Nick Bontis, Director, Institute for Intellectual Capital Research, Associate Professor of Strategy, McMaster University
Dr. Nick Bontis is a tenured professor of strategic management at the DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University. He received both his Bachelor of Arts (1992 - Honours Business Administration) and his PhD (1999) from the Ivey School of Business at The University of Western Ontario.
His research expertise focuses on intellectual capital, knowledge management, organizational learning and human capital measurement. He is a world-renowned professional speaker and human capital consultant. His doctoral dissertation went on to become the #1 selling thesis in Canada.
He has won over a dozen major teaching awards and the faculty researcher of the year twice. Maclean’s magazine has rated him as one of McMaster’s most popular professors for six years in a row. He is also a 3M National Teaching Fellow, an honour bestowed upon the top university professors in the country. Prior to his career in academia, Dr. Bontis was a securities analyst at CIBC Securities Inc.
Heather Briant, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Cineplex Entertainment LP
As Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Cineplex Entertainment LP, Heather Briant is responsible for all aspects of the Human Resources function, encompassing talent development and succession, organization effectiveness, total and executive compensation, health and safety, and HR governance and reporting. She is also a leader in Cineplex corporate strategy and transformation activities.
Ms. Briant has an MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, as well as the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.
She is currently the Board Chair of the Starlight Children's Foundation Canada. Starlight Canada is Cineplex’s national charity partner and is dedicated to helping seriously ill children and their families. She is also a member of the Kilberry Advisory Board.
Ms. Briant was a board member and Compensation, Governance and Nominating Committee Chair of HOMEQ Corporation and its subsidiary HomEquity Bank until its sale to private equity in Q4, 2012.
Janice Boulet, Vice President of Credit, National Leasing
Janice Boulet has been in her current role as Vice President of Credit with National Leasing since January 2008. After graduating from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) degree in 1988, Janice started her career with National Leasing.
As the Vice President of Credit, she oversees all functions of the Credit, Lease Administration and Asset Management departments. Janice’s main roles are to support the long term growth and profitability of the company through effective leadership of all departments that she oversees and to manage all of the departments’ resources consistent with National Leasing’s strategic and operating plans.
As a member of the Senior Executive team, she ensures growth and development of the organization through managing strategic initiatives to successful outcomes, promoting the company’s unique culture and image, promoting Customer Focus, assuring good Corporate citizenship and promoting continuous improvement and innovation.
Janice volunteers with several organizations, including the Canadian Cancer Society and Habitat for Humanity. Wishing to stay involved in her children’s activities, she has also been a member of the Board of Directors for her children’s Day Care Centre, taught children in the Catechism program at their family Church and has managed several Club soccer teams.
Mike Cordoba, CEO and Partner, Empresario Capital Partners
Mike Cordoba has 20 years of diverse business experience. He has managed a portfolio of public and private companies with $1 billion in total revenue in various industries including restaurants, retail, manufacturing and processing and real estate. In his executive capacity he has built companies from the ground up to become industry leaders in their segments. His expertise in M&A activity is highly regarded in the marketplace.
Mike was formerly Chief Executive Officer of Boston Pizza International Inc. Since joining the company in 1993, Mike held various senior management positions, including President and Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President and Vice President of Finance.
Prior to joining Boston Pizza International Inc., Mike served as Controller for Eye Masters Ltd.; a Vancouver, BC based super optical retail company, for three years. Prior to this, he worked in a public practice as a Chartered Accountant in Vancouver, British Columbia.
In 2001, he was named one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40-award recipients.
Mike is a Chartered Accountant and has a degree in Business Administration from Simon Fraser University. He keeps active in his community by participating in various local charity events.
Helen Burstyn, Principal, Counsel Public Affairs
Helen Burstyn has enjoyed a 30-year career in government, business, and community service. She is currently a Principal at Counsel Public Affairs and serves as Special Advisor, Social Enterprise to the Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation, Government of Ontario.
Helen is the former Chair of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, a government agency that makes grants to not-for-profit and charitable organizations in the social services, arts and culture, sports and recreation, and environment sectors. In 2010/2011, together with Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Dr. Eric Hoskins, she co-chaired The Partnership Project, an Ontario government initiative to strengthen the not-for-profit and voluntary sectors in the province. She continues to chair the Partnership Forum, an advisory body on the not-for-profit and charitable sector.
