Paul Alofs, President and CEO, The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation
Paul joined The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation as President and CEO in September 2003. Since joining the Foundation, Paul has helped raise over $550 million for cancer research and clinical care at The Princess Margaret. The vision, mission, and ambition of The Princess Margaret is To Conquer Cancer In Our Lifetime. Paul has helped lead and fund the Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute, the de Souza Oncology Nursing Institute, the Gattuso Rapid Diagnostic Centre and is on the board of Ozmosis Research, a company specializing in clinical trials and new drug development. The Foundation was recognized as one of Canada’s Top Ten Corporate cultures in 2010 by Waterstone Human Capital.
Paul was elected to the board of the International Cancer Foundation in Geneva and was previously Board Chair for Covenant House in Toronto.
After graduating from the University of Windsor in his hometown, Paul joined Colgate-Palmolive Canada in 1978. He obtained his MBA from Toronto’s York University, then worked with a marketing firm called The Marketing & Promotion Group. In 1989, Paul was named President of HMV Music Stores Canada, and during his tenure with the music retailer, increased the company’s annual revenue from $30 million to over $200 million. Joining BMG Music Canada as president, Alofs was named Music Industry Executive of the Year in 1996.
On accepting an executive position with The Walt Disney Company, Paul relocated to Southern California and oversaw 500 Disney Stores and 15,000 employees throughout North America. He left Disney to contribute to the initiation of MP3.com. In his role as President, Strategic Business Units, Alofs helped launch one of the more successful IPOs of the Internet age. After selling his MP3.com shares in November 1999, he became a private investor, board member and not-for-profit volunteer.
He was named one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40TM business leaders in 1995, and in 2005, was voted one of the ‘Best of the Best’ by his fellow Top 40 alumni. He has received the Outstanding Progress and Achievement Award from the Schulich School of Business at York University. The Retail Council of Canada named Paul Innovative Retailer of the Year, and he also served on the Board and Executive Committee of that organization. In 2005, Alofs was an inaugural inductee into the Canadian Marketing Hall of Legends.
The University of Windsor honoured Paul in 2002 with the Alumni Award of Merit, and in 2007, he was awarded an Honorary Ph.D. from his alma mater. He also received the Bryden Alumni Award from York University in 2007.
geneviève bich, VP, People & Culture, Groupe Aeroplan Canada
As VP, People & Culture, Groupe Aeroplan Canada, geneviève is accountable for the coordinated delivery of the critical objectives aligned with being recognized as a top employer in Canada, nurturing our supporting community leadership role and ensuring all key stakeholders, both internal and external, have a clear understanding of what we do and what we stand for. This new portfolio will strategically leverage our strengths across HR, Corporate Communications and Community Engagement, with a particular focus on enhancing our culture, talent and development.
geneviève began her career as a lawyer with the BCE group of companies, where she held a number of progressively senior roles, including VP and General Counsel – Law Department, VP Industrial Relations, and VP Human Resources and Industrial Relations, leading to the position of Vice President, Office of the CEO. geneviève joins us from her most recent position of Chief Talent Officer for Groupe Dynamite, a successful fashion business headquartered in Montreal with more than 250 stores and 4,000 employees, across Canada and the United States, where she led that organization’s Human Resources and Communications functions.
geneviève actively supports a number of Montreal-based community organizations and is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, as well as its Foundation’s Board. She is also a member of the Montreal YWCA Board of Directors. geneviève earned a B.A. (Psychology) from McGill University in 1987 and holds an LL.B. from Université de Montréal, where she graduated in 1990. She was called to the Quebec Bar in 1991. She is also a member of the Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines agréés.
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.
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Carolyn J. Clark, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
Carolyn Clark has an extensive career in the Hospitality industry with over 30 years experience. Carolyn has been Senior Vice President, Human Resources for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts (formerly Canadian Pacific Hotels) since May 2005. Prior to her current position, she held the position of Vice President, Human Resources since 1988. Carolyn has also held various senior positions with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts since 1974 including: Executive Director, Human Resources; Corporate Director, Personnel; Manager, Recruitment & Training; Supervisor of Recruitment; and Executive Search Consultant.
As a result of the progressive Human Resource initiatives that have been implemented with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, the Company has been recognized for the 8th consecutive year as an “Employer of Choice” as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers. In addition, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts was recognized as one of Canada’s 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures and was recently awarded the “Best Initiative in Hotel Management Training” by the 2009 Worldwide Hospitality Awards for our Leadership Development Program.
