Workforce Summit 2.0
CLOSING THE
TALENT GAP
MARCH 29, 2022
Thank you to everyone who helped make the summit a success!
Workforce Summit 2.0
CLOSING THE
TALENT GAP
MARCH 29, 2022
Thank you to everyone who helped make the summit a success!
PRESENTING
SPONSORS
SUMMIT
SPONSORS
NETWORKING
RECEPTION SPONSOR
Across all industries and skill levels, organizations are struggling to retain and attract the workers they need to succeed. From cleantech to biotech and fintech, new industries are emerging, creating new jobs that require new skillsets. Our future prosperity depends on our talent pipeline, and the actions we take today will determine our region’s trajectory.
With this in mind, Toronto Region Board of Trade’s Workforce Summit 2.0 convened business and thought leaders to get to the root of these transformational challenges and unlock solutions that leverage the global talent pool and identify what organizations need to do to win.
We’ve heard loud and clear from our members that talent is at the heart of their business and that we need greater collective investment in developing our workforce. To address this, the Board published Unlocking Talent: A Collective Approach for Workforce Development in the Toronto Region, that outlines several ongoing challenges that governments, employers and unions must address to end the region’s labour shortage across a variety of sectors.
The strategy maps out several major obstacles preventing workers from accessing jobs that match their skills and interests, making it difficult for employers to access the talent they need to grow and prosper. Read the report.
We’ve heard loud and clear from our members that talent is at the heart of their business and that we need greater collective investment in developing our workforce. To address this, the Board published Unlocking Talent: A Collective Approach for Workforce Development in the Toronto Region, that outlines several ongoing challenges that governments, employers and unions must address to end the region’s labour shortage across a variety of sectors.
The strategy maps out several major obstacles preventing workers from accessing jobs that match their skills and interests, making it difficult for employers to access the talent they need to grow and prosper. Read the report.
President and CEO, Toronto Region Board of Trade
Jan De Silva is President and CEO of the Toronto Region Board of Trade, one of the largest and most influential business organizations in North America. She is spearheading efforts to make Toronto one of the most competitive and sought-after business regions in the world.
Jan brings to the role more than 14 years of international CEO experience building ambitious, high-growth organizations. Anchored in her leadership is her belief in the power of economic development to lift communities.
Prior to joining the Board, she served as CEO of Sun Life Financial’s Hong Kong and Mainland China businesses and co-founded and later sold Retail China Limited. Jan also served as Dean of Ivey Asia for Ivey Business School of Western University.
Highly respected for her business advocacy and government engagement, Jan has been Chair of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, Chair of the Canada China Business Council in Beijing and served on the Board of the Asian Corporate Governance Association. In 2019, she was appointed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to represent Canada on the APEC Business Advisory Council. Jan also sits on the boards of Intact Financial Corporation, listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange; and, Blue Umbrella Limited, a global compliance technology company headquartered in Hong Kong.
Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Government of Canada
Carla Qualtrough is the Member of Parliament for Delta, British Columbia. She has been a Cabinet Minister since she was first elected in 2015, having previously served as Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, and as Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility. She currently serves in the senior role of Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion. She is active on a number of Cabinet committees, and has been at the center of the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She is responsible for many emergency measures, including the CERB, the CESB, Employment Insurance and the Disability Payment. As Canada works to recover from the effects of this pandemic, Minister Qualtrough is leading the charge on creating jobs, upskilling workers and implementing a historic Disability Inclusion Action Plan.
Prior to entering politics, Minister Qualtrough practiced human rights law at the provincial and federal levels, and was a Vice-Chair with the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Tribunal. She also has an impressive background in sport, having competed for Team Canada in the sport of swimming, winning a number of world championship and Paralympic medals. She volunteered extensively at the local, national and international levels, focusing on inclusion and equal access for all. She has been inducted into the Canadian Paralympic Hall of Fame, and has been recognized as one of Canada’s most influential women in sport on a number of occasions.
Minister Qualtrough has been legally blind since birth and is a passionate advocate for the rights of persons with disabilities. She led the creation of the Accessible Canada Act and is internationally recognized for her work in disability inclusion. She has received a number of awards for her advocacy, including from the Disabled Women’s Network of Canada, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, the BC Aboriginal Network on Disability Society, the Abilities Centre and the International Paralympic Committee. She is also the recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Award.
Minister Qualtrough lives in Ladner with her husband Eron, her 2 youngest children and her mother.
Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, Government of Ontario
Standing shoulder to shoulder with workers has always been important for Monte McNaughton as Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. Having grown up serving hardworking people at his family’s Home Hardware store in Newbury, Monte knows the value of a hard day’s work and the important role blue collar women and men play in building a stronger Ontario.
Having the backs of workers, helping them bring home bigger paycheques, and spreading opportunity widely has been the top priority for Monte since he was first appointed as Minister of Labour in June 2019.
Monte McNaughton introduced the Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act to modernize the skilled trades system. His Working for Workers Act is aimed at making Ontario the best place for people to live, work, and raise a family.
Prior to his current portfolio, Monte was Minister of Infrastructure. Since 2011, he has proudly served as MPP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex. A graduate from Westervelt Business College in London, he later completed executive programs at the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University.
Monte and his wife Kate currently live in Mt. Brydges, Ontario, with their daughter, Annie.
Premier of Ontario
Doug Ford is the Premier of Ontario. He was also elected as the MPP for Etobicoke-North in 2018.
Previously, Doug Ford served as Toronto city councillor from 2010-2014, and was vice-chair of the Budget Committee, where he delivered hundreds of millions of dollars in savings for taxpayers. While on city council, Ford served on the board of Build Toronto, and was a director of the Canadian National Exhibition. He also served on the Civic Appointments Committee and the Government Management Committee at Council.
A dedicated community leader, successful businessman with Deco Labels and passionate advocate for the people, Doug’s commitment to public service runs in the family. Three generations of Fords have served the people of Ontario in elected office.
Doug is a life-long resident of the community of Etobicoke, and lives there with his wife Karla and four daughters. His commitment to public service includes over 20 years of dedicated work with the Toronto West Rotary Club and serving as a proud member of the Royal Canadian Legion.
EVP & Chair, Economic Blueprint Institute
A seasoned leader, Giles brings more than 25 years of experience, including 15 years with the Province of Ontario where he has served under different parties and leaders. He’s held influential Deputy Minister roles in multiple portfolios, including; Cabinet Office Policy; Cabinet Office Communications; Economic Development, Trade and Investment; Infrastructure and Government Realty; Research Innovation and Science; Red Tape and Regulatory Burden Reduction; Small Business; and Consumer Services. He’s led the government’s economic growth and competitiveness policy, overseen the recent creation of two new agencies, Invest Ontario and IP Ontario, and worked to attract a wave of technology and manufacturing investments, including the retooling of the Province’s auto sector for next generation battery electric vehicles.
Prior to his role in government, Giles held positions within the Canadian media landscape, including as editor-in-chief of the Toronto Star, political editor of the National Post and editor of the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business.
Group Head & Chief Human Resources Officer, Scotiabank
Barb is the Group Head and Chief Human Resources Officer, with global responsibility for Human Resources, Marketing, and Real Estate across Scotiabank. As a member of the Bank’s Operating Committee, she is responsible for helping to determine and guide the overall strategic direction of the Bank.