Helen sits on the boards of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Luminato, The Walrus Foundation, the Canadian Journalism Foundation, The Learning Partnership, Harmony Hall, and the Koffler Centre for the Arts. With The Boston Consulting Group and MaRS, she recently co-founded the Pecaut Centre for Social Impact, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating the next generation of social entrepreneurs.
She is also a founder, past-president and honorary board chair of Gilda's Club Greater Toronto and a founding member of Equal Voice. She served on the boards of the Canadian Club of Toronto (Past President), Canadian Stage Company, City of Toronto War of 1812 Commemorative Committee and the Mayor’s Task Force on the Arts. In the 2011 general election, she was the provincial Liberal Candidate for Beaches-East York.
Helen received the YWCA Women of Distinction Award for Community Leadership in 2010 and the Ontario Citizenship Award for Volunteer Service that same year.
John DeHart, Co-Founder and CEO, Nurse Next Door Home Healthcare Services
John is the Co founder and CEO of Nurse Next Door Home Care Services and under his leadership, has built Nurse Next Door into a successful national healthcare brand, with over 50 locations coast-to-coast.
John was awarded the Ernst & Young Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2006, he's been named to the Top 40 Under 40 list and he's led Nurse Next Door to a lot of prestigious business awards including being named a top employer 4 of the last 5 years, the number one employer in BC in 2009, the top emerging corporate culture in Canada as well as a top 10 franchise system in North America.
John speaks throughout the world on building culture, and lectures at prestigious Universities across North America including regular appearances at the EO/MIT Masters in Entrepreneurship program.
John is a graduate of Cornell University and lives in Vancouver with his wife Gayla and two daughters, Aja and Daisy, and runs up mountains for fun. (He just ran the Inca Trail in Peru and the Canadian Death Race).
Len Jillard, Senior VP, People Resources and Chief People Officer, McDonald's Canada
Len began his career with McDonald's Canada in 1972 when he first joined a London, Ontario restaurant as a crewperson. Since then, he’s held a number of mid and senior management positions throughout the Canadian operation including Regional Director of People Resources, Toronto. Len also spent three years, from 1995-1997, with McDonald’s Mexico as the Senior Director of Operations.
In January 2002, Len became Vice President of the Western Canada Region, overseeing all aspects of the Western Canadian operation. In December 2005, Len was named to his current role as Senior Vice President, People Resources and Chief People Officer, in which he is responsible for carrying out McDonald’s people vision to become Canada’s favourite place and way to work. Under his leadership, the company has received the honour of being named one of AON Hewitt’s Best Employers in Canada eight times. Len has also recently taken on the added responsibility of overseeing McDonald’s national franchising strategy.
Len has always made it a priority to dedicate his time and expertise to McDonald’s charitable efforts, having served on the Ronald McDonald House in London, Ontario for more than seven years and as a member of the Society for Ronald McDonald House Vancouver.
Josée Dubuc, Executive Vice-President, Human Resources and Corporate Services, Ivanhoé Cambridge
Josée Dubuc is Ivanhoé Cambridge's Executive Vice-President, Human Resources and Corporate Services. Prior to joining Ivanhoé Cambridge, Josée was Yellow Pages Group's Chief Talent Officer from August 2009 to February 2012. Under her leadership, Yellow Pages Group was named one of Canada’s 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 and was inducted in to the Canada's 10 Hall of Fame in 2009.
Prior to joining Yellow Pages Group, Josée Dubuc worked in various capacities within the BCE group of companies. She notably served as Senior Director of Human Resources at Bell Mobility, where she was responsible for business development and human capital strategies, as well as Bell Mobility’s expansion into Western Canada. Before joining Bell Mobility, she was Vice President of Human Resources at Sympatico-Lycos, one of Canada’s leading Internet properties.
With more than 20 years of experience in all areas of human resources, Ms. Dubuc has partnered with management teams in numerous companies operating in a variety of industries. She participated in many growth initiatives and cultural transformations, mergers and acquisitions, call-centre management ventures, and many other projects. Prior to joining BCE, Ms. Dubuc was Director of Human Resources at Cogeco Cable in Burlington, Ontario.
Josée Dubuc is well recognized for being communicative, results-focused and accessible, as well as for her ability to develop strong partnerships while maintaining a high level of integrity. In 2005, she was recognized as Canada’s Top 40 Under 40™ and received the Human Resources Professional Association of Ontario (HRPAO) Professional Leadership Award.
