Kari Gill

Kari Gill is a seasoned finance professional with extensive experience in the construction industry. She supports business planning, cross-functional collaboration and growth initiatives across PWF Floors & Decors’ diverse operations.

What’s behind the numbers?

This curiosity has steered Kari Gill’s career in finance for more than two decades. When she looks at a figure, she wants to know what produced it, from the work on the ground to the senior management assenting decisions.

Today, as Chief Financial Officer at PWF Floors & Decors, she brings that instinct to every aspect of the construction business. Gill speaks with customers, works alongside management and operational teams and stays close to the products the company sells. She leads business growth initiatives and handles responsibilities spanning banking, financing and legal matters.

Even the location of Gill’s office reflects this hands-on approach. She deliberately avoids being tucked away into a side corner and prefers to sit among different departments. It puts her in the middle of the teams and the conversations shaping the organization.

The close involvement in the business is the reason Gill calls herself an “operational CFO”. Across PWF’s interrelated businesses in residential construction, flooring retail and distribution, cabinet manufacturing, millwork and real estate, she draws on knowledge from across the organization to make sense of the financial picture. What she learns from different teams, customers and day-to-day operations helps her understand what the numbers are saying and what they could mean for the business going forward.

A Career Built Close to Operations

Gill’s desire to understand what was behind the numbers took shape early in her career. While completing her accounting degree, she worked part-time for a sheet metal company, gaining an early introduction to construction.

“What story are the numbers telling? And how do we cash in on some of the opportunities to unlock future growth?”

She then spent three months in public accounting, which made her realize that it was not the right fit. Construction, on the other hand, proved to be more engaging. She could visit sites and work with site superintendents, estimators, project managers and everyone involved in the project. She could finally see what drove the financial results.

She went on to build her career in the industry, spending 17 years at Stuart Olson, where she progressed through increasingly senior roles, followed by nearly four years at Carlson Construction before joining PWF Floors & Decors. These experiences reinforced Gill’s belief that knowing the business is fundamental to making sense of its numbers.

Finding the Story Behind the Numbers

Gill believes finance should help people make better-informed decisions, and that starts with knowing her audience. Some leaders want to see the details behind an analysis, while others want the conclusion and the future steps. To make finance easier to follow for colleagues outside the field, Gill has also created simple, half-page reference sheets explaining terms such as markup and gross margin. She tailors her communication to ensure people understand the financial information relevant to their work.

But for Gill, the conversation does not end with explaining the figures.

“What story are the numbers telling? And how do we cash in on some of the opportunities to unlock future growth?” she asks.

During work-in-progress reviews, for example, Gill looks beyond the numbers to identify potential risks. An underbilled project could leave the business short of funds if a subcontractor walks away and a replacement needs to be brought in. Gill explains these connections so operational teams understand why a financial concern matters rather than seeing it simply as something “accounting wants.”

Gill also believes potential problems should be addressed early. She encourages operational teams to share bad news as soon as possible and, where possible, suggest potential solutions. Unexpected costs and project issues can quickly change the financial picture, so knowing about them early gives the business more time to respond.

When it comes to spending and investment decisions, Gill thinks like an owner. If it were her business and her money, would she make the same investment? That question keeps her focused on how company resources are being used and whether a decision protects the business and its owners.

Putting Financial Insight into Action

Gill’s operational approach has played a central role in PWF’s recent growth. Over the past year and a half, she was part of the analysis that led the company to consolidate its two Edmonton locations and open a showroom in the Calgary region.

Around the same time, customer behavior pointed to another opportunity. People often brought cabinet pieces to PWF while selecting flooring, countertops and other finishes. The team saw an opportunity to simplify the process by adding cabinet manufacturing.

Gill then had to determine whether the idea made financial and operational sense. Flooring requires PWF to commit significant cash to inventory sourced from countries such as Spain and Italy. Cabinet manufacturing presented a different model. It required CNC machinery but less investment in inventory. PWF could purchase raw materials as needed, manufacture the cabinets and collect customer deposits, allowing cash to move through the business more quickly.

From there, Gill worked to make the idea viable. She assessed working capital, costs, facility and equipment needs, staffing and the break-even point. Gill conducted due diligence, developed the business plan and worked with BDC, banks and financing partners to raise capital.

She sought input from teams across the business and worked to get their buy-in. Gill knew that expansion would require existing employees to put in extra effort while new hires found their footing. Getting everyone on board was therefore an important part of her planning.

As the project moved into execution, she handled financing, resources, HR and legal requirements, allowing operational teams to stay focused on the work. She also worked with vendors and financing companies to fund approximately $2 million in CNC machinery.

Leadership With Boots on the Ground

For aspiring finance leaders, Gill stresses knowing their audience, building trust across the organization, setting clear benchmarks to measure performance and keeping an eye on where the business is headed.

Leadership, in her view, also comes with accountability. A leader shares in the team’s success and takes responsibility when the team falls short. Staying connected to the people and operations behind the financial results is therefore essential.

Above all, Gill encourages finance leaders to get out from behind the numbers and understand the business firsthand.

“Boots on the ground. Know your business. Otherwise, these numbers don't mean anything,” says Gill.