Previously, Barb held the positions of CHRO, Marketing, PCA; Executive Vice President, Global Wealth Management; Executive Vice President, Wealth Management, Canada; and Executive Vice President, Marketing, Sales & Service.
She joined the Bank in 1982 and has held progressively senior positions in retail banking, credit cards, marketing, sales and service, wealth management and human resources.
Barb graduated from the University of Waterloo with an Honours degree in Environmental Studies and was recognized as the 2012 Alumni of the Year. She is also a graduate of the Queen’s University Executive Program. In 2010 she was inducted into Canada’s Most Powerful Women – Top 100 Hall of Fame by the Women’s Executive Network. She sits on the board of the Humber River Hospital in Toronto, as well as a variety of the Bank’s internal subsidiary boards.
Managing Director, Human Potential, Accenture
Sonia is a Human Potential Executive in Accenture’s Strategy & Consulting practice. Her focus is on advising leaders to address the leadership, culture and organization challenges associated with achieving organization and operational sustainability, transition to digital and workforce effectiveness.
She is a speaker and Certified Executive Coach, specializing in the areas of Leadership and Organization Effectiveness. Rooted in her authentic passion for empowering people, Sonia actively coaches her clients and internal leaders alike. She has hosted a number of Executive panels including Rotman Business Speaker series, and published written pieces on the topics of Leadership and culture, including a recent article on Unlocking Human Potential.
She brings a global mindset to her clients, teams and work having worked across Asia, LATAM, Europe, US and Canada.
Partner, Financial Services Consulting, PwC
Kim is a Partner in PwC’s Financial Services Consulting practice where she leads the Workforce of the Future capability. She has been consulting with leading Financial Institutions in Canada and the U.S. over the past 20+ years. She has extensive experience in the areas of business transformation, change management, operating model design, delivering talent and organizational design solutions.
Kim is an author and speaker on topics associated with the "Future of Work" within Financial Services, including addressing the people impacts of emerging technology and automation and how organizations can respond to key talent trends and develop effective hybrid working models. Most recently she co-authored two reports with Toronto Finance International entitled “Unlocking the human opportunity: Future-proof skills to move financial services forward” and “Unlocking the human opportunity: Harnessing the power of a mid-career workforce”.
Global Channel Chief, Dell Technologies
Leadership is not simply a role that you fill; it is an action that you take each day. It is this philosophy that guides Dell Technologies’ Global Channel Chief, Rola Dagher. Over her career of more than two decades, Dagher has worked with some of the brightest minds in the technology industry while honing her natural leadership style.
Dagher returned to Dell Technologies in 2020 after leading as President of Cisco Canada for three years. Prior to this, she held various sales leadership roles at Dell and Bell Canada. Her impact on the Channel business has been recognized with her inclusion in CRN’s Top 25 Channel Sales Leaders of 2021, Power 100, and Women of the Channel, 2021. While Dagher is a proven sales and channel champion, she will be the first to say that her success is a direct reflection of the dedication and drive of the entire organization.
Dagher believes in diversity of thought and has made it her mission to empower, support, and foster diverse talent. Her commitment to empowering women is shown through her recognition as one of the 2020 Top 25 Women of Influence™, by WXN as one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100™, and by Women in Communications and Technology (WCT) as the 2019 Woman of the Year. She was named the 2021 Executive of the year by LebNet and was selected as one of RBC’s Top 25 Canadian Immigrant winners for 2019. Dagher was named the “Lady of the Cedar” by the Lebanese Embassy and received a 2018 Leadership Award from the Lebanese Chamber Business of Commerce.
CEO, CivicAction
Leslie Woo CRE® is a respected leader with over 25 years of experience building sustainable communities and shaping urban development in Canada’s fastest-growing urban region, greater Toronto. Leslie assumed the role of CEO at CivicAction in September 2020. CivicAction is a premier civic engagement organization that convenes established and rising leaders from all sectors, backgrounds and experiences, CivicAction catalyzes actions and impactful solutions to address pressing challenges in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area and beyond.
Before joining CivicAction, Leslie was at Metrolinx for over a decade including her time as Metrolinx’s Chief Planning and Development Officer. Leslie is a tri-sector athlete with experience in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors as well as her experience as a planner, architect and community activator. An accomplished leader, Leslie was named Bisnow’s 2019 Toronto Power Women in Commercial Real Estate, one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in 2017 by WXN, Spacing Toronto’s Transit Changemaker in 2016 and Canada’s Women’s Infrastructure Network’s 2015 Outstanding Leader. Founder of shebuildscities.org, Leslie uses her voice and platform to amplify and celebrate other women city builders.
International Vice President and Regional Manager of Central and Eastern Canada, LiUNA
Joseph S. Mancinelli is International Vice President and Central and Eastern Canada Regional Manager of LiUNA, the Labourers’ International Union of North America.
With over 140 000 members across Canada and half a million strong across North America, LiUNA is the most progressive, aggressive and fastest growing union of construction workers and one of the most diverse and effective unions representing various sectors across North America.
Mr. Mancinelli leads many of LiUNA’s entities including serving as Chair of the LiUNA Pension Fund of Central and Eastern Canada (LPF), named Canada’s 5th fastest growing pension fund by Benefits Canada. Established in 1972, the LPF is a Multi-Employer Pension Plan (MEPP) which has grown to over $ 10 Billion in assets. The LPF continuously seeks out investments that provide long-term rates of return in order to maximize value while managing risk through diversification strategies. Investments include long-term care facilities, hospitals, courthouses, transit infrastructure, hotels and more.
Joseph Mancinelli is a visionary who has brought LiUNA into areas that other unions have never ventured, including the world of Public Private Partnership (P3). Under his leadership, LiUNA has become a new face of Labour, working together with industry, private sector and government to build better communities in partnership, across North America.
Joe has been an advocate of P3 initiatives for many years and LiUNA has experienced first-hand the benefits of working in tandem with both the public and private sectors. LiUNA has successfully yielded strong returns for its pension fund, while building much needed infrastructure for the community and employing unionized workers to get the projects done. It has been a rewarding model that we will continue to advocate for and build upon in years to come.
Joe is also an advocate of community building and a champion of benevolent causes. He is an ardent supporter of the arts, is passionate about the restoration of historical sites and is an accomplished artist in his own right.
Over the years he has served on numerous committees including serving as the Co-Chair of the Toronto Region Board of Trade’s Talent Cabinet, serving on the province’s Transit Investment Strategy Advisory Panel; serving as a founding director of the Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation, and as the first Chair of the Bay-Area Health Trust.
Joe has also been a leader in community advocacy and fundraising initiatives for the building of inclusive futures, including children’s charities and causes, hospitals and health care centres, the Children’s Wish Foundation, Camp Trillium, Easter Seals, the United Way, Mt. Sinai, St. Joseph’s Healthcare, the ALS Society, Down Syndrome Research Foundation, Larger than Life Kindergarten School for children with cancer in Israel, as well as natural disaster relief initiatives and cultural inclusiveness initiatives.
He has also been acknowledged for his leadership and dedication to community building as the recipient of many awards, including the Paul Harris Fellow from the Rotary Club, Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal, has been inducted into Hamilton’s Gallery of Distinction and has been bestowed an honorary Doctorate of Laws Degree from McMaster University. He received a National Philanthropy Award as Outstanding Volunteer by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, has been named Sons of Italy Citizen of the Year and was awarded a ‘Spirit of Ontario’ award by the National Congress of Italian Canadians, to name a few.