Josée Dubuc holds a certificate from Seneca College in Human Resources Management and a professional designation in Human Resources (Certified Human Professional, C.H.R.P.) through the Human Resources Association of Ontario.
Janis Grantham, Co-Founder, President and Chief Operating Officer, Eagle Professional Resources
Janis Grantham is a Co-Founder, President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Eagle. Ms. Grantham is a member of Eagle's executive team responsible the company's strategic direction. In addition she is focused on ensuring that Eagle's systems, processes and organisational structure are maximised to support the operations of the company.
Ms. Grantham studied Computer Science at Carleton University and has an MBA from the Queen's Executive Program. She has more than twenty years of industry experience starting as a computer programmer and working in various consulting and management roles for large system integrators and software companies.
Ms. Grantham is listed in Canada's Top 100 Women Business Owners Hall of Fame, is listed on Canada's Most Powerful Women Top 100 list, was the Consumers Choice Business Woman of the Year for Ottawa-Gatineau in 2005, and was a finalist in the 2002 Ontario Entrepreneur of the Year award.
Joseph Mapa, President & CEO, Mount Sinai Hospital
Joseph Mapa, President & CEO of Mount Sinai Hospital since 2001, is a graduate of the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, and he also obtained his MBA from the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. He is a Fellow of the Canadian College of Health Leaders, as well as a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He is Past Chair of the Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario and has recently completed his terms on the Governing Council of the University of Toronto and the Board of the Canadian Nurses Association. He currently serves on the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation Advisory Council, the Advisory Board of the Women’s Executive Network – Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100; and Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures’ Board of Governors. He is the author of numerous articles, and is co-author of three books focusing on healthcare management.
In 2003 he co-edited a book on effective government relations in the healthcare industry with Professor Peggy Leatt of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. That year, he also received the Chairman’s Award for Distinguished Service by the Canadian College of Health Leaders. In 2007, he received the Seymour Schulich Award for Teaching Excellence at the Schulich School of Business. In 2010 he received the Canadian College of Health Leaders inaugural national Mentorship Award and in 2012 he was recognized with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. In 2012 he was also appointed Executive-In-Residence, Health, University of Toronto Scarborough and an Adjunct Professor, Institute of Healthcare Policy, Management & Evaluation, University of Toronto.
Jim Grossett, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Agrium Inc.
Jim Grossett joined Agrium as Vice President, Human Resources in April of 2002. In August of 2005, he was promoted to the position of Senior Vice President, Human Resources. Jim has overall responsibility for Agrium’s global HR function covering 14,000 employees. He has over 25 years of Human Resource management experience.
Before joining Agrium, Jim was Senior Vice President, Human Resources for Molson Inc. and Senior Vice President, Human Resources for Coca-Cola Beverages, Ltd. Jim has his Institute of Corporate Directors - ICD.D designation and is on the Board of Directors for the Alzheimer Society, Alberta and Northwest Territories. He was Chairman of the Human Resource Advisory Council for Seneca College in Toronto as well as Past Co-Chairman of the Human Resource Council for The Grocery Product Manufacturers of Canada. Jim has also held positions with the Board of Directors of Junior Achievement of Southern Alberta, Interlink Community Cancer Nurses and Poverello Charities.
He earned his B.A. from California State University at Stanislaus.
Jon Hantho, President and Chief Executive Officer, Maxxam Analytics
Jon’s understanding and experience in the areas of corporate strategy development, mergers and acquisitions, and customer service development are playing a critical role in Maxxam's on-going success. He brings extensive executive management experience and a proven track record for delivering customer and shareholder value to his current role. The majority of his career has centered on building successful business and outsourcing services with both well-established industry leaders and rapid growth start-ups.
Jon began his career at Moore Corporation where he developed new transformational business models to drive dramatic growth and customer satisfaction. His experience extends throughout the US and internationally. Prior to Maxxam, he was President of Symcor Customer Communication Services, and he founded Optus Corporation which was acquired by Symcor in 2001. Since joining Maxxam in 2006 as CEO, the company has more than doubled in size and secured its leadership position in the analytical services industry.
