Instructors

Adam works as a Senior Risk Analyst and Consultant in the real estate industry, as well as a Corporate Trainer specializing in technical skills development. He has worked in various sectors including finance, energy, real estate, and government. Adam has taught and developed courses in accounting, finance, general business, mathematics, supply chain, and operations for several years across Canada.

Adam has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from McMaster University, a Master in Finance (MFin) from Queen’s University, a Post-Graduate Diploma (PGD) in Organizational Psychology from the University of London, and a Master of Science (MSc) in Supply Chain Management from Wilfrid Laurier University. He also holds professional designations as a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CMA) and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA).

Dr. Ahsan Qureshi PhD, MBA, MA, B.Comm

Dr. Ahsan Qureshi is a seasoned Global Business, Human Capital, People Culture & Change Management Leader with a proven track record of driving organizational success through strategic business alignment through People & Culture initiatives. With extensive global experience expanding 4 continents, 14 countries in senior executive roles at Fortune 500 companies like Deloitte, General Electric, HSBC, Descon Engineering, Boeing-Airbus-Mubadala Aerospace JV, SR Technic to name a few. He has also served as lead in various Board Committees focusing on Human Capital Strategies. Ahsan’s academic credentials, including a PhD in Management & Organizational Behavior and an MBA with HR specialization, provide a strong theoretical foundation for their practical experience.

As a People, Human Capital & Culture Strategist, Ahsan has a deep commitment to developing best-in-class HR strategies that enhance the talent experience and support organizational growth. My focus on aligning HR practices with business objectives has consistently delivered tangible results, including improved employee engagement, performance, and retention.

In addition to Ahsan’s corporate experience, he is a distinguished academic member as a faculty member at Mohawk College, Sheridan College, Centennial College and Niagara College. With over 25 years of leadership experience in various business and HR roles, he brings a wealth of practical knowledge to his students and institutions academic role.

Looking ahead, Ahsan is committed to advancing knowledge in the field of Canadian HRM and global business leadership through rigorous research and interdisciplinary collaboration. His research interests include investigating the role of AI in fostering inclusive leadership, examining the ethical implications of AI in HRM, conducting comparative studies on HRM practices in Canadian family-run firms, and exploring innovative approaches to talent development in the gig economy.

Airan is a Senior Risk Management, Treasury, and Capital Markets professional with 27 years experience, including 15+ years of progressive responsibility in associated risks (Liquidity, Market and Credit). Recognizing the importance of Accounting early on, he mastered Accounting in his undergrad including the recipient of Deloitte and Touche scholarships which included an internship. Airan was also a 2011 & 2012 Judge for Corporate Reporting Awards sponsored by the CICA. He started off his career in Market Risk and has spent the past 10 years focused on Credit and Liquidity Risk, primarily at the largest Canadian Banks. Airan has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst and Financial Risk Manager designations coupled with his MBA from Schulich School of Business which he earned in 2000. Outside of work, Airan enjoys family time with his wife and two young (and highly active) daughters. He enjoys photography as a hobby, but rates himself a novice at best.

Alia Hassan is a senior public relations and communications leader with nearly 20 years of experience in Canada and the UK. Alia held leadership positions in the London and Toronto offices of Edelman before leaving to create her own communications consultancy in 2023. She has worked with organizations at a global, regional and local level to tell impactful stories that change behaviour. Alia has deep experience across the full breadth of communications and marketing, with a particular interest in strategy, storytelling, internal and external communications, and stakeholder engagement.

Amal is a highly dedicated accounting professional with solid background in both government and not-for-profit sectors; experienced in financial accounting, financial reporting, budgeting & forecasting, managerial and cost accounting, performance management, performance measurement (KPI), and internal auditing. Amal has demonstrated leadership in collaborating with examination and evaluation of organizational processes to ensure compliance with accounting policies and regulatory requirements, to report findings and risk areas, and to recommend possible improvements and corrections. Some of her roles include business analyst, senior accountant and others.

Amal completed her business accounting diploma, in 2009, from Mohawk College, with Dean’s Honour List. Also, she earned her Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CMA) designation, in 2012, from CPA Ontario, followed by a Master of Business Administration, specializing in Strategic Management in 2021, from Wilfrid Laurier University.

Amal enjoys giving back to the business community, in helping CPA students work towards their designation, by volunteering as a board panel member for the final assessment of the CPA Professional Education Program Capstone 1 Oral Board Report, from 2015-2019. Also, she volunteered as a provincial judge at DECA Ontario regional competitions in 2016 and 2019.

Dr. Amanpreet Chhina brings over 20 years of experience in both teaching and researching marketing at the university level. In addition to teaching with the School of Continuing Studies at York University, Amanpreet is a Professor of International Marketing in the Faculty of Business at Humber College in Toronto. Amanpreet has taught a wide range of courses, including Introduction to Marketing, Consumer Behaviour, Advertising and Sales, Retail Marketing, International Marketing and Customer Service.

Amanpreet’s teaching career spans over Asia and North America and she brings with her a wealth of global experience. Amanpreet is actively involved in applied research in collaboration with companies and organizations on topics that include consumer behavior in online marketing, inclusive marketing for business owner policy, sustainable marketing and emerging marketing technology.

In addition to teaching and researching, Amanpreet founded GreyCells Global Consultancy Inc., which provides international business advice to small and medium enterprises. Amanpreet earned a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in International Marketing, along with a Masters in Business Economics and Bachelor of Arts degree with Economics Honours.

Ana is a seasoned marketing leader with over 14 years of experience working in the real estate, fashion and tech industries. As an entrepreneur, Ana launched the first product-based crowdfunding platform and a learning hub for emerging brands. Her passion is working with tech startups and she is currently an Advisor with Loyal.vc, where she helps startups with their marketing and communication strategies.

Over the last 8 years, Ana has been teaching marketing courses at post-secondary institutions across the Greater Toronto Area. She holds an Honors Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto, and a Masters in Business Administration from Toronto Metropolitan University. She is advancing her education with a Certificate in Leaders of Learning from Harvard University.

Andrew is a Strategy and Organizational Consultant with successful experience building and growing consulting businesses. He has led over 65 consulting engagements in ten countries over 22 years focused on transformation, performance improvement and better outcomes in both the public and health sectors.

Andrew empowers his clients through a combination of technical expertise, collegiality, and deep understanding of their work, the context and the challenges they face. He leads his teams through stewardship, building on their strengths and inspiring them to share his passion for positive results and impact.

Highlights of Andrew’s professional experience include:

• driving Nous Group Canada’s growth from start-up to a 40+ FTE management consulting practice;
• serving as founding Director of KPMG’s Centre for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) where he advised international clients on health system transformation;
• establishing and growing a management consulting practice in the Caribbean. Key project was leading a large multi-national team that supported the design and implementation of National Health Insurance in The Bahamas;
• leading dozens of consulting projects in Canada, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean;
• working with various First Nations Organizations;
• mentoring and learning from many brilliant, creative, and driven colleagues.

Andrew recently launched Hamilton and Associates, his own independent consulting practice. His current research is focused on the application of Machine Learning and Generative AI to drive organizational transformation.  Andrew has a Bachelors in Economics and MBA in Finance & International Business. He is a Certified Management Consultant with the Institute for Certified Management Consultants of Ontario.

Andrew Temes brings over 25 years in marketing and sales experience to his students; having worked for companies such as Colgate-Palmolive, Mars, Novartis/GSK, and Enercare Home & Commercial Services. He has been featured in marketing publications, as a speaker at industry conferences, guest lecturer at the Schulich School of Business, and as an adjunct Professor of interactive marketing and strategy at York University, Seneca College and the University of Toronto for over 15 years. Andrew holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Western University and a Master of Business Administration degree with a major in Marketing, from Schulich School of Business.

Andy has over 12 years of experience in progressively responsible roles within the financial service industry, primarily focusing on financial reporting, performance measurement and assurance & auditing. He is currently a Senior Audit Manager at Royal Bank of Canada where he leads all aspects of audit engagement including planning, executing, and reporting. In addition, he is a facilitator in the CPA Ontario’s Professional Education Program (PEP). Andy has strong interest in education, in particular mentoring and coaching accounting students. Andy holds both Bachelor of Commerce and Master of Finance from the University of Toronto, and a Chartered Professional Accountant designation.

Andy Tse, MTax, CPA, CA, is an assurance and taxation professional with over 14 years of experience. He began his accounting career in assurance and then took a role in financial reporting. Later, he developed an interest in taxation and joined a global accounting firm where he worked on tax audits, advisory, and compliance engagements for some of the largest companies in Canada. Currently, Andy is working in the Public Service.

Andy believes that one of the most important aspects of accounting education is instilling in students the ability to integrate technical knowledge with practical applications. Without practical applications, technical knowledge is interesting but of limited value to practicing accountants; without technical knowledge, the ability to practice accounting is severely limited by the inability to analyze known facts and determine the correct accounting treatment. This integration between theory and practice can be difficult for many students, and enabling them to make this link is his primary goal as an instructor.

Andy holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia and a Master of Taxation degree from the University of Waterloo.

Anna Yu is the President of Yu Consulting Group and a Senior Advisor, Finance and Business Operations with Wentworth Strategy Group. Anna provides management consulting and advisory services to business leaders and companies at all stages of growth with insight on strategic planning, financial strategy, operations, risk management, operational excellence, and people optimization strategies.

As a trusted transformational leader, Anna guides companies and business leaders through growth and change by aligning people, processes, and systems to common goals. Her diverse career at Xerox Canada, Dell Financial Services, The CIT Group, and The Bank of Nova Scotia  included a broad spectrum of leadership of teams and projects.

Anna serves as a mentor to start-up companies with Futurpreneur and is an instructor at Seneca College with focus on organizational behaviour and leadership. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree majoring in Economics from the University of Toronto and is Six Sigma Green Belt certified. She is actively engaged in giving back to our communities, including helping professional newcomers to Canada navigate their careers in the Canadian market.

Anto Mathew is a dynamic and results-driven educator with a wealth of experience in HR and operations management. With over 23 years of distinguished career both locally and internationally, Anto’s extensive background spans diverse sectors including Logistics, IT, Oil & Gas, Construction, Retail, Engineering, Sports & Recreation, Cultural, and Non-Profit organizations. His multifaceted career is characterized by a proven ability to identify critical areas for improvement, develop strategic policies, and implement effective solutions that drive organizational excellence.

In his role as a teaching instructor, Anto Mathew brings a rich blend of knowledge and practical experience in strategic HR management. His expertise encompasses full-cycle recruitment, recruitment strategy, and talent management, as well as hiring and new hire orientation, employee engagement, and employee/labor relations. His deep understanding of organizational development and change management, coupled with proficiency in project management, HRIS, and ATS, enables him to provide invaluable insights and practical guidance to his students.

Anto’s skill set extends to performance management and coaching managers, where he helps enhance leadership capabilities and drive team performance. His adeptness in counseling, investigating, and resolving employee issues ensures a reliable and productive workforce. Anto’s hands-on approach to problem-solving and his model for effective HR practices underscore his commitment to excellence.

As a motivated self-starter and influential change leader, Anto excels in building consensus among a diverse range of stakeholders and executive members. His passion for teaching, combined with his extensive expertise, makes him an invaluable asset in shaping the next generation of HR professionals and leaders.

Anwar has over 20 years of industry experience working for Unilever and Johnson & Johnson in Australia, South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. During this time, he has managed global brands including Ponds, Vaseline, Sunsilk, Pepsodent, Aim, Band-Aid, Carefree and Acuvue.

Starting as a brand manager, Anwar progressed through various responsibilities in marketing and sales to become Regional General Manager and then Country Manager for the Middle East and North Africa, receiving recognition as a multi-year President’s Club award winner for outstanding achievement.

Anwar has been teaching marketing and international business for the last 13 years, both at York University and McKeil School of Business. He is also co-author of “Principles of Marketing,” the 1st Arab world edition with Professor Philip Kotler.

Arjun is the Director of Data Science for the enterprise People Analytics practice at RBC. In this role, he leads a team of data scientists tackling the bank’s most important people-related challenges through advanced analytics, machine learning, and AI. Arjun is a certified HR leader (CHRL) and brings 14 years of experience in the field. His previous roles include leading a People Analytics practice at BMO, Capacity, and Workforce planning in technology consulting and various other people operations functions.

Aron has in excess of 15 years of experience working in both accounting and taxation. He has held various positions in accounting firms, and is currently employed by the public sector. In addition, he has taught post-secondary education since 2009 in the areas of intermediate financial accounting, advanced financial accounting, and personal taxation.

Aron has a Masters of Accountancy (MAcc) with a major in taxation from Brock University and also holds a Chartered Professional Accountant designation (CPA, CA, CMA).

In his spare time, Aron enjoys travelling.

Bartosz has over 10 years of auditing and accounting experience in the public and private sectors. He is currently an Audit Director at the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario, where he oversees value-for-money audits of various government ministries and agencies. Previously, he served as a Senior Auditor for Ernst & Young.

Bartosz has over 7 years of experience teaching auditing and accounting for CPA Ontario, University of Toronto and York University, where he has received recognition and awards for his excellence in teaching and creating a positive learning environment for his students. He is also a contributing author to Auditing: The Art and Science of Assurance Engagements 13th edition, 2015, a widely used university textbook in accounting and audit courses.

Bartosz is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and holds a Masters of Laws (LL.M.) degree from Osgoode Hall Law School and a BBA (Accounting) from York University.

Belinda has over 10 years of multi discipline Human Resources experience in the Consulting Engineering and Aviation industries, along with teaching undergrads and post grads across the various disciplines of HR.

A curious and passionate people person, who oscillates between learning and teaching, her focus is to contribute to the development of the future HR workforce. Her classes are inclusive, discussion focused and strives to bring the class into the HR world, by drawing upon everyone’s personal experiences to paint ‘It Depends’ scenarios in order to establish a deeper understanding of who they are as individuals, as well as explore possibilities on how they can best serve as top class HR Practitioners and Managers of the future.

She remains committed to providing students with the insights and tools necessary to ensure their employees and companies not only survive, but thrive.

Bonita is a talent management and leadership development specialist with experience across the UK, the Middle East and India. She has extensive professional HR experience and entrepreneurial insight across a range of sectors, including banking, police, government, aerospace and rail. Bonita has developed technically rigorous and commercially orientated HR solutions in recruitment, promotion, succession planning, training, performance management and senior leadership development.

Bonita holds two Masters’ degrees from University of London (UK) and is currently pursuing a PhD in Human Resources. She qualified as a Chartered Human Resources Professional (CHRP) with the Human Resources Professional Association (HRPA), and as a Chartered Organisational Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (BPS). She is trained in psychometric assessment including Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and Hogan Development Survey (HDS).

Brian is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) with 15 years of experience in managerial positions at large enterprises and financial institutions. His roles have been diverse; most recently a Director of Investment Finance at OMERS Infrastructure, and prior an AVP of Financial Advisory at Manulife and a Senior Associate in the Audit & Assurance Group at PwC. Brian’s experience includes financial management, reporting and advisory of organizations as well as monitoring compliance with regulations and standards.

His career has been focused in the investment management industry, specializing in private assets in global markets including infrastructure, private equity, and real estate. In his time at Manulife, Brian developed and led the “Investment Education Program”, the company’s in-depth investment technical training program. Brian holds a Master of Management & Professional Accounting from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University.

Calvin is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) in audit and assurance practice in both public and private sectors. He is currently a manager at a global accounting firm where he performs financial statement audits in financial institutions, including clients in banking and asset management sectors. He is enthusiastic about audit innovations through data analytics with a “data-first” mindset.

He is actively involved with CPA Canada’s Professional Education Program (PEP) to prepare CPA candidates for their success in their journey to becoming a CPA. He has been a facilitator and session leader in various PEP modules and a marker at the national marking centre since 2017. He believes understanding “why” in a subject is more critical than just knowing how to deal with it.

Calvin earned a Bachelor of Arts (Honours – Accounting and Economics) from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Master of Arts in Economics from the University of Waterloo. He holds Chartered Professional Accountant designation (CPA, CA) as a member of CPA Canada and CPA Ontario.

Customer Success leader with 12 years of work experience in leadership, customer relationship management, consulting, and SaaS implementations in top tier technology and consulting firms. In her current role, she leads a team of Customer Success Managers at Ceridian focused on delivering quality, large-scale initiatives to generate business value. She is responsible for running operations of the team with the goal to exceed KPIs and growth targets, while in parallel establishing a scalable business model for the expanding client base. She is a trusted client advocate and champion mobilizing internal and external teams to deliver value across the clients’ transformation journey – encompassing service, commercial and strategic workstreams.

Carol has an eclectic experience background in the private and public sectors in health care, insurance brokerage and consulting, education and professional association environments in financial and human resources roles. She loves facilitating learning because she enjoys seeing students develop their knowledge, skills and confidence.  Business today wants employees who will be life-long learners and knowing that she might have a part to play in developing your skill level and confidence as a continuous learner makes her feel great about what she does.

Carol holds an undergraduate degree in Mathematics, and bachelor’s degree in Adult Education, a Masters of Business Administration degree, and a CPA designation.

Cheryl is the CEO of Knowledge Adapters, a Toronto-based consulting firm that offers business analysis and project management consulting and training services in the areas of business analysis, project management and change management. Clients include public and private sector organizations across all industries, including financial services, high tech, telecommunications, transportation, construction, entertainment, and all levels of government.

Cheryl is co-author of “Effective PM and BA Role Collaboration” (2015), J. Ross Publishing, and one of four global authors of The PMI Guide to Business Analysis (2017), published by the Project Management Institute (PMI). She has spoken at conferences, chapter meetings, colleges, and at universities to audiences across the globe.

Cheryl founded the PMI Toronto Chapter Business Analysis Community; the first Business Analysis Community within a PMI Chapter, and has served as a Director at Large for the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) Toronto.

Cheryl is a certified Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA), Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP).

Chris is a data expert: determining its value, monitoring its integrity and managing its performance. After spending decades working in full-service and multi-national marketing agencies, he has turned his passion and experience to helping organizations build positive, long-term relationships with their stakeholders.

For more than ten years, Chris has created, revised and taught a range of courses for Canadian colleges and universities. On his own time, he works with sector development organizations to educate non-profit leaders on best practice. Additionally, he creates and delivers workshops to under-served communities to improve employment opportunities. Chris holds his MBA from the University of Ottawa.

Craig Stanley is the Strategy & Process Improvement Director with the Global Continuity, Crisis, & Regulatory Support team within CIBC’s Chief Security Office. He has designed and implemented numerous enterprise-wide security, fraud, and operational processes to bring together teams of subject matter experts to solve complex problems. Craig uses data-based approaches and clear communication to ensure alignment to support numerous business units across five continents and has been with CIBC for over ten years. Previously, he was a significant incident manager, leading responses to wildfires, life safety scenarios, cybersecurity investigations, and sophisticated organized crime fraud activities.

Danny Williams is a digital product designer based in Halifax, Canada who works with industry-leading companies to solve complex problems. Currently, he is a senior designer at Shopify, where he has built core product and platform experiences for millions of merchants.

Danny has worked with companies backed by the likes of Deloitte and Salesforce Ventures, is an alumni of Venture for Canada, and in 2015 was a Canadian delegate at the G20 YEA Summit in Beijing, China. In addition to his design practice, Danny taught design at General Assembly and more recently teaches design at York University.

Darius is a risk management consultant (Risk Management 101) and past-chair of the RIMS Canada Council (RCC), past-president of the Southern Alberta Risk and Insurance Management Society (SARIMS) and a risk and insurance practitioner for the past 25 plus years. He has worked with very large organizations, such as the Calgary Board of Education, with 100,000 students and 10,000 staff. Darius has also worked with organizations that have operations all across Canada, with over $10bn of property under management, and post-secondary institutions with very diverse risk profiles (e.g. academic, research, student travel, fundraising and provincial budget risks).

Denine Das joined as Scotiabank’s first ever Vice President, Global Inclusion in November 2023. With over 20 years of Human Resources and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) leadership experience across multiples industries including Bell Canada, Toronto International Film Festival, and Infrastructure Ontario, to name a few. Denine has dedicated the past two plus decades to providing continuous education on human rights, accessibility, anti-racism and belonging. In her current role, Denine is supporting the global business strategy and ensuring that Scotiabank’s global diversity, equity & inclusion strategies and programs align with the overall goals, values and philosophies of the Bank and leads the Bank’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) and Indigenous Inclusion centre of expertise and inclusion culture, including human rights and social justice.

Desislava is a highly motivated accounting professional with solid background in the areas of financial accounting, managerial and cost accounting, and business statistics. She has work experience in various industries such as energy, utilities, infrastructure, and manufacturing. Some of her roles include programs analyst, corporate accountant, senior project accountant, and others. In addition, Desislava has taught numerous accounting, finance, and statistics courses to international and domestic adult learners.

Desislava is a proud York University alumna. She graduated from the Bachelor of Administrated Studies, honors in accounting program, followed by the Chartered Professional Accountant (CGA, CPA) designation, and a Master of Business Administration, major in accounting, from Wilfrid Laurier University. To further enhance her teaching skills, she successfully completed the Adult Education/Staff Training certificate program at Seneca College.

In her spare time, Desislava enjoys playing the piano, reading books, and giving back to the business community. In particular, she volunteers as provincial judge at DECA Ontario regional competitions.

Dezi Singh is currently the Vice President of Labour Relations and Human Resources at Maple Leaf Foods. He received his honours Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the Schulich School of Business at York University in 2006, followed by his Masters degree in Industrial Relations from Queen’s University in 2007. Since then, Dezi has held a number of esteemed positions in the field of labour relations, in large federal and provincial organizations. He has focused on developing labour strategies and collective bargaining, as well as alternative dispute resolution. More specifically, Dezi has created and delivered training with regard to maintaining a positive workplace, health and safety in the workplace, and interest based negotiations. In his free time, Dezi developed and taught a course in negotiations and has been an adjunct professor at York University since 2017.

Dilash is a leading project management expert who brings extensive international experience working with both private and public sector organizations. He is presently the Director of Project Management & Delivery Services with a multinational financial data organization, where he is accountable for process optimization, portfolio prioritization, and the delivery of strategic, client-driven and regulatory projects. His career spans hi-tech, finance, security and educational industries concentrated on North American, European and Asia Pacific markets. Dilash also brings more than ten years of experience in teaching and developing post-graduate courses and programs in business strategy, project management and information technology.

Dilash is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Business Administration with a focus on organizational agility. He has a Computer Engineering degree from the University of Ottawa, a Bachelors of Education specializing in Adult Education from Brock University, and a Master’s in Business Administration – Executive Management from Royal Roads University. He is a licensed Professional Engineer, certified Project Management Professional (PMP®), Program Management Professional (PgMP®), PMI® – Agile Certified Professional (PMI-ACP®), PMI®-ATP trainer, and regular speaker at the Global Project Management Conference.  In addition, Dilash is a Certified Scrum Master (CSM®), Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO®), Certified Management Consultant (CMC), SAFe Program Consultant (SPC®), and Prosci® Certified Change Management Consultant.

Doina Nugent is a passionate and student-focused educator and coach, with over 20 years of experience developing, coordinating, and instructing Academic and Professional Communications Programs in English, German, and French at York University, in Vancouver, Victoria, Germany, the UK, and Ireland.

Her continued focus is on creating engaging, inclusive learning environments to foster communication confidence, and on helping international students and Internationally Educated Professionals adapt to the North American academic, professional, and cultural environment.

At York University, Doina has taught a variety of courses, including Research Report Writing, Critical Thinking, Public Speaking, Teamwork, Case Study Methodologies and Analysis, and Intercultural Communication. In Europe, Doina developed and delivered in-house corporate English language training programs (Business Communication) and worked as and trained Translator/Simultaneous Interpreters. Doina also worked for many years as Assistant Editor in online publishing, and as official examiner in English, German, and French for both national and international examination boards (IELTS, iCELBAN, GCSE and Advanced (A) Levels (UK), and An Roinn Oideachais, Ireland).

Doina holds an Honors B.A. in English, German and French, and a Master’s degree, both from the National University of Ireland. Her teaching specializations (Higher Diploma in Education; Teaching licenses in Ireland, UK, and Germany) include Modern Language Teaching and Assessment Methodologies, Experiential Learning, Content Learning in Language (CLIL), and Personal and Social Development.

Doina has also had a lengthy and successful career in elite ultradistance running, triathlon and high-altitude climbing, winning 5 Intercontinental and 3 World Championships.

Dorjana is a highly committed and passionate educator holding a PhD and a master’s degree in Finance, and Bachelor in Accounting. Having 14 years of teaching experience in universities and professional experience in accounting, finance, and marketing with leading International companies. Have been published tens of articles in prestigious research journals. Skilled in teaching, mentoring, research, communication, public speaking, and problem solving. Awarded academic title “Docent” for high academic achievements, High Commendation for exceeding the goals beyond expectations and listed on the Dean’ Honor list for great academic results.

Dr. Mohammad Nozari is a scholar-practitioner with more than 25 years of industry experience in automation, telecommunications, finance, and banking sectors and has led multi-national projects across Asia, Europe, and North America. he has taught in various universities with a focus on combination of technology, business, and management through business communications, project execution, leadership, as well as courses in software engineering.

Mohammad is an expert in delivery of complex technology products and implementing corporate strategies. He has a strong passion for education as the essential tool for making positive social change. He continuously combines his experience with teaching courses, leading to delivery of real-life up-to-date experience to his students. This has proven to be a successful approach in preparing students for their future endeavors through real life case studies.

Mohammad has a doctorate (Ph.D.) in Management, a Master’s of philosophy, a Master’s of Business Administration, and a Bachelor’s degree in Software Engineering. He continues to research in Biomimicking, an interdisciplinary field he established in his doctoral study that combines swarm intelligence with management of human resources. Mohammad’s research interests also include strategy implementation, cultural intelligence (CQ), and history. His book titled “Leadership through Battles” presents a unique view of combining history with constructs of leadership and strategy.

Dr. Pramela Nair Panthallor has over 11 years of experience working in positions of technological manager, lecturer, consultant, and director in Asia, CIS, Europe, South America, and Canada. As an educator for business management and software engineering courses, she has taught courses like business statistics (including SPSS), financial economics, business planning, management & organization, logistics & supply chain management, global business, operating systems, and introduction to computers.

As someone who believes in life-long learning, Pramela is passionate about learning new teaching methodologies and technologies to enhance the quality of facilitating learners. Being a research enthusiast, she is keen to contribute to the understanding of sustainability in the educational sector. She is the co-author of a management book ‘Operational Sustainability in the Mining Industry’ published by Springer Nature Publications.

Pramela has a Doctorate (PhD) in Business Research, a Master’s in Business Administration, a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, and is currently planning to get certified for CTP/CTDP.

Sanjana Monga brings a wealth of experience to the realm of business & management courses with over 15 years of proven expertise. Holding a Doctorate in Accounting from Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi, India, she has made significant contributions in both academia and financial management.

Having held prominent roles in top-rated colleges and universities, Sanjana’s influence spans the academic and professional spheres. Her adept understanding of financial principles and strategic management has enriched the educational experiences of countless students.

Sanjana’s research-driven approach has led to insights in intricate financial dynamics, fostering a bridge between theory and practice. Beyond her academic prowess, she actively engages in the financial community, recognized for her ability to simplify complex concepts.

Committed to promoting financial literacy, Sanjana envisions an empowered financial landscape where knowledge drives sound decision-making. Her remarkable journey underscores the transformative power of education.

Dr. Sanjana Monga’s extensive experience, academic dedication, and commitment to financial empowerment mark her as an invaluable asset, inspiring excellence within educational institutions and beyond.

Dr. Supriya Chopra is a passionate university professor teaching Finance, Accounting, Business Management, and Data Analytics courses at Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate level for fourteen years. Supriya has an extensive research and course curriculum development experience in the above-mentioned disciplines. She has published extensively on topics allied to Corporate Sustainability and Sustainable Development Practices in leading business & management journals.

Supriya has won an “Award for excellence in teaching” which is an honor bequeathed by University of Delhi – India for her excellence in teaching, research work & significant contributions to the teaching mission of University of Delhi by providing highest quality education to students to nurture their talent, promote intellectual growth & shape their personal development. Supriya has also been conferred with an “Award for Best Innovative Idea” for conducting an Innovation Project sponsored by University of Delhi in India.

Supriya has authored books namely “Sustainability: An Innovative Strategy to Profitability”, which provides a holistic approach towards profitability, through sustainability and “Cyber Crimes & Cyber Laws” which is the recommended textbook for Undergraduate students of Bachelor of Commerce at University of Delhi in India.

Supriya has an MBA in Finance, Doctorate in Corporate Sustainability Practices & Governance and is a Chartered Professional Accountants Canada – Candidate. She has an extensive industry experience in Corporate Accounting, Financial Reporting and Financial Management in Canada as a Senior Accountant.

Dr. Syeda Fahmida Habib is a passionate, student-centered educator with 24 years teaching experience at University/College level. Her core area of teaching has been finance and banking. Dr. Fahmida has also taught accounting, marketing, and general management courses. She has been involved in text book writing, curricula, course material and assessment development as well as managing teaching teams. Dr. Fahmida has authored a textbook on Islamic Finance and Banking for Wiley Publishers in 2018. She completed her DBA from SMC University, Zurich and has a Masters in Applied Finance from Macquarie University, Sydney plus an MBA, majoring in marketing.

Dr. Fahmida believes that learning happens when the material is adapted to the learner’s abilities and interest. She has had great rapport with her students and colleagues. Dr. Fahmida has worked with mature multicultural student groups and strives to instill in her students her own passion for life- long learning and learning beyond borders. She also encourages them to work professionally, independently, in teams and contribute to their work environment, their societies and to their families.

Ellie has over 20 years of experience delivering strategic oversight of digital transformations, transitions, and infrastructure programs in banking, retail, government and health. Her progressive experience in program and portfolio management culminated in her becoming the Director of Vendor Management for the Retail Operations Strategic Business Unit with CIBC.  As a project management consultant focusing on global strategic initiatives, risk management, and continuous improvement across multiple industries, Ellie is passionate about bringing her experience into the classroom.  Ellie is currently a Program/Delivery Manager at IBM, overseeing programs across multiple industries and supporting clients with achieving their strategic objectives, while developing new project management professionals.

Ellie brings a BA in Office and Administrative Studies and Certificates in Teaching and Training Adults, Risk Management, and TEFL. A certified PMI Authorized Training Partner, PMP, Accredited Outsourcing Practitioner, and RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional, she is currently pursuing her Master’s in Education at uOttawa. Ellie teaches various project management and business courses with the PMI Toronto Chapter and at post-secondary institutions throughout the Greater Toronto Area. Committed to diversity and inclusion, Ellie consistently adds additional certifications to her repertoire, in topics that include accessibility and teaching in a digital world.  Ellie volunteers as a mentor with the PMI Durham Highlands Chapter and was a contributor to the PMBOK v7 Standards as a part of her 3-year (2020-2023) volunteer assignment on the PMI Standards Committee.

Faisal has 20 years of experience in national, regional and branch leadership roles with TD, Laurentian Bank and London Life, progressing to executive-level roles including District Vice President and Associate Vice President of Sales, Strategy and Digital. He is presently the Director, Inside Sales for Aviso Wealth, as well as a management consultant within the Canadian financial services sector.

Faisal has worked in many different areas of the industry which includes analytics, sales leadership, capability development, advice strategy and distribution leadership roles within insurance, retail banking and wealth management.

Faisal is Co-Founder & Chair of Refugee Girls Worldwide, a current Board Member at William Osler Health System Foundation, and past Cabinet Chair at United Way. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (concentration in Finance) and an MBA (concentration in Strategy) from the University of Windsor.

A senior global executive with over 25 years’ experience, Faith has served in roles such as Chief People Officer, Global Head of Talent as well as SVP, Human Resources for a number of multinational organizations. She currently serves as an active Professional Advisory Committee member for degree programs for two Canadian universities.

Faith brings expansive expertise and specialization in Organizational Design & Development, Talent Management, Succession Planning, Talent Acquisition, Performance Management, Employee Relations, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and Strategic Planning. Additionally, Faith’s background has given her broad experience across a range of industries that include Technology, Pharmaceutical, Engineering, HR Services, and Insurance.

Faith obtained her Masters of Human Resources Management (MHRM) from York University, a BA in Industrial/Labour Relations from the University of Toronto, a Certificate in Adult Training & Development from OISE, as well as a Business Administration Diploma from Sheridan College. Faith is a member of the HRPA, from which she holds the top tier designation of Certified Human Resources Executive (CHRE).

Farzeen Foda is a Talent Strategies professional with experience in corporate strategy, talent acquisition, and organizational design. Her experience spans the healthcare and financial services industries where she has leveraged technology, data, and continuous improvement to drive change in alignment with strategic objectives. In her current role, she manages CIBC’s Student Internship Program, designing high-value, high-impact work placements for early talent. In her spare time, she enjoys channeling her creativity toward home decor, crafting and DIY experiments.

Farzeen holds an HBSc. Life Sciences, from McMaster University and an MBA from the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto.

Farzeen Foda is a Human Resources Strategy professional with a passion for building inclusive systems, processes, and policies with a focus on People Analytics and Change Management. Farzeen has led and managed large-scale programs and projects across diversity, equity and inclusion, employee wellness, learning & development, early talent management, employee engagement, and organization design with leading Canadian companies.

Today, Farzeen consults with organizations across the for-profit and non-profit sectors, building insights-driven human resources strategies and programs to help drive sustainable growth and performance.

Geoff is a director and behavioral scientist leading a strategic research team using science, advanced analytics, and consulting to shape Rogers’ management strategy for its 26,000+ employees. Prior to joining Rogers, Geoff worked at Google’s People Analytics team and 4 Fortune/Forbes Global 1000 Companies, received a PhD specializing in Organizational Behavior at UCLA, and obtained both a Master of Industrial Relations and Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Toronto. His award-winning research has shaped government legislation and organizational policies, been published in prestigious academic journals and best-selling books, and received global media coverage.

Geoff holds a Ph.D in Management & Organizations from UCLA, and completed a Master of Industrial Relations and Human Resources and a B.Comm at the University of Toronto.

Guinevere Orvis is a dedicated product and digital technology executive known for guiding business growth and fostering positive team cultures across a wide range of organizations, from startups to established enterprises. She brings a wealth of experience in leveraging technology to improve operations and enhance customer satisfaction.

With an MBA in Technology & Innovation and a commitment to lifelong learning, Guinevere also holds certifications as an Agile Leader and a Google Cloud digital leader.

Recognized as a strong operator who consistently delivers results, Guinevere has humbly received both prestigious awards and nominations, including Digital Media Woman of the Year, International Digital Emmys, and the WeMedia Game Changer Awards, among others. Her contributions have led to invitations to speak at various conferences, such as engagements at Input TV in Warsaw, Poland, and multiple appearances at NXNW and other conferences in Toronto.

Guinevere thrives in sharing her expertise by lecturing on Product Management at York University, further contributing her knowledge to the next generation of professionals.

Known for her collaborative approach and commitment to continuous improvement, she blends strategic leadership with a genuine passion for nurturing teams and fostering innovation, consistently driving tangible results in every endeavour.

Hanna Ha has over 17 years of professional work experience in the corporate finance and consulting industry. Hanna has held progressive managerial positions in Knowledge Management, Technology, Leadership Training & Development, Employee Engagement, Change Management and Corporate Communications in top global consulting companies like KPMG and Deloitte.

Hanna has held progressive managerial positions in BMO Financial Group in the Legal, Regulatory and Compliance function, BMO Institute for Learning and BMO North American Customer Contact Center in the Digital Investing Sales and Service function.

Hanna holds a Bachelor of Science (Pure & Applied Science), Master Certificate in Adult Training & Development, PROSCI Certification, Post-Graduate Certificate in Corporate Communications and Master of Education—Leadership Learning.

Dr. Indira Somwaru is a human resources professional and educator with over twenty years of experience in both business and academic settings. Her industry experience includes senior human resources management positions in a variety of organizations including health care, real estate and publishing.

Indira currently teaches courses in business and human resources management at York University in the Schulich School of Business, School of Administrative Studies, School of Continuing Studies, and School of Human Resources Management, from which she is a Teaching Excellence Award recipient. She brings specialized expertise in negotiations which she teaches to Schulich undergraduate, graduate and executive level students. Indira also teaches courses in the Master’s Degree program in Industrial Relations and Human Resources at the University of Toronto and Rotman Commerce.

In addition to teaching, Indira designs and delivers workshops and provides consulting services to private industry, particularly in the area of human resources management. Her areas of expertise include negotiations, change management, leadership and managing diversity.

Indira brings a PhD in Management from Griffith University as well as an MBA, BEd and BA from the University of Toronto. She is also a Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP).

Jamal is an educator, project management consultant, and researcher passionate about sharing his knowledge and helping others achieve their goals. Jamal has led strategic and transformational initiatives for some of North America’s most respected organizations, including Lufthansa German Airlines, CIBC, TD Bank, Mentor Technologies, Barnes & Noble, and Vital Source. Jamal’s national and international experience spans information technology, cybersecurity, privacy protection, artificial intelligence, airline travel and tourism, enterprise real estate, workplace optimization, public utilities, business continuity, and process optimization. Passionate about the project management profession, Jamal is a mentor and certified PMI trainer. He is an author on project recovery and PMP exam prep and a course designer and developer. A committed volunteer with Project Managers Without Borders (PMWB), he helped deliver not-for-profit strategic projects.

Jamal holds a Master of Business Administration from Athabasca University and is currently pursuing a PhD in Psychology on artificial intelligence in project management and its effects on future work.

James has 12+ years of experience in the technology industry across design and product management crafts. An advocate for customer focused innovation he is currently a Senior Product Manager at Shopify. He also previously worked at Uber, Walmart Labs and Xe.com in product management roles.

A passionate and enthusiastic instructor, Janet Melo-Thaiss believes that York University’s classrooms have the power to change the world for the better. Winner of multiple teaching awards, including the President’s University-Wide Teaching Award and Humanities Teaching Award, Janet focuses on mentoring students and facilitating their journey towards the highest expression of their own skills and talents.

Janet’s work in the financial and insurance industries as a Marketing Professional and Financial Writer informs her focus on experiential learning in the classroom and helps students to see the connections between their academic and professional paths. Known as an innovative teacher, Janet’s classroom is a dynamic space where mindfulness meets academic excellence.

Jason Russell has a PhD in History from York University, and is the author of a book and several academic articles relating to work and labour issues both in historical and contemporary contexts. He regularly presents papers at national and international academic conferences. He has taught courses on labour/industrial relations and other work and employment subjects at five different colleges and universities including York, the University of Western Ontario, and McMaster. His current research interests focus on the development of management as an occupation in Canada from the 1940s to the 1990s.

Jed has over 20 years of experience in IT, information, and knowledge management. He is a member of the Company of Fellows of the Association for Intelligent Information Management (AIIM) and a Certified Information Professional (CIP).

Jed has been in product management since 2018 when he joined the Digital Group at TD Bank as a Senior Product Manager for Enterprise Search. Since 2019 Jed has been with NetDocuments, a cloud content services company as Director of Product Management responsible for Security & Governance products and now as Principal Product Manager working on ideation, innovation pipeline, and business case development.

Jeff’s background in business and human resources management spans more than twenty-five years. In his capacity as an independent consultant, he has worked with some of Canada’s most influential companies, completing client engagements in both the public and private sectors. His international experience includes working with post-secondary partners in Indonesia to assist with the development of applied entrepreneurship curriculum and the establishment of community business support centres.

Jeff has taught management development, organizational behaviour, human resource planning and development, and business foundation courses at McMaster and York universities, and at Seneca, Conestoga, and Confederation colleges. He has an undergraduate honours degree in Economics from Laurentian University in Sudbury, and a graduate degree in Education from Nipissing University in North Bay.

Jennifer is a marketing and business professional with more than 20 years of leadership experience in both the public and private sectors. Jennifer previously held the role of Director of Economic Development and Culture at the City of Vaughan. In the private sector, Jennifer has held senior leadership positions in venture capital and business consulting. Recognized as a serial entrepreneur, Jennifer successfully built a business consulting firm that sold to a large multi-national accounting firm in 2013.

Jennifer is the co-founder of Women Leadership Nation Inc., an organization committed to helping close the gender gap in the workplace and she is the host of the WLN Breaking Barriers Podcast. Jennifer has been recognized by Insights Success Magazine as 1 of 20 successful businesswomen to watch in 2020, has won 11 marketing awards, and was designated as a Women of Influence by the Universal Women’s Network in 2020.

Jennifer holds an MBA specializing in international business and marketing, as well as a Bachelors in Commerce, a Certificate in Higher Education Teaching, a Masters Certificate in Municipal Leadership, a Certificate in Marketing Management, and a Graduate Diploma in Management. She has completed the York Entrepreneurship Development Business Incubator Program at Schulich School of Business and holds the Economic Development Professional (EcD) Certification and Designation. Jennifer is currently obtaining a PhD in Management, specializing in Leadership.

Jessica Collins is the Director of Organizational Culture and Analytics at Anchor HR Services. She leads strategic consulting projects that include change management, performance enablement, and people analytics. Her clients range from small not-for-profit organizations to large retail companies. Jessica develops and promotes insights-based people practices to fuel sustainable organizational health, innovation, and performance. Prior to consulting, Jessica worked in organizational development and analytics at Intact, following HR business partnership and total rewards at BHP. Helping HR become more data-driven is key to Jessica’s mission: helping organizations inspire and enable their people.

Jessica holds a Masters of Industrial Relations and Human Resources and Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Toronto. She is also proud to have earned a Certificate in People Analytics with the first cohort at York University.

Joanna has more than 20 years of experience in international business operations with industry expertise in manufacturing, retail, hospitality, and international logistics operations. Her progressive experience in human resources and organizational operations culminated in becoming the Chief Executive Officer of 3Ks Unique Co., a successful multinational firm. As a business and human resources consultant with a focus on business development, compliance, and health & safety for international organizations, Joanna brings a passion for teaching that brings business world reality into classroom instruction.

Joanna brings a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, an MBA from William Howard Taft University, and Certificates in Project Management, Human Resources Management and TESOL. She is currently in the process of completing her Doctorate in Business Administration with a specialization in business leadership and management, and receiving validation as a CPHR. Joanna teaches a variety of business and human resources courses at York University, Seneca College, and Centennial College and is a facilitator for HRPA-York Region’s Educational Committee.

John Nashid has over ten years of experience in teaching, health care and consulting sectors. He works a project manager with the Strategy Department at SickKids hospital providing strategic support across all programs. John received his MBA and Bachelor of Kinesiology from McMaster University, and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and Certified Managerial Accountant (CMA).

John P. Angkaw is the National Risk Management Leader in the Public Sector Practice at Marsh Canada Ltd. In this role, he is responsible for the advancement of thought leadership in public sector risk management and the delivery of risk management services to public sector clients across Canada.

Prior to joining Marsh Canada Ltd., John spent 15 years in the public sector where he held progressive leadership appointments in large multi-divisional organizations in the municipal and healthcare areas. During his appointments, he was able to partner with executive leadership as a trusted risk advisor and leader where he established risk management programs and implemented risk solutions that addressed the pressing matters facing the organization.

John graduated with a Master of Science from Columbia University and with a Master of Business Administration from the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University. He also holds the Certified Risk Management Professional designation from the Risk Management Society.

Judy has over 20 years of experience in brand management, marketing, and business strategy analytics in the consumer packaged goods industry, steering multi-million dollar franchises to rapid growth. Judy has led Fortune 500 teams at Kraft, Mondelez and The Nielsen Company, where she served as Vice President, Client Services. Judy currently leads York University’s YSpace Food Accelerator to help food start-ups scale and accelerate growth. She also serves as a Program Advisor for York University’s Entrepreneurial Leadership & Learning Alliance (ELLA) Accelerator supporting women’s entrepreneurship, and as a Business Mentor for youth entrepreneurs with the City of Markham. In 2014, Judy founded Pivot Perspectives Coaching & Consulting, a training organization for leaders and entrepreneurs.

Judy holds a Masters of Business Administration from Rotman School of Business with specializations in Marketing and Strategy. She also has a Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Sciences from the University of Toronto and is a Certified Coach with the Coaches Training Institute (CTI).

Julia has over 15 years of international work experience spanning Europe and North America. She worked for leading global companies such as Deloitte and RBC and has experience with a number of industries including consulting, manufacturing and financial services. Julia has assumed progressive leadership roles in her tenure at RBC, including Senior Manager, Business Operations, Director of Business Office and Director of Strategy Development. Across her career, Julia has worked in various functional areas including technology, analytics, efficiency management, project management, business management and strategy. This diverse work experience allows Julia to enrich the classroom experience with practical business examples from industry.

Julia holds a Master of Business Administration from Schulich School of Business at York University, a Master of Science in International Accounting and Auditing, and a Bachelors in International Economic Management. She is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), Certified General Accountant (USA), Project Management Professional (PMP), and Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.

8 years ago, I accidentally fell into SQL programming when trying to complete a repetitive HR System task more efficiently. A few months and several SQL/Python courses later, I joined an HR reporting team and started my winding journey into people analytics.

Katherine has extensive startup experience being on the founding team of OneClass, helping it achieve proof-of-concept and scale the business to an international platform with multiple product lines. Her journey into product management started in 2015 with a laser focus on the creator economy of OneClass and its marketplace. Katherine has worked with product organizations based in Canada and China, and in both cases, established the product culture in both.

Katherine completed her undergrad at University of Toronto Scarborough with a BBA specializing in Strategic Management. She is passionate about tech-enabled solutions helping people and businesses scale.

Kenrick has over 25 years of experience in the banking industry focusing on corporate lending and asset management. He is currently a Vice President at TD Asset Management within the Investment Risk department where he specializes in Performance Measurement and the Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS). Kenrick is also the Vice Chair of the Canadian Investment Performance Council (CIPC) of CFA Societies Canada. 

Kenrick has over 20 years of experience as an educator. He is a part-time instructor at York University School of Continuing Studies and George Brown College Centre for Continuous Learning, as well as a former lecturer at Sheridan College. His key subject areas include Accounting, Corporate Finance, Personal Finance, Economics and Statistics.  

Kenrick holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of the West Indies and an MBA from the University of Edinburgh. He has completed various courses with the Canadian Securities Institute and holds a Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement (CIPM). 

Lapo Calamai is an economist, certified risk management professional and thought leader with 15 years of experience at the intersection of public policy and the financial services, insurance and pension industries. Throughout his career, Lapo has held leadership positions in the private, public and non-profit sectors. He has served as an economic and policy advisor to ministers and government executives in federal and provincial governments in the United Kingdom and Canada.

As a career public servant and former registered lobbyist, he brings to the table unparalleled acumen navigating complex and highly-regulated industries. Lapo’s core areas of expertise include corporate and enterprise risk management, insurance, corporate governance, compliance and internal audit. He is a trusted advisor for organizations looking to establish, operationalize or enhance risk management processes and tools with the objective of driving growth, optimizing capital efficiency, strengthening reputation and meeting compliance obligations. A published author, Lapo has written articles on emerging economic policy, insurance and risk management issues, and holds an undergraduate degree in economics and a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Lauren Canzius is a strategic HR professional experienced in all aspects of human resources management. Lauren takes a holistic approach to consulting services by helping clients align their people strategies with their corporate objectives within the ever changing global and competitive context. Lauren specializes in human resources consulting, change management, project management, labour and employee relations, collective bargaining, training and development, business development and public speaking. She also teaches undergraduate courses in HR and labour relations.

Lucas has taught in-person, hybrid and online business courses for undergraduate and graduate students at several universities across Ontario.  He has led large-scale projects across different industries such as fiber optic, cement, automotive, consumer packaging, healthcare and higher education. He has worked as a Project Manager, Project Director, and Advisor of Transformation for organizations that include Atlantic Packing Products Ltd., University Health Network, Central Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) and the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

Lucas holds graduate degrees in Business Administration, Education, Engineering, IT and Law from the University of Toronto. He also holds various certifications and designations including Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB), Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE) and Project Management Professional (PMP) to name a few.  He is currently pursuing a PhD in Higher Education.

Mangala is a senior marketing executive with a reputation for building iconic brands through fully integrated marketing by combining strategic thinking and bold creativity with a digital first mindset to build sustainable businesses that can ignite growth.

Currently the Vice President of Marketing & Innovation/Supply Chain at Second Cup, Mangala has held senior management positions with top firms including PepsiCo, Roots, Kraft and Post Consumer Brands. Mangala has provided consulting in strategy and marketing to Indigo Books & Music Inc. as well as top-tier corporations in retail, production services, consumer packaged goods, apparel and fashion.

In addition to teaching at the York University School of Continuing Studies, she is currently a Board Advisor to the Humber College School of Business.

Mangala is an Honours Economics and Math graduate of the University of Toronto and completed her MBA in Digital Transformation at McMaster DeGroote School of Business.

Michael has held senior leadership positions at IBM, Ceridian and VidCruiter.  Currently he serves as the Senior Vice President of Client Services at Achēv.  As a leader with over 20 years of experience in customer experience and services, Michael is passionate about delivering unparalleled customer success by focusing on fostering strong partnerships and creating value in a meaningful way.

Michael’s dedication to customer success started from the beginning of his career.  He firmly believes that a thriving customer base lays the foundation for growth and prosperity, leading to a sustainable future for any organization.

In addition to his people-first philosophy, Michael leverages an analytical approach to gain further insights into customer profiles and behaviours, empowering stakeholders to make informed and proactive decisions.  Michael’s relentless pursuit of excellence and innovation is evident through his commitment to continuous improvement.

Michael believes in giving back to the community, so you might find him participating in CS groups and initiatives, sharing his experience and collaborating with other CS professionals and leaders.

Michelle has led products at a smart fitness mirror company and built the growth team at an Alibaba-owned media SCMP, where she set up the product experimentation teams from scratch. Before that, she founded an ed-tech productivity tool startup, Weava, and scaled the company to over half a million users from 200+ schools. Michelle also worked on UX Design at Amazon, where she worked on the then 30-person core design team designing users’ core shopping experience

Michelle comes to the field of Human Resources with more than twenty-five years of senior level human resources management practice in professional services and private sector companies. She majored in HR for her Bachelor of Commerce and completed a Master of Arts specializing in Learning and Technology, and most recently has been professionally certified as an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) through the International Coach Federation.

Over the course of her career, Michelle has worked extensively in all areas of human resources that you will cover in your program. She continues to provide HR consulting services to various clients and finds that working in HR each day can bring new challenges as there is always more we can learn. With ten years of teaching human resources and leadership courses at the university/college level, Michelle’s passion is creating great learning experiences for every student.

Mike Russo is an occupational hygienist and seasoned occupational health and safety professional with over 15 years of experience in private industry and not-for-profit. He holds an undergraduate degree in Occupational Health and Safety from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson), coupled with a graduate degree in Occupational and Environmental Health from the University of Toronto.

As a principal consultant and owner of his own OHS practice, Mike specializes in advising workplaces on strategies for minimizing the risk of harm to workers, compliance with health and safety laws, and the development, implementation, and certification of occupational health and safety management systems aligned with the Certificate of Recognition (COR™️) and ISO 45001. Leveraging his expertise as a Registered Occupational Hygienist (ROH), he also conducts assessments to identify and mitigate exposures to hazards such as noise, silica, welding fumes, and more.

Mike has practiced OHS in the construction industry, acting as an industry advisor during his tenure with the Infrastructure Health & Safety Association (IHSA). There, he served as the occupational hygienist, advising Ontario’s construction industry on health hazards and control measures, and worked closely with senior policy advisors, inspectors, and occupational hygienists at the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. He served as Acting Director and oversaw the development of IHSA’s prestigious health and safety training courses delivered to over 50,000 participants annually, including courses approved by Ontario’s Chief Prevention Officer, such as Working at Heights and Joint Health and Safety Committee.

Mike is a Registered Occupational Hygienist (ROH) and Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP). He has previously volunteered as a technical committee member for national CSA standards for hard hats, respiratory protection, welding, and more. Mike was also a reviewer of applications by candidates pursuing the CRSP certification and volunteered on the Peel mentorship committee with the Human Resources Professional Association (HRPA). Mike shares his invaluable insights as an educator, teaching at the university level while mentoring aspiring health and safety professionals on strategic career development.

Miranda McKie is a Data Architecture and Engineering Manager and leads the People Analytics function for Accenture Applied Intelligence Canada. In her role, Miranda helps her clients across various industries including financial services, educational, transportation, and the broader public sector leverage their data as a corporate asset through the development of solution architecture and the implementation of Advanced Analytics. Miranda is passionate about Inclusion and Diversity Analytics and has worked on various initiatives focused on utilizing artificial intelligence capabilities to gain insights on systemic issues that impact women in the workplace. Miranda leads the GTA Women’s ERG and is a Board Member on the Toronto Board of Trade’s Young People’s Committee. She is also very involved in Accenture’s pro-bono practice.

Prior to Accenture, Miranda co-founded and was the President of a non-profit, Young Women in Business (YWiB) Toronto, which provides over a thousand Toronto women with a strong and sustainable network of support to enable their professional development. Miranda’s work in advancing women in the workplace led her to be the 2020 recipient of Catalyst Canada’s Emerging Leader Award.

Mukhtar is a dynamic program management expert with more than 14 years of experience leading successful initiatives in a variety of industries. He has an impressive track record of program execution and leadership, including managing a $50M portfolio and leading a technology division that achieved annual revenues of $7.5M. During his tenure, he increased the division’s revenue by 87.5% in just three years.

In addition to his exceptional program management skills, Mukhtar is also a passionate coach and speaker. With over 10 years of experience teaching and speaking at conferences, universities, companies, and online, he is a skilled educator who is committed to sharing his knowledge and expertise. Mukhtar regularly publishes free educational content on LinkedIn to help others learn and grow.

Mukhtar’s global experience is another area where he shines. Having lived and worked in over 20 countries, he has a deep understanding of different cultures and perspectives. He uses this knowledge to help project leaders solve complex challenges, achieve their career goals, and land their dream jobs. Whether it’s helping someone overcome a roadblock in a project or guiding them towards the next step in their career, Mukhtar is committed to helping project leaders reach their full potential.

Nadine Storr, B.A., PMP, is a charismatic and motivated leader and an experienced project professional with a 25+ year track record of leading enterprise, complex, and strategic initiatives across global geographies. As a senior leader at Scotiabank, one of Canada’s top 5 banks, and with the City of Toronto, she uses effective and diverse project management approaches, organizational team leadership, and divisional relationship building to achieve notable results.

Nadine has significant experience leading the development of technology and operations projects and project management-related training. She specializes in working with senior leadership executives in both private and public sector organizations.  Nadine is a Project Management Institute Authorized Training Partner Instructor and teaches project management courses, develops project management curriculums, and facilitates project management knowledge sessions for a variety of post-secondary institutions and corporate clients. She is a graduate of the Yale School of Management Executive Education Women’s Leadership Program.

Nadine is passionate about supporting the development of project management and leadership skills for those who have a limitless thirst for their own self-development.  She enthusiastically applies a leadership and organizational mindset as the foundation of everything she does, both professionally and personally.

Neil Ganatra is an experienced audit and accounting practitioner. He has worked on financial statement assurance engagements for a wide variety of clients across multiple industries in both the public and private sector. He is qualified as a Chartered Professional Account (CPA, CA), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and has a Certificate of Enterprise Risk Management in the Public Sector from the Schulich School of Business, Executive Education Centre.

Neil is passionate about education and has gained valuable experience in teaching through a variety of roles, such as teaching for CPA Ontario’s Professional Education Program (PEP). He has also worked in educational content and curriculum development and conducted research for accounting and audit projects. Throughout his career, he has enjoyed coaching and mentoring CPA candidates and volunteering in the community.

Nidhi brings over 20 years of accounting and finance experience. Her professional growth with large multinationals, start-up businesses and entrepreneurial enterprise has allowed her to develop a strong appreciation for evolving financial reporting and controls. During her career, Nidhi co-founded and operated a multi-modality medical clinic in the GTA and was a financial leader for a privately pharmaceutical business which was later acquired by a TSX listed company. During this time, she provided cross-functional leadership and her financial expertise was integral in growth strategies for products and services.

Nidhi now spends her time providing advisory services for small business, teaching at York University School of Continuing Studies, and volunteering in the non-profit sector. She is the Treasurer for a nonprofit organization, is the former Vice Chair at Skylark Youth and Families and a former board member for the Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences. She also brings board experience from the private sector. Nidhi is a CPA, CA, and is certified in Risk Management.

Opeyemi Iseyemi is a seasoned global HR professional with over 10 years of experience in talent acquisition, HR transformation, and talent management. For more than 5 years, he has excelled in implementing HR strategies, focusing on talent management, performance management, and employee development. Currently, as a Talent and Organizational Development Program Manager, Opeyemi oversees talent programs for over 18,000 colleagues across North America, designing initiatives that boost performance and engagement.

Dedicated to aligning HR strategies with organizational goals, Opeyemi fosters a positive work environment that motivates employees and enhances productivity. He has successfully led several HR transformation projects, significantly enhancing talent and performance management processes for diverse organizations.

Opeyemi holds a PROSCI Change Management Certification, an SAP ERP 6.0 certification, a Master’s in HRM, and a Bachelor’s in Industrial & Labor Relations. Known for his strong project management and analytical skills, he adeptly drives people and culture strategies that align with business objectives, making him a trusted advisor and leader in the HR field.

In his free time, Opeyemi enjoys volunteering and mentoring young professionals, helping them navigate their HR careers. He is also an avid learner, frequently attending industry conferences and webinars to stay current with the latest HR trends and practices.

Dr. Svergun is an experienced executive manager and educator specializing in human resources management, HR planning and organizational behaviour. During her more than 15 years in senior management roles, she has coached professionals and executives across several industries preparing them for change management initiatives and supporting their business improvement projects. Her portfolio of industries includes public sector work, retail, mining and heavy industries, manufacturing and professional services firms.

Oxana’s teaching promotes scientific-based and effective people management solutions helping organizations to improve their people management capacities. Her practically oriented teaching strategies build learners’ professional expertise and translate evidence-based concepts into effective action.

Paulina Vengeroff is a bijurally-trained legal professional – both in English common law and French civil law. She is specialized in large corporation data governance and compliance, privacy/data protection laws, regulation of AI, data and model ethics, and is continuously in search of opportunities to learn and expand her horizon of knowledge. She has worked in advisory and compliance capacities for the Government of Canada, Crown corporations and leading private corporations in Canada and internationally. She works closely with software developers, engineers, and other innovative IT specialists, where she simplifies legislation and supports international projects with legal compliance. Alongside, she advises on the development and deployment of complex data-using systems, automated decision-making, and all other uses of data and models for innovation. Amongst her training with Canadian law, she is well-versed in European Union and United States legislation in her areas of expertise.

Paulina holds a Law degree, as well as a Master of Laws degree, from the University of Ottawa. She has been heavily involved in research throughout her academic parcours – working in numerous research positions at the heart of the law faculty, as well as in research institutions. She has also consulted in specialized research segments for nation-wide law firms. Her research pieces have been completed in both English and French and have influenced various Canadian legal sectors in both application and legislation.

As a lecturer, she believes that patience, creativity, empathy, and communication are vital to teaching. She aims to create positive, fair, and student-centric learning environments, while fostering strong and open dialogue with her students. She understands the indispensable role of education for students and the translation of academic lessons into the real world. For this reason, she works hard to consistently support her students and join them in their path towards success.

In her free time, you will find her playing piano (as she has successfully completed the Royal Conservatory of Music in Piano), reading her favorite book Crime and Punishment, or diving into recent research publications related to AI regulation and/or privacy law.

Rahim has 13 years of experience in marketing, business strategy, and product management in varied sectors, including fashion, technology, education, and wellness. He has led multifaceted new brand development projects for two ready-to-wear clothing brands and was instrumental in growing the merchant base of a Techstar backed digital start-up for personal care services.

Rahim is the founder of The Herringbone, a marketing consultation service that helps early-stage start-ups and small businesses to tell their stories. His other achievements include marketing projects for luxury brands like Valentino and Ferretti Group.

Rahim holds a Joint Executive MBA from Schulich School of Business at York University and Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Chicago. He also has a Masters degree in Fashion Merchandising and Management from Polimoda School of Fashion Design and Marketing in Florence.

Rashed is a York U alumnus. He graduated in 2006 with a major in Accounting and a minor in General Management under the Bachelors of Administrative Studies program. Rashed went on to obtain his Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA,CA) designation while working with KPMG LLP. He is also a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and a Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional – International (CCEP-I). He looks forward to sharing experience and insights gained from nearly two decades of working as an internal auditor, risk consultant and a compliance professional. He strives to blend academic concepts with practical business scenarios with a purposeful intent to support student success in the classroom as well as in their careers.

Rav has over 18 years of experience teaching business. He has a wealth of industry experience being an entrepreneur and running his own Marketing and Event Management company. Rav has experience working with big brands such as TD Canada Trust, Unilever, Netflix, Lexus, and many more.

Rav is a strong believer in differentiated instruction, and understands that every student is an individual, varying his teaching style and evaluations to help bring out the best in each student. He utilizes his real-world experience in his instruction, providing students with a modern and current day perspective, mixed in with traditional textbooks and theory.

Rav has been a Subject Matter Expert, and has vast experience as a Professor and Instructor, having taught courses in Marketing, Economics, Business Fundamentals and Business Strategy.

Rav holds a M. Ed, B.Comm, and B.A.

In his free time, Rav enjoys reading about all things business, and loves fitness, sports, and music!

Rehan is an HR and Project Management Professional with over 20 years of experience. In January 2014, he became the Founder & CEO of the HR and Project Management Corporation, a global firm specialized in providing recruitment and training services.

Rehan is a part-time faculty member at York University, Humber College, and Lambton College where he teaches HR and project management. He has an Honours BA in Economics from the University of Toronto, an MA in Economics from the University of Western Ontario, and an MASc in Management Science from the University of Waterloo. He also has a Master’s Certificate in Learning & Development from Schulich’s Executive Education Centre and holds both the PMP & CHRL Professional Licenses.

Riana Vumbaca is a Senior Accountant and part-time Sessional Instructional Assistant. She currently works at Ernst & Young (EY) LLP in the assurance practice where she conducts financial statement audit and review engagements for a variety of clients in the private sector. Riana is a recent graduate of the Rotman Commerce Program at the University of Toronto and a successful September 2020 Common Final Examination writer. She combines her professional experience and familiarity with the CPA process to help her students in their pursuit of attaining their professional accounting designation.

Ron Alexandrowich has been a course director/professor at York University’s School of Human Resource Management since 2003. Ron has held positions and worked with various private/public corporations and the non-profit sector in leadership and organization development where the focus has been on cultural transformation and organizational effectiveness. In 2013 he was responsible for HR operations during the Calgary floods for the Canadian Red Cross where he is also a Disaster Management Certified Instructor.

In 2014 Ron received the Teaching Excellence Award within the School of Administrative Studies, and in 2015 was selected as a finalist within the School of Human Resource Management. Both awards are determined by student selection.

Ron has extensive experience in the financial services industry and is currently the Chief Financial Officer, Investments at iA Global Asset Management (iAGAM). Ron began his career in assurance at Ernst & Young and later transitioned to financial, management and regulatory reporting. Prior to his current position, he held various senior roles including AVP, Finance at iA Clarington Investment. Ron is a strong believer in mentorship and hopes to provide guidance to the next generation of finance professionals. Ron holds a Business Administration degree with Honours from the Ivey Business School. He is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada.

A seasoned professional with a wealth of expertise and a passion for driving customer satisfaction as Head of Customer Success. With 20+ years of experience in leading customer-centric teams, Rose has consistently demonstrated an unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional experiences to clients.

Throughout her career, Rose has successfully developed and implemented customer success strategies that have resulted in significant improvements in customer retention and loyalty. She possesses a deep understanding of customer needs and pain points, enabling her to build strong, long-lasting relationships.

As a natural leader and mentor, Rose fosters a culture of excellence within her teams, encouraging collaboration and continuous improvement. Her ability to inspire and empower team members has contributed to high-performing customer success teams and consistently positive outcomes.

Rose also thrives on leveraging data-driven insights to inform decision-making, optimize processes, and identify growth opportunities. By leveraging the latest technologies and industry best practices, she has successfully driven measurable results and positively impacted the bottom line for both customers and the organization.

Strategic and relationship-focused, with a passion for organizational change, Ryna is a leading force in Executive Search dedicated to delivering integrated talent solutions to the organizations and leaders she works with.

As Regional Head, Executive Search and DEI Co-Lead of KBRS based in Toronto, Ryna plays an integral role in providing holistic approaches to talent strategy and executive search drawing on her extensive expertise in talent attraction, coaching, and DEI strategy. With close to 25 years of experience, she has a proven track record of supporting leaders across a range of functions spanning the c-suite, boards, operations, human resources, IT, sales, finance, and accounting in both public and private sectors.

In addition to leading executive search work, Ryna collaborates with DEI Co-Lead, Amorell Saunders N’Daw, to continue to support clients with their diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies, through equitable practices, informed counsel, and proven approaches.

A dynamic speaker and skilled facilitator, Ryna is regularly called upon to address a variety of topics related to her extensive experience in executive search, talent development and her unique DEI lens.

Ryna is a proud community member and active volunteer.

Education, Certifications, and Awards:

• Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, University of Windsor
• Brain-Based Coaching Certification, NeuroLeadership Institute

Passions, Community Involvement, and Personal Interests:

• North American Diversity Leadership Council Member, Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC)
• Member Board of Directors, Kinark Child and Family Services
• An active volunteer, Foodbank Oakville, Kerr Street Mission, and Scott Mission

Sector Specialty:

• Executive Search
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consulting

Salman has over 10 years of experience in business development, international business and technology across the corporate and non-for-profit sector. He has been highly successful at advising fast-growing international companies on market entry strategies in his current role at Toronto Global, where he has helped attract over 25 international companies that will create more than 800 new jobs for Canadians and generate upwards of $140M of investment to Canada.

Prior to this, Salman worked in client facing roles in technology companies which included 5 years at IBM where he supported enterprise clients. Salman is currently on the Program Advisory Committee at the Faculty of Business at Humber College and serves as a board member at the Toronto Workforce Innovation Group.

Salman has an Honours Degree in Computer Science from York University and an MBA in Technology and Innovation from Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University.

Setinder Rupra is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) and Payroll Compliance Practitioner (PCP) with over 20 years industry experience. In addition to teaching Human Resources and Payroll courses, she managed a niche business that provides watch repair services to various luxury brands. Setinder also brings practical knowledge of pre-hire assessments and tools through her work with McQuaig as the Lead Facilitator and Customer Success Manager. Setinder has a wealth of firsthand experiences to share with her students.

Setinder is passionate about creating an inclusive an interactive learning experience for her students and professional clients. She is committed to creating an environment where students can explore and share their own ideas in the often “grey” areas of HR and become comfortable making decisions where there may not always be a black and white answer.

Setinder’s areas of expertise are human resources, organizational behaviour, payroll, customer experience, employee engagement, corporate training, and business management.

Shannon Paine is a corporate, commercial and regulatory lawyer. Her experience includes work in three highly regulated industries (electricity, food, and accounting), at all levels of government, and in private practice. No matter the client, she focuses on providing business minded legal advice and contract drafting that considers their unique objectives, stakeholders, and structure. Shannon is currently Associate Counsel for the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario. Shannon’s previous work includes articling with the City of Calgary, practicing with a boutique firm specializing in food law, and working as in-house counsel with the Electrical Safety Authority.

Shannon graduated from the University of New Brunswick with a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Leadership Studies, earned her Juris Doctor from the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University, and her Masters of Public Administration also from Dalhousie University. She was called to the Bars of Alberta and Ontario in 2014. Shannon is Vice President of the Women’s Law Association of Ontario and volunteers providing guidance on governance best practices to various not-for-profits and charities.

Sheri has over 20 years of experience in marketing and advertising, brand management, startups and small business spanning the automotive, consumer packaged goods, e-commerce and service industries. Sheri is an award-winning marketer for Fortune 500 brands such as Kraft, Coca-Cola, Ford, Nissan/Infiniti and Unilever where she helped lead a multi-million dollar product launch for Sunsilk Hair Care into North America.

Since 2012, Sheri has taught Marketing and Sales for Enterprise Toronto, the City of Toronto’s Small Business Centres. In 2017, Sheri launched her own tech-ed startup, Codezilla Kids, which served 40+ schools in Toronto. She currently helps small business owners through ZipLaunch, a consulting and training program for new entrepreneurs.

Sheri holds a Masters of Business Administration from Dalhousie University (Marketing and International Business specializations) and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto.

Shirley has taught a wide range of courses including accounting, finance and taxation for over ten years at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Her industry experience spans both the public and private sectors in the areas of corporate finance, accounting, controllership and project management.

Shirley is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). She holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) with a focus in Commerce and Strategy from Laurentian University.
Shirley also teaches in the MBA Program at Cape Breton University and has been involved as a subject matter expert in curriculum design to meet industry and professional certification requirements. Her teaching philosophy includes motivating and encouraging students to learn from one another, while always challenging them to be critical thinkers.

Shreyas has over 12 years of Engineering, Program, Product, Data, and CX experience. He has built multiple 0 to 1 products for startups to giants like Amazon with expertise in the marketplace, subscriptions, and e-commerce products. At Spocket, he leads the global product organization, including product management, design, and data. In addition to the leadership role, he is an On Deck fellow, a product mentor and judge at New Ventures BC, and a product blog writer at shreyassali.com.

He completed a master’s in Computer Science from the University of Houston, Clearlake, and an MBA from Arizona State University. He is a published author on Amazon for the PMP certification book.

Simon Roethlisberger is a seasoned professional who has spent the majority of his career in the freight forwarding and transportation industry. For the past 10 years, he has held various positions related to Operations Management, Project Management, Process and Change Management and Quality Management. Simon has worked on large-scale digital transformation projects and various process improvement initiatives with a strong focus on increasing service quality, risk management and productivity improvements. Simon puts a strong focus on collaboration and alignment amongst stakeholders to drive and achieve sustainable solutions. Overall process improvement is not just a means to increase direct bottom-line results through operational efficiencies and productivity but to also enhance the workplace and create a more sustainable and productive environment for employees.

Simran has over 15 years of experience in brand communication, marketing, stakeholder management and consulting in financial services, travel and tourism, retail, fast food and the public sector. She is currently the Director and Co-Founder of HS Advisory Inc. where she supports small businesses located in Dufferin County to achieve their true potential.

Simran is community leader, business consultant, and accomplished public speaker. A council candidate in the 2018 Orangeville municipal election, she is actively involved in local social, economic, and political issues and makes her voice heard over various platforms including local news channels and publications. Simran is passionate about causes which promote sustainable development, gender equity, and accessibility, diversity, and inclusion. She is the founder of South Asians in Dufferin, and a past board member for Community Living Dufferin, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and Family Transition Place. She proudly supports the Indigenous community in Dufferin by volunteering for Dufferin County Cultural Resource Centre and contributes to independent living of seniors by volunteering with Caledon Meals on Wheels. Simran continues to add value to initiatives related to accessibility through her membership on the Town of Orangeville’s Accessibility & Seniors’ Advisory Committee. She has also played a crucial role in promoting diversity and inclusion through her contributions to the Anti-Black Racism & Discrimination Task Force for the Town of Shelburne.

Simran holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting), a Master in Psychology (Counselling) and is currently pursuing an MBA (Marketing). She teaches courses in marketing and business management at post-secondary institutions throughout the Greater Toronto Area.

Stefan is a CPA,CA that transitioned into the tech world and is now a Senior Product Manager at Varicent, a B2B SAAS leader in the Sales Performance space. He currently leads a team of 3 product managers, 3 designers and 30+ developers/QAs for a new product that he took from ideation to launch.

Stephen Credico currently works at KPMG LLP as a Manager in the assurance practice where he conducts financial statement audits and accounting advisory services for a variety of clients in both the private and public sectors. In addition to teaching at the York University School of Continuing Studies, he is also a part-time sessional instructor at McMaster University. His teaching philosophy is to ensure students learn technical knowledge through practical examples to develop an understanding of complex topics. Stephen holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McMaster University and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA).

Steve Fletcher has been an Occupational Health and Safety Professional for the past 27 years. He believes in lifelong learning and the fact that you are never too old to learn something new. Steve has graduated from three Ontario Colleges, and is a three-time graduate of McMaster University in Human Resources, Labour Studies, and Occupational Health and Safety complimented with a Masters of Public Administration from Western University.

Steve’s career has given him significant experience in the healthcare, education, municipal and industrial sectors of Ontario workplaces. He has been teaching with McMaster in the Human Resources program for the past 15 years and has a passion for helping students thrive and enjoy the learning experience.

Su-Yan Gay is a Human Resources professional who brings almost 20 years of HR experience to York University. Su-Yan worked as the Manager of Learning & Development for a large crown corporation for over 10 years. Her most recent position took her to Alberta, where she was the Supervisor of Employee Education and a Senior HR Advisor within a municipal government organization. Based in Toronto, Su-Yan is currently managing her own HR consulting firm (NAYUS Consulting Group) where she is advising public and private organizations in both Canada and the Caribbean with their HR and talent management needs.

Su-Yan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Toronto, a Bachelor of Education degree (specializing in Adult Education) from Brock University, and a graduate degree in Human Resources Management from York University. In addition, she holds the professional designations of Certified Human Resources Leader and Certified Training & Development Professional.

As principle of S.A. Maislin Consultants, Sue-Ann is passionate about partnering with leading employers to create healthy, safe, sustainable and high-performing workplaces. She has over 20 years of leadership and health and safety consulting experience in the financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, telecommunications, social services and education industries. Sue-Ann has a master’s degree in counselling psychology and adult education from the University of Toronto. She’s also a qualified Mental Health First Aid Instructor through the Mental Health Commission of Canada. To learn more about Sue-Ann visit her website, www.sueannmaislin.com.

Supinder has 17 years’ experience working as a Financial Controller in various manufacturing industries from packaging, refinery services, lumber and door opening solutions in North America. He has been teaching since 2007 with CPA Ontario and is currently teaching at York University Schulich School of Business in the BBA and MBA programs and with the York University School of Continuing Education. He teaches Management Accounting, Financial Accounting, Finance, Audit, Capstone, Accounting Information Systems and Tax. Supinder holds the following designations: an undergraduate BBA degree from Schulich, an MBA from Warwick University, CPA, CMA In Ontario and CCP in Canada.

Tabitha has been involved in the project management field for over 10 years. Having worked on projects across the globe, she found her home in the education field in 2012. She started her career in projects as a computer programmer, then transitioned to the role of search engine optimization expert and software tester. The projects she worked on ranged from software development projects to language translation software projects at British-based Applied Language Solutions. She also worked on internal process improvement projects at Cognizant Technology Solutions. Tabitha is a part-time Instructor at various colleges in the Greater Toronto Area, as well as a certified PMI^®-ATP Trainer with Driven Leadership Solutions, a PMI Authorized Training Partner.

Tabitha has a Masters in Project Management from Colorado State University and a Bachelors in Computer Engineering. A PMP^® since 2013, she has held several roles in post-secondary and is passionate about using technology to deliver content that speaks to every kind of learner.

Tanya Domize is a Licensed Paralegal with experience in criminal law as a Victim Witness Service Worker for the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Professor. Tanya is an active community member that advocates for marginalized communities and connects students with legal employment opportunities and career supports. Tanya aims to create an inclusive student-centered learning environment for all students.

In 2020 she was the recipient of the George Wicken Award for teaching excellence and in 2022 the recipient of a Teaching and Learning Scholarship research project. Tanya obtained a B.A. in Political Science (French language focus) from York University’s Glendon Campus and a MCATD Masters Certification in Adult Training and Development from York University Schulich SEEC.

In 2022, Tanya completed a York University Certificate in Digital Content Marketing and is honoured to return to York University as an Instructor. Tanya has always been interested in law and social justice. Her career reflects her passion to help others achieve their goals and bounce back from setbacks. “Each one, teach one”.

Teni has 16 years of experience in HR leadership roles with Algoma University, Driving Change Automotive Group, and Maersk/APM Terminals. She is currently the Director of People and Culture at the University Health Network, where she is responsible for Toronto Rehab and the Michener Institute of Education.

Teni is driven by a vision and passion for transformational people development and human capacity building. Teni’s achievements include her oversight of Human Resources at APM Terminal’s $176M terminal operations in West Africa, where she directed the company’s priority strategy on retention and cost management for health management organizations. Teni also chaired the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee at Algoma University, and designed and deployed the leadership development program for the Algoma Leadership team.

Teni is an expert HR professional with extensive experience in recruitment, training and development, union and employee relations, leadership development, conflict resolution, succession planning, equity, diversity & inclusion, job design & evaluation, performance management, and organizational development. She has trained and coached students and professionals in strategic human resource management, customer service, workplace quality, and effective communication.

Teni holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration, a Master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies, and a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts.

Terry Lampropoulos in an instructor in the Risk Management program. Through his experience in the Canadian financial industry, he has worked in consulting, fraud, insurance, business continuity management, and various risk management roles in capital markets, credit cards, model risk, technology risk, and operational risk. With a sound education base that includes an Honors Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto, his MBA at Dalhousie University, and certifications in Risk Management, Business Analysis, and Project Management, Terry is able to use his experience across multiple fields to bring the classroom to life using modern case examples that emphasize the role of risk management in both theory and practice.

Timothy has a broad spectrum of experience, having spent 25 years in aviation involved in many aspects of labour relations and occupational health and safety. Timothy Held many leadership roles including crew chief and Vice President of the union local

In 2014, Timothy began teaching aviation technology at Centennial College. He completed the college teaching and higher learning diploma with high honours. A firm believer in life-long learning, he completed a bachelor’s degree in adult education at Brock University in 2017. In 2018, wanting to expand his teaching portfolio, he graduated from the York University postgraduate studies program in Human Resources Management. In 2018, Timothy enrolled in the University of Fredericton Master of Business Administration human resource leadership program. In 2022, he graduated with a master’s degree in educational leadership studies from Memorial University.

Today Timothy endeavours to create a positive classroom experience, as he enjoys his position as a corporate trainer traveling the world teaching aviation to various airline employees.

Tina Gardiner is the Manager, Risk Management Services for The Regional Municipality of York, one of Canada’s fastest growing municipalities, and has accumulated over 30 years experience in risk and insurance with various corporations. During her career with York Region Tina has successfully built the Risk Management Services (RMS) unit, from the ground up, incorporating an enterprise risk management approach. Today this unit of claims and risk management professionals has a respected advisory role within the Region.

Continuing education is important to Tina having been a lifelong learner herself. After graduating with her Biology degree (BSc) from Wilfrid Laurier University she went on to complete her Chartered Insurance Professional designation (CIP) from the Insurance Institute of Canada, Canadian Risk Management designation (CRM) from University of Toronto, a Masters Certificate in Municipal Leadership from the Schulich School of Business at York University, Excellence Canada Certificate in Process Improvement Management and York Region’s own Executive Leadership Program. Tina has been an instructing insurance and risk management courses in a formal and non-formal setting since 2005.

Currently serving in her second year as a Director on the Risk and Insurance Management (RIMS) Board, Tina has been an active participant in RIMS at the Chapter level thorough ORIMS, serving several terms as President, and nationally through the RIMS Canada Council serving as Chair. Tina was humbled and honoured to receive the industry’s 2010 Don Stuart Award for Excellence in Risk Management. Tina is also an active member in the Society of Professional Insurance Administrators of Ontario (SPIAO).

Tina likes bringing people together through networking, shared experiences and as a thought leader. She is the co-founder and co- chair of two municipal risk management committees in Ontario; and has served as Chair of a Canadian on-line municipal risk management forum. Risk Management is a passion for Tina, and she loves to talk about anything risk and insurance related….. especially with rising risk and insurance professionals.

Tony Rossi is a risk management industry professional who has practiced in both traditional and enterprise risk management roles within the public sector. Tony’s 20-year career includes implementing an enterprise risk management framework, establishing large self-insured deductible programs, managing claims administration departments, and implementing effective risk control measures. Tony has been teaching risk management courses since 2004 and strives to provide students with a valuable learning experience.

Upendra Poranki is the Principal of UP Product Strategy Consulting, guiding early-stage tech startups towards Product-Market Fit, Growth, and Scale. With 12+ years of Product Management experience in diverse industries like Telecommunications, Healthcare, eCommerce, Recruiting Tech and Procurement, he excels at defining product strategy, streamlining product management processes, and achieving successful product positioning. His product track record includes leadership roles at Nokia Siemens Networks, Yuave, Amazon, and Procurify, where he led product, engineering, design, and product marketing teams to success.

Passionate about fostering the next generation of product managers, Upendra has so far guided over 60+ professionals from various backgrounds into Product Management roles. As a leader dedicated to giving back and mentoring, he pioneered the successful Associate PM Program at Procurify, fostering internal and external employee transitions into Product Management. At Amazon India, he initiated the “Product Day” conference, engaging 100+ employees in understanding Amazon’s unique Product Management practices.

Upendra holds a dual honors degree in Computer Science and Mathematics.

Vivien Ho is the Senior Project Manager of the Finance Transformation Office at Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited. She is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience driving business optimization and operational excellence across diverse industries, including corporate real estate, private equity, tech startups, financial services, insurance, automotive, manufacturing, and management consulting. As a certified Black Belt and change agent, Vivien has a proven track record of leading successful business transformations, executing strategic initiatives, and delivering measurable improvements in quality, efficiency, and cost savings. With a background in process optimization, automation, and business process design, Vivien has led initiatives to streamline operations, enhance productivity, and drive digital transformation. She holds an MBA in Finance and is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. She is passionate about driving change, solving complex problems, and making a meaningful impact in every role she undertakes.

Wei is a seasoned business-technology professional with expertise in consulting, capital markets, and technology management. She has a proven track record of managing cross-functional and cross-regional teams through the full digital product management lifecycle. Wei has worked in many different areas of the FinTech industry, from both strategy and execution perspectives in driving digital transformation. Currently, she is a Director at Scotiabank, managing global banking markets engineering and consulting teams, with an emphasis on highly complex and large-scale business platforms modernization.

Wei holds a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Rotman School of Business specializing in Consulting, Strategy, and Change Management. She also has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto, with concentration in Finance. Wei is a certified Financial Risk Manager (FRM) and is completing additional professional designations in trading.

Xing Xu is a seasoned professional with managerial experience in audit and accounting in the public and private sectors. She is currently a Senior Manager at a private investment management company. Previously, she was an Assurance Manager at a global accounting firm, focusing on clients in the financial services and asset management space. Xing Xu enjoys teaching and sharing her practical insights with students. She believes that mentorship is a key factor in fostering academic and professional success and that she strives to provide guidance and support to her students and colleagues.

Xing Xu holds a Master of Accountancy (MAcc) and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. She also holds a professional designation as a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA).

Yakov has over 15 years of progressively senior human resources and labour relations experience in large, high-profile, heavily unionized public sector organizations. His experience ranges a broad array of non-profit roles, including in the Provincial, Federal, Policing, Healthcare and Municipal sectors, overseeing Human Resources and other corporate support functions. Yakov took an active role at the forefront of human resources and organizational development modernization in the municipal sector by previously serving on the Board of Directors for the Ontario Municipal Human Resources Association, including terms as Vice-President.

Yakov brings a Bachelor of Commerce with Honours from York University as well as a Masters of Industrial Relations and Human Resources from the University of Toronto. He holds the Certified Human Resources Leader designation and teaches courses at York University as well as Conestoga College, passionately believing in the importance of continuous learning and teaching.

Yasmin has nearly two decades of progressive experience in senior leadership roles focused on diversity, equity and community inclusion. She is currently the Dean of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at Humber College. This role collaborates closely with the school’s administrative, academic, and student leaders. Yasmin works across the college to promote EDIB in teaching, learning, and organizational culture and actively contributes to advancing the principles and values of EDIB through education, training, mentorship, and open dialogue with students, staff, faculty, and alumni groups. A major component of this role is to prioritize enhancing student success outcomes, identifying existing gaps, and addressing unmet needs that align with the Humber’s strategic objectives.

Yasmin was the first Chief Diversity Officer Canadian Blood Services. She worked closely with other senior leaders, employees, and stakeholders to advance diversity, equity, inclusion and Indigenization with intentionality, across the organization and within the broader health landscape. With her guidance and leadership, employees of CBS worked to further evolve institutional practices and policies and to cultivate a more inclusive donor/registrant base and workforce.

For seven years, she served as Director of Global Citizenship, Education and Inclusion at Centennial College in Toronto. In this capacity, she actively engaged students, staff and the wider community in transformative learning and the development of collaborative initiatives that address systemic barriers for equity-deserving groups and Indigenous communities.

Yasmin holds a Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of Western Ontario and is a certified professional coach. Her professional roles, educational background and scholarly research has given Yasmin an in-depth understanding of how to actively engage diverse communities and shape effective organizational strategies to address systemic biases and inequities.

Additionally, Yasmin has a profound knowledge of effective leadership practices in multi-faceted institutions that includes application of the Ontario Human Rights Code within diverse contexts, a critical understanding of AODA, Indigenization and applying the key tenets of anti-oppressive practice.

She strongly believes in the co-creation of DEI strategies that foster community inclusion and active participation and allow for mistakes, failures and a high level of humility that recognizes this work is constantly evolving.

Yuliya Miakisheva is a passionate language educator who has been committed to providing her students with learner-centered educational opportunities in North America and overseas for over 25 years.

For the past 20 years, Yuliya has been teaching English for Academic and Professional purposes at York University. There, she has created and facilitated face-to-face and blended university preparation courses for international undergraduate students. She has also designed and delivered graduate preparation interdisciplinary courses for internationally trained legal, business, and medical professionals.In addition to her teaching experience, Yuliya worked as a program coordinator for graduate preparation and professional programs, where she cultivated language and professional skills in students to be applied in their future careers.

In her work, Yuliya has been exploring innovative solutions in higher education and their application in language teaching through individual and team projects and professional development opportunities. Yuliya regularly presents at professional conferences, locally and internationally, and has a number of professional publications.

Adarsha Datta is the Developer Engagement Lead for Cloud + Enterprise with Microsoft Canada. He has 12+ years of experience in the technology industry across software development, technical consulting, solution architecture and business development. He did his undergrad in Computer Science and Engineering, started his career as a software engineer and soon transitioned to technical consulting in IBM India. After finishing his MBA from Schulich School of Business, York University, he joined Microsoft Canada and has held multiple roles such as Technical Evangelist, National Startup Lead and currently is the Developer Engagement Lead for Cloud and Enterprise. He is passionate about helping customers and partners digitally transform by adopting transformative technologies and practices such as the Cloud, Agile and DevOps.

Aditi is an experienced technology professional and a global MBA graduate. With over 12 years of experience in technology and fintech companies, she is currently working with TD securities to explore blockchain technology and its potential application in Fixed income operations. Aditi has strong business analysis skills to enable businesses to improve their process and products. She believes in continuous learning and application of technology solutions to facilitate efficient business solutions.

Affaf is a seasoned software developer and engineering manager with over 14 years of experience across various technology stacks, spanning multiple industries. Affaf is currently leading and managing teams of developers across different products and is directly involved with managing the production and release of software and web application solutions through a managed agile process with a key focus towards enabling and supporting DevOps culture. In addition, Affaf specializes in cloud-native development to leverage modern practices in a pragmatic manner. Affaf completed his B.Sc. in Life Sciences from McMaster University and is currently pursuing an M.Sc. in Computer Sciences from the University of Liverpool.

Ahmad Cheema earned his Ph.D. degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Lakehead University in May 2022. He received the Dean’s Scholar Award for Engineering along with numerous research scholarships and awards, such as the Ontario Graduate Scholarship, Ontario Graduate Fellowship, and Faculty Research Award for the duration of his Ph.D. He has a Masters degree in Internet, Computer and System Security from University of Bradford, England in Dec 2006 and also holds CEH and CISA designations.

Ahmad is a passionate InfoSec leader in the Public Sector, currently working as Senior Advisor Cloud Security with Shared Services Canada. He has been awarded excellence in service during COVID-19. He has more than 15+ years of diverse experience in academia, research, and industry in the fields of Information Security and Information Communication Technology. He has extensive experience leading teams with a proven track record of completing numerous projects related to the development, testing, evaluation and deployment of IT and cyber security solutions. Ahmad is an experienced information security and IT trainer having trained 1K+ professionals from the military, government, industry, banks, and academia. In addition to the aforementioned experience, he has published his research in internationally IEEE-renowned peer-reviewed journals and conferences.

Having been brought up in over three continents as part of his childhood, Ali Khan, CCISO, CISM, CISSP, CDPSE, CISA also known as #thecyberAli, is an executive cybersecurity professional, father, author, thought leader, mentor, angel investor, and a humanitarian.

Ali serves the cybersecurity industry globally with his innovative approach to executing and delivering on cybersecurity initiatives. As a mentor and educator, Ali continues to work closely with educational institutions to develop the next generation of cybersecurity professionals and also provides mentorship, guidance and career coaching to upcoming and aspiring cyber professionals and startups. Ali also volunteers his time and efforts at not-for-profit organizations providing his subject matter expertise.

Ali has an Executive Management Certificate in Leading Organizations in Disruptive Times from INSEAD School of Business, France, an Honors Bachelor of Arts, Majoring in Information Technology Management from York University, Canada and is a Certified Chief Information Security Officer (CCISO), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE) and Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA). Ali also has NATO and Level II (Secret) Clearance from the Government of Canada.

He’s also the co-author of Because You Can: Your Cybersecurity Career, a simple and practical handbook with actionable insights for success.

To learn more about Ali, visit: www.thecyberAli.com

Dr. Annie Lee holds a PhD from the University of Waterloo at the Centre of Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence with over 12 years of experience in data mining and machine learning. Dr. Lee’s passion in finding patterns in society and in nature in the big data era has lead to dozens of publications in computational advertising, sentiment analysis, and sequence analysis, including a highly-read review paper on big data. Most notably, Dr. Lee developed interpretable unsupervised algorithms, which uncovered patterns utilizing clustering and partitioning of raw data and a priori knowledge.

Currently, Dr. Lee is the Lead Research Scientist for the Data Science team at Vertical Scope, where she drives the efforts for the in-house academic research, algorithmic implementations, and evaluations. During her tenure, Dr. Lee propelled projects on identifying product names, sentiments analysis towards product features, and topic modelling in order to generate key business insights for reporting brand and site health.

Dr. Lee is currently serving as the funding chair for Broadening Participation in Data Mining and was a co-chair of Women in Machine Learning, co-hosted with the 2010 Annual Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems in Vancouver. Dr. Lee was an NSERC and OGS scholar.

Arlene Worsley is well versed in both business and IT environments where she uniquely brings expertise in cyber risk plus 14 years of crisis management, project management, communications and reputation management. She holds the CISM, ISO 22301 and cloud security certifications as well as a BA in Communications and Media Studies education from the University of Calgary and University of Oregon. Arlene has spent countless hours as a crisis management lead in incident command centers through workplace fatalities, natural disasters and evacuations, environmental incidents, anti-industry campaigns, physical protests, provincial regulatory hearings and sophisticated cyberattacks resulting in data breaches and online brand abuse.

Today, Arlene is an award-winning cyber risk and crisis management practitioner for a global consulting firm, an Assistant Instructor in the Certificate in Cyber Security Fundamentals at York University, a guest speaker, mentor and co-author of “Because You Can: Your Cybersecurity Career.”

I’m currently a Senior Manager of Cloud, Data, Cyber and AI Technology Risk. I have 8+ years of experience working with different Canadian financial institutions, such as CIBC, TD, RBC, and Amazon (USA), in different types of technology and leadership roles. My expertise is in cloud computing, Software Development, Cybersecurity, and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning. I’m a very passionate person when it comes to teaching others and helping people grow in their careers. I’ve completed my BCom, Cloud Computing Certificate from UofT, and Schulich of Business with Masters in AI analytics & leadership. I currently have my CISSP, AWS Solutions Architect, CSM, and TOGAF certifications. In my free time, I love to go to the gym and go skiing.

Bip has over 15 years of experience in the information technology space in cybersecurity, telecom engineering, and data governance for Hydro One, an electricity transmission and distribution utility. He has an undergraduate degree in Computer Science from the University of Guelph, a diploma in Wireless Telecommunications from Humber College, and a graduate degree in MBA/MTI from Toronto Metropolitan University.Currently, he is pursuing his doctorate in cybersecurity with a focus on privacy-preserving techniques from Marymount University. He regularly teaches quantitative courses (Statistics, Cybersecurity, Data Science, Cloud Computing) as a part-time faculty for Humber College and Conestoga College.

Cecilia Ying has 16 years of professional experience in capital markets, most recently with Scotiabank as Director in Global Risk Management with responsibility for counterparty credit risk monitoring. Cecilia has a scope of research that spans areas of AI explainablity and its application in the financial industry. One of her current research projects is examining the impact of AI on cognitively intensive tasks performed by skilled workers, such as lawyers who are using an AI tool to reference preceding cases, or doctors leveraging medical AI tools for preliminary diagnostics. Her other research explores ML algorithms for predicting defaults in private firms using alternative unstructured data extracted from websites and social media.

Cecilia is currently pursuing her PhD at Queen’s University, Smith School of Business in Management Analytics, and holds a Masters degree in Management Analytics from Queen’s University and a Joint Honours Bachelors degree in Mathematics and Applied Economics from the University of Waterloo.

Claude Sam-Foh is the former Chief Enterprise Architect and Chief Cyber Security Officer with the Financial Services Commission of Ontario. He has extensive business and IT knowledge, gained through more than 30 years’ practical experience in both fields. His area of expertise encompasses enterprise architecture, information management, information security, privacy leadership, cloud computing, service management, portfolio, program and project management, business systems analysis and agile management.

Claude has recently joined the School of Continuing Studies at York University as a curriculum developer and Instructor. Claude makes business and IT learning fun and adapts his delivery to the level of his students. He challenges them to think strategically and emphasizes on applying the knowledge they have learned in the workplace. His motto is “Knowledge Secured and Wisdom Applied.” He leads by example, teaches with passion, and creates a learning environment where students are motivated to excel.

Connor McMillan is an offensive security professional with years of experience leading penetration testing, incident response and cyber security advisory services consulting engagements. He has driven dozens of network and application penetration tests for organizations across industries and security postures. Having led incident response engagements for global ransomware events, application compromises, and insider threat incidents, Connor brings an adversarial mindset to offensive security. Connor is excited to join York University’s Offensive Cyber Security program as a content developer and instructor. Connor’s background in applied mathematics and engineering offers a unique perspective to the cyber security space, having obtained a B.Eng in Mathematics and Engineering (Computing and Communications) from Queen’s University in 2018. In 2022, Connor became one of the first in North America to obtain the industry-leading Offensive Security Certified Expert (OSCE3) designation from Offensive Security.

Cristina Onosé leads teams at PwC Canada in Privacy Advocacy and Thought Leadership and Cyber Threat Intelligence. She works with organizations to optimize their privacy and security programs, enhance consumer trust, ensure compliance with applicable privacy and security requirements, and intelligently assess cyber threats.

Prior to joining PwC, Cristina was the Director of Government Relations and Privacy at the Canadian Marketing Association (CMA). She has also served in roles in the government of Ontario, an EU Parliament think tank in Belgium, and a foreign diplomatic office.

Cristina is a member of the Certification Training Advisory Board of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). She also serves as board director of the Public Affairs Association of Canada (PAAC), the Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada (DAAC) and the European Union Chamber of Commerce in Canada (EUCCAN). She is a frequent speaker and author on privacy and security-related issues, including government regulation (PIPEDA, GDPR), data strategies, and emerging technologies (IoT, smart cities, automated vehicles, etc.).

Cristina is an instructor in York University’s School of Continuing Studies Certificate in Information Privacy (teaching the ‘Privacy in Technology’ course).

Over the course of half a decade, Dhruvin Parikh has been helping organizations build next generation systems through cutting edge technologies. Dhruvin is now Senior Blockchain Engineer at frax finance. Dhruvin was a VP Engineering at Dinero protocol and former CTO of optyfi. Dhruvin quickly perceived the potential of decentralized revolution and that motivated him to start exploring blockchain technology since early 2017s.

Dhruvin’s current role includes developing liquid staking smart contract and blockchain infrastructure orchestration. He has contributed to open source blockchain projects in Ethereum and PolkaDoT ecosystem. He has also worked in early stage blockchain startups and make the things happen there.

Dhruvin is dedicated in solving complex problems. He is an Instructor and Curriculum developer at York University for Blockchain Development Program. He is responsible for creating and delivering content for full stack development(Node & React), Smart Contracts and decentralized applications.

Dhruvin runs a solo software consulting firm in Canada which provides development services for decentralized applications.

Dhruvin holds bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communications engineering as well as post graduate diploma in Information Technology Solutions (Enterprise Development Profile) from Humber College.

Dhruvin’s interest lies in Blockchain, Full Stack, decentralized systems, Smart contract security, Embedded, microcontrollers and IoT.

Dilara is a seasoned cybersecurity professional with expertise in risk management and governance. Currently, she leverages her analytical skills as a Senior Cyber Analytics Specialist, in GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance) activities in the public sector. Previously, she worked as a Senior Information Security Analyst within global identity and access management (IAM) teams in a financial industry, where she championed global manager and role certifications.

Dilara is a data-oriented person who enjoys learning new facts and acquiring new knowledge. Her passion is exploring as many different ways to connect ideas as possible while continuously learning and growing. She holds a CISSP and CISM certification and has received degrees in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science from York University.

Dr. George Wanganga works for Moneris Solutions as an automation developer while teaching part time in post graduate courses in various institutions like Lambton, Sheridan, Georgian among others.  As an ardent researcher, with Doctorate degree in Computer Science (Big Data Analytics) he has a keen focus on big data tools, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, deep learning and in synergistic value co-creation in the utilization of big data resources.

He has presented his machine learning, sentiment analytics and deep learning research in top class international conferences and symposiums as wells published with the most reputable journals such as IEEE. He also holds BSc. Mathematics & Computer Science, MSc. Software Engineering with business administration and personnel management diplomas. George has over 25 years of experience in the wider IT field and has largely been involved in research, teaching, curriculum development in universities and colleges as well in extensive industry-based IT consultancy. 

Harish brings more than 15+ years of postdoctoral work experience in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and Advanced Data Analytics catering to the data science and analytics needs of organizations in the retail, automotive, aerospace, telecommunication, biotech and defence sectors. In his current role, Harish heads the Interconnected Analytics and Data Science practice at The Home Depot, Canada. Prior to that, Harish evolved into a technology consultant and a data/analytics leader from being the President and Chief Scientific Consultant of Zero One Infinity Consulting (ZOIC) Services Ltd., a Chief Engineer at Samsung Electronics and via a blend of other industrial, research and academic administration and management experiences.

Harish has an Executive MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, Canada, a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Loughborough University, U.K., an M.Sc. in Autonomous Systems from the University of Exeter, U.K. and a bachelor’s (B.Tech.) degree in Information Technology (IT) from the University of Madras, India. Harish has made significant scholarship contributions with more than 85 published articles in journals, books and conferences, two filed patents, three best paper awards, an organizing committee member of over 20 workshops/conferences and more than 25 invited talks. Harish is recognized as a senior member of the IEEE and serves on various editorial, not-for-profit and advisory committees. Outside work, Harish enjoys photography and travelling.

Over the past 28 years, Ed Dubrovsky’s name has been synonymous with information security, Cyber breach response, risk management, cyber education and entrepreneurship. As a practitioner and management executive, Mr. Dubrovsky built and led cyber consulting practices in a number of organizations including successfully concluding an acquisition by one of the largest publicly traded global insurance services conglomerate.

Mr. Dubrovsky is responsible for helping thousands of victims across North America recover from some of the most devastating cyber-attacks including ransomware, business email compromises, extortion attacks, malicious insiders and advanced persistent threats. Mr. Dubrovsky’s passion is in developing organizational cybersecurity programs that fundamentally are structured to rapidly adapt to new threat actor tools, techniques, and processes through the use of effective controls coupled with relevant intelligence. When Mr. Dubrovsky is not busy helping clients, he can be found teaching at the York University’s cyber security program where he sits on the advisory board and acts as both a course developer and an instructor. Mr. Dubrovsky holds a number of academic and industry certifications including BSc, MSc, MBA, OSCP and the CISSP designation (2002).

Mr. Dubrovsky is a well-known leader in the Cyber field and has authored numerous articles in the areas of offensive security, practical measures to protect organizations, contributed to many media articles and is frequently sought after to present at numerous media and industry conferences across the globe.

Eric Anastacio has over 20 years in IT Audit experience. Eric started his career at PwC after completing his Bachelor’s in Commerce. During that time, Eric attained his CISA, CIA and CRMA designations. After that, Eric has held multiple positions with several organizations, including the Ontario Ministry of Finance and CIBC. Eric also holds a Masters in Education and has experience delivering IT Audit courses with emphasis on emerging technologies, such as Cyber Security and Cloud Computing.

Fatima Khamitova has a career spanning finance, data science, and marketing consulting. She began in finance, then transitioned into data-driven marketing consulting across various industries. As a strategy consultant, Fatima crafted keynotes and managed crisis communications. She previously founded an AI-focused startup, securing funding and delivering remarkable client results. Fatima is known for enhancing customer experiences through AI-driven tools and is dedicated to shaping future professionals in the field.

Ferris is a Director of Cybersecurity at the City of Toronto. Ferris has more than 15 years of experience in Information Security, IT Risk Management, Project Management, Privacy, and Regulatory Compliance. Ferris has supported some of Canada’s leading companies, including Aecon, Symcor, TD Bank, and Rogers Communications. Before joining the City, Ferris was a Senior Security and compliance at Rogers Communication. Ferris is passionate about sharing cybersecurity knowledge with others.

As a Cybersecurity Management Instructor at the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies, he has helped prepare the next generation of cyber experts for today’s landscape. He has also enjoyed assisting mid-career professionals in transitioning into cyber careers (a subject for which Canadian Security Magazine interviewed him)! Ferris holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Norwich University and multiple risk management and information security certifications. Ferris, a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). I frequently speak at cybersecurity conferences such as ISACA Canada /USA, Conference, connectors, and Information Security Forum conferences.

Gaurav Kumar is a security and risk management leader with one of the world’s largest management consulting companies. In his current role, Gaurav is responsible for helping client executives develop suitable security and risk management strategies that meet business needs, seeking to balance defensive and responsive strategic elements.

For over 15 years, Gaurav has been helping businesses understand and proactively manage information technology risks by effectively acting as both a technical subject matter expert and a trusted business information security adviser. Gaurav has worked in all verticals of information security and risk management including access management, threat analysis, security monitoring and response, risk management, security assurance and governance, security consulting, and enterprise security program management.

Gaurav holds a MSc in information security and assurance (majoring in vulnerability management) from Norwich University in Vermont, USA. Gaurav also holds the CISSP, CISM, CRISC, CCSK, and SABSA security architect designations.

Gaurav teaches the Information Security Risk Management and Governance course.

Ghassem Tofighi received a BSc in electrical engineering (Communication) from Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, Iran, in 2006.  He continued his academics and pursued a MSc in computer engineering (Artificial Intelligence) from the University of Isfahan, Iran in 2011. In January 2017, Ghassem defended his thesis and graduated with a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada. 

Ghassem has worked as a curriculum developer, and an instructor for data science, machine learning, deep learning, electrical and computer engineering, mathematics, and business management courses at York University, Ryerson University, University of Toronto, and the University of Waterloo. In August 2018, he joined Sheridan College as a professor of Cognitive Computing and Machine Learning. He has also worked as a Research Scientist in Silicon Valley, USA, and as a Senior R&D Engineer in Tehran. 

Ghassem’s research interests are in the areas of computer vision, machine learning, deep learning, and data science. He has published several scientific papers and patents. 

 For more information about Ghassem Tofighi, please visit: https://ghassem.com 

Gilberto Castillo is a highly seasoned IT professional with over twenty years of extensive experience, currently based in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada. His background encompasses diverse expertise in customer-facing roles, workflow automation, integration development, systems management, and data center automation. Throughout his career, Gilberto has worked with some of the largest financial, telecommunications, healthcare, and public-sector organizations in Canada, the USA, and Latin America.

His career includes leadership roles in various high-profile tech companies, highlighting his expertise in delivering innovative technology solutions and his unwavering commitment to continuous professional development. With about twelve years dedicated to large-scale data center projects with Sun Microsystems, Computer Associates, and Hewlett Packard, Gilberto transitioned to about eight years of significant involvement in observability initiatives with Splunk, Datadog, and SignalFx. He has spent the last six years focusing on Cloud automation, security, and DevOps with HashiCorp and other leading entities.

Gilberto’s passion lies in systems automation, security integration, and, most importantly, empowering others through education and training in the latest cloud and infrastructure technologies. This dedication to sharing knowledge and fostering growth is a testament to his commitment to the IT field and his potential to contribute to developing a team or organization.

Govind is a blockchain developer and researcher who has been in the space since 2014. He was involved with several start-ups during university which provided him with very strong development skills.

Govind has participated in several hackathons, notably winning EthUofT 2018 and creating a top 10 hack at HackFS 2020. He also is an advisor to Legal Hackers at UofT Law. The group organized a participating node in Global Legal Hackathon 2020 where the winning group went on to start a company.

After winning EthUofT, Govind was reached out to by the Creative Destruction Lab at Rotman Commerce, offering to incubate his group’s project at their inaugural Blockchain-AI stream. This led to him starting DataX Research, which was developing a browser-based blockchain plugin which could facilitate data monetization, along with several other experimental data science projects. He decided to pause DataX and went on to found Virgil Systems, where he currently works as lead developer. The company focuses on advanced peer-to-peer networks powered by DLT.

Govind is a passionate believer in data privacy and a free and fair internet. He has contributed to several open source projects and donates regularly to EFF and Wikipedia.

He holds an honours bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Philosophy, and Economics from the University of Toronto.

Haleh Shahzad is a senior research scientist at TELUS, Cybersecurity Analytics with 8+ years of experience in AI (deep learning, machine learning), software development, advanced analytics, and wireless networks. She is currently leading AI initiatives for cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions to tackle security challenges and enhance the security posture of both TELUS and its customers. Haleh has a Ph.D. degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from McMaster University, and she was also part of the sessional faculty in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department.

Hashmat is the Assistant Vice President & Managing Enterprise Architect at The Co-operators Group. For over 10 years he has effectively led initiatives that have involved rapid advancement in data, analytics, digital, and business leadership. As a technology enthusiast and lean startup evangelist, he is renowned for building a “never rest, kill complexity and care more” culture that manages existing technical debt and prepares the organization for future disruptions by leveraging emerging business models and digital ecosystems.

Hashmat is a published data science, IT, and agile delivery practitioner and academician with over 5 years teaching and curriculum development experience at colleges and universities in Canada. He has also organized conferences and workshops, and been interviewed on print, radio, social media and TV as an analytics expert.

Hemant Sangwan (PhD-Business, University of Toronto) is a Professor at Seneca College, School of Marketing and a sessional at Schulich School of Business and Rotman School of Management for courses in marketing, analytics, and data science. Prior to his teaching career, he spent 12 years in industry—management consulting, marketing research, and economics and policy research in leading consulting firms—the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), GfK, IHS Markit.  

Hemant uses rigor of academic knowledge in strategy, marketing, data science & analytics, and economics, and creativity of real-world experience to deliver consulting solutions and problem-solving approach. He has served clients across industries – CPG, retail, financial services, and telecom, both in Canada and international market. On his consulting engagements, he has demonstrated his expertise on problem formulation, project management, data interpretation & translation on cases in growth strategy, branding, pricing, CRM, and new product development. He has an exceptional knowledge of analytic thinking and decision making under uncertainty.   

In addition to his teaching and consulting interests, Hemant also has a passion for discussion on economic and public policy topics. He was a strategist for a political campaign for a candidate in Ontario municipal election in 2018. As a strategist, he used skills in marketing, strategy, branding, and social media to advise the candidate on campaign logistics, voter segmentation, platform positioning and campaign messaging in both print and social media channel. 

Outside work, Hemant likes to watch sports, movies, reading books on business history, and learning about long terms investment strategies. 

Holly Heglin holds a Master’s degree in pure mathematics and has done Ph.D.-level research in the field of algebraic combinatorics. Her research focus was on affine algebras and the associated geometric interpretations. As such, she utilized python libraries built for algebraic combinatorics discovery to execute hypotheses. Holly’s mathematics and coding skills allowed her to establish herself in analytics for business, starting her career in consulting and now occupying the role of AVP, Enterprise Data Science, Machine Learning, and Innovation at TD Bank. Holly leads a team of data and machine learning scientists and technical product owners to deliver advanced analytics solutions across the bank.

She has also held various analytics strategy and product-focused roles across TD and has brought a multi-faceted view of the current challenges in banking. Examples of solutions implemented during her tenure include multi-variate forecasting for liquidity, hedging predictions, churn models, optimization of product recommendations, and various lending-related pricing and acquisition models. Holly is interested in driving analytics at scale and merging strong business acumen with reliable data and analytics approaches.

Indu is a Senior Machine Learning Engineer at HSBC Bank. She uses data to bring value to the business & our customers.  

Prior to that, she has worked with MNCs such as