Joe is a lifelong Hamiltonian. He and his wife Enza have been married for 36 years, they have five children and two grandsons.
Senior Vice President, Retail Performance, Canadian Branch Banking, Scotiabank
Sloane Muldoon is Senior Vice President, Retail Performance. Sloane was appointed to this role in November 2020, to build on and further drive culture and change within the Bank to maximize productivity in key areas of our Retail business. Sloane is also an Advisory Board member and the Chair of The Scotiabank Women Initiative.
Sloane joined Scotiabank in 1991 and has held progressively more senior roles including most recently, Senior Vice President, Prairie Region, Canadian Branch Banking. Prior to that, Sloane was Managing Director for the Caribbean East Region and Country Head & Managing Director, Cayman Islands & British Virgin Islands, where she supported the development of the Bank’s long term strategies in the region.
Sloane has also held a number of Senior Management positions including District Vice-President, Alberta South, and Vice President, Agriculture, Commercial Banking. Sloane holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Saskatchewan, is an accredited Personal Financial Planner and graduate of the Executive Management Program at Schulich School of Business at York University, Toronto.
Senior Vice President, Total Rewards, Scotiabank
After graduating from University with a degree in Psychology with Statistics, Dominic did a Masters in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management at the London School of Economics.Dominic started work at National Australia Bank in London in a generalist HR role and moved to Royal Bank of Scotland withthe Total Rewards team. After threeyears at Goldman Sachs as VP Compensation Europe,Dominic rejoined Royal Bank of Scotland and moved to Hong Kong as Regional Director of Reward. Whilein Hong Kong,Dominic joined Prudential Plc as Regional Reward Director Asia. Returning to the UK after fiveyears,he joined Standard Life Plc as Group Reward and Employment Policy Director. Dominic joined Scotiabank on August 1, 2018 as SVP Total Rewards.
Senior Counsel, Enterprise
A former talk radio host and campaign advisor, Supriya is a natural and effective communicator who has extensive expertise in crisis and litigation communications, media strategy, and building stakeholder relationships.
Armed with a legal and science background, Supriya has an in-depth understanding of a variety of topics that permeate the news stream and has led her to become a sought-after media commentator.
Her experience on both sides of the lens, with a deep understanding of the public affairs space, brings invaluable insights for Enterprise clients trying to break through the noise and win over audiences.
Chief Human Resource Officer, Teranet
A culture carrier, Sudha is responsible for leading Teranet’s global HR team. She is a passionate champion of inclusion and diversity, ensuring Teranet is a progressive workplace where everyone has a seat at the table and that all voices are heard. Sudha specializes in creating large-scale employee engagement and development programs that bring Teranet’s culture of continuous learning to life throughout the employee’s tenure with the company. Sudha implements talent management strategies that drive the achievement of Teranet’s business goals.
Before joining Teranet, Sudha was Director of Human Resources at a Fortune 500 leading medical technology company. She was a member of the Canadian Leadership Team, providing strategic counsel to all levels of the organization on pertinent areas including employee relations, succession planning, talent acquisition, learning and development and overall organizational effectiveness. She has also held leadership and progressive HR roles in the industries of Healthcare, Financial Services, Consulting and Transportation.
A native Montrealer, Sudha holds an MBA from Concordia University and a Bachelor’s from McGill. She is also a certified Leadership and Life Skills coach. Having lived with her husband and two sons in the Toronto area for more than 20 years, she will root for the Blue Jays and Raptors, yet remains a committed Habs fan.
Executive Director, FirstWork
Akosua is the Executive Director of First Work. Prior to joining the organization, Akosua worked as a senior public affairs professional, primarily focused on policy affecting marginalized communities and youth. During her tenure with the Provincial Minister of Children and Youth Services, Akosua led the Youth Justice and Youth Opportunity policy and also worked directly with multiple agencies, as well as frontline staff, to advocate for marginalized youth.
As a senior policy advisor with the Provincial Minister of Finance, Akosua effectively advised on policy and legislation spanning a diverse portfolio, including labour, children and youth services, community and social services, correctional services, and Indigenous relations. With over six years of experience in government, combined with seven years as the board representative for the Region of Peel Women’s Centre – Interim Place, Akosua is an established driver of effective policy-making, communications, public and government affairs, and community engagement.
Akosua currently sits on the board of the Canadian Coalition of Community-Based Employability Training.
Executive Vice President, Maru Public Opinion
John Wright is the Executive Vice President of Maru Public Opinion—a market research and software intelligence company with offices throughout Canada, the United States, the UK, and South America. He’s been conducting consumer-citizen survey research for clients in every sector for over three decades, is a pioneer in global research with projects in over 30 countries, and as a polling media spokesperson has over 1600 publicly released polls on pretty much every conceivable topic. He is a Distinguished Fellow at the Queens University School of Policy Studies, a Fellow of the Canadian Geographic Society, the Honorary Colonel for the Office of Canada’s Chief of Defence Staff, Chair of the Royal Canadian Airforce Foundation, and is a much sought after conference speaker.
CEO, Conference Board of Canada
Susan Black is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Canada’s leading independent applied research organization. Since 2018, she has led a successful transformation at The Conference Board of Canada and has focused its efforts on providing rigorous research insights to Canadians across nine knowledge areas.
Susan has over 30 years' experience across sectors and industries. As President of Catalyst Canada, CHRO at Intact Financial and SVP, People at Holt Renfrew, Susan has dedicated her career to advocating for inclusive environments, stronger employee engagement, and opportunities for women in the workplace.
Susan believes in the power of people and expanding her horizon on a daily basis.
Susan holds a BA from Yale, is a Harvard MBA, and obtained a PhD in organizational studies from York University.
President, University of Toronto
Meric Gertler is President of the University of Toronto, a Professor of Geography and Planning, and the Goldring Chair in Canadian Studies. His research investigates the role of city-regions as sites of innovation in the global economy, and the foundations for local economic success and prosperity. Professor Gertler has advised local, regional and national governments in Canada, the United States, Singapore and Europe, as well as international agencies such as the OECD and the European Union. He is a champion of fighting climate change in the Toronto region and the University of Toronto ecosystem, leading the University's commitment to reduce the carbon footprint of its investments and its operations, while contributing to the broader fight against climate change through research, teaching and advocacy.
Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, University of Toronto
Professor Christopher Yip began his term as Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering at the University of Toronto in 2019, after serving for two years as Associate Vice-President in the University's International Partnerships Office.
Dean Yip is a leading scholar in the field of single-molecule biophysics and a faculty member with the Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry, the Department of Biochemistry and the Institute of Biomedical Engineering. He is a Principal Investigator with the Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research at the University of Toronto.
As a former director of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto, he provided leadership to more than 100 research engineers and scientists engaged in discovery and product development in the areas of neuroscience and sensory stimulation, biomaterials and tissue engineering, molecular systems biology and nanotechnology, as well as medical device and drug delivery system design. Dean Yip is the Vice Chair of the CIHR Institute of Genetics Advisory Board and has served on grant panels at NSERC, CIHR and NIH. He was the first recipient of the Molecular Imaging’s Outstanding Young Biological Scanning Probe Microscopy Investigator of the Year award, and since that time has been honoured with a Premier’s Research Excellence Award (1999), Faculty Teaching Award (2000) and Graduate Faculty Teaching Award for Sustained Contribution to Excellence in Graduate Teaching (2008). He was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2009), a Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada (2014) and held a Tier II Canada Research Chair in Molecular Imaging (2000-2010).
