Jon Babulic is The City of Barrie’s CAO, hired in 2007 to lead the Corporation through a change management initiative for Canada’s fastest growing community. Jon’s professional portfolio boasts over 30 years of progressive management experience in the private sector leading up to his appointment of Commissioner of Community Services for the Corporation of The City of Barrie.

Prior to joining The City of Barrie, Jon was CEO and President of Expertech, a multi-million dollar corporation, where he successfully spearheaded corporate acquisitions, strategic alliances and labour agreements. Under his leadership, the company’s annual revenues grew from approximately $120 million to more than $480 million. Leading almost 3,000 employees internationally, he established offices coast to coast in Canada and subsidiaries in the United States, Australia, and the Cayman Islands.

Jon has provided leadership and strategic direction in all aspects of corporate and operational management including the design and construction of the first trans-Canada fibre optics facility. He has also contributed technical and strategic counsel for the development of project proposals that included implementation plans spanning across Canada as well as in Saudi Arabia, Mexico and New Zealand. His proven practices in business transformation, change management and process improvement continue to be invaluable to the City as the Corporation moves forward in its quest towards continuous improvement providing an even greater value in its service delivery.

Jon’s path of excellence spans beyond the walls of City Hall as he proudly serves as Treasurer of Barrie’s Royal Victoria Hospital, as well as sitting on the Board of Directors. He is also a member of the board of Governors for The National Quality Institute.

Steve completed his undergraduate degree at Washington State University, articled as a Chartered Accountant, and upon completing his CA, began a career in the finance side of school district administration culminating in 1994 when he was appointed as the Assistant Deputy Minister of Finance & Admin. in the BC Ministry of Education.

Steve joined the Workers’ Compensation Board in 1996, and began in the claims arena. Initially Steve was a front line manager of a claims office and over the next few years progressed to Senior Manager and Director positions. In 1999, Steve was appointed Executive Director of Compensation Services and took on provincial responsibilities for all claims operations. In 2002 Steve took on the role of Executive Director on the Rehabilitation and Administration side of the Compensation Services Division and focused on the external rehabilitation network and how it interacts with adjudication. In early 2004 Steve was appointed to the position of Vice President and in 2005 also became the Assistant CFO of the newly renamed WorkSafeBC. In January 2008 Steve became the CFO for WorkSafeBC and also had primary responsibility for overseeing the Claims Management Solutions project implemented in 2009.

Steve is married with three step-daughters and five grand-kids, and enjoys spending time with all his family. The odd game of golf is nice too.

Brian Bentz is the President and CEO of PowerStream Inc., the second largest municipally-owned electricity distribution company in Ontario, serving more than 330,000 customers in Simcoe County and York Region.

Brian has played a pivotal role in the growth of PowerStream from its creation following the merger of three local electricity distribution companies in Markham, Richmond Hill and Vaughan in 2004, to the acquisition of Aurora Hydro in 2005 and the 2009 merger with Barrie Hydro. PowerStream is jointly owned by the City of Vaughan, the City of Barrie and the Town of Markham.

Under his leadership the company in 2008 completed the construction and took occupancy of an energy-efficient head office facility in Vaughan, which was the first office building in York Region and, at the time, the largest in Ontario to achieve a LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold certification rating from the Canada Green Building Council. A new operations centre built recently in Markham has also achieved LEED gold certification.

PowerStream’s growth as an electricity distribution company, establishment of a solar generation business and its commitment to environment stewardship, with Brian at the helm, has resulted in recognition and honours from several industry and business organizations. In addition to joining a select group of companies inducted by Ministry of the Environment into ‘Ontario’s Environmental Leaders Program’ (2010), PowerStream has also been named the Ontario Energy Association’s ‘Energy Company of the Year’ (2010), captured the Electricity Distributors’ Association’s ‘LDC Performance Excellence Award’ (2010) and was selected as the Vaughan Chamber of Commerce’s ‘Business of the Year’ (2010), an accolade the utility previously won in 2006. PowerStream has also earned the Smart Commute ‘Employer of the Year’ Award for North Toronto, Vaughan (2009) and captured the Electricity Distributors Association’s Environmental Excellence Award (2009).

Brian has assumed an active leadership role within the energy industry. He is a Past Chair of the Electricity Distributors Association, the Independent Electricity System Operator’s Stakeholder Advisory Committee and the MEARIE Group. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Ontario Energy Association and the Electrical Safety Authority. He also is a member of the Coalition of Large Distributors’ CEO Committee. Locally, Brian is on the Board of Directors of the Markham Stouffville Hospital Foundation.

Originally from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Brian has an MBA (McMaster) and a honourary Bachelor of Applied Arts degree (Georgian College). He is also a Chartered Accountant as well as a Certified Engineering Technologist (Electrical/Electronics).

Ruby Brown has recently joined the Trillium Health Centre as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. She has over 25 years of experience across all health care sectors, including acute, long term care, community, and mental health in Alberta, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories.

Ruby has provided leadership in organizations and in health systems undergoing substantial transformations while maintaining quality and stability in services.

Prior to her arrival in Ontario, Ruby served as Vice President for the Alberta Mental Health Board. She has been the Senior Operating Officer for Vancouver Acute in the Vancouver Coast Health Authority, Chief Operating Officer for the North Okanagan Health Region, Chief Transition Officer for the Alberta Mental Health Board, and in administration at the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton’s Capital Health Region following regionalization.

Ruby has a BScN (with distinction) and a MBA from the University of Alberta.

Ken Budzak has held the position of ISC’s Vice-President, Operations since his appointment in September 2008. Ken is responsible for the delivery of front line products, services and support to ISC customers. The portfolio of business units that Ken leads include: eight regional Customer Service Centers; Customer Support Team; Surveys; GIS Data; Geomatics Data and Distribution; Vital Statistics; E-Business Services; Corporate Registry; and Resolutions.