Jon has an MBA from the Ivey School of Business and an Honours BA (Sociology) from Queens University. He sits on the Board of ECO Canada and the Ivey School of Business Advisory Board. In 2012, Jon won an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® award for his successful leadership at Maxxam. Jon was also awarded a national Special Citation for Entrepreneurial Leadership as part of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® National Awards in a recognition that celebrates his vision, leadership and contributions to building successful, values-based enterprises. In 2013, Jon received the Purvis Memorial Award of the Society for Chemical Industry (SCI) in recognition of Jon’s contributions to advancing Canadian industry in the field of chemistry since he took the leadership role at Maxxam seven years ago.
Greg Honey, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Farm Credit Canada
In Greg’s 25 years of human resource experience, he has developed expertise in creating strategic plans that support high performance corporate cultures, inspire employees to give their best every day and recognize that people of any organization are the competitive advantage.
As the Senior Vice-President of Human Resources at Farm Credit Canada (FCC), Greg has leadership of all aspects of the Human Resources and Facilities and Administration functions for FCC’s 1,600+ employees. He holds a Bachelor of Education from the University of Regina.
Additionally, he has completed extensive leadership development through his career and is a certified Hudson Institute Coach through the Hudson Institute of Santa Barbara culminating in his current status as an Associate Certified Coach through the International Coach Federation. Greg has held professional memberships in the Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute (CPBI), Canadian Human Resource Planners and the Conference Board of Canada Human Resource Executive Council. He is currently President Elect of the Saskatchewan Association of Human Resource Professionals.
On the personal side, Greg loves spending time at his mountain retreat in the Rocky Mountains with his wife Donna and their two dogs, Maverick and Shyla. Greg and Donna have three adult children with one grandchild on the way. In his spare time you’ll likely find Greg headed for the mountains or on the greens in the summer. Or, he could be taking part in his passion for painting.
Gail Tolley, Vice-President, Human Resources, Communications and Marketing, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Gail joined CMHC in 1988 as the Regional Economist for the Prairie and Northwest Territories Region. Until 1996, she held various positions that focused on improving housing and living conditions for Canadians by sharing CMHC’s vast wealth of housing and community expertise. In 1996, Gail was invited to join the corporate Transition Team that had been established to re-invent the corporation in line with its newly-approved mandate. It was there that Gail discovered her life’s calling: working to bring people and strategy together for success. Through assignments in Organizational Effectiveness and Strategic Planning as well as in her current role, she has had the opportunity to help craft corporate strategy and create the organizational culture needed to make it a reality. In 2006, Gail became Vice-President, Human Resources and in January of 2012, added communications, marketing and corporate relations to her portfolio. During her tenure, CMHC has been honoured five times as a Top 25 Employer in the National Capital Region and as a Top 100 Employer in Canada. CMHC was also recognized three times as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers and as having one of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures in 2012.
Gail holds a Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts (Honours), both in Economics, from the University of Saskatchewan.
Marni Johnson, Vice President Human Resources and Communications, North Shore Credit Union
Marni has been a Human Resources executive at North Shore Credit Union since 1996, and provides overall leadership and strategic direction in the areas of human resources and corporate and internal communications. Under Marni’s leadership, NSCU has been named to the "50 Best Small and Medium Employers in Canada" and "The Green 30" lists by Aon Hewitt.
Prior to joining NSCU, Marni held a variety of marketing roles in the consumer packaged goods, financial services and telecommunications industries.
Marni holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business; a Bachelor of Science (Math and Economics) from the University of Toronto; and the designation of Certified Human Resources Professional.
Marni is Chair of the BC Credit Union Employees’ Pension and Benefits Trusts and serves on the boards of Chor Leoni Men’s Choir and the Pacific Symphonic Wind Ensemble. She is also past-Chair of the Minerva Foundation for BC Women’s “Women In” Committee.
North Shore Credit Union, based in North Vancouver, has $2.8 billion in assets under administration, 40,000 members, and branches across the Lower Mainland and Sea-to-Sky corridor. In addition to receiving awards recognizing its exemplary culture, NSCU has been honoured numerous times as one of the most technologically innovative financial institutions in North America.
Johann Koss, President and CEO, Right To Play
Johann Koss is one of the greatest winter athletes of all time. The four-time Olympic Gold Medalist in speed skating made world headlines when he won three Gold Medals at the 1994 Lillehammer Games in the 1,500-, 5,000- and 10,000-metre events. Over the course of his career, he broke a total of 10 world records, won three World All-round Championships, and won numerous World Cups and National Championships.