President & CEO, Business Council of Canada
Goldy Hyder is President and CEO of the Business Council of Canada, a non-partisan association composed of the chief executives and entrepreneurs of Canada’s leading companies. Previously he was President & CEO of Hill+Knowlton Strategies (Canada). Earlier in his career he served as director of policy and chief of staff to The Right Honourable Joe Clark, former prime minister and leader of the then federal Progressive Conservative Party.
Mr. Hyder serves in many charitable and non-profit organizations, including as chair of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada’s Asia Business Leaders Advisory Council, as board member of the Business + Higher Education Roundtable and as advisory board member of Catalyst Canada. He is a regular commentator in the Canadian media on business, politics and public policy. He is also the host of the “Speaking of Business” podcast, which features interviews with Canadian innovators, entrepreneurs and business leaders.
Partner, Toronto Office Leader, Mercer Canada
Angelita is a Partner and Mercer Canada’s Toronto Office Leader, where she leads more than 500 colleagues as they help organizations build brighter futures for their employees. She is also a member of the Mercer Canada Leadership Team. Since joining Mercer in 2013, Angelita has held various leadership roles within the Wealth business, most recently as its national growth leader.
As an actuary, she has over 20 years of consulting experience in the pension industry, helping organizations manage the risk and funding requirements associated with their pension plans, supporting them to achieve long-term plan sustainability and better financial outcomes for their employees.
Angelita is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion within the industry and within Mercer, where she led the Toronto chapter of the Women@Mercer business resource group for five years. She is also a long-time volunteer with the Canadian Institute of Actuaries.
Angelita has a Bachelor of Science (with honours) in mathematics from the University of the West Indies in Jamaica. She also holds a Postgraduate Diploma (with distinction) in actuarial science from City University in the UK, and an MBA from the University of Leicester in the UK. She is a Fellow of both the Canadian Institute of Actuaries and the Society of Actuaries.
Partner, Fragomen Canada
Jack is a Partner in the Toronto office of Fragomen (Canada) Co. His practice consists of assisting clients with their inbound corporate immigration requirements. This includes NAFTA related applications, intra-company transfers, Labour Market Impact Assessments (including under the Global Talent Stream), as well as process compliance and inadmissibility issues.
Jack has assisted clients in a wide array of verticals, including the sports/entertainment, oil and gas, financial/financial services, information technology, manufacturing, and professional services industries. He has spoken about Canadian immigration issues at various venues, including the Canadian Employee Relocation Council, the Engineering Human Resources Association, American Society of Employers, Toronto Region Board of Trade, Law Society of Ontario and Osgoode Hall Law School.
Prior to joining Fragomen, Jack worked in various sectors, including as a hearings officer at the Canada Border Services Agency, an executive director of a nonprofit organization and an associate at a boutique management consulting firm. Jack also articled at a major corporate law firm in Toronto.
As an authority on North Korean affairs, Jack appears frequently in the media, and has consulted with cabinet ministers and testified before the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee and Senate Human Rights Committee.
Jack speaks English and Korean.
Managing Director, OneEleven
Matthew is the Managing Director of OneEleven, a post-seed accelerator in Toronto, working to help scale the next generation of Canadian tech companies.
Prior to leading OneEleven, he co-founded the not-for-profit marketplace GroceryHero, and has previously worked for the United Nations, and in management consulting at Deloitte.
He is an angel investor, advisor and mentor with multiple venture funds, member of the Board of Directors of the Toronto Zoo and Ontario Snowboard, and a frequent contributor to the Globe & Mail Report on Business, Financial Post, and Toronto Star.
President & Vice-Chancellor, Ryerson University
Dr. Mohamed Lachemi is president and vice-chancellor of Ryerson University, first appointed in 2016 and reappointed to a second term concluding in 2026. An internationally recognized researcher and accomplished academic administrator, he has been a key contributor to the growth and development of Ryerson over a transformational time in the university’s history. A Ryerson professor of civil engineering since 1998, he has served in progressively senior roles, including dean of the faculty of engineering and architectural science, and provost and vice-president, academic. As president, he has promoted the establishment of Ryerson as a global university, overseen the development of Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst – a national centre for cybersecurity, and navigated approvals for a new and innovative law school.
A graduate of l'Université des Sciences et de la Technologie d'Oran in Algeria and L'Université de Sherbrooke (MASc and PhD), Dr. Lachemi is a Fellow of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering, Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, and Board member of Trillium Health Partners.
President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Waterloo
Dr. Vivek Goel is a distinguished scholar with extensive achievements in research, teaching and leadership across both public and private sectors.
Dr. Goel is recognized in Canada and around the world as a leading public-health researcher, health-services evaluation expert, and champion for the use of research evidence in health policy making.
He has held a number of senior leadership roles at the University of Toronto including as Vice-President and Provost and most recently as Vice-President Research and Innovation.
He served as founding President and CEO of Public Health Ontario from 2008 until 2014 and also as a founding scientist at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES), where he continues as an Adjunct Senior Scientist. Goel has served as Chief Academic Strategist with Coursera, a global platform that connects universities and learners with online courses.
He has extensive experience in governance and serves on the boards of the Canadian Institute for Health Information (as Chair), the POST Promise as well as Chair of the Expert Advisory Group on the development of a Pan-Canadian Health Data Strategy.
Dr. Goel is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and a Member of the Order of Canada.
Executive Advisor Future of Work, Deloitte
Zabeen is Executive Advisor Future of Work at Deloitte, advising the firm and its clients on issues key to their transformation agendas. She also leads a forum of CHROs from leading private and public sector organizations focused on accelerating their own organizations and Canada’s post-pandemic recovery and economic growth through cultivating a skilled, inclusive, and resilient workforce.
A long-standing champion of building inclusive prosperity, she is a trusted advisor to senior levels of government, universities, and not-for-profits. She is the past Chair of CivicAction, a leading city-building organization and formerly sat on the Governing Council of University of Toronto. She is an executive-in-residence at Simon Fraser University Beedie School of Business and a Visiting Professor at King’s College, London U.K. Zabeen holds an MBA from Simon Fraser University. She is also a Corporate Director.
Prior to this, Zabeen had a long and distinguished career at RBC, and was the Chief Human Resources Officer for ten years until 2017. She was also responsible for brand, communications, and corporate citizenship, and was part of RBC’s Group Executive Committee which set the strategic direction of the bank.
Zabeen’s external recognition includes Canadian HR Awards Ivey Business School Lifetime Achievement in Human Resources Leadership, Governor General's Meritorious Service medal for Diversity and Inclusion, Simon Fraser University Outstanding Alumni award, Catalyst Canada Champion for advancing women and minorities in business, WXN Top 100 Most Powerful Woman and Hall of Fame inductee, and Top 25 Women of Influence in Business.
Ottawa Correspondent, The Logic
Murad Hemmadi is an Ottawa correspondent for The Logic, covering business and innovation policy, as well as companies including Shopify. Before joining The Logic, he covered politics and wrote a daily newsletter for Maclean’s. He started his journalism career as a reporter at Canadian Business, covering the technology sector, entrepreneurship and small- and medium-sized enterprises.
Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Government of Canada
Carla Qualtrough is the Member of Parliament for Delta, British Columbia. She has been a Cabinet Minister since she was first elected in 2015, having previously served as Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, and as Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility. She currently serves in the senior role of Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion. She is active on a number of Cabinet committees, and has been at the center of the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She is responsible for many emergency measures, including the CERB, the CESB, Employment Insurance and the Disability Payment. As Canada works to recover from the effects of this pandemic, Minister Qualtrough is leading the charge on creating jobs, upskilling workers and implementing a historic Disability Inclusion Action Plan.
Prior to entering politics, Minister Qualtrough practiced human rights law at the provincial and federal levels, and was a Vice-Chair with the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Tribunal. She also has an impressive background in sport, having competed for Team Canada in the sport of swimming, winning a number of world championship and Paralympic medals. She volunteered extensively at the local, national and international levels, focusing on inclusion and equal access for all. She has been inducted into the Canadian Paralympic Hall of Fame, and has been recognized as one of Canada’s most influential women in sport on a number of occasions.
Minister Qualtrough has been legally blind since birth and is a passionate advocate for the rights of persons with disabilities. She led the creation of the Accessible Canada Act and is internationally recognized for her work in disability inclusion. She has received a number of awards for her advocacy, including from the Disabled Women’s Network of Canada, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, the BC Aboriginal Network on Disability Society, the Abilities Centre and the International Paralympic Committee. She is also the recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Award.
Minister Qualtrough lives in Ladner with her husband Eron, her 2 youngest children and her mother.
Group Head & Chief Human Resources Officer, Scotiabank
Barb is the Group Head and Chief Human Resources Officer, with global responsibility for Human Resources, Marketing, and Real Estate across Scotiabank. As a member of the Bank’s Operating Committee, she is responsible for helping to determine and guide the overall strategic direction of the Bank.
Previously, Barb held the positions of CHRO, Marketing, PCA; Executive Vice President, Global Wealth Management; Executive Vice President, Wealth Management, Canada; and Executive Vice President, Marketing, Sales & Service.
She joined the Bank in 1982 and has held progressively senior positions in retail banking, credit cards, marketing, sales and service, wealth management and human resources.
Barb graduated from the University of Waterloo with an Honours degree in Environmental Studies and was recognized as the 2012 Alumni of the Year. She is also a graduate of the Queen’s University Executive Program. In 2010 she was inducted into Canada’s Most Powerful Women – Top 100 Hall of Fame by the Women’s Executive Network. She sits on the board of the Humber River Hospital in Toronto, as well as a variety of the Bank’s internal subsidiary boards.
COVID has reinforced the need for increased supports for workers who may be grappling with multiple challenges in their life. What supports and tools are workers looking for? What can leading employers do to help support their mental health, wellness and overall resilience—and make their companies and organizations more attractive for talent? While developed soft skills have always been sought in workers, inversely, is there a driving need for high emotional intelligence—more empathy— in employers?
Partner, Financial Services Consulting, PwC
Kim is a Partner in PwC’s Financial Services Consulting practice where she leads the Workforce of the Future capability. She has been consulting with leading Financial Institutions in Canada and the U.S. over the past 20+ years. She has extensive experience in the areas of business transformation, change management, operating model design, delivering talent and organizational design solutions.
Kim is an author and speaker on topics associated with the "Future of Work" within Financial Services, including addressing the people impacts of emerging technology and automation and how organizations can respond to key talent trends and develop effective hybrid working models. Most recently she co-authored two reports with Toronto Finance International entitled “Unlocking the human opportunity: Future-proof skills to move financial services forward” and “Unlocking the human opportunity: Harnessing the power of a mid-career workforce”.
CEO, Conference Board of Canada
Susan Black is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Canada’s leading independent applied research organization. Since 2018, she has led a successful transformation at The Conference Board of Canada and has focused its efforts on providing rigorous research insights to Canadians across nine knowledge areas.
Susan has over 30 years' experience across sectors and industries. As President of Catalyst Canada, CHRO at Intact Financial and SVP, People at Holt Renfrew, Susan has dedicated her career to advocating for inclusive environments, stronger employee engagement, and opportunities for women in the workplace.
Susan believes in the power of people and expanding her horizon on a daily basis.
Susan holds a BA from Yale, is a Harvard MBA, and obtained a PhD in organizational studies from York University.
Senior Vice President, Total Rewards, Scotiabank
After graduating from University with a degree in Psychology with Statistics, Dominic did a Masters in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management at the London School of Economics.Dominic started work at National Australia Bank in London in a generalist HR role and moved to Royal Bank of Scotland withthe Total Rewards team. After threeyears at Goldman Sachs as VP Compensation Europe,Dominic rejoined Royal Bank of Scotland and moved to Hong Kong as Regional Director of Reward. Whilein Hong Kong,Dominic joined Prudential Plc as Regional Reward Director Asia. Returning to the UK after fiveyears,he joined Standard Life Plc as Group Reward and Employment Policy Director. Dominic joined Scotiabank on August 1, 2018 as SVP Total Rewards.
International Vice President and Regional Manager of Central and Eastern Canada, LiUNA
Joseph S. Mancinelli is International Vice President and Central and Eastern Canada Regional Manager of LiUNA, the Labourers’ International Union of North America.
With over 140 000 members across Canada and half a million strong across North America, LiUNA is the most progressive, aggressive and fastest growing union of construction workers and one of the most diverse and effective unions representing various sectors across North America.
Mr. Mancinelli leads many of LiUNA’s entities including serving as Chair of the LiUNA Pension Fund of Central and Eastern Canada (LPF), named Canada’s 5th fastest growing pension fund by Benefits Canada. Established in 1972, the LPF is a Multi-Employer Pension Plan (MEPP) which has grown to over $ 10 Billion in assets. The LPF continuously seeks out investments that provide long-term rates of return in order to maximize value while managing risk through diversification strategies. Investments include long-term care facilities, hospitals, courthouses, transit infrastructure, hotels and more.
Joseph Mancinelli is a visionary who has brought LiUNA into areas that other unions have never ventured, including the world of Public Private Partnership (P3). Under his leadership, LiUNA has become a new face of Labour, working together with industry, private sector and government to build better communities in partnership, across North America.
Joe has been an advocate of P3 initiatives for many years and LiUNA has experienced first-hand the benefits of working in tandem with both the public and private sectors. LiUNA has successfully yielded strong returns for its pension fund, while building much needed infrastructure for the community and employing unionized workers to get the projects done. It has been a rewarding model that we will continue to advocate for and build upon in years to come.
Joe is also an advocate of community building and a champion of benevolent causes. He is an ardent supporter of the arts, is passionate about the restoration of historical sites and is an accomplished artist in his own right.
Over the years he has served on numerous committees including serving as the Co-Chair of the Toronto Region Board of Trade’s Talent Cabinet, serving on the province’s Transit Investment Strategy Advisory Panel; serving as a founding director of the Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation, and as the first Chair of the Bay-Area Health Trust.
Joe has also been a leader in community advocacy and fundraising initiatives for the building of inclusive futures, including children’s charities and causes, hospitals and health care centres, the Children’s Wish Foundation, Camp Trillium, Easter Seals, the United Way, Mt. Sinai, St. Joseph’s Healthcare, the ALS Society, Down Syndrome Research Foundation, Larger than Life Kindergarten School for children with cancer in Israel, as well as natural disaster relief initiatives and cultural inclusiveness initiatives.