Ken first joined ISC in June 2001 as the Director, Project Office, and in October 2001 was appointed Executive Project Manager for the LAND Project. In January 2005, he led the establishment of the Resolutions Team, adding E-Business Services and Distribution Services to his responsibilities in the coming months. Prior to his current appointment, he held the position of General Manager, Delivery for two years, adding the Customer Service Centres, the Customer Support Team, GIS Data and Surveys to his portfolio.

Prior to joining ISC, Ken provided over 15 years of service to Canada’s largest member owned agri-business co-operative and publically traded (TSX) company.
Ken holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Saskatchewan. Outside of work Ken enjoys working with youth, volunteering as a hockey and lacrosse coach. Ken also serves on the Saskatchewan Science Center Board of Directors, is a member of the Executive Committee and is the Chair of their Audit and Finance Committee of the Board.

Kathryn Cestnick is a senior administrative and financial executive who has worked in both the private and not-for-profit sectors. Kathryn has extensive knowledge in administration, and practices quality and healthy workplace management principles and practices in her everyday life. Since joining NQI in 1999, she has conducted many workshops in quality and healthy workplace, and has extensively assessed organizations against the NQI criteria, both for NQI PEP® and the Canada Awards for Excellence.

In her previous consultancy practice, she worked with all size organizations helping them improve what they do. She has also held senior positions including Vice President Administration at two Community Colleges and Chief Operating Officer at one of Canada's largest Law Firms.

Kathryn holds a Bachelor Administrative Studies, York University and is a Certified General Accountant. She is also an NQI Certified Excellence Professional and Canada Awards for Excellence Lead Verifier.

Neil is a Principal of Hewitt Associates and leads the Employee Research Practice in Canada, including the Best Employers in Canada Study which is conducted by Hewitt Associates and published annually in the Globe and Mail’s ROB Magazine. Neil also consults with clients across Canada and a wide range of industry sectors on the development and execution of overall people and rewards strategies to sustain and improve employee engagement. He has over 25 years of experience in a broad range of human resources consulting roles including retirement and investments, talent management, HR effectiveness, merger, acquisitions and restructuring.
Neil speaks frequently on employee engagement and how organizations need to respond to ensure a highly engaged workforce in the face of a growing labour and skill shortage, increasing diversity and growing pressure to improve the return on investment of increasingly expensive people resources.
Neil is a mathematics graduate of the University of Waterloo and is a qualified actuary. He is a member of BC HRMA and has the CHRP designation.

Prior to joining the City of Regina, Glen was a Principal with a management consulting firm for over 4 years. During his career as a management consultant he spent most of his time providing support and advice at the executive and Council level of municipalities of varying sizes across much of Canada.

Prior to consulting, Glen had a varied career within the municipal sector, having worked for a number of municipalities in Ontario and Alberta.

Glen is an accomplished municipal manager with over 30 years of experience with a number of different sized municipalities in three Provinces. He has had direct service delivery and managerial responsibility for a wide-range of municipal portfolios including 17 years as a CAO and senior manager.

His interests are largely in the areas of governance design and relationships; policy; organizational assessment, design and effectiveness; strategic planning; change management and continuous improvement. Glen has a proven track record in affecting positive change, building strong teams and strategic partnerships. He believes strongly in an open and trusting work environment characterized by collaborative relationships, empowerment and accountability.

Glen has maintained a long standing membership in the International City Management Association, the Canadian Municipal Administrators’ Association and the Institute of Public Administration of Canada.

Arlene is one of Canada’s most renowned independent marketing communications entrepreneurs. After joining Venture as a partner in 1998, Arlene took over sole ownership in 1998 and has grown the company into a strategic and creative powerhouse for a blue-chip client list.

Arlene believes strongly that marketing’s purpose is to deliver business results. Her vision has driven Venture’s growth, successfully building it from a local firm into one of Canada’s largest independent marketing firms, with offices in Calgary and Toronto.

Arlene’s accomplishments have been recognized with several honours and awards. They include: Global Television Woman of Vision; PROFIT and Chatelaine magazine’s TOP 100 Women Business Owners; the Pinnacle Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence; Canada’s’ Most Powerful Women Top 100 Hall of Fame; Ad Rodeo’s Lifetime Achievement Award; and McGill University’s 2008 Management Achievement Award. Perhaps the greatest honour was recognition of Venture as one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies for three consecutive years. She is also the recipient of honorary degrees from Mount Saint Vincent University and NAIT.

A master entrepreneur with a keen eye for ideas that get results, Arlene has a successful track record of picking companies on the rise. Her instinct for emerging trends and sound investments is exemplified in her role as a panelist on the Gemini award-winning hit series. The Dragon’s Den.

In addition to her roles as CEO of Venture, Dragon, mother of four children and grandmother of three, Arlene lends her time, skills, and leadership to benefit the industry and the community. Over the years, Arlene has served on various boards including Ad Rodeo (chair) and the National Board for Kids Help Phone (co-chair). She is currently a director or the Calgary Municipal Lands Corporation and Chaordix, and sits on the Advisory Committee of the Stratford Institute at the University of Waterloo, the Leadership Council of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, the Editorial Advisory Board of Marketing Magazine, and is the National spokesperson for The Breakfast Clubs of Canada.

Kevin P. Dougherty is President of Sun Life Financial Canada, and President of Sun Life Global Investments (SLGI).

As President of Sun Life Financial Canada, Mr. Dougherty heads up the Company’s Canadian operations which have a relationship with one in five Canadians across its group benefits, group retirement, and individual wealth, insurance, and investment management businesses. Mr. Dougherty assumed this position in January 2010, following an earlier period leading the Canadian business during 2004-2007, and then the Company’s global asset management businesses during 2008-2009.

Mr. Dougherty assumed the role of President of Sun Life Global Investments in 2008. In this role, he continues to be responsible for leveraging the Company’s interests in its affiliated asset management companies, MFS in the U.S., McLean Budden in Canada, and Birla Sun Life Asset Management in India, as well as overseeing its third-party asset management platform. SLGI is focused on the evolution of the asset management businesses underlying Sun Life’s global operations, and accelerating the Company’s continuing growth in wealth management.