Johann’s achievements on the ice have since been eclipsed by his efforts on behalf of Right To Play. Johann first became involved with Right To Play (then known as Olympic Aid) in 1993 when he visited the African country of Eritrea. He was profoundly moved by the plight of the children. At Lillehammer, Johann donated the prize money from his 1500m victory to Olympic Aid and and challenged his fellow countrymen to donate 10 norwegian krowns for each gold medal won by Norway. Since Lillehammer, Johann has dedicated himself to growing Right To Play into an internationally recognized non-government organization (NGO) and a leader in Sport for Development.
Outside his role as President and CEO of Right To Play, Johann is active in a number of sport and Olympic causes. In 1997, Johann was asked to join the board of an organization called “MOT” (Courage) that mobilizes Norwegian athletes in the fight against drugs and doping. He was a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athlete’s Commission from 1998 to 2002 and was on the Medical Commission and the executive board of the IOC Reform Commission. He also served as a founding board and executive board member of the World Anti-Doping Agency (2000 to 2002) where he initiated the Athlete anti-doping passport. In 1994, Johann was appointed Special Representative for Sport for UNICEF International.
The people of Norway awarded Johann the distinction of “Best Norwegian Olympian Ever” in 1994 and he received the Norwegian Olympic Committee’s highest award – The Fearnleys Honorary Award. Johann is also a recipient of numerous international awards including Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated, the Jesse Owens Award, the International Athletic Foundation Award in Los Angeles, and the Jackie Robinson Humanitarian Award. Johann was given the Child Survival Award by the Carter Center in Atlanta and, during the celebration of UNICEF’s 50th anniversary, he was given UNICEF’s Honorary Award.
Johann was declared “One of 100 Future Leaders of Tomorrow” by TIME Magazine, and “One of 1,000 Global Leaders” by the World Economic Forum. Johann completed his undergraduate medical training at the University of Queensland, and completed his executive MBA at the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. In June 2005, Johann received a Doctor of Laws Honorary Degree from Brock University, and in 2009 he received a second Doctor of Laws Honorary Degree from the University of Calgary, and an Honorary Doctorate from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, in Belgium. In January 2006, the World Economic Forum named Johann a Young Global Leader. Johann sits on the board for two publicly traded companies – GNC and Gates & Tompkins Ltd. and lives in Toronto, Ontario with his wife Jennifer and their son, Aksel.
Robert Landry, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, ING DIRECT Canada
Rob joined ING DIRECT Canada in 2008 as part of the senior leadership team with responsibility for the human resources and legal & compliance functions. Since that time, Rob has taken on additional responsibility for the Bank's operations, procurement and real estate functions. In his current role Rob is responsible for developing and implementing strategies: to attract, develop and retain the breadth of talent necessary to drive business success; to proactively support business initiatives and effectively manage legal and compliance risk; to ensure the efficient and effective management of operations, including operational excellence initiatives; and to support the Bank's physical footprint. Rob is also responsible for the leadership of corporate social responsibility initiatives that reflect ING DIRECT Canada’s values and concern for its key stakeholders.
Prior to joining ING DIRECT, Rob spent 10 years with Magna International in various senior human resources, legal and service operations roles, including having responsibility for the design, management and administration of Magna’s global retirement, benefit, mobility, health & safety, and environmental programs. While at Magna, Rob was responsible for the company’s labour relations strategy and negotiations, and was the functional lead in several significant acquisitions and divestitures. Rob was also instrumental in launching Magna’s shared service company where he served as head of operations.
Rob started his career with the law firm of Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti, practicing labour and employment-related litigation, as well as advising management on human resources matters.
Rob has a Bachelor of Physical and Health Education from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Western Ontario.
Tyson Matheson, Vice-President, People Relations and Inflight Services, WestJet Airlines Inc.
Tyson has been with WestJet since its 1996 inception and has held a variety of operational and human resource related positions. He has contributed to the airline’s highly admired corporate culture and strong employee relations. Tyson oversees WestJet’s employee relations, culture programs and HR administration, while proudly leading WestJet’s largest employee group, flight attendants. Tyson’s commitment and passion towards employee engagement and guest service excellence has contributed to WestJet’s award-winning performance.