He has also been acknowledged for his leadership and dedication to community building as the recipient of many awards, including the Paul Harris Fellow from the Rotary Club, Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal, has been inducted into Hamilton’s Gallery of Distinction and has been bestowed an honorary Doctorate of Laws Degree from McMaster University. He received a National Philanthropy Award as Outstanding Volunteer by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, has been named Sons of Italy Citizen of the Year and was awarded a ‘Spirit of Ontario’ award by the National Congress of Italian Canadians, to name a few.
Joe is a lifelong Hamiltonian. He and his wife Enza have been married for 36 years, they have five children and two grandsons.
Executive Vice President, Maru Public Opinion
John Wright is the Executive Vice President of Maru Public Opinion—a market research and software intelligence company with offices throughout Canada, the United States, the UK, and South America. He’s been conducting consumer-citizen survey research for clients in every sector for over three decades, is a pioneer in global research with projects in over 30 countries, and as a polling media spokesperson has over 1600 publicly released polls on pretty much every conceivable topic. He is a Distinguished Fellow at the Queens University School of Policy Studies, a Fellow of the Canadian Geographic Society, the Honorary Colonel for the Office of Canada’s Chief of Defence Staff, Chair of the Royal Canadian Airforce Foundation, and is a much sought after conference speaker.
Women’s workforce participation rates were dramatically impacted during the pandemic. This is compounded with continuing lags to pay equity and other challenges faced by women business leaders. This panel will feature senior executives sharing their perspectives on what is needed to create a truly equitable workforce.
Global Channel Chief, Dell Technologies
Leadership is not simply a role that you fill; it is an action that you take each day. It is this philosophy that guides Dell Technologies’ Global Channel Chief, Rola Dagher. Over her career of more than two decades, Dagher has worked with some of the brightest minds in the technology industry while honing her natural leadership style.
Dagher returned to Dell Technologies in 2020 after leading as President of Cisco Canada for three years. Prior to this, she held various sales leadership roles at Dell and Bell Canada. Her impact on the Channel business has been recognized with her inclusion in CRN’s Top 25 Channel Sales Leaders of 2021, Power 100, and Women of the Channel, 2021. While Dagher is a proven sales and channel champion, she will be the first to say that her success is a direct reflection of the dedication and drive of the entire organization.
Dagher believes in diversity of thought and has made it her mission to empower, support, and foster diverse talent. Her commitment to empowering women is shown through her recognition as one of the 2020 Top 25 Women of Influence™, by WXN as one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100™, and by Women in Communications and Technology (WCT) as the 2019 Woman of the Year. She was named the 2021 Executive of the year by LebNet and was selected as one of RBC’s Top 25 Canadian Immigrant winners for 2019. Dagher was named the “Lady of the Cedar” by the Lebanese Embassy and received a 2018 Leadership Award from the Lebanese Chamber Business of Commerce.
Senior Counsel, Enterprise
A former talk radio host and campaign advisor, Supriya is a natural and effective communicator who has extensive expertise in crisis and litigation communications, media strategy, and building stakeholder relationships.
Armed with a legal and science background, Supriya has an in-depth understanding of a variety of topics that permeate the news stream and has led her to become a sought-after media commentator.
Her experience on both sides of the lens, with a deep understanding of the public affairs space, brings invaluable insights for Enterprise clients trying to break through the noise and win over audiences.
Partner, Toronto Office Leader, Mercer Canada
Angelita is a Partner and Mercer Canada’s Toronto Office Leader, where she leads more than 500 colleagues as they help organizations build brighter futures for their employees. She is also a member of the Mercer Canada Leadership Team. Since joining Mercer in 2013, Angelita has held various leadership roles within the Wealth business, most recently as its national growth leader.
As an actuary, she has over 20 years of consulting experience in the pension industry, helping organizations manage the risk and funding requirements associated with their pension plans, supporting them to achieve long-term plan sustainability and better financial outcomes for their employees.
Angelita is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion within the industry and within Mercer, where she led the Toronto chapter of the Women@Mercer business resource group for five years. She is also a long-time volunteer with the Canadian Institute of Actuaries.
Angelita has a Bachelor of Science (with honours) in mathematics from the University of the West Indies in Jamaica. She also holds a Postgraduate Diploma (with distinction) in actuarial science from City University in the UK, and an MBA from the University of Leicester in the UK. She is a Fellow of both the Canadian Institute of Actuaries and the Society of Actuaries.
Managing Director, Human Potential, Accenture
Sonia is a Human Potential Executive in Accenture’s Strategy & Consulting practice. Her focus is on advising leaders to address the leadership, culture and organization challenges associated with achieving organization and operational sustainability, transition to digital and workforce effectiveness.
She is a speaker and Certified Executive Coach, specializing in the areas of Leadership and Organization Effectiveness. Rooted in her authentic passion for empowering people, Sonia actively coaches her clients and internal leaders alike. She has hosted a number of Executive panels including Rotman Business Speaker series, and published written pieces on the topics of Leadership and culture, including a recent article on Unlocking Human Potential.
She brings a global mindset to her clients, teams and work having worked across Asia, LATAM, Europe, US and Canada.
Senior Vice President, Retail Performance, Canadian Branch Banking, Scotiabank
Sloane Muldoon is Senior Vice President, Retail Performance. Sloane was appointed to this role in November 2020, to build on and further drive culture and change within the Bank to maximize productivity in key areas of our Retail business. Sloane is also an Advisory Board member and the Chair of The Scotiabank Women Initiative.
Sloane joined Scotiabank in 1991 and has held progressively more senior roles including most recently, Senior Vice President, Prairie Region, Canadian Branch Banking. Prior to that, Sloane was Managing Director for the Caribbean East Region and Country Head & Managing Director, Cayman Islands & British Virgin Islands, where she supported the development of the Bank’s long term strategies in the region.
Sloane has also held a number of Senior Management positions including District Vice-President, Alberta South, and Vice President, Agriculture, Commercial Banking. Sloane holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Saskatchewan, is an accredited Personal Financial Planner and graduate of the Executive Management Program at Schulich School of Business at York University, Toronto.
Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, Government of Ontario
Standing shoulder to shoulder with workers has always been important for Monte McNaughton as Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. Having grown up serving hardworking people at his family’s Home Hardware store in Newbury, Monte knows the value of a hard day’s work and the important role blue collar women and men play in building a stronger Ontario.
Having the backs of workers, helping them bring home bigger paycheques, and spreading opportunity widely has been the top priority for Monte since he was first appointed as Minister of Labour in June 2019.
Monte McNaughton introduced the Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act to modernize the skilled trades system. His Working for Workers Act is aimed at making Ontario the best place for people to live, work, and raise a family.
Prior to his current portfolio, Monte was Minister of Infrastructure. Since 2011, he has proudly served as MPP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex. A graduate from Westervelt Business College in London, he later completed executive programs at the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University.
Monte and his wife Kate currently live in Mt. Brydges, Ontario, with their daughter, Annie.
President and CEO, Toronto Region Board of Trade
Jan De Silva is President and CEO of the Toronto Region Board of Trade, one of the largest and most influential business organizations in North America. She is spearheading efforts to make Toronto one of the most competitive and sought-after business regions in the world.
