Making room for big ideas

Derek Payne didn't follow the traditional path he saw among many CPAs in Calgary. 

After starting in commerce at the University of Calgary, he leaned into accounting as a stepping stone to the workforce where his early years saw him pivot across different sectors while hunting for work that truly interested him.  

Eventually, his path brought him what would become a career-long passion of working with early-stage companies, where he found that his financial background offered a fresh perspective on the stark risks entrepreneurs routinely take.  

“Entrepreneurs, by nature, are risk-takers,” says Payne, who was treasurer and vice-president of finance for WestJet during the airline's formative years as it grew from seven regional aircraft into a commercial fleet of more than 70. 

“They make decisions based on gut feeling and hunch, not necessarily a bunch of spreadsheets and analysis.” 

He sees a role for finance professionals in helping turn that instinct into a workable plan. That means understanding an idea, asking questions and helping find a solution. 

“It’s not someone who says, ‘no, we can’t do that,’ but someone who can ask the right questions – can help find a solution,” says Payne. 

A career built through exposure 

Payne says the variety of his experience was one of the most valuable parts of his career.  

“The experience, the exposure, the network that I built, I almost can’t imagine a better opportunity,” says Payne, who is now retired and spends his time doing board and advisory work, primarily in the innovation and technology sector, including as an associate with the Creative Destruction Lab-Rockies (CDL-R) at the Haskayne School of Business. 

He adds that he was willing to wait for opportunities that interested him rather than force his career in a particular direction. 

“I was patient and just waited for the role, the opportunity, the industry that excited me. And I think every time I’ve done that, I’ve been rewarded,” he says, while also acknowledging that, looking back, he would also approach some decisions with more confidence and trust his instincts sooner. 

His advice to students? Keep learning. 

“As long as I was learning, I knew I was advancing and getting smarter,” he says.