Rosemary McCarney, President and CEO, Plan Canada
Rosemary McCarney is President and CEO of Plan International Canada Inc. (Plan Canada), an international, humanitarian, child rights development organization. Founded in 1937 as Foster Parents Plan, Plan now works in 69 countries helping children, their families and communities to achieve lasting improvements in their lives. Plan leads the global Because I am a Girl initiative through its annual State of the World’s Girls Report and in its advocacy on behalf of girls everywhere.
Rosemary has had an extensive international career in law, business and the not-for-profit sector. She has worked in more than 100 countries and is a regular writer and spokesperson on girls’ and women’s rights and international development issues in the Canadian media as well as internationally. Prior to joining Plan Canada she was the Executive Director of Street Kids International.
Rosemary received her undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto, her law degree from the University of Western Ontario, and her MBA from Case Western Reserve University. She has taught international trade law and constitutional law. Rosemary has worked in international economic development with the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, USAID and CIDA, as well as other governments and UN bodies focused on institution building, gender issues, and micro finance.
Rosemary has been a member of the Board of Directors of numerous private sector, not-for-profit and community organizations. She is currently a Board Member of The Humanitarian Coalition and the Advisory Board of the Canada-United States Law Institute as well as the Public Policy Committee of Imagine Canada.
Bruce McCuaig, President and Chief Executive Officer, Metrolinx
Bruce McCuaig has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of Metrolinx since September 4, 2010.
Bruce began his career in public service in 1984, and has worked in areas involving land use planning and policy, municipal policy, and transportation planning, policy and operations over the intervening years. He served in various capacities at the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for 10 years, as well as serving 15 years at the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. His final role at the Ontario Ministry of Transportation was Deputy Minister, responsible for leading the 4,000 public servants dedicated to ensuring Ontario’s transportation was efficient in safely moving people and goods across the Province.
As President & CEO of Metrolinx, Bruce is building a team that is committed to transforming transportation in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, by building a customer service emphasis throughout the organization, delivering quality transportation services on time and on budget, and working collaboratively with our partners. Delivering on the promise of The Big Move, our award-winning regional transportation plan, is central to everything the organization does, and is demonstrated by our focus on growing GO Transit, delivering the Pearson Air Rail Link, deploying PRESTO, the regional smart card fare payment system, and building new transit services across the region.
Bruce graduated from Ryerson University in 1984 with a Bachelor of Applied Arts (Urban and Regional Planning) degree, and from Queen’s University in 2000 with a Master of Public Administration degree.
Sandy McIntosh, Vice President, Customer Solutions Human Resources, TELUS
Sandy McIntosh is a leader who truly understands business priorities, team member culture and the importance of achieving results. As Vice President, TELUS Customer Solutions Human Resources, her responsibilities include supporting and driving the people plan for the Customer Solutions group, partnering with the senior leadership team in driving business strategy, supporting TELUS’ cultural evolution and building leadership bench strength.
Sandy’s style is a blend of smarts and straight talk, while bringing humour and vision to her communications. She has earned a reputation for being very engaging and insightful in partnering with the business on cultural transformations and company results, with a focus on building a great employee and customer experience.
Sandy is also the vice-chair of the TELUS Toronto Community Board, an avid marathon runner (a veteran of two Boston Marathons), and when she is not training out on the trails of Toronto, she is working with the TELUS team, GTA Connections and the Weekend to End Women’s Cancers to raise awareness and funds for cancer research.
Sean O'Brien, President, Reliance Home Comfort
Susan O'Dowd, Vice President, Human Resources, The Hospital for Sick Children
Susan’s career spans over 25 years in increasingly responsible HR roles in seven industries. These include Transportation, Retail, Consumer Packaged Goods, Financial Services/Insurance, Pharmaceuticals, Medical Diagnostics Services and the Hospital sector. Susan possesses expertise in designing performance appraisal systems, including technology and workflow solutions, along with innovative leadership development programs that yield results. Accomplishments include creating high performance, engagement and accountability cultures such that previous employers have won coveted employer awards including The Top 50 Employers to Work For in Canada.
Susan’s academic credentials include an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto, a certificate in Advanced Strategic Organizational Design from the University of Southern California, and her CHRP designation.
Susan has recently joined The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto as Vice President, Human Resources.
Tracy Redies, President and CEO, Coast Capital Savigs Credit Union
Tracy joined Coast Capital Savings Credit Union as President & Chief Executive Officer in June 2009, bringing 20-plus-years’ experience in the international financial services industry to her leadership role.