In 1999, Carolyn was awarded the Educator of the Year at the Ontario Hostelry Institute Gold Awards. And, most recently, in January 2010, Carolyn was granted an Honorary Degree in Hospitality Operations Management from the Centre for Hospitality & Culinary Arts, George Brown College.
Ms. Clark graduated from York University with a B.A. in Sociology and has completed courses from the University of Toronto, School of Continuing Studies in Compensation Management and Labour Relations Management.
Her affiliations include: Board of Directors, Canadian Hospitality Foundation; Conference Board of Canada; Council of Human Resources Executives; Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM); Fellow, Ontario Hostelry Institute; and Board of Directors, Canadian Tourism Human Resources Council (CTHRC).
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.
Josée Dubuc, Chief Talent Officer, Yellow Pages Group
Josée Dubuc is Yellow Pages Group's Chief Talent Officer since August 2009. She has been actively involved in transforming this dynamic and growth-oriented organization. Under her leadership, Yellow Pages Group was voted as one of the top 10 Canada’s most admired corporate cultures by the Canadian Business Magazine in 2005 and 2006.
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 16 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.
Bob Hakeem, Senior Vice-President, People Division, Wal-Mart Canada Corp.
Bob Hakeem is Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for Wal-Mart Canada. Bob Joined Wal-Mart in September 2008 and has responsibility for all aspects of Human Resources and Associate (Labour) Relations. Wal-Mart is one of Canada's largest businesses employing 88,000 Associates and generating over $18 billion in revenue.
Prior to joining Wal-Mart, Bob was Senior Vice President of Product Management for Fidelity Investments' Human Resources services business. Based in Boston, Bob had accountability for determining and developing the product and services offered to the market place. Fidelity's Human Resources services business is a key channel for acquiring institutional assets (over $800 billion) that are managed by Fidelity's investment arm. In addition to his work experience with Wal-Mart and Fidelity, he has also held the following positions: Vice President Business Process Outsourcing with Electronic Data Systems (recently acquired by Hewlett Packard) in Canada and Australia, Vice President Human Resources for Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, and Vice President Corporate Human Resources for Loblaws and George Weston Limited.
Bob is an advisory board member to Ryerson University and to The University of Alberta for their retail business degree programs. He is a graduate of the University of Toronto and invests his time away from work in charitable events and public speaking.
Roger Hardy, Founder and CEO, Coastal Contacts Inc.
Roger Hardy is the Founder and CEO of Coastal Contacts Inc, the world's largest online retailer of contact lenses and eyeglasses.
Born in Toronto, Ontario, Hardy grew up in Eastern Canada until, after graduating from Bishops University, his passion for skiing pulled him to the West Coast. He spent a year skiing in Whistler and came to the decision that BC was his home. While attending university, Hardy was a member of many sports teams where his competitive nature garnered him the Most Valuable Player of the year award. Later in his career, it was this competitive spirit that helped Hardy succeed in an online industry in which thousands had entered, and failed.
Settling in Vancouver, BC, Hardy began to build his resume working for a transportation and logistics company, followed by a contact lens manufacturer. After discovering the optical store mark-ups on contact lenses and eyeglasses, Hardy recognized an opportunity to serve customers better than they were being served and became passionate about changing the way these products were sold.
It wasn't long before his entrepreneurial affinity began to take over, and in 2000 Coastal Contacts Inc. was born. The knowledge and expertise Hardy had acquired in logistics and contact lenses from his previous positions along with the efficiencies of the Internet provided the basis for a solid business plan.
Hardy's "never-say-die" attitude and uncanny problem solving skills have helped him become a proven developer of successful business strategies and have helped Coastal Contacts Inc become the Internet retail giant that it is today.
Still managing a balance between work and play, Hardy loves to have fun and is extremely competitive. Hardy is still an avid athlete and spends most of his downtime with his wife and family in Vancouver and Whistler.
Hardy has been honored with many awards over his years as Coastal Contacts' leader, including Business in Vancouver's Top Forty Under Forty in 2002, and The Pacific Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Business-to-Consumer) in 2006.
