Donna Finley

Donna Finley is a lifelong learner, thought-leader, and award-winning strategist. As a pracademic, she combines her academic and practitioner experience to solve business challenges and create new opportunities. Over the course of her career, she has designed and led over 15 major organizational transformations in multiple sectors. She has the rare ability to translate knowledge and strategy across diverse stakeholders, sectors, and situations that lead to unique solutions to complex problems. To work alongside Finley is to be given an invaluable opportunity to experience and learn what it means to lead with vision and energy, and to be a catalyst for bold change. She has an unwavering dedication to the fundamental principles of ordered strategy that are grounded on listening systems that place the needs and interests of customers and primary stakeholders at the center of decision-making.

Finley is particularly interested in developing sustainable social enterprise and adaptive business models as foundational for organizational success. She serves the for-profit, public, and non-profit sectors through her management consulting practice, Finley & Associates, and family businesses through a new venture, Family Office by Finley. Dedicated to community, Finley has served on multiple boards and has worked with hundreds of boards in improving their performance. She is a renowned facilitator, gifted educator, and a published author.

Finley is a global citizen who holds a PhD from the University of Calgary in interdisciplinary studies (Knowledge Transfer); an MBA from IMD, University of Lausanne (Switzerland); and a BEd and BA from Queen’s University (Kingston, Ontario, Canada).

Awards & Recognition

• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Doctoral Fellowship (May 2009 – April 2011). University of Calgary.
• Queen Elizabeth II Doctoral Scholarship (2009). University of Calgary. Declined in favor of SSHRC.
• Queen Elizabeth II Doctoral Scholarship (2008). University of Calgary.
• Alberta Premier’s Award of Excellence for work in partnership with the Alberta Agricultural Products Marketing Council on the Agricultural Industry Governance Review. Bronze medalist (2009).
• The City of Calgary Community Achievement Award (Education) for innovative Public-Private Partnerships.Nominated by Calgary International Language Foundation (2005).
• The Conference Board of Canada’s Global Best Award for partnerships in Business and Education. Nominated by Calgary French & International School (2004).
• Award of Distinction, National Post Awards for Business in the Arts for work with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (2003).