Mr. Dougherty also oversees the Company’s worldwide Reinsurance business, one of the top providers of retrocession capacity in North America.

Mr. Dougherty joined Sun Life Financial in 1994 and has extensive experience in financial services. He has held senior leadership positions across the Company’s wealth and protection businesses, spearheading initiatives to integrate strategies across lines of business. He brings a passion for innovation and for Sun Life’s relationships with clients, advisors, and distributors.

Mr. Dougherty is Chairman of the National Quality Institute’s Board of Governors, and serves on the Boards of a number of organizations, including the MFS Corporate Board, McLean Budden, and the Canada-India Business Council. He is also an active member of the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association.

Mr. Dougherty holds a Master of Business Administration (International) from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, and an ICDD designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

January 2010

Previous to coming to the Region of Durham in 2003, Dr. Drouin was the C.E.O. for Family Service Ontario.

Dr. Drouin has a varied and rich background having served as a clinician, college and university professor, administrator, consultant, and seminar leader. He has conducted extensive research in the area of nurturing workplaces and their impact on the stress and morale of employees.

Dr. Drouin holds a Master's Degree in Social Work from the University of Windsor, and a Ph.D. in Social Work Administration from Laval University in Quebec City. He has also attended post graduate clinical studies at Adelphi University in New York City.

He has conducted numerous seminars and workshops for such diverse organizations as General Electric, Canada Post, Royal Bank, Ministry of Health, school boards, District Health Councils, churches, hospitals, social agencies and a variety of professional groups such as teachers, nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and a variety of administrators.

He has been on part-time faculty at the School of Social Work McMaster University. He received the McMaster teaching award for his exceptional contributions to teaching in the School of Social Work.

Allan immigrated to Canada from Johannesburg, South Africa in 1973. He earned an MBA degree from the University of Toronto, and qualified as a Chartered Accountant while articling with Coopers & Lybrand, Chartered Accountants.

However, accounting did not fulfil Allan’s entrepreneurial spirit and he became a partner in Stuarts Furniture & Appliances, a small furniture and appliance chain, which grew significantly and was subsequently sold to The Brick.

In 1979 Allan started the Toronto School of Business, a career college. Under the banner of International Business Schools, the company grew to become the largest chain of private career colleges in Canada, with 50 locations coast-to-coast training more than 10,000 adult students per year for new and exciting careers. Ten years later, Allan took the company public on the NASDAQ stock exchange. Under his leadership, International Business Schools trained over a quarter of a million adult students.

Allan is also the founder and CEO of Management Mentors International Inc. (MMI), a corporate training and development organization that is dedicated to “helping managers build better businesses and better lives”. Allan serves on the faculty of York University and the Schulich School of Business, and is a Director of the Rotman School of Management MBA IMC program. He is listed in Who’s Who in American Education and is a member of the World Presidents’ Organization.

In August 2005, Allan was appointed President & CEO of the National Quality Institute and the Canada Awards for Excellence.

Allan is passionate about people and is dedicated to helping them achieve their full potential and committing organizations to strive for excellence.

Kevin Ford, Vice President and General Manager, has over 29 years of experience in the professional services industry. His primary focus is to expand Calian's market presence and to tailor their service offerings to meet the ever-changing demands of the Business and Technology Services market.

Kevin is committed to working with Calian’s employees and business partners to provide quality services to their customers; continuously striving to exceed their expectations. "The division's proven track record of delivery to our customers is directly related to the quality of the Calian team, the robustness of our recruiting and delivery processes, and the commitment to process improvement as demonstrated by Calian being a recipient of the Canada Awards for Excellence - Gold Trophy and a Founding Partner of Excellence Canada" says Kevin. "I believe we are uniquely positioned to leverage this solid foundation to be our customers' program delivery partner. Calian has the ability to manage business process outsourcing and provide resources coast-to-coast whether this is in the health, information technology, operations and maintenance or training domains".

Kevin has built his experience as a manager with a number of leading Canadian enterprises including DMR, LGS and IBM. For the past 11 years he was an executive at IBM Canada Ltd. where he was responsible for a portfolio of in-country and global business services engagements in the management consulting, systems integration and information technology services sectors.

Kevin is active in the community, acting as a coach for local sports teams and is a member of numerous industry associations.

Jim Giesinger is Senior Vice-President, Operations for Sun Life Financial Canada.

Mr. Giesinger joined the Company in this role in October 2008. He is responsible for transforming business processes and increasing efficiencies for Sun Life Financial Canada. He also chairs the National Operations Council and serves as a representative on the Global Operations Council.

Prior to joining Sun Life Financial, Mr. Giesinger was the Operational Effectiveness Leader for Mercer’s global Retirement Business, focused on standardizing core service delivery for the retirement business. Prior to that, he led Mercer’s Administration Services business, including call centres.

Mr. Giesinger is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and the Canadian Institute of Actuaries. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Mathematics from the University of Manitoba.

Jim is a change-agent; a solutions-driven executive with extensive experience and success in steering efficient and cost-effective business operations. As Atlantic Lottery’s Managing Director, Jim uses his skills to lead a high-performance team tasked with identifying opportunities to increase efficiency and implementing process architecture across the company. He is also leading the Digital Gaming Group and the overall Player Strategy for the organization. He has a proven track record for developing people to their potential while focused on translating business strategy into operational reality.

Prior to joining Atlantic Lottery, Jim had an extensive career with Canada Post Corporation responsible for Operations in various major centers throughout Canada. These engagement led to a strategic review of postal operations in Canada and his role as Lead, Postal Transformation.

Jim is a graduate of St. Francis Xavier University and of the Executive Development Program at Queen’s University. He has continued his professional development throughout his career through Six Sigma, Rath and Strong Management Consultants, and the Lean Enterprise Institute.