Hardy's charity contributions have been an important part of his rise to success. He established the Hardy Endowment Fund at Bishops University which will pay the tuition for a student "in need" each year in perpetuity. Hardy is responsible for donating to and contributing countless hours along with his team at Coastal Contacts Inc. over the past years to charities close to their hearts. Easter Seals, The Ride to Conquer Cancer, The Greater Vancouver Food Bank, ORBIS Canada and The Red Cross are some of the many charities that he is involved with. Hardy has also contributed hundreds of pairs of free glasses to people in developing countries such as Mexico and El Salvador, as well as disadvantaged people in Canada.
Les Dakens, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Maple Leaf Foods Inc.
Les Dakens is Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for Maple Leaf Foods Inc. His responsibilities include executive leadership for all human resources development programs and employee relations initiatives to build Maple Leaf Foods into the single, most dedicated high performance culture in Canada.
Mr. Dakens joined Maple Leaf Foods in January 2011. Prior to joining Maple Leaf, Mr. Dakens was the principal of a human resources consulting firm through which he provided executive level coaching to Human Resources leaders and Human Resources Committees of Corporate Boards of many leading Canadian companies.
Previously he held the executive position of Senior Vice-President, People with CN Rail which he joined in 2001. Prior to that he spent most of his years in the food business, holding progressively senior roles in human resources with Cadbury Beverages before joining H.J. Heinz in 1990 as the North American Vice-President of Human Resources. He began his career with Nortel.
He has accumulated a wealth of knowledge and expertise over more than 30 years working with top tier companies and is widely recognized in North America as one of the top human resource professionals for his leadership in developing best practices. Mr. Dakens is also the author of two successful business books: Switchpoints, Culture Change on the Fast Track to Business Success and Employee Performance Scorecards.
Mr. Dakens holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from York University and is a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors’ Directors Education Program as well as a faculty member of the Directors College with the Conference Board of Canada.
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. is a leading food processing company, headquartered in Toronto, Canada. The Company employs approximately 21,000 people at its operations across Canada and in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Asia. The Company had sales of $5.0 billion in 2010.
Victoria Hubbell, Senior Vice-President, Strategy & Stakeholder Relations, HOOPP
Victoria is responsible for strategic planning, marketing and communications, government and stakeholder relations, client research, new business development, and human resources.
Victoria joined HOOPP in 2005 from a consulting firm where she was Executive Director. She held senior management positions with two leading financial services companies and brings 20 years of strategic implementation, leadership development, and organizational change experience to the organization. In 2008, she was recognized by the Women's Executive Network as one of Canada's Most Powerful Women.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the University of Western Ontario.
Kim Forgues, Vice President, Human Resources, The Home Depot Canada
Kim is responsible for providing direction and leadership to all aspects of the company’s human resources, with a focus on organizational development, talent management and diversity, compensation and benefits, associate relations and change management.
Kim has more than 20 years international experience with blue chip companies in the high tech, manufacturing, retail and financial services sectors. Throughout her career, she has played an important role in guiding organizational change, working on a range of HR-related system implementations, The Home Depot Canada’s conversion to SAP and the transformation of the company’s human resources function from a transaction-based model to one that aligns with business priorities.
Kim also played a role in the development of The Home Depot’s Chinese business, working in partnership with the Tianjin-based management team to develop and implement a human resources infrastructure for the company’s Chinese Division.
During Kim’s tenure at The Home Depot, the company was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers, one of Canada's 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures and one of the country’s greenest and most diverse employers.
Kim holds a master of science degree in human resources and industrial relations from the University of Montreal, a bachelor’s degree in industrial relations from McGill University, and a master’s certificate in operations management from York University.
She is a member of the Conference Board of Canada, the Retail Council of Canada and the Human Resources Professionals Association. Kim also sits on the boards of Toronto’s Women’s College Hospital and The Home Depot Canada Foundation.
Pierre-Yves Julien, President and CEO Medavie Blue Cross
Pierre-Yves Julien was selected CEO of the year in Atlantic Canada by Atlantic Business Magazine in 2007. He has been President and Chief Executive Officer for Medavie Blue Cross since 2001.
Prior to joining Medavie Blue Cross, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of its subsidiary company, Blue Cross Life Insurance Company of Canada.
Mr. Julien’s move to the insurance industry began in 1988 when he joined Tower Corporation, the third largest New Zealand-owned mutual insurance company. He began his career as a pension specialist with consultants and governments in both Canada and New Zealand.