Her banking expertise spans the industry – from commercial, personal, and private banking to eBusiness, IT, and Investment Services. After spending many years abroad and in BC working for HSBC in a variety of roles, including President & CEO of HSBC.com and Executive Vice President, Personal Financial Services & Wealth Management, Tracy joined Coast Capital Savings to lead the entrepreneurial-styled credit union in its quest to bring innovation to banking in Canada. She leads the executive team in formulating strategy, establishing and meeting financial goals and objectives, ensuring a differentiated customer experience, and developing a strong company culture for employees.
Tracy holds a BA with a Double Major in Economics and Asian Studies from the University of Victoria and an MSc in Business Administration in International Trade and Finance from the University of British Columbia. She speaks fluent Japanese and is married with four children.
A four-time recipient of WXN’s Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100™ award and recent inductee into the Top 100 Hall of Fame™, Tracy has been honoured with Business in Vancouver’s Influential Women in Business award, and received a Distinguished Alumni award from the University of Victoria’s Faculty of Social Sciences.
Tracy is a director of Central 1 Credit Union, The Vancouver Board of Trade, the C.D. Howe Institute and Surrey Memorial Hospital Foundation. She is also a member of the Sauder School of Business Faculty Advisory Board.
Coast Capital Savings is Canada’s second largest credit union with total assets under administration of $13.5 billion, 475,000 members, and 50 branches in the Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, and Vancouver Island regions of British Columbia.
Bob Richards, Former President and CEO of the William Osler Health Centre
Robert (Bob) A. Richards is a retired executive. Bob was formerly the President and CEO of the William Osler Health Centre and, prior to that, the first President and CEO of The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation. Before joining MPAC, Bob was the Senior Vice President for Laidlaw, responsible for all Canadian operations. During the 1980s and 1990s, Bob was the Chief Administrative Officer for the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto (now the City of Toronto) and the Treasurer of the Region of Peel. Bob holds a Masters of Business
Administration and is presently a Governor of Ryerson University and the Chair of its Finance
Committee.
Per Scott, Vice President, Human Resources, RBC
Per Scott is Vice President, Human Resources at Royal Bank of Canada and has responsibility workforce effectiveness in the areas of employee engagement, diversity, employee relations, performance and career management, and employment brand communications. His background of over twenty five years at RBC includes roles in HR strategy and functional effectiveness, and learning management. Per also held roles at RBC in business process reengineering, operations management and retail banking branch management.
Sam Shaw, Vice President, Natural Gas Policy Development, Encana
Sam is responsible for providing leadership and counsel to Encana’s Natural Gas Economy team on Canadian environmental policy and legislation and its impact on our gas demand initiatives. He has a wide range of experience in leadership, government relations, negotiations, business development, project management, international relations and human resources. He joined Encana from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) where he served as President & CEO since 1997.
Sam holds a Bachelor of Arts from Chaminade University of Honolulu, a Master of Science from Dalhousie University and a Master of Education and a PhD from the University of Toronto. He is also a graduate of the Harvard University Institute for Educational Management and earned a Chartered Director designation from McMaster University and The Conference Board of Canada. Additionally, he is a past recipient of Alberta Venture’s Businessman of the Year award and has twice been recognized as one of Alberta’s 50 Most Influential People.
He received the Distinguished Leadership Award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education District VIII; is a member of Industry Canada’s Science, Technology and Innovation Council; is the Vice Chair of the Standards Council of Canada and served as Chair of the Advisory Committee TC232; was Board Member and Chair of the Human Resources Committee of the Canadian Commercialization Corporation; and is a member of Alberta Economic Development Authority. He is an adjunct professor for Cape Breton Shannon School of Business and teaches part-time for the JR Shaw School of Business.
In January 2010 he was appointed Honourary Colonel of 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron in Edmonton.
Sam and his wife have three children and reside in Calgary.
John Silverthorn, Senior Vice President, Talent Management, CIBC
John Silverthorn is Senior Vice President, Talent Management for CIBC. In this capacity, John has responsibility for Resourcing, Diversity, Training and Development, Executive Resources, Workforce Analytics, Talent Strategies and Employee Engagement for CIBC. John was previously Senior Vice President, Human Resources for CIBC Retail Markets.