Paul Goddard became Pizza Pizza's Chief Executive Officer on March 31, 2010, a role previously held by the late Michael Overs, the founder of Pizza Pizza. Paul is a licensed professional engineer, and holds an honours engineering degree from Queen's University and an MBA from London Business School, UK.

Paul has over 20 years of international experience in Canada, the US, and the UK, and has extensive expertise in general management, sales, marketing, IT, operations, business development, strategy, and portfolio management. He has worked for market-leading firms such as Esso, Morgan Stanley, and most recently was Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing at Just Energy Group (formerly Energy Savings Income Fund).

Born and raised in Alberta, he now resides with his wife and two children in Toronto. He is an avid skier and enjoys travelling with his family.

Ward Griffin is the President and CEO of the Lowe-Martin Group. Located in Ottawa and Toronto, the Lowe-Martin Group is one of the largest Commercial Printing Companies in Canada. The Ottawa Chamber of Commerce selected Ward as CEO of the year in 2007 and Lowe-Martin as Company of the year in 2003. Ward has been profiled in Canada by PrintAction Magazine in 2008 as one of the 50 Most Influential People in our Industry and by Graphic Monthly magazine in 2005 as one of the Key Players of the Next 25 Years in the Industry. He is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario with a B.A. in Financial and Economic Studies, and also has a B.Sc. degree with highest honors from Rochester Institute of Technology’s Printing Management and Sciences Program. In September 2006 Ward completed a one-year term as Chairman of the Board of the Canadian Printing Industries Association.

The Ontario Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB) plays a key role in the province's occupational health and safety system. The WSIB administers no-fault workplace insurance for employers and their workers and is committed to the prevention of workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses. The WSIB provides disability benefits, monitors the quality of healthcare, and assists in early and safe return to work for workers who are injured on the job or contract an occupational disease.

Steve has enjoyed 23 years of employment at the Ontario WSIB holding a number of different positions predominantly in the field of human resources. Steve spent many of his human resources years in the field of labour relations where he’s been involved in numerous collective bargaining efforts. In 2003 Steve became Vice President, Human Resources and he held that position until late 2007 when he assumed the role of Vice President, Prevention where he was able to further enhance his knowledge of the health and safety system. In 2010 Steve returned to the role of Vice President, Human Resources where he looks forward to preparing the organization and its employees for the many challenges ahead.

In addition to his duties with the WSIB, Steve for the past 3 years has been an active member of the Workforce Advisory Committee which is one of eight Committees reporting into the Mental Health Commission of Canada.

As EVP, Strategic Management, Irene Jaroszuk oversees Ceridian Canada’s Quality and Strategy, Customer Loyalty, and Marketing and Communications functions.

Ms. Jaroszuk has held positions of increasing management responsibility since joining Ceridian in 1998. Prior to assuming her current role, Ms. Jaroszuk was Vice-President, Business Excellence, developing a team that has consistently delivered measurable customer and stakeholder value. In this role, she was responsible for improving customer experience as proven by Ceridian’s world-class Net Promoter Scores; creating sustainable and reliable business processes; applying Lean Six Sigma to accelerate change, ensuring the delivery of Ceridian’s strategic initiatives, and pledging a corporate commitment to the achievement of National Quality Institute (NQI) certification. Ms Jaroszuk also played a leadership role in establishing Ceridian’s HR outsourcing practice in Canada, in which she was instrumental in the achievement of triple-digit revenue growth over a three-year period for this emerging line of business.

With nearly 20 years of experience in the technology industry, Ms. Jaroszuk has expertise in areas such as business development, project management, strategic planning, financial management, system design and development, and process improvement.

Ms. Jaroszuk holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Carleton University and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Ottawa. She has successfully completed the Wharton Executive Development Program in Mergers and Acquisitions, and is a Six Sigma Black Belt and member of the NQI’s Board of Directors.

Dave joined Great-West Life in 1978 and has held various positions within both the Company’s Canadian and United Kingdom Group Insurance businesses. He is currently Executive Vice-President, Group and has overall responsibilities for Group Insurance in Canada.

He is a past member of the Board of Directors of the International Foundation of Employee Benefits, Past Chair of the Canadian Life & Health Insurance Association Executive Committee on Group Insurance, and Past Chair of the Life Insurance Management & Research Association Group Insurance Marketing Committee. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the National Quality Institute.

Ed Kane has been at Carleton University since 1988 and is currently the assistant vice-president of University Services, which is comprised of 10 units that provide essential services to students, faculty, staff and visitors.

Mr. Kane has been the driving force behind Carleton University’s healthy workplace initiative since it was established on campus in 2009. In May 2011, Carleton was the first university in Canada to receive the NQI PEP® Level 1 for both Quality and Healthy Workplace®.

He has also held numerous positions with the Purchasing Management Association of Canada, including Ottawa District president and chair of the 2000 national conference. He was president of the Ontario Universities Purchasing Management Association and is currently a steering committee member with the U.S.-based National Association of College Auxiliary Services. He has a BA in Public Sector Administration from the University of Ulster.

Douglas Kelly joined the Ottawa Citizen as a reporter in 1982 and worked on a number of beats at the paper before joining the Financial Post in Toronto as Bay Street reporter in 1990. He later became Investing Editor of the FP.

When the National Post was launched in 1998, Mr. Kelly occupied the same position with the new national newspaper before being named Deputy Managing Editor, Executive Editor, Deputy Editor and then Editor-in-Chief in 2005. He was named to the position of Publisher of the National Post in July 2010 when Postmedia Network was launched.

A Toronto native, Mr. Kelly is a graduate of Ryerson University's journalism program. He is a past recipient of the Asia-Pacific Fellowship for Journalists and editor of the Financial Post Guide to Investing.

Mr. Kelly lives in Toronto with his wife and two sons.

