The Yes That Built Me: Heather Stark on Leadership Values, and the Road from U of T to the C-Suite

When Heather Stark first arrived at the University of Toronto, she wasn’t thinking about boardrooms or earnings calls. She was focused on staying afloat—working nearly full-time, attending night school, and living on her own at just 16. Getting into U of T was a milestone; making it through was a mission.

“I came to U of T on a scholarship,” she recalls. “It paid for tuition and books. But I still had to work multiple days a week just to get by. It wasn’t easy—but I regret nothing. Every hard moment shaped who I am.”

That hard-won foundation didn’t just build resilience—it helped her build a remarkable career that spans industries and disciplines, leading all the way to the executive level. Today, Heather is the Chief Financial Officer of The Fertility Partners, a role that blends financial leadership with purpose-driven impact. But the road to CFO wasn’t a straight line—and UTM played a pivotal role in connecting the dots.

A Hybrid Path: Where the Arts Meet Commerce

Heather began her academic career at University College on the St. George campus, pursuing a unique blend of Canadian Studies and Commerce that proved to be a strategic differentiator in her career. “The arts degree gave me the long view,” she says. “Commerce gave me the analytical lens. Together, they created this well-rounded understanding of how decisions get made and how institutions function.”

Midway through her degree, she moved to Oakville for work and started taking courses at UTM. The shift, driven by practicality, ended up offering something she didn’t expect: community and deeper connections to engaging professors with real-life experience. While she graduated from St. George, she credits UTM with sustaining her momentum and providing community during a defining chapter.

“I was working at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and needed more flexibility. UTM allowed me to keep moving forward academically while beginning my professional life. It was a bridge between student and professional—and with warmth and connection. Smaller classes, professors who knew my name, peers I could study and grow with.”

That hybrid academic foundation—spanning disciplines and campuses—would become a powerful advantage later in her career. Despite being a CFO, Heather never saw herself as “just a finance person.” In fact, she credits her arts background for her success on the notoriously difficult UFE exam, where she placed 11th. “It wasn’t because I was the best accountant—it was because I could read, interpret, and tell the story behind the numbers.”

Leadership Built on Purpose and Clarity

Heather’s leadership style is shaped by her ability to bridge complex strategy with real-world execution. “My professors at UTM didn’t just teach the technical—they taught the ‘why.’ They showed me that decisions land differently depending on how they’re explained and who’s affected.” This philosophy became central to her leadership.

Today, she defines her leadership values with clarity:

• Empathy before execution: understand context before prescribing change.
• Clarity as a leadership tool: people need to understand the story to follow the strategy.
• Bridging vision with practicality: connect aspiration to something people can actually deliver.

These values, she says, have helped her lead in fast-paced, high-pressure roles across industries—always focusing on how people can move together, not just where they’re going. “When I look at what has set me apart, it’s the ability to connect the ambitious vision to something people can actually deliver. Real leadership lives in that middle space.”

Heather also uses two filters to guide career decisions: purpose and people.

“If the purpose doesn’t resonate, don’t do it,” she says. “And if the people don’t feel like home, it’s not going to work.” Those two anchors, she adds, are what allow her to push harder, go farther, and build something durable—not just successful. Purpose fuels resilience: people create momentum. She has led through public-company turnarounds and now brings that same clarity and conviction to the healthcare sector.

A Leap Into the Spotlight

One of the biggest turning points in Heather’s career came when she was asked to step into the role of public company CFO at Weight Watchers International. At the time, the company was undergoing a massive transformation.

“It was unexpected,” she says. “The CEO called and said, ‘I’m about to go to the board and ask them to appoint you—but only if you’ll say yes.’ I remember saying, ‘I can’t say no.’ And I was disappointed that I didn’t just say yes.”

That moment would later become a mantra: Say yes, then figure it out.

As CFO, she faced not just operational challenges—managing $1.5 billion in debt and restructuring a company in the middle of reinvention—but also an entirely new level of visibility. “It wasn’t just internal leadership anymore. It was investors, analysts, media—a market reacting to every word in real time.”

Now at The Fertility Partners, Heather says her work doesn’t just align with her values—it expresses them. “Fertility is still out of reach for many people. I’m proud to be in a role where I can help remove barriers and support patients through a system where improved access and outcomes mean the difference between dreaming of a family and completing one.

A Future Guided by Impact and Integrity

While Heather has thrived in finance, she sees her next milestone beyond the CFO title. “One day, someone will let me out of finance,” she jokes. But there’s real ambition behind the humor. In her next role, she’s aiming for a CEO role—one that lets her shape both the strategic direction and operational rhythm of a business.

“I’ve spent my career building the ability to connect strategy, operations, finance, and execution. I want to lead from end to end. Not for the title—for the impact.”

Long-term, she also envisions board service—using her experience to guide other organizations and contribute to broader systemic change.

What keeps her grounded through all of it? Her grandfather’s advice: “Respect everyone. Stay curious.” And a simple ritual: family dinner—every night, with her husband and four kids, around the kitchen table. “It pulls me out of the ‘role’ and back into what matters most. It reminds me that leadership isn’t just about building organizations—it’s about building lives.”

Heather Stark’s story is one of grit, purpose, and the power of saying yes—even when the outcome isn’t certain. Or perhaps because of it.

“The yeses built me—not the certainty. Say yes before you feel ready. You rarely get certainty in advance.”