Vanessa Kanu

Birthplace: Edmonton
Occupation: Chief Financial Officer, Financial Reporting Manager, Vice-president Of Business Finance, Senior Vice-president Of Finance, Manager At Pricewaterhousecoopers
Alma Mater: University of Hull

Biography

EARLY LIFE

Vanessa Kanu grew up in Edmonton, Canada. At 18, she left Canada to study international economics at the University of Hull in London, where she graduated third in her class and met her husband. Her mother, Yatta, is a professor of education at the University of Manitoba, and her late father, Vincent, was the CEO of an oil company in his native Sierra Leone.

CAREER

Kanu began her career as a manager at the accounting firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers. In 2004, she joined Mitel, an Ottawa-based telecom company, as a financial reporting manager. She steadily rose through the ranks, holding positions such as vice-president of business finance and senior vice-president of finance, before being named Mitel’s chief financial officer.

PERSONAL LIFE

Vanessa Kanu is married and a mother to two young daughters. As a woman of colour in a senior leadership role within the tech industry, she views herself as a role model.