Overview
The strongest CMO–CFO partnerships don’t eliminate tension—they design for it.

As investment pressure and accountability increase, the tension between growth, ambition and financial discipline is harder to manage. When it surfaces too late, decisions slow and value is lost.

This breakfast roundtable brings senior marketing and finance leaders together to discuss insights from Deloitte’s latest Canadian CFO–CMO research, and how leading organisations create the conditions for healthy tension to surface early—enabling faster, more confident decisions. This is a peer-level discussion for leaders who want to work well together but find current decision rhythms and evidence standards don’t always hold under pressure.

 

What to expect

  • CFO and CMO perspectives on what builds (and erodes) confidence in marketing investment
  • Research-backed insights on how healthy tension improves decision speed and quality
  • Facilitated discussion on governing trade-offs across growth, risk, and value

 

What you’ll gain

  • A practical way to use healthy tension to improve—not delay—decisions
  • Clearer insight into how finance evaluates uncertainty and long-term value
  • Operating practices you can apply immediately to planning, reallocations, and reviews

Speaker Bio

Catherine Laporte is a recognized leader in marketing, digital transformation, and e-commerce, known for her strong business acumen, creativity, and leadership. She joined RONA in 2018 as Divisional Vice President, E-commerce, was appointed Vice President, Marketing in 2019, promoted to Senior Vice President, Marketing and Customer Experience in February 2024, and became Chief Digital and Marketing Officer in July 2025.

In her current role, Catherine oversees RONA’s brand growth while supporting the company’s digital transformation initiatives. With a clear strategic vision focused on customer experience and business growth, she plays a pivotal role in strengthening RONA’s position as Canada’s leading home improvement retailer.

A recognized modern marketing, digital, and retail leader, Frédérick Lecoq brings more than 20 years of international experience driving brand growth, customer experience, and business transformation. As Senior Vice President and Chief Digital & Marketing Officer at Simons, he leads the digital and marketing evolution of one of Canada’s most iconic retail brands.

Throughout his career, Frédérick has held senior leadership roles at Sporting Life, Golf Town, FGL Sports, Mark’s, Nokia, Microsoft, and LG Corp, where he spearheaded major digital transformation, customer engagement, and brand-building initiatives. A strong advocate for innovation, he is particularly focused on the impact of artificial intelligence on marketing, commerce, and customer experience.