Mr. Julien served as President of the Canadian Association of Blue Cross Plans from 2005 to 2007. He also served as Chairman of the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA) in 2008.
He is a member of the Board of Directors of Blue Cross Life Insurance Company of Canada, Atlantic Provinces Economic Council, and Overland Realty Limited and has held positions on boards of non-profit organizations in the past.
Uve Knaak, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Canadian Western Bank Group
Uve Knaak is Senior Vice President, Human Resources at Canadian Western Bank Group. During his tenure with CWB which started in 1989, Uve has experienced the challenges of managing the staffing needs of an organization growing from 91 staff to a multifaceted company with over 1,800 employees. This growth, the result of several acquisitions over the 21 years of his involvement as well as a cumulative annualized growth rate of more than 19.8% over the last 10 years and more than 19 years of double digit growth has brought both challenges and a great deal of personal satisfaction in the role. CWBank Group includes Canadian Western Bank, Canadian Western Trust, Valiant Trust, Canadian Direct Insurance, Canadian Direct Financial, Optimum Mortgage, and National Leasing.
As Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Uve provides direction for 25 HR professionals at Canadian Western Bank and six others working at wholly owned subsidies, and provides oversight and direction for the HR practices for the CWBank Group. He is also a member of the Management Board of Directors for Valiant Trust (wholly owned subsidiary of CWB). With more than 30 years experience in the human resources sector, Uve believes employee engagement drives business results and a culture of trust and team work drives engagement. Innovative approaches to the “Employment Value Proposition” and its communication, is a key element for success, as the competition to attract and retain competent motivated staff continues.
Monique Landry, Vice President, Human Resources, Property and Casualty Insurance, Desjardins Group
Monique Landry is currently Vice-President of Human Resources, Property and Casualty Insurance at Desjardins Group. Desjardins Group, the largest cooperative financial group in Canada and sixth largest in the world, draws strength from its 110-year-strong history, its cooperative values and its human capital, with 5.8 million members and clients, 42,500 employees across Canada and 5,900 elected officers.
Ms. Landry, who joined Desjardins in 2003, has held a number of project-based management positions focused on human resources strategy and performance and organizational development. Some of her achievements include developing a human resources master plan, building Canada-wide HR project portfolios, and overseeing the achievement of deliverables throughout the various project stages.
Prior to joining Desjardins, she worked in consulting, heading up and working on business, management philosophy, leadership and engagement projects at different IT consulting firms, including nearly 5 years at EDS.
Before that time, she spent nearly 20 years in managerial roles with the Government of Québec in the areas of organizational performance management and change management, helping her teams earn Iris and Méritas CCGP awards for their success in managing the human aspects of organizational change.
Ms. Landry has a management degree from the Université du Québec à Montréal and is currently enrolled in the Université Laval's MBA program. She is also a member of the Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines et relations industrielles du Québec.
A practical, dynamic speaker, Ms. Landry has also given a number of presentations, including: HR tracking tools; The importance of effectively managing human and organizational impacts during an IT system redesign; and Leveraging managers to engage employees. She has also facilitated training sessions on project management and human resources.
Jane Lewis, Human Resources Country Manager, Procter & Gamble Canada
Jane Lewis joined Procter & Gamble in 1984, after graduating from Queen’s University with both Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Arts degrees. She had assignments of increasing responsibility in Finance and Product Supply before moving to Human Resources in 1991. In 2002, Jane was appointed Human Resources Country Manager for Procter & Gamble Canada.
As a result of progressive initiatives P&G Canada has been recognized multiple times as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers, Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, Greater Toronto Area’s Best Employers and one of Canada’s Best 50 Employers. In 2010, Procter & Gamble Canada was very proud to be chosen as one of Canada’s 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures.
Jane is a passionate believer in diversity and inclusion as a sustained competitive advantage and has led numerous P&G initiatives in this area. In 2008, Jane was awarded the TRIEC Canadian HR Reporter Individual Achievement Award.
Jane is an active member of the Food and Consumer Products of Canada HR Committee, the Markham Senior HR Group and the Conference Board of Canada’s Council of Inclusive Work Environments. Jane is a volunteer leader in several community organizations. In 2001, Jane was recognized by the Government of Canada for outstanding service and contribution as a volunteer.
Dave MacKay, President, Ceridian Canada Ltd.
Dave MacKay was appointed president of Ceridian Canada in January 2008.
