administration from Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean.

His first posting was in Toronto, Ontario and he served extensively with the Logistics Finance Community. Highlights include being appointed the 8 Wing/CFB Trenton Comptroller, Staff Officer to the Director General Financial Services and various finance positions in Ottawa. He also served at Joint Force Command Brunssum in the Netherlands as the J8 Budget Officer responsible for NATO ISAF financial operations in Afghanistan. He was deployed to Kabul in January 2004 as the ISAF HQ Deputy CJ8.

Promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in 2006, he served as the Information Management Group Comptroller and as Director of Budget 3, responsible for budget operations within the Department of National Defence. In 2009, he assumed command of the Canadian Forces Support Unit (Europe) in Geilenkirchen, Germany.

He was promoted to Colonel in 2010 and served as the Royal Canadian Air Force Comptroller/Director Air Comptrollership and Business Management. In 2015, he was promoted to Brigadier-General and worked as the Director General Financial Management. He retired from the Canadian Armed Forces in October 2017 and worked as the Chief Financial Management/Deputy Chief Financial Officer for National Defence until March 2019.

He is a Certified Management Accountant and completed master’s degrees in Business Administration at the University of Ottawa and in Defence Studies at Royal Military College. In addition, he graduated from the Canadian Forces Command and Staff College in 2006.

  • Corporate Services
  • IT Strategy
  • Data Strategy
  • Artificial Intelligence Strategy

Human Resources Branch

Picture of Julie Neveu, Chief Human Resources Officer and Assistant Commissioner, Human Resources Branch at FCAC

Julie Neveu
Chief Human Resources Officer and Assistant Commissioner, Human Resources Branch

Julie joined FCAC in November 2018. She moved to the Agency from the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) where she held the position of Chief Human Resources Officer.

She is a seasoned public servant with more than 30 years of experience in human resources management, having worked in a variety of public and private sector organizations including Natural Resources Canada, Canada Border Services Agency, Canada School of Public Service, Human Resources Development Canada, The Mutual Group/MetLife Insurance Company and the Ottawa General Hospital.

She is an active senior executive member of the Human Resources Council and was awarded the 2017 Public Service Michelle C. Comeau Human Resources Leadership Award in the Head of Human Resources category.

Julie holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Ottawa with Honours in Human Resources Management.

  • HR Branch Overview

Public Affairs Branch

Picture of Jason Bouzanis, Assistant Commissioner, Public Affairs Branch at FCAC

Jason Bouzanis
Assistant Commissioner, Public Affairs Branch

Born and raised in Ottawa, Jason is a proud University of Ottawa alumni who has worked for the federal government for over 20 years. Jason is currently the Assistant Commissioner of Public Affairs at FCAC. At FCAC, Jason is responsible for marketing and communications, stakeholder relations and consumer services and information.

Among his accomplishments at FCAC, Jason has led the campaigns for Financial Literacy Month since 2020. Jason has also overseen the communications and promotion of the National Financial Literacy Strategy and the Financial Consumer Protection Framework. Prior to joining FCAC, Jason was the National Director of Communications at Parks Canada where he helped plan and deliver the most successful year in the Agency’s history with free admission to Parks Canada places for Canada 150.

Previously, Jason held executive positions at Employment and Social Development Canada where he managed communications for a number of high-profile government initiatives.

  • Public Affairs

Legal Services Branch

Picture of Ekaterina Ohandjanian, head of FCAC’s Legal Services branch at FCAC

Ekaterina Ohandjanian
head of FCAC’s Legal Services branch

Ekaterina Ohandjanian is the head of FCAC’s Legal Services branch since 2015. Her principal responsibility is to advise the Commissioner on matters such as the proper exercise of the adjudicative role, and to support the Agency’s strategic direction on the delivery of its financial consumer protection mandate.

Ekaterina’s career in the Public Service is quite varied. She has gained experience at the Competition Bureau, working on complex merger files and Competition Tribunal proceedings; Transport Canada, delivering on the 2008 merger of Vancouver’s Lower Mainland port authorities and on overhauling the legislation for permitting obstructions in navigable waters in 2014; Natural Resources Canada, designing and setting up the Extractive Sector Transparency Measures Act reporting framework in 2015 to meet the Prime Minister’s commitment to his G7 counterparts; and the Canadian Coast Guard, advising on matters of corporate governance and accountability, machinery of government and Crown law. From 2008 to 2012, Ekaterina also joined the Legal Operations of the Privy Counsel Office and gained experience advising the Prime Minister and the Clerk on highly complex legal and policy matters relating to government priorities, senior personnel and the machinery of government.

She is the recipient of several awards, including one for creating Shared Services Canada (PCO, 2012) and a Public Service Excellence Award for Policy (Governor General, 2015).

Ekaterina is a member of the Law Society of Ontario and holds a Bachelor of Commerce, a Bachelor of Civil Law and a Bachelor of Laws from McGill University.

  • Legal Services

Stakeholder engagement

Ecosystem infographic

Stakeholder engagement is a shared responsibility across FCAC; however, Public Affairs plays an important role in coordinating, tracking and reporting on stakeholder interactions.

FCAC's Stakeholder Ecosystem infographic provides an overview of the various organizations that FCAC engages with to advance its Strategic Goals and Business Plan initiatives.

Financial literacy networks

Public Affairs leads the financial literacy networks. Chaired by the Assistant Commissioner of Public Affairs, FCAC hosts 2 annual meetings and maintains relationships throughout the year with hundreds of network member organizations from across the country.

The Agency liaises regularly with network members, and shares and promotes resources and best practices from FCAC and members to advance financial literacy in Canada.

For information on FCAC’s committees and networks, please refer to FCAC's partners and collaborators.

Consumer Protection Advisory Committee

The Consumer Protection Advisory Committee (CPAC) provides guidance and advice to the Commissioner in carrying out the Agency’s financial consumer protection mandate.

Members provide insights that may inform FCAC’s supervision work, research initiatives and development of consumer education material. Members also share their perspectives on marketplace trends, the delivery of financial services, consumer needs and the impact of the evolving nature of the sector on Canadians. Information gathered from Consumer Protection Advisory Committee meetings will inform FCAC’s policy analysis.

CPAC members represent the private, non-profit and academic sectors. Members are selected to serve for a  1–5-year term (including renewals) following a periodic application process. All have significant experience in promoting financial consumer protection or conducting consumer protection research. Members extend FCAC’s reach to a wide range of audiences, including seniors, Indigenous Peoples, newcomers, youth and low-income Canadians.

Bank board meetings

Every year, as part of FCAC’s oversight of federally regulated financial institutions, the Commissioner, the Deputy Commissioner, Supervision and Enforcement and the Deputy Commissioner, Research, Policy and Education meet with the board committees of the 6 domestic systemically important banks. Bank board committees are responsible for overseeing the procedures related to consumer provisions, as required by the Bank Act.

In advance of meetings with board committees, the Agency has preparatory meetings with the chairs of the committees. Meetings may also take place with the bank President and CEO, at their request.

Canadian Bankers Association

The Canadian Bankers Association is a membership representing more than 60 domestic and foreign banks in Canada. It works with provincial and federal governments, business associations and consumer groups to share the perspectives of its members.

FCAC has regularly scheduled quarterly meetings with the President and CEO of the Canadian Bankers Association and also presents yearly to its Board of Directors as part of the presentations to the 6 domestic systemically important banks.

Key contacts – Biographies

Page details

From:

Date modified: