Rising Stars 2025: Rachel Lesser

Rachel Lesser, 38
Director, revenue accounting & reporting
Canadian Pacific Kansas City

Nominator’s quote: “Rachel is a fantastic leader who is developing a future generation of leaders and railroaders within the industry. The passion she has to learn and understand all aspects of the business, while educating stakeholders on the importance and impact finance can have on the company, is infectious. Ultimately, her leadership draws out the best in the people she works with. Many of the improvements she has made in her department have been adopted and replicated by other accounting teams at CPKC.” — Leena Wadher, CPKC

Education: Bachelor of commerce, University of Calgary, and designated CPA, CA with Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada.

Job responsibilities: Lead accounting and reporting of revenue worth the equivalent of $15 billion annually and partner with multiple business stakeholders to provide insight and guidance while working closely across the finance, commercial and network service teams.

Describe your career path.
I began as an articling student at KPMG where I worked toward my chartered accountant designation. This provided invaluable experience early in my career as I worked with audit teams and clients in a variety of industries across my engagements. I joined CPKC (then Canadian Pacific) in 2015 in the complex accounting team and I have had the opportunity to work in a variety of finance functions, including the revenue accounting and reporting team, which I joined in 2020.

How did you find your way into the rail industry?
I enjoyed my work on financial instruments and derivatives while at KPMG, and when there was a role at CPKC that specialized in this area, I knew I had to apply. Since joining the railroad, there has been so much to learn about the dynamics of this industry. At CPKC, finance certainly takes a seat at the table to add value and drive change, which has led to a very rewarding and engaging career.

What was your first job and what did it teach you?
I was a babysitter in my community. At 11 years old, I took a basic first aid and caregiving course. I handmade business cards and went door-to-door to visit families. I loved working with children, and it was a great opportunity to learn more about responsibility outside of school and home at a young age and the benefit of networking.

What’s something about you that might surprise people?
At age 15, I became a certified scuba diver and enjoyed completing my open water certification in the warm waters of Maui.

What is a valuable lesson that you’ve learned so far in your career?
To always be curious and take proactive steps to understand and learn as much as you can about the business and the impact on your role. Engage and listen to the diversity of perspectives as you work with your stakeholders and business partners. There is so much to learn and having a well-rounded depth of understanding will allow you to better identify where you can add the most value to your team and the company.

How do you stay motivated and resilient when things get tough in life or on the job?
In my experience, I remember that times of adversity are when you learn the most and realize your capabilities through the obstacles you overcome. As I reflect, these times of challenge were often the pivotal moments of my life and career and the experiences in which I had the most pride.

If you could have dinner with anyone in the world today, who would it be and why?
Kristin Hannah, who is the author of The Nightingale and The Women, which are two of my favorite novels. These stories delve into the power of women and their grit and resiliency to make a difference in exceptionally challenging circumstances while leaving a powerful legacy. I would love to hear more of these inspiring stories of perseverance. As a mother of two young daughters, I want them to feel empowered to work with tenacity towards their goals and not to feel limited in what they can achieve.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the rail industry today?
Technology is changing at a rapid pace, and the railroad industry will need to focus on technology innovation in a measured manner to enable the continued safety, reliability and efficiency of railroad operations. Innovative solutions also present the opportunity for continued strategies to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint through new fuel-efficient technologies and energy-efficient locomotives. It is exciting to see advancements occurring in this space, including testing on the first hydrogen locomotives at CPKC.