He joined Ceridian over 25 years ago and contributed significantly to the company’s growth and success in his previous role as Chief Operating Officer. Under his leadership Ceridian has been recognized repeatedly for HR practices and business excellence, garnering 10 prestigious awards in 2009 alone. These include recognition as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers, Canada’s 50 Best Employers, the Best Workplaces in Canada and one of Canada’s 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures.
Well known as a visionary, Dave has a keen eye on the forces that are changing the business world today, and the strategies being deployed to shape the future. He is a sought-after speaker on business and HR trends and has presented on this topic at various conferences across Canada.
Ceridian Canada is an HR solutions provider that helps clients optimize their workforce, reduce costs and save time by finding, paying, developing and engaging their talent. A trusted partner to 40,000 Canadian customers, Ceridian offers a comprehensive range of Human Resource solutions from payroll services and recruitment and staffing, to Employee Assistance Programs including health and wellness, learning and development, and time and workforce management.
Kathleen McNair, Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Corporate Communications, Corus Entertainment Inc.
Kathleen McNair is currently the Executive Vice President of Human Resources and Corporate Communications at Corus Entertainment Inc., an integrated media and entertainment company headquartered in Toronto.
Kathleen joined Corus in January 2000 as Vice President, Regulatory Affairs. In 2002 she expanded her role to General Counsel, and then moved into operations as Vice President and General Manager of Corus’ Radio and Television stations in Peterborough and Oshawa. In 2007, Kathleen returned to Toronto and became Vice President, Corporate Development and Strategic Planning.
She sits on various internal committees at Corus including the Senior Management Committee, the Disclosure Committee, and in 2007 she chaired the Technology Oversight Committee. She is a past member of Corus’ President’s Council, and has been very active in Corus U.
Before joining Corus, Kathleen was Vice President and General Counsel of Salter Street Films Limited, and prior to that she was a partner at the communications law firm, Johnston & Buchan in Ottawa.
Kathleen graduated from Dalhousie Law School with a LLB and obtained her Bachelor of Arts from Simon Fraser University. Active in various industry associations, she has shared her knowledge and expertise as a Director and Vice Chair of the board of Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings (FACTOR), and also as a Director for the Canadian Association of Broadcasters for six years, as well as serving on numerous committees. Additionally, she was a member of Trent University’s Finance and Property Committee for two years, until 2009, and is also a member of Canadian Women in Communications.
Donna McNicol, Senior Vice-President, Human Resources, TELUS
Donna McNicol is a recognized leader in human resources management, with extensive experience and knowledge of human capital issues in large, complex and start up organizations. Donna joined TELUS in 2006 and is currently responsible for the company’s HR operations, strategy and business support as well as recruitment and development of TELUS’ global team of 35,000 employees.
Her leadership role includes overseeing the HR components of corporate restructuring to leverage growth opportunities, streamline management spans and layers, and implement processes that drive operational efficiency. Donna is a member of numerous senior management working groups such as those responsible for achieving enterprise-wide synergies, integration strategies flowing from mergers and acquisitions, emergency preparedness and business continuity, and team member engagement. She also serves as TELUS’ Respectful Workplace Officer and oversees the company’s diversity and employment equity initiatives.
Donna holds a Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Psychology (Cooperative Education Program) with a minor in Physics from the University of Waterloo, Ontario and is a certified Senior Human Resources Professional with the Human Resources Professional Association and a member of the Society of Human Resources Professionals.
She currently sits as the Canadian Carrier representative on the GSMA’s Human Resources Council and has served on the board of the Children’s Aid Foundation and the Human Resources Council of York University. Donna was named one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women in 2005 and Madison’s Who’s Who in 2010.
Colin Moore, President, Starbucks Coffee Americas Inc.
Colin Moore is President, Starbucks Coffee Americas Inc. based in Toronto. In this position, Mr. Moore is responsible for retail, license store operations and foodservice sales in Canada, Mexico, Caribbean and Central and South America. He joined Starbucks in June, 2002.
Before joining Starbucks, Mr. Moore was the President of Mosaic Group, Inc., a public company traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Mosaic, with operations in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom is a world leading provider of results driven, measurable marketing solutions for global brands.