Ken is a member of several corporate public and private boards and is a Governor of the National Quality Institute. He has both a BSc engineering electronics degree and a diploma in management from McGill University. Ken previously held positions as President and CEO of NBS Technologies, a company with annual sales of $C140 million. Prior to this, he was Chairman of AlliedSignal Canada Inc, and CEO of AlliedSignal Aerospace Canada, a subsidiary of AlliedSignal of Morristown NJ.

Ken is Chairman of the Advisory Committee of SIPA, the Small Investor Protection Association and runs www.canadianlfundwatch.com to help small investors deal with the complexities and pitfalls of mutual fund investing. He runs Portfolio Analytics, assisting investors obtain restitution due to sales or broker abuses. Ken founded Kenmar Corporation, a company that provides consulting services to SME’s regarding strategic planning, marketing, Total Quality, operations, and financing. He is a Senior Fellow of the ASQ. Ken has written a number of books including Quality Control for Management and has published over 50 articles and papers.

John Lahey joined the Alterna Group (Alterna Savings and Alterna Bank) as the President & CEO in July 2007 after serving as President and Chief Executive Officer of Hamilton based FirstOntario Credit Union. Before that, he spent almost 25 years with CIBC in increasingly senior roles.

John volunteers his time, like many other credit union leaders, in an attempt to contribute positively towards a better credit union system and wider community. He has participated in committees at DICO and CUCO. He is also a former Director of Selient Technologies Inc. and the CUMIS Group, as well as a former Governor of the University of Guelph. He is also a past Campaign Chair, Small Business for the London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario.

John has a B.A.A. from Ryerson University and an M.B.A. degree from York University. In November 2005, Ryerson University honoured John by awarding him the coveted Alumni Award of Distinction.

Marc Laliberté has worked in the railway sector for almost 30 years. Throughout his career, he has continued to demonstrate solid expertise in dealing with key industry issues.

In January 2010, Mr. Laliberté was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer at VIA Rail Canada. Between 2003 and 2009, he held the position of President and CEO for the Quebec Railway Corporation, the largest Canadian owned shortline railway. His vast experience in both the railway and business sectors is certainly a valuable asset at VIA Rail.

Mr. Laliberté began his rail career in 1980 working as a mechanical engineer at Canadian National (CN), where he moved up the ranks to become Director of Intermodal Operations. Between 1994 and 1996, Mr. Laliberté worked as President and CEO of CN subsidiary AMF Technotransport Inc. In 1996, he was promoted to General Manager of CN's Eastern Canada Champlain district. There, he successfully improved the efficiency, on time performance and safety of trains. In 1999, he became President and CEO at Vapor Rail Inc.

Born in Québec City, Mr. Laliberté holds a bachelor of science in engineering physics from the Université Laval in Québec.

Glenn S. Laverty is the President and CEO of Ricoh Canada Inc. and IKON Office Solutions, Inc., both wholly-owned subsidiaries of Ricoh Americas Corporation.

As President, Mr. Laverty heads up the Canadian division of Ricoh Company Ltd., a global leader in digital office solutions contributing to the success of businesses in every corner of the world, with revenues in excess of 22 billion dollars. Ricoh is a renowned world leader in Environmental Sustainability and in 2010 was named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the second year in a row by the Ethisphere Institute. In Canada, Ricoh’s operations are coast to coast with over 2200 direct employees, as well as a network of dealers, engaged in providing office equipment hardware, Technical Services, software, Managed Document Services and Consulting related to the management of documents and image communications that enhance the productivity and efficiency of Canadian businesses in the most cost effective manner. Ricoh Canada has a track record of continuous growth since 1998.

In 2008, the acquisition of IKON Office Solutions, Inc. provided the opportunity for Ricoh to consolidate its operations within Canada. Ricoh Canada is a Canadian leader within its industry and was a National Quality Institute Gold Award winner for Excellence in 2007. Ricoh Canada has been involved with the National Quality Institute since 2003.

Mr. Laverty has been responsible for providing leadership and direction at the executive level for much of the last decade, during which time Ricoh Canada has consistently outperformed the industry. Mr. Laverty has been a key driver of a comprehensive Customer Experience Management strategy that differentiates Ricoh Canada in the Canadian market based on its exceptional level of Customer Centricity. He is passionate about “The Customer” and the linkage between Corporate Values and highly engaged employees that contribute to superior business results.

Mr. Laverty joined Ricoh Canada in 1994 with extensive experience in the industry and held a number of senior roles prior to taking over the position of President and CEO in January 2008.

Mr. Laverty holds a B.A. degree in Economics from the University of Western Ontario.

Peter Legge is an inspiration to anyone who meets him! He lives his life dream as an internationally acclaimed professional speaker, a bestselling author, and as Chairman & CEO of the largest, independently-owned magazine publishing company in Western Canada - Canada Wide Media Limited. He is a community leader tirelessly devoting his time to many worthwhile organizations. Peter is a past Chair of the Vancouver Board of Trade.

His presentations are based on his everyday experiences as a community leader, husband, father, and CEO. Peter has published fourteen books including "The Runway of Life", "Make Your Life a Masterpiece", "The Power of Tact", "The Power to Soar Higher" and most recently "The Power of a Dream." His books have motivated thousands of people towards positive change.

Toastmasters International voted Peter "Golden Gavel Award Winner" and "Top Speaker in North America" and both the National Speakers Association and the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers have inducted him into the Speakers Hall of Fame.

Peter is also a member of the prestigious Speakers Roundtable, an invitation-only society comprising 20 of North American's top professional speakers. Peter has received two honorary doctorate degrees from Simon Fraser University and Royal Roads University, and most recently received an honorary doctorate of technology from the British Columbia Institute of Technology.

In 2005, Peter was presented with The Nido Qubein Philanthropist of the Year Award in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2006, Peter was awarded the Ambassador of Free Enterprise by Sales and Marketing Executives International in Texas. In December 2006, The Peter Legge Philanthropist of the Year Award was introduced by The Canadian Association of Professional Speakers. Peter is the first recipient of this award.