Jan brings to the role more than 14 years of international CEO experience building ambitious, high-growth organizations. Anchored in her leadership is her belief in the power of economic development to lift communities.
Prior to joining the Board, she served as CEO of Sun Life Financial’s Hong Kong and Mainland China businesses and co-founded and later sold Retail China Limited. Jan also served as Dean of Ivey Asia for Ivey Business School of Western University.
Highly respected for her business advocacy and government engagement, Jan has been Chair of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, Chair of the Canada China Business Council in Beijing and served on the Board of the Asian Corporate Governance Association. In 2019, she was appointed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to represent Canada on the APEC Business Advisory Council. Jan also sits on the boards of Intact Financial Corporation, listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange; and, Blue Umbrella Limited, a global compliance technology company headquartered in Hong Kong.
President, University of Toronto
Meric Gertler is President of the University of Toronto, a Professor of Geography and Planning, and the Goldring Chair in Canadian Studies. His research investigates the role of city-regions as sites of innovation in the global economy, and the foundations for local economic success and prosperity. Professor Gertler has advised local, regional and national governments in Canada, the United States, Singapore and Europe, as well as international agencies such as the OECD and the European Union. He is a champion of fighting climate change in the Toronto region and the University of Toronto ecosystem, leading the University's commitment to reduce the carbon footprint of its investments and its operations, while contributing to the broader fight against climate change through research, teaching and advocacy.
Employers are increasingly calling out a shortage of talent, across all industries and skill levels. At the same time, the GTA continues to be a magnet for innovation, investment and business excellence. How are post-secondary institutes and other training providers helping to build a robust pipeline of new talent? And what more must be done by educators, employers and other service providers?
Executive Director, FirstWork
Akosua is the Executive Director of First Work. Prior to joining the organization, Akosua worked as a senior public affairs professional, primarily focused on policy affecting marginalized communities and youth. During her tenure with the Provincial Minister of Children and Youth Services, Akosua led the Youth Justice and Youth Opportunity policy and also worked directly with multiple agencies, as well as frontline staff, to advocate for marginalized youth.
As a senior policy advisor with the Provincial Minister of Finance, Akosua effectively advised on policy and legislation spanning a diverse portfolio, including labour, children and youth services, community and social services, correctional services, and Indigenous relations. With over six years of experience in government, combined with seven years as the board representative for the Region of Peel Women’s Centre – Interim Place, Akosua is an established driver of effective policy-making, communications, public and government affairs, and community engagement.
Akosua currently sits on the board of the Canadian Coalition of Community-Based Employability Training.
Chief Human Resource Officer, Teranet
A culture carrier, Sudha is responsible for leading Teranet’s global HR team. She is a passionate champion of inclusion and diversity, ensuring Teranet is a progressive workplace where everyone has a seat at the table and that all voices are heard. Sudha specializes in creating large-scale employee engagement and development programs that bring Teranet’s culture of continuous learning to life throughout the employee’s tenure with the company. Sudha implements talent management strategies that drive the achievement of Teranet’s business goals.
Before joining Teranet, Sudha was Director of Human Resources at a Fortune 500 leading medical technology company. She was a member of the Canadian Leadership Team, providing strategic counsel to all levels of the organization on pertinent areas including employee relations, succession planning, talent acquisition, learning and development and overall organizational effectiveness. She has also held leadership and progressive HR roles in the industries of Healthcare, Financial Services, Consulting and Transportation.
A native Montrealer, Sudha holds an MBA from Concordia University and a Bachelor’s from McGill. She is also a certified Leadership and Life Skills coach. Having lived with her husband and two sons in the Toronto area for more than 20 years, she will root for the Blue Jays and Raptors, yet remains a committed Habs fan.
Partner, Fragomen Canada
Jack is a Partner in the Toronto office of Fragomen (Canada) Co. His practice consists of assisting clients with their inbound corporate immigration requirements. This includes NAFTA related applications, intra-company transfers, Labour Market Impact Assessments (including under the Global Talent Stream), as well as process compliance and inadmissibility issues.
Jack has assisted clients in a wide array of verticals, including the sports/entertainment, oil and gas, financial/financial services, information technology, manufacturing, and professional services industries. He has spoken about Canadian immigration issues at various venues, including the Canadian Employee Relocation Council, the Engineering Human Resources Association, American Society of Employers, Toronto Region Board of Trade, Law Society of Ontario and Osgoode Hall Law School.
Prior to joining Fragomen, Jack worked in various sectors, including as a hearings officer at the Canada Border Services Agency, an executive director of a nonprofit organization and an associate at a boutique management consulting firm. Jack also articled at a major corporate law firm in Toronto.
As an authority on North Korean affairs, Jack appears frequently in the media, and has consulted with cabinet ministers and testified before the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee and Senate Human Rights Committee.
Jack speaks English and Korean.
CEO, CivicAction
Leslie Woo CRE® is a respected leader with over 25 years of experience building sustainable communities and shaping urban development in Canada’s fastest-growing urban region, greater Toronto. Leslie assumed the role of CEO at CivicAction in September 2020. CivicAction is a premier civic engagement organization that convenes established and rising leaders from all sectors, backgrounds and experiences, CivicAction catalyzes actions and impactful solutions to address pressing challenges in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area and beyond.
Before joining CivicAction, Leslie was at Metrolinx for over a decade including her time as Metrolinx’s Chief Planning and Development Officer. Leslie is a tri-sector athlete with experience in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors as well as her experience as a planner, architect and community activator. An accomplished leader, Leslie was named Bisnow’s 2019 Toronto Power Women in Commercial Real Estate, one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in 2017 by WXN, Spacing Toronto’s Transit Changemaker in 2016 and Canada’s Women’s Infrastructure Network’s 2015 Outstanding Leader. Founder of shebuildscities.org, Leslie uses her voice and platform to amplify and celebrate other women city builders.
Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, University of Toronto
Professor Christopher Yip began his term as Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering at the University of Toronto in 2019, after serving for two years as Associate Vice-President in the University's International Partnerships Office.
Dean Yip is a leading scholar in the field of single-molecule biophysics and a faculty member with the Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry, the Department of Biochemistry and the Institute of Biomedical Engineering. He is a Principal Investigator with the Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research at the University of Toronto.
As a former director of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto, he provided leadership to more than 100 research engineers and scientists engaged in discovery and product development in the areas of neuroscience and sensory stimulation, biomaterials and tissue engineering, molecular systems biology and nanotechnology, as well as medical device and drug delivery system design. Dean Yip is the Vice Chair of the CIHR Institute of Genetics Advisory Board and has served on grant panels at NSERC, CIHR and NIH. He was the first recipient of the Molecular Imaging’s Outstanding Young Biological Scanning Probe Microscopy Investigator of the Year award, and since that time has been honoured with a Premier’s Research Excellence Award (1999), Faculty Teaching Award (2000) and Graduate Faculty Teaching Award for Sustained Contribution to Excellence in Graduate Teaching (2008). He was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2009), a Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada (2014) and held a Tier II Canada Research Chair in Molecular Imaging (2000-2010).
In the fierce global competition for talent, the Innovation Corridor has led in attracting high-potential international students and highly-skilled workers. COVID has now disrupted both higher education and immigration patterns, and the rising cost of living – especially housing costs – risks harming our region’s reputation as a great place to relocate. This session will unpack the strengths of the region, as well as how to address the challenges we face to ensure we remain an attractive place for top global talent.
