New treasurer and CFO drawn to church’s mission to help others
Amal Attia, a former private-sector chief financial officer (CFO) and controller, has been appointed as the Anglican Church of Canada’s new treasurer and CFO.
Attia took over the church’s top financial management position on Nov. 6 following the August retirement of predecessor Hanna Goschy, who had served in the role since 2013.
“Ms. Attia comes with extensive experience in financial management as a CFO and controller across a number of different companies with an M.B.A. and auditing experience. She has also served in a volunteer capacity at a number of charities,” the church said in an Oct. 18 news release announcing Attia’s appointment.
Attia’s past work includes stints at Petro-Canada, Bell Canada and Navistar Canada, a commercial truck and school bus manufacturer. She has served as a volunteer on the board of directors for the Red Door women’s shelter and other charitable organizations.
Attia says the church’s focus on helping people outside the organization, rather than an exclusive focus on profit and the bottom line, is one of the things that attracted her to the role of General Synod treasurer.
“It gives me a view of how can you make your work benefit others … That’s I guess why I’ve moved to that position,” Attia says. “I just wanted to continue being productive yet helpful at the same time, to the society and the organization.”
Attia describes the Anglican Church of Canada as having “a more holistic approach” to finances than exists in the business world.
“We don’t look at the work we do [as] bringing money for profit,” she says. “We’re bringing money to help others. This is not the organization’s money, to be honest with you. We look at it as God’s money, and God gave it to us so we can utilize it to the best interests of everyone and to the benefit of everybody.”
A resident of Oakville, Ont., Attia is originally from Egypt and came to Canada in 1981. She graduated from Ryerson University in 1984 and continued her education through Wilfrid Laurier University.