In June 2008, the province's highest award, The Order of British Columbia was presented to Peter for his life-long commitment to serving the community.

Bruce McCuaig was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Metrolinx, the regional transportation authority for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, on September 4, 2010.

Bruce McCuaig has a 26-year record of public service combining operating, planning and policy experience in the transportation and land-use planning sectors. As Deputy Minister of Transportation he was responsible for leading 4,000 public servants as they worked to ensure the efficiency and safety of Ontario’s transportation system. Prior to becoming the Deputy Minister, Bruce McCuaig headed the Provincial Highways Management Division of the ministry, which is the Ministry’s largest operating division. Mr. McCuaig has also held the position of Assistant Deputy Minister of the Policy, Planning and Standards Division of the Ministry of Transportation.

Mr. McCuaig has a Bachelor of Applied Arts degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Ryerson University, and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Queen’s University.

As a key member of executive management applying extensive knowledge of industry and government regulations, Randy McGlynn directs the operations of OTIP. He sits on the Board of Directors of OTIP/RAEO Insurance Brokers Inc., OTIP Inc., Canadian Labour Insurance Services Inc. and TW Insurance Brokers Inc. and participates in board meetings for OTIP/RAEO Member Services Inc., OTIP/RAEO Benefits Incorporated and OTIP. Randy also sits on the Board of two companies outside of OTIP. With over 38 years of professional experience in all areas of insurance including life, property and casualty, extended health, long-term disability, accident and claims, Randy provides the critical strategic planning, decision-making and mentorship required to effectively lead the organization towards profitability and growth objectives.

In addition to an Honours Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU), Randy is a recent graduate of the Directors Education Program given by the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) Corporate Governance College. He also holds a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation and received a Fellowship Award from the Ontario Teachers' Federation (OTF) in 2001.

Randy is a strong industry and community supporter. His extensive involvement with numerous professional, academic and social associations includes serving as Chair of the Advocis Protection Association ("APA"), a member of the Conference for Advanced Life Underwriting ("CALU"), a Trustee of the CAW Health Care Trust, Chrysler & General Motors Employee Life and Health Trust for Retirees, a past board member at WLU and recent member of the Dean's Advisory Council, past President of the WLU Golden Hawk Athletic Club, past President of the WLU Alumni Association, member and past Chair of the Canadian Cancer Society, and the United Way Development Committee volunteer.

Elizabeth Mills is the inaugural President and Chief Executive Officer of Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS), one of four newly amalgamated health and safety associations resulting from the restructuring of Ontario’s prevention system. WSPS, formed January 1, 2010, is a not-for-profit organization with a mandate to meet the health and safety needs of 154,000 businesses in the agricultural, manufacturing and service industries, representing 3.8 million employees across Ontario.

An executive with over 16 years of experience and leadership in health and safety, Elizabeth Mills was previously CEO of the Ontario Service Safety Alliance (OSSA), having brought together a coalition of industry trade associations and volunteer organizations to found the not-for-profit association in 1997.

Prior to OSSA, Elizabeth honed her government relations, policy development and operational planning skills working in a variety of senior roles in the not-for-profit and government sectors. A strategic thinker, change agent and leader of stakeholder coalitions, Elizabeth served as Director, Government Relations, Retail Council of Canada, from May 1995 to June 1997. In representing and lobbying on behalf of the Council’s 7,000 retail companies, she focused on issues related to employment standards, health and safety, workers’ compensation and the environment.

Elizabeth’s prior experience includes five years as an Ontario public servant working in policy-related functions in both the Ministry of the Government Services and the Ministry of the Solicitor General. She left government in March 1993 to begin her career as a lobbyist in association management and with the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association.

Elizabeth is currently a Director on the Board of WSPS.  She also holds positions as:

-          Member, Board of Directors, Centre for Health & Safety Innovation
-          Member, Canadian Society of Association Executives
-          Member, Board of Governors, Excellence Canada

A native of Toronto, Elizabeth received her Bachelor of Arts, Political Science (1987) from Wilfrid Laurier University and her Master of Public Administration from Queen’s University, (1989).

David Musyj is the President and CEO of Windsor Regional Hospital. He has been with the Hospital for 10 years. Prior to becoming CEO, David held the position of Vice-President Corporate Services/Medical Affairs.

David is licensed to practice law in both Ontario and the State of Michigan and prior to joining WRH was a partner with the firm of Paroian Ralphael.

Born and raised in Essex County, David is married to Elizabeth who is also a lawyer and is a partner at the Bartlet and Richardes law firm. Elizabeth and David are the proud parents of a son, Maxim, who is nine years old.

Under David’s leadership, the WRH vision Outstanding Care – No Exceptions guides all aspects of care and organization. David believes the engine of WRH is its staff and he is committed to working with them to create a healthy, motivating and rewarding workplace. In keeping with this philosophy, WRH has a strong Workplace Wellness program through which multiple policies and programs have been implemented to support and assist staff to set and achieve healthy lifestyle goals.

Innovation and best practice are paramount at WRH. David is a strong promoter of adapting and developing best practices that have a reach beyond the walls of WRH. He has led the implementation of programs like Smoking Cessation and Your Health Matters that not only benefit staff but also patients, families and the larger community.

Under his leadership, Windsor Regional Hospital has won numerous awards including eight leading practices and seven innovation awards at the Ontario Hospital Association – leading the Province in the number of awards to one Hospital. Windsor Regional Hospital is also the proud recipient of the National Quality Institute – Canada Awards for Excellence Silver Certificate Award.

