Leading the way

Leading the way

September 30, 2016

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A member of Queen’s University’s Finance Department has been recognized with an award from a national organization for the post-secondary financial sector.

Earlier this year Heather Woermke, controller for Queen’s University, received the Emerging Leader Award from the Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO). On Oct. 1, she will take up her new position as associate vice-principal (finance). (University Communications)

Heather Woermke, who works as controller, is the 2016 recipient of the Emerging Leader Award from the Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO). The award recognizes members for their “innovative, meaningful contributions to the improvement of their profession and the efficiency of their institution.”

Ms. Woermke was also recently appointed associate vice-principal (finance), effective Oct. 1.

“Heather is an incredible leader and I am certain that she will continue to excel as the associate vice-principal (finance),” says Caroline Davis, Vice-Principal (Finance). “I fully supported her nomination for the award and her abilities are again being recognized through her promotion.”

In her work as controller, Ms. Woermke heads the Financial Services Department, with responsibilities such as research accounting, financial reporting, payroll, operations and compliance, and cash flow forecasting.

Current Associate Vice-Principal (Finance) Donna Janiec, nominated Ms. Woermke for the award and says that she has shown impressive leadership skills as controller as well as with related provincial and national bodies.

“She is an incredibly dedicated, hard worker and always goes above and beyond in completing any project that she is given,” Ms. Janiec says. “She is an extremely competent high deliverer. She wants to make a difference and she has all the characteristics you want in terms of an excellent leader but also takes into account all the needs of her staff, the ability of her staff and creates a fun work environment as well.”

Ms. Janiec encouraged Ms. Woermke to join the Council of Ontario Finance Officers (COFO) Financial Reporting Committee when she arrived at Queen’s, where she was appointed committee chair after just one year. Ms. Woermke also later served as chair of the CAUBO Financial Reporting Committee. CAUBO is a non-profit professional organization representing the chief administrative and financial officers at over 100 universities and affiliated colleges in Canada.

In the nomination Ms. Janiec highlighted Ms. Woermke’s leadership in several projects involving core changes in Financial Services and throughout Queen’s, adding that she utilizes an “extremely collaborative” approach.