Executive Advisor Future of Work, Deloitte
Zabeen is Executive Advisor Future of Work at Deloitte, advising the firm and its clients on issues key to their transformation agendas. She also leads a forum of CHROs from leading private and public sector organizations focused on accelerating their own organizations and Canada’s post-pandemic recovery and economic growth through cultivating a skilled, inclusive, and resilient workforce.
A long-standing champion of building inclusive prosperity, she is a trusted advisor to senior levels of government, universities, and not-for-profits. She is the past Chair of CivicAction, a leading city-building organization and formerly sat on the Governing Council of University of Toronto. She is an executive-in-residence at Simon Fraser University Beedie School of Business and a Visiting Professor at King’s College, London U.K. Zabeen holds an MBA from Simon Fraser University. She is also a Corporate Director.
Prior to this, Zabeen had a long and distinguished career at RBC, and was the Chief Human Resources Officer for ten years until 2017. She was also responsible for brand, communications, and corporate citizenship, and was part of RBC’s Group Executive Committee which set the strategic direction of the bank.
Zabeen’s external recognition includes Canadian HR Awards Ivey Business School Lifetime Achievement in Human Resources Leadership, Governor General's Meritorious Service medal for Diversity and Inclusion, Simon Fraser University Outstanding Alumni award, Catalyst Canada Champion for advancing women and minorities in business, WXN Top 100 Most Powerful Woman and Hall of Fame inductee, and Top 25 Women of Influence in Business.
President & CEO, Business Council of Canada
Goldy Hyder is President and CEO of the Business Council of Canada, a non-partisan association composed of the chief executives and entrepreneurs of Canada’s leading companies. Previously he was President & CEO of Hill+Knowlton Strategies (Canada). Earlier in his career he served as director of policy and chief of staff to The Right Honourable Joe Clark, former prime minister and leader of the then federal Progressive Conservative Party.
Mr. Hyder serves in many charitable and non-profit organizations, including as chair of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada’s Asia Business Leaders Advisory Council, as board member of the Business + Higher Education Roundtable and as advisory board member of Catalyst Canada. He is a regular commentator in the Canadian media on business, politics and public policy. He is also the host of the “Speaking of Business” podcast, which features interviews with Canadian innovators, entrepreneurs and business leaders.
President & Vice-Chancellor, Ryerson University
Dr. Mohamed Lachemi is president and vice-chancellor of Ryerson University, first appointed in 2016 and reappointed to a second term concluding in 2026. An internationally recognized researcher and accomplished academic administrator, he has been a key contributor to the growth and development of Ryerson over a transformational time in the university’s history. A Ryerson professor of civil engineering since 1998, he has served in progressively senior roles, including dean of the faculty of engineering and architectural science, and provost and vice-president, academic. As president, he has promoted the establishment of Ryerson as a global university, overseen the development of Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst – a national centre for cybersecurity, and navigated approvals for a new and innovative law school.
A graduate of l'Université des Sciences et de la Technologie d'Oran in Algeria and L'Université de Sherbrooke (MASc and PhD), Dr. Lachemi is a Fellow of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering, Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, and Board member of Trillium Health Partners.
Managing Director, OneEleven
Matthew is the Managing Director of OneEleven, a post-seed accelerator in Toronto, working to help scale the next generation of Canadian tech companies.
Prior to leading OneEleven, he co-founded the not-for-profit marketplace GroceryHero, and has previously worked for the United Nations, and in management consulting at Deloitte.
He is an angel investor, advisor and mentor with multiple venture funds, member of the Board of Directors of the Toronto Zoo and Ontario Snowboard, and a frequent contributor to the Globe & Mail Report on Business, Financial Post, and Toronto Star.
Ottawa Correspondent, The Logic
Murad Hemmadi is an Ottawa correspondent for The Logic, covering business and innovation policy, as well as companies including Shopify. Before joining The Logic, he covered politics and wrote a daily newsletter for Maclean’s. He started his journalism career as a reporter at Canadian Business, covering the technology sector, entrepreneurship and small- and medium-sized enterprises.
Premier of Ontario
Doug Ford is the Premier of Ontario. He was also elected as the MPP for Etobicoke-North in 2018.
Previously, Doug Ford served as Toronto city councillor from 2010-2014, and was vice-chair of the Budget Committee, where he delivered hundreds of millions of dollars in savings for taxpayers. While on city council, Ford served on the board of Build Toronto, and was a director of the Canadian National Exhibition. He also served on the Civic Appointments Committee and the Government Management Committee at Council.
A dedicated community leader, successful businessman with Deco Labels and passionate advocate for the people, Doug’s commitment to public service runs in the family. Three generations of Fords have served the people of Ontario in elected office.
Doug is a life-long resident of the community of Etobicoke, and lives there with his wife Karla and four daughters. His commitment to public service includes over 20 years of dedicated work with the Toronto West Rotary Club and serving as a proud member of the Royal Canadian Legion.
In-Person Experience: Sign-In & Breakfast
Virtual: Video Networking Open
Hon. Carla Qualtrough
Barbara Mason
COVID has reinforced the need for increased supports for workers who may be grappling with multiple challenges in their life. What supports and tools are workers looking for? What can leading employers do to help support their mental health, wellness and overall resilience—and make their companies and organizations more attractive for talent? While developed soft skills have always been sought in workers, inversely, is there a driving need for high emotional intelligence—more empathy— in employers?
Kim Vander Aerschot
Dr. Susan Black
Dominic Cole-Morgan
Joseph Mancinelli
John Wright
Women's workforce participation rates were dramatically impacted during the pandemic. This is compounded with continuing lags to pay equity and other challenges faced by women business leaders. This panel will feature senior executives sharing their perspectives on what is needed to create a truly equitable workforce.
Rola Dagher
Supriya Dwivedi
Angelita Graham
Sonia Mathur
Sloane Muldoon
Hon. Monte McNaughton
Jan De Silva
Meric Gertler
Employers are increasingly calling out a shortage of talent, across all industries and skill levels. At the same time, the GTA continues to be a magnet for innovation, investment and business excellence. How are post-secondary institutes and other training providers helping to build a robust pipeline of new talent? And what more must be done by educators, employers and other service providers?
Akosua Alagaratnam
Sudha Dwivedi
Jack Kim
Leslie Woo
Chris Yip
Vivek Goel
In the fierce global competition for talent, the Innovation Corridor has led in attracting high-potential international students and highly-skilled workers. COVID has now disrupted both higher education and immigration patterns, and the rising cost of living - especially housing costs - risks harming our region's reputation as a great place to relocate. This session will unpack the strengths of the region, as well as how to address the challenges we face to ensure we remain an attractive place for top global talent.
Zabeen Hirji
Goldy Hyder
Dr. Mohamed Lachemi
Matthew Lombardi
Murad Hemmadi
Hon. Doug Ford
Thank you to everyone who helped make the Recovery Summit Series a success
Visit the “Past Summits” tab to catch up on any of the exciting discussions and insights you might have missed from the three-part series.
Sessions tailored to the needs and challenges of the Toronto region and Innovation Corridor.
1World-class speakers, and public and private sector leaders discussing recovery from a sectoral, regional and global perspective.
Discussions on cross-sector opportunities for businesses as they plan for recovery and long-term growth.
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