Emechete Onuoha is Vice President Citizenship and Government Affairs for Xerox Canada Ltd. He is responsible for advancing all aspects of Xerox Canada's environmental sustainability agenda, public policy engagement, corporate philanthropy, customer experience and associated stakeholder relations. He is also a member of Xerox Corporation’s Global Government Affairs team. He joined Xerox Canada in 2007 following a 12 year career in the federal public sector. He has served as National Account Manager, Director of Sustainability and Federal Government Relations and Vice President Sustainability and External Affairs. Prior to joining Xerox he held several senior positions within the Government of Canada including: Director of Operations at the Privy Council Office facilitating the provision of strategic policy advice to the Prime Minister; Vice President of the Canadian Commercial Corporation (Canada's international contracting agency); Chief of Staff to the Minister of National Defence; and Policy Adviser to the Minister of International Trade.

Mr. Onuoha earned an honours degree in international relations from McMaster University and an MBA from Queen’s University. He is a member of the McMaster University board of governors and also serves as a member of the board of directors of the National Quality Institute as well as the Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council. In 2010 Mr. Onuoha was awarded the “Top 100 under 50” designation by Diversity MBA magazine. He is also the recipient of McMaster University’s “Arch Award” for professional achievement, the “Outstanding Team Performance Award” for distinguished contribution to the effectiveness and efficiency of the Privy Council Office, and the “Jackie Robinson Award” for professional achievement and public service from the Montreal Association of Black Business Persons & Professionals.

William J. Pallett is presently the Senior Vice President of People Resources for Delta Hotels and Resorts based at the Corporate Office in Toronto. Mr. Pallett is responsible with guiding Human Resources and Quality functions, focusing on training, organization and management development, career development, and developing / implementing / reviewing all human resource initiatives, procedures and policies in order that they reflect Delta's objective; to be the Employer of Choice. Mr. Pallett is an architect of Delta’s Quality culture. Delta was awarded the National Quality Institute’s Canada Award for Excellence, the Canada Award for Excellence – Healthy Workplace® Award and most recently its highest distinction – the Order of Excellence Award . It has also been awarded Canada’s Report on Business 50 Best Companies To Work For In Canada award eleven years and the Tourism Industry Association of Canada / C.T.H.R.C. Excellence in Human Resources Development Award.

William J. Pallett was Director of Management Development for Four Seasons Hotels located at the corporate office in Toronto. In that position, he stewarded training initiatives in virtually every aspect of management for hotels throughout North America. Mr. Pallett and his team developed highly-innovative college recruitment and employee retention programmes, and designed and implemented a unique career development / succession / planning / competency profiling system.

Prior to joining Four Seasons in 1984, Mr. Pallett garnered a wealth of experience both inside and outside the service industry. He has held senior human resources positions in such organizations as Wardair, Canadian Pacific Hotels & Resorts, Rogers, and Maclean Hunter. He has also been a senior consultant specializing in management development and recruitment.

A sought-after speaker / lecturer, Mr. Pallett has taught Business Administration and Human Resources Management related subjects at the British Columbia Institute of Technology in Vancouver and Ryerson Polytechnic University in Toronto. He has been a frequent guest speaker to professional associations including the Canadian Retail Council, Conference Board of Canada, the Ontario Hotel Motel Association and the Ontario and British Columbia Hotel Controllers Association, various provincial Human Resources Associations across Canada, as well as private industry groups throughout Canada and the United States.

Mr. Pallett is a recent winner of both the Ontario Hostelery Institute’s and Hotelier Magazine’s prestigious Educator of the Year’ award recognizing leaders in the Canadian hospitality and tourism industry who have made a significant contribution to the industry’s culture specifically in training and development. He presently is an Executive Planning Committee member of the Conference Board of Canada’s Human Resources Executive Council, is past Business Co-Chair of the Canadian Tourism Human Resources Council, and Chair of the Policy Advisory Board of the University of Guelph School of Hotel and Restaurant Management. He is a former member of the Advisory Committee of Ryerson University’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

Jim Peeples joined Purolator in December 1999 as General Manager, Ontario Hubs. Taking on successive roles within the organization, he was named to his current position in February 2010.

During his tenure as General Manager, Mr. Peeples and his team were successful in implementing numerous initiatives benefiting customers and employees, as well as improving the processes at the Ontario Hubs. As result of the successful business results at the Ontario Hubs, the way was paved for Purolator to organize many of the hubs initiatives into a formalized Quality Leadership Process.

In 2002 as Director of National Quality, Jim Peeples headed up the initiative to register all Purolator’s processes to ISO 9001:2000. As a result of this initiative Purolator achieved Q1 supplier status and received the World Quality Award from Ford Motor Company.

In 2005 Mr. Peeples assumed the role of Vice President for Engineering, Facilities and Technology Development. Focusing primarily on process and systems approach, this role was, and continues to be an integral part of the success of the company.

Jim Peeples philosophy is clearly exemplified as he states, “We have an incredible amount of improvement initiatives in place. However, the focused approach of our Quality Leadership Process allows us to Prioritize requirements achieving operational excellence:” As the leader for our Health & Safety and Environmental & Transportation Safety affairs he always works with the safety first attitude among his colleagues.

Andrew has over ten years of accounting and finance experience. He has been Group Controller and CFO of Metaca Corporation, an operating unit of publicly traded MDC Corporation. Previously he was the VP, Finance of a privately owned Canadian apparel manufacturer. Andrew started his career at KPMG in their assurance practice. He is a Chartered Accountant and holds an Honours Business degree from the Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.

Maria Rotundo is the David Y. Timbrell Associate Professor of Human Resource Management and Organizational Behaviour at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management. Dr. Rotundo is one of the country's leading experts in the area of staff selection, performance management, and retention. Widely-respected in the academic world for her primary research into these areas, she is also a consultant to companies in sectors as varied as health care, telecommunications, and aerospace. Her research has been published internationally in publications such as the MIT Sloan Management Review and The Journal of Applied Psychology, Leadership Quarterly, and she has presented her findings at conferences in Canada and abroad. Effective people management is absolutely imperative for organizations today, and as human resource professionals have discovered, one of today's performance management masters, and one of the most dynamic speakers on the subject is Maria Rotundo.

