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.

Zabeen Hirji, Chief Human Resources Officer, RBC

Zabeen Hirji is Chief Human Resources Officer at RBC and has global responsibility for Human Resources functions and strategies.

Ms. Hirji joined RBC in 1977, holding progressively senior roles in Retail Banking, Operations and Credit Cards. Appointed Senior Vice-President Human Resources in 2001, her responsibilities expanded to support RBC’s growth and business strategies. She took on her current role in February 2007.

Ms. Hirji is Vice-Chair of the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council, Vice-Chair of the Capital Campaign for the Women’s College Hospital Foundation in Toronto, and a member of the DiverseCity Steering Committee, an initiative of the Toronto City Summit Alliance. In 2005 she was named a Fellow of Centennial College, in recognition of her international leadership in diversity, highlighting her leadership in building cultural competency and championing the advancement of women, visible minorities and new immigrants.

Ms. Hirji holds a Masters of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University and has completed the Advanced Human Resources Executive Program at the University of Michigan Business School. She is a frequent speaker on Human Resources and diversity related topics.

Robert C. Johnson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Purolator

Robert C. Johnson is President and Chief Executive Officer of Purolator, Canada’s largest courier company.

Since his arrival in 2001, Mr. Johnson has led Purolator to complete its most successful period by continuously improving service to its customers and operating profits for its shareholders, streamlining processes and improving operational efficiencies through major investments in technologies. Mr. Johnson’s vision is for Purolator to sustain service, growth and profitability in its core courier business while focusing on the future – growing in new areas to maintain competitive advantage in the Canadian marketplace and continuing to add value for customer supply chains through enhanced products and services.

Prior to joining Purolator, Mr. Johnson spent six years with TNT Post Group in Europe. Most recently, he was Managing Director, TNT Benelux, responsible for all TNT Express activities in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Prior to his employment at TNT, Mr. Johnson was a valued member of the executive team at Canada Post Corporation for 12 years and held progressive positions including Senior Vice President in charge of the marketing, sales and customer service functions.

Gene Lewis, Country Managing Director - Canada Intuit Global Business Division

With more than 25 years of experience developing brands and building businesses in Canada, the United States and the UK, Gene Lewis joined Intuit Canada as the director of sales and marketing in early 2007. Dedicated to solving what really matters for customers, employees and shareholders, he provides strategic direction to help his team set and reach targets for all products and services across Intuit’s Global Business Division – from customer-centric software solutions to an improved end-to-end experience.

Gene previously held executive roles at Rogers Communication, Molson and Northern Financial, among other leading companies. In each of his roles, Gene has demonstrated his talents in management and mentorship, brand development and customer acquisition, earning him a reputation as a natural leader and a keen sales, marketing and communications strategist.

Originally from Smiths Falls, Ontario, Gene is a graduate of York University. He currently resides in Toronto.

Mark Pacinda, President, Boston Pizza International

Mark Pacinda, President of Boston Pizza International Inc. (BPI) since 2002 and appointed Chief Operating Officer in 2009, oversees the performance of Canadian operations and manages the executive team responsible for defining BPI’s strategy, objectives and business planning.  The company has more than 330 locations across Canada and operates in the U.S. and Mexico under Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza, where it has more than 55 restaurants to its name.

Pacinda joined BPI as Executive Vice President in 1997 to lead the company’s expansion into Eastern Canada where he has overseen 150 store openings since that time.  Pacinda also opened a regional corporate office in Mississauga, Ontario, which continues to play a crucial role in the building of Boston Pizza’s presence in Eastern Canada.

Since Pacinda joined the company, Boston Pizza has experienced phenomenal growth.  A regional corporate office in Laval, Quebec was established in 2004 to manage the chain’s expansion into that province.  The coast-to-coast chain generated $831 million in sales in 2008 and has a 10 year annual average same store sales growth of 5.7% serving over 40 million guests last year.

Prior to Boston Pizza International, Pacinda was President of Arby’s International, a U.S. fast-food chain specializing in roast beef sandwiches, where he was responsible for the company’s operations in 12 countries worldwide.  He also held several senior management positions with Pepsi Co., including Chief Financial Officer for the South Pacific region.