Prior to joining CIBC in September 2006, John spent over 20 years with IBM, where he held a variety of senior Human Resource leadership positions in both Canada and the United States, and across IBM’s services, consulting and sales organizations.
John has a Masters in Business Administration from York University.
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Ken Sim, Co-Founder, Nurse Next Door
Ken Sim co-founded the Nurse Next Door Group of Companies in 2001 after his own bad experience with home health care (his wife’s new caretaker turned out to be a brand-new hire the home health care company hadn’t even met.) Ken has helped lead Nurse Next Door to its position as the dominant home health care company in Canada with more than 62 locations across North America. Nurse Next Door has been recognized as a leader in growth strategy, customer service, employee relations and continuous improvement.
Before launching Nurse Next Door, Ken spent time as both an investment banker and a merchant banker with CIBC World Markets in Toronto, London (UK) and Vancouver. Prior to CIBC World Markets, Ken was a financial analyst and auditor at KPMG in Vancouver.
Ken has been recognized with numerous business achievements including Ernst & Young’s 2006 Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year Award and a spot on Business in Vancouver’s 2005 Top 40 Under 40 list. Ken also completed the Entrepreneurs Organization’s Birthing of Giants program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is a Lean Certified Black Belt.
Ken is a board member of The Learning Partnership, The Sauder School of Business Executive MBA Program (Healthcare), and Start-up Canada. Ken also gives speeches across North America on management best practices, corporate culture and lean manufacturing in service-based industries.
In his spare time, Ken continues to pursue his entrepreneurial passion. Ken is currently launching a second national brand called Rosemary Rocksalt. Rosemary Rocksalt (an extension of Siegel’s Bagels in Vancouver) plans to open over 200 Montreal style bagel restaurants across North America over the next decade
Mary-Alice Vuicic, Chief Administrative Officer and Executive Vice President, Human Resources, Shoppers Drug Mart
Mary-Alice Vuicic is the Chief Administrative Officer and Executive Vice President, Human Resources, at Shoppers Drug Mart.
Shoppers Drug Mart is a publicly-traded company on the TSX with over $10B Cdn annual sales, over 1,200 locations employing over 45,000 employees. It is Canada’s largest retail drugstore company and the number one provider of pharmacy products and services.
Mary-Alice joined Shoppers Drug Mart in July 2007, and is responsible for leading Human Resources and Organizational Development, Community Investment, Internal Communications as well as key strategic initiatives. Prior to joining Shoppers, MaryAlice was the Vice President, People, for Wal-Mart Canada, the country’s fifth largest employer with over 80,000 employees and more than $15B in annual revenues. In this role, Mary-Alice was responsible for leading the HR department and participating in numerous national and international initiatives. While she led the HR function, Wal-Mart
received numerous awards and recognition including Canada’s 50 Best Employers in 2007, 2006, 2005 and 2003, Canada’s 25 Most Admired Corporate Cultures in 2007, 2006, and 2005 and the JVS Employer of the Year – Diversity in 2006. Prior to WalMart,
Mary-Alice was the Vice President, Human Resources and Organizational Development, for Chapters/Indigo, Canada’s largest book retailer.
Mary-Alice has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Windsor, an Advanced HR Certificate from the University of Toronto, an Advanced Management Program Certificate from Harvard
Business School and is a Certified HR Professional.
Mary-Alice is an active member of the community supporting health, professional and conservation causes. She is currently the Honorary Lead Chair for the Weekend Walk to end Women’s Cancers, a participant of the Women on Board Program, a member of the Retail Council of Canada HR Board and a participant on numerous other community groups.
Jill Wagman, Managing Principal, Eckler Ltd.
Jill is the Managing Principal of Eckler Ltd., and a qualified actuary with over 20 years of pension consulting experience. She joined Eckler in 1993 and was the retirement practice leader from 2003 to 2006. Prior to Eckler, Jill was with another major actuarial consulting firm.
Jill has over 20 years’ experience in the pension consulting industry. As a Principal in the firm’s employee benefits consulting practice, she has advised corporations, boards of directors, boards of trustees and government agencies on pension and employee benefits matters and will continue to serve these clients in her new role.
In her professional capacity, Jill currently serves as a member of the Actuarial Standards Oversight Council (ASOC) and has served on and chaired a number of committees of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries. Jill is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and has written many articles for industry trade publications.