Prior to Mosaic, Colin spent 22 years with PepsiCo and its successor restaurant company Tricon Global Restaurants (now Yum! Brands Inc.). Yum is the world’s largest restaurant company with over 36,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries. Yum’s five brands, KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, A&W, and Long John Silver’s are the global leaders in their categories. PepsiCo is a $39 billion Fortune 20 company that includes Pepsi-Cola, Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Quaker, and Tropicana. Mr. Moore held a number of positions within PepsiCo and Tricon including President, Tricon Restaurants Canada, Division GM KFC USA, SVP Marketing KFC USA, and Senior Director of Brand Marketing Pepsi-Cola International.
Mr. Moore serves on the Board of Directors for non profit organization Second Harvest. Second Harvest is Canada’s largest perishable food recovery program. He also serves on the boards of the Coffee Association of Canada and the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservice Association.
Mr. Moore hold an Honors Business Administration degree from Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario in London, Canada.
Sean O'Brien, President, Acklands–Grainger, Inc.
Sean O’Brien has served as President, Acklands–Grainger, Inc. (AGI) since September 2009. He is responsible for all aspects of Grainger’s business in Canada. Grainger was recently ranked #1 company among diversified wholesalers on FORTUNE magazine’s 2010 “World’s Most Admired Companies” list. In 2009, Acklands-Grainger was recognized as one of Canada’s 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures by Waterstone Human Capital.
Prior to this role, Sean was AGI Vice President, Sales where he led several key initiatives in National Accounts, business services, inventory solutions, training, and sales effectiveness. In early 2009, Sean took on additional responsibilities for eBusiness and Marketing where he made a number of enhancements to the company’s offering. Before joining AGI, Sean held a number of senior leadership positions in the document management, transportation and logistics industries.
Sean graduated from Bishops University in Quebec with a Bachelor of Arts. He supports various organizations in his community including serving as a youth soccer coach.
Acklands-Grainger Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Chicago-based Grainger, is Canada’s largest distributor of industrial, safety, and fastener products with 2009 revenues of C$743 million, 165 branches, 5 distribution centers, and 2,300 team members.
W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE: GWW with 2009 sales of $6.2 billion, is the leading broad line supplier of maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) products serving businesses and institutions in the United States, Canada and Mexico with an expanding presence in Japan, India, China and Panama.
David Patchell-Evans, Founder and Owner, GoodLife Fitness
GoodLife Fitness is founder and owner David Patchell-Evans’ vision—to give all Canadians the opportunity for to live a healthy and fit good life. The company was founded in 1979 while ‘Patch’, as he likes to be called, was still a university student with a single club. Remarkably GoodLife grew by 60% in 2009 and now has close to 300 clubs stretching across Canada from Newfoundland to Victoria. One in every 45 Canadians is a GoodLife member and the company is the 5th largest fitness company in the world and the largest owned by a single individual.
Patch in 2009 accepted the position of Chair of the IHRSA Board of Directors for a one year term. IHRSA is the leading health and fitness association in the world representing over 100 million club members in 78 countries. Constantly in motion, Patch travels over 200,000 kilometers per year as a global advocate for health and fitness. That’s the equivalent of five times around the globe!
Having competed and won five Canadian Rowing Championships, Patch is a true patriot and proud that his company is 100% Canadian. Leading his team, Patch is passionate about the health and well-being of GoodLife’s 750,000 members. He is a graduate of physical education from the University of Western Ontario and President of the Canadian Fitness Professionals which holds educational conferences in key locations across Canada and is the largest certification body in Canada for the fitness profession.
Both GoodLife and its CEO have garnered some of the most prestigious awards in the country. Recognition for the company includes Canada's 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures of 2009 and Platinum Club member of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies.
In September 2009 Patch’s 2nd book, the Real Sexy, Smart and Strong, launched and achieved immediate international best seller status. His first book, Living the Good Life, has exceeded 1 million copies in paperback and audio book format. All proceeds from both books support autism research by the Kilee Patchell-Evans Autism Research Group at the University of Western Ontario.
Patch over the last 6 years has personally donated $4 million to fund the Kilee Patchell-Evans Autism Research team, named in honour of his autistic daughter who is now 14 years of age. This team of 16 researchers is credited with ground-breaking research and has formed collaborations with Harvard University, New York Medical College, Queens University and was recently asked to present at the Nobel Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. Autism now affects 1 in every 91 children.
Brigid Pelino, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Tim Hortons Inc.
