Career Profile: Financial Controller

Finance and flip-flops with Lululemon's financial controller.

Flip-flops and finance are not necessarily two things you’d think would go together, but for Lululemon Athletica financial controller David Negus, they do. Fun footwear and serious work is not the only paradox that Negus embodies: he works in accounting and yet math was not his favourite subject in high school – gasp!


So where did this somewhat paradoxical professional’s career journey start? After finishing a business administration degree at Simon Fraser University and receiving his designation as a chartered accountant, Negus went on to work for prominent companies like Deloitte & Touche LLP and the Alderwoods Group Inc. Now, Negus works as a financial controller at lululemon athletica, the incredibly successful Vancouver-based athletic wear company. Negus recently took some time out of his busy schedule to give us some insight into his prosperous career.

YT: What are your main 
responsibilities as a 
financial controller?

DN: At lululemon athletica, my team is responsible for the company’s monthly, quarterly and annual consolidated financial statements, securities filings, tax compliance and internal control systems.


YT: Why did you decide to enter the accounting field?

DN: In university, I wanted to be in business and identified accounting as the broadest avenue to gain experience.


YT: How did your degree and accounting courses help prepare you for your role as a controller? 

DN: CAs [chartered accountants] create more than just financial statements. They are policy-makers, strategists and advisors. It’s this training that has helped me in my professional career.


YT: What other opportunities can a career as a financial controller lead to?

DN: Because of their breadth of oversight, many financial controllers go on to become chief financial officers or [take on] management operation roles within companies.


YT: Why did you want to work with lululemon?

DN: What attracted me to lululemon was the opportunity to work with our company directors and officers who represent some of the most successful retail companies in North America, such as Starbucks, PetSmart, Staples and Saks Fifth Avenue.


YT: What is your work environment like?

DN: The lululemon head office is located back in our original neighbourhood, Kitsilano, Vancouver, BC, only minutes away from the water’s edge. Our office is very casual, fun, always changing. The look of our environment and our people are men and women in black stretchy pants and hoodies, yoga mats under our desks and flip-flops on our feet year round.


YT: What courses should students be taking in high school and university if they are considering a 
career in finance?

DN: Math and accounting courses are the foundation, but the most important attributes are communication and networking.


YT: What’s the best way to break into your field? 

DN: I am a firm believer in the law of attraction: good people tend to gravitate towards other good people. If you have a strong network of contacts and are dedicated to your chosen profession, you will do well in your career. Stay in school and try to find a mentor who has done it before; this is the best investment you could make.


YT: What have been some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned through your career that have helped you get to where you are today?

DN: Throughout my career, I’ve continually taken in new information, feedback and advice. I’ve let all experiences (good and bad) be great lessons learned. Integrity, responsibility and dependability are the best values I’ve learned along the way.