Pacinda currently serves as a Director of the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association.  He is also a Director of the Boston Pizza Foundation, a registered charitable organization that has raised more than $8 million for Canadian charities including the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Kids Help Phone and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

He earned a Masters of Business Administration from the University of New York and a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Southern Connecticut.

Mark lives in Oakville, Ontario with his wife Debbie and their two children, Joanne and Ryan.  In his spare time, he enjoys golfing and spending time with his family.

Sam Shaw, President and CEO, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology

Dr. Shaw assumed his responsibilities as President and CEO of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) on October 1, 1997. Today, Dr. Shaw leads a team of more than 3,300 staff serving over 84,000 students with an annual budget of $302 million.

Dr. Shaw holds a BA from Chaminade University of Honolulu, an MSc from Dalhousie University and an MEd and PhD from the University of Toronto. He is a member of Industry Canada’s Science, Technology and Innovation Council, Chair of the Standards Council of Canada – Canadian Advisory Committee, Chair of the Alberta Career Education (ACE) Network, and sits on a number of boards including the Canadian Bureau for International Education, and the Canadian Commercialization Corporation. Dr. Shaw also supports charitable organizations such as the United Way.

Dr. Shaw has a strong personal commitment to lifelong learning. He has completed the Professional Development program at the Harvard University Institute for Educational Management and earned his Chartered Director designation in 2006. He teaches Organizational Behaviour at NAIT and is adjunct professor in the MBA program at Cape Breton University.

Dr. Shaw received the 2005 Distinguished Leadership Award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District VIII. Alberta Venture magazine named Dr. Shaw their 2004 Business Person of the Year and one of their 50 Most Influential People in 2000 and 2005.

During Dr. Sam Shaw’s tenure, NAIT has opened the state-of-the-art NAIT HP Centre for Information and Communications Technology – home of the Duncan McNeill Centre for Innovation – as well as a number of other world-class centres including the NAIT Petro-Canada Centre for Millwright Technology, the NAIT Spartan Centre for Instrumentation Technology and the NAIT Shell Manufacturing Centre.

Under Dr. Shaw’s leadership, NAIT has grown into the number one apprenticeship trainer in Canada and launched two unique baccalaureate programs – a Bachelor of Technology in Technology Management and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Enterprise Management. NAIT was recognized as one of Alberta’s Top Employers for 2007 and 2008, and most recently announced a $1.5 billion workforce development strategy.

He is most proud of NAIT’s 148,000 alumni who are getting the job done in Alberta and around the world.

Dr. Shaw and wife Claudia have three children, Clayton, Robyn and Amanda.

Mary-Alice Vuicic, Executive Vice-President, Human Resources and Organizational Development, Shoppers Drug Mart

Mary-Alice Vuicic joined Shoppers Drug Mart in July 2007, as Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Organizational Development and was promoted to Executive Vice President in 2008.  Shoppers Drug Mart is a publicly-traded company on the TSX with $9B Cdn annual sales, over 1,000 locations employing over 45,000 employees. It is Canada’s largest retail drugstore company and the number one provider of pharmacy products and services.  In this role, Mary-Alice is responsible for participating as a member of the executive committee and overseeing the HR function as the company pursues an aggressive growth and diversification strategy.

Prior to joining Shoppers, Mary-Alice was the Vice President, People, for Wal-Mart Canada from 2002 to June 2007.  Wal-Mart Canada is the country’s fifth largest employer with over 70,000 employees and $15B in annual revenues.  In this role, Mary-Alice was responsible for participating as a member of the executive committee, 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. 

From 1996 to 2002, Mary-Alice was the Vice President, Human Resources and Organizational Development, for Chapters/Indigo, Canada’s largest book retailer with over $700M Cdn in annual sales and over 7,000 employees.  From 1991 to 2005, Mary-Alice was the National Human Resources Manager – Compensation, Benefits and Health and Safety, for Wendy’s Restaurant of Canada, a division of Wendy’s International.  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 actively supports community, professional and political associations. She has participated on a number of cancer-related charities, is currently on the Retail Council of Canada HR Board, the HR Professionals Association of Ontario Editorial Board, the local Conservative Party Executive and actively supports the Out of Cold homeless shelter program.