Brigid Pelino is Senior Vice-President of Human Resources and member of the senior executive team at Tim Hortons Inc., North America’s fourth largest restaurant chain measured by market capitalization. She has oversight accountability for Tim Hortons global human resource policies, strategies and programs, and has been instrumental in shaping the Company’s culture and organization. Prior to joining Tim Hortons in 2001, Brigid held senior human resources leadership roles in leading North American organizations including Canadian Tire, Allied Signal and General Electric.
She holds an Honours Bachelors degree in Economics and Accounting and a Masters degree in Industrial Relations, both from the University of Toronto.
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.
Herb Singer, Founder and President, Discount Car & Truck Rentals
Herb Singer, founder and president of Discount Car & Truck Rentals, was born in Siberia, Russia in 1945. He emigrated from Israel to Brazil and then to the United States at the age of 14 and attended high school in Brooklyn, New York. At age 17, Mr. Singer forayed into the car rental industry, cleaning vehicles at a local car rental company. He studied business administration at New York University and carried on with his studies at Ryerson Polytechnic Institute after arriving in Canada in 1966.
Once in Canada, Mr. Singer continued to have an interest in the car rental business and gained employment with Budget Rent-A-Car in Toronto. Over the years at Budget, he gained valuable accounting knowledge, marketing and management experience and quickly rose to a managerial position.
Mr. Singer eventually became president of his own Budget sub-franchise and later went on to open the first Discount Car & Truck Rentals office in Hamilton in 1980. Discount now boasts over 300 locations across Canada. Discount is a well-publicized Canadian success story and an extremely strong vehicle rental brand across the country with representation in Australia as well.
Herb Singer lives in Toronto, Canada and is married with three children; all of whom are presently involved in the Discount Car and Truck Rentals business.
Maurice Tulloch, President and CEO, Aviva Canada
Maurice Tulloch is President and CEO of Aviva Canada, representing the Property & Casualty business for Aviva in North America. He is a member of the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) Board of Directors, and is a member of the Property & Casualty Insurance Compensation Corporation (PACICC). He is also a member of various IBC Committee’s including the National Auto Insurance Committee and IT Oversight Committee.
Prior to his appointment as CEO (on January 1, 2010), he held the role of EVP and COO, Aviva Ontario and Specialty Distribution, a position he was appointed to in January 2009. In that role, Maurice had overall accountability for developing and executing Aviva’s commercial lines and retail personal lines strategies in Ontario.
Since joining Aviva in 1992, Maurice has held several increasingly senior management positions, including an international role as Business Manager to the Group CEO of Aviva plc in London, UK. Upon returning to Canada, Maurice built Aviva Traders' growth strategy, assumed responsibility for our national lifestyle and leisure insurance business (Aviva Elite) as well as our national affinity/group business (Aviva Traders). Maurice was instrumental in developing and leading Aviva Canada’s claims customer care strategy.
Maurice is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA), and holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA).
He enjoys golf, skiing, travel and spending time with his young family. He is also an active supporter of the United Way and the Markham Stouffville Hospital.
Nkere Udofia, Vice Chairman, Blinds To Go Inc.
Nkere is currently Vice Chairman of Blinds To Go Inc. and directly responsible of its Ontario and United States operations. He joined Blinds To Go in 1996 as a private investor and board member and worked with the owners to develop a strategic, operational and human resource roadmap for the company’s expansion from its original Quebec base. His role slowly expanded with the company’s growth and by early 2001, Nkere had assumed a key operating role. Today Nkere remains an important member of company’s leadership team and an architect of its human capital strategy.
Nkere has more than twenty years of management, investing and consulting experience in the consumer and retail sectors. Prior to joining Blinds To Go, Nkere was a Managing Director at Harvard Private Capital Group, the private investment affiliate of Harvard Management Company which manages the Harvard University endowment. From 1989 to 1996, Nkere served on the board of directors of over a dozen portfolio companies, primarily focused on retail and consumer companies. It was through his efforts at Harvard, that Nkere first became involved at Blinds To Go.
Before joining Harvard and from 1987 to 1989, Nkere was a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group. At BCG, he focused on advising companies in the consumer sector. From 1983 to 1985, Nkere was employed by the Procter and Gamble Company.
Nkere is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees and a graduate of the Harvard Business School with Masters of Business Administration.
Nkere, wife Naureen and three children, Isiah, Imanuel and Nahlia, currently live in Montclair, New Jersey.