In March 2007, Gary Seveny retired as President and Chief Executive Officer of two financial institutions, Alterna Bank of Canada and Alterna Savings and Credit Union, both headquartered in Ottawa with operations in west Quebec and throughout Ontario. A career that spanned 35 years.

Among his many accomplishments, Gary spearheaded the creation of the
chartered bank, Alterna Bank of Canada, and the successful merger of CS
CO-OP and Metro Credit Union to create the new entity Alterna Savings
and Credit Union. Under his stewardship, Alterna rose to 'top of mind' recognition nationally as an industry leader.

Gary was also instrumental in achieving legislative change at both the
provincial and federal levels as it pertains to the financial services
industry. He has been an active spokesperson for industry vision and
regulatory change, and has appeared before House of Commons Committees
and Senate Committees.

Gary is the recipient of several awards and recognitions, including the
United Way Community Builder Recognition in 2007 and the Ottawa Chamber of
Commerce Silver Award for Business Person of the Year in 2002. He is
most known as a visionary and a builder of top management teams.

Gary remains active in business, currently assisting two start-ups to make significant gains towards commercialization. His devotion to community work remains impressive, having added additional Boards and Foundations to his roster.

Shirlee Sharkey is president and CEO of Saint Elizabeth, an internationally-renowned leader in home and community care known for its social capital, strong financial performance and track record of innovation. As a diversified not-for-profit charitable health services organization, Saint Elizabeth employs than more 4,000 staff and delivers 3.8 million visits annually.

With a century of experience and a powerful vision for the future, Saint Elizabeth is dedicated to changing the way care is experienced in urban centres, remote communities, health care institutions, living rooms, boardrooms, and rooms on wheels – touching the lives of people throughout Canada and the world.

Ms. Sharkey also serves as CEO of Community Rehab, an interdisciplinary Canadian home health care organization that has been a leader in rehabilitation since 1985. In 2008, Community Rehab and Continuum joined the Saint Elizabeth family and continue to operate as an independent organization focused on rehab excellence, innovation and collaboration.

Shirlee’s commitment to community is illustrated through her leadership and involvement with many not-for-profit boards, ranging from health to education. She is a past chair of George Brown College in Toronto and a former president of the Canadian Home Care Association. Internationally, she is chair of the World Homecare and Hospice Organization. She is also a past president of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO). In 2007, she was appointed by the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care to act as an expert advisor on staffing and care standards for long-term care homes in Ontario.

Academically, Shirlee is cross-appointed to the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing and the Faculty of Medicine (Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation) as an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto. She has presented and published widely on issues related to nursing, home and community-based health care and the need for system change.

Shirlee believes that leadership is a responsibility that belongs to us all and when we embrace it as such, extraordinary things are possible. Her philosophy of building a collective wisdom from diverse perspectives is manifested in the awards Saint Elizabeth has received, including the Canada Awards for Excellence Bronze recognition for Organizational Quality & Healthy Workplace® and being named among the 50 Best Employers in Canada.

Shirlee's vision and leadership have most recently been recognized with the Innovation Award for Health Care Leadership, Canadian College of Health Service Executives, in 2010; University of Toronto’s Graduate Leadership Award, Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, in 2008; Canada’s 100 Most Powerful Women, Women’s Executive Network, in 2007; Award of Excellence in Nursing Leadership, Ontario Hospital Association, in 2005; a Golden Jubilee Medal of Queen Elizabeth II in 2003.

 

 

Marcia Smith joined Teck Resources in March 2010 as Vice President, Corporate Affairs.

Prior to joining Teck, Marcia was Managing Partner of the Vancouver and Victoria offices of NATIONAL Public Relations and its predecessor company, Labrador Communications, from 1993 to March 2010. Prior to establishing Labrador, Marcia was a senior advisor to cabinet ministers in both British Columbia and Ontario. She worked for Ministers of Science and Technology, Economic Development, Education, Training, Advanced Education, Community and Social Services, Women and Youth.

Marcia has provided senior counsel to leading national and global companies and organizations for more than 20 years in areas including media relations, crisis communications, issues management, government relations, and restructuring and merger integrations.

Marcia holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and Political Science from Laurentian University. She was a Member of the Labour Relations Board of British Columbia for eight years and currently serves on a multipartite committee of special advisors to government on matters pertaining to BC’s labour code.

Nick Stea is the Director of the Project Management Centre of Excellence, with the Ontario Public Service.

The Project Management Centre of Excellence builds capacity across the Ontario Public Service (OPS) to create and sustain transformational change and achieve modernization objectives by providing: management frameworks, methodologies, tools, learning and consulting services. The Centre focuses on communicating the modern OPS agenda by providing support to key transformation projects, building project management capacity and skills across the OPS and promoting and supporting organizational excellence.

Nick has lead and managed complex corporate and ministry projects and held senior management positions in the Ministry of Transportation, ServiceOntario, and at the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. He held a number of senior management positions involved in leading business transformation projects and business improvements and providing business services for the OPS. From August 2008 to September 2009 Nick Stea was the A/Assistant Deputy Minister, Modernization Division, HROntario, Ministry of Government Services.

Nick has been involved in many volunteer organizations advising homeowners’ associations, daycare facilities and for many years coached and managed soccer teams in his local community.

Lorna Thomas is the Deputy Chief of the Bank of Canada’s Currency Department (CUR), which is responsible for all aspects of bank notes – including design, production, distribution and communications. She joined the Bank of Canada in 1977 after graduating from the University of Saskatchewan with a BA Honours (Economics). She also acquired an MBA through part-time studies at the University of Ottawa.

Lorna currently has oversight responsibilities for bank note development, including longer-term R&D and the development of the next generation of Canadian bank notes to be issued beginning in 2011. As Deputy Chief of CUR, she has broad responsibility for the overall management of the department and is promoting the NQI’s business excellence framework as a strategy to achieve success. Lorna is also the Bank-wide champion for efforts to promote a superior work environment across all areas of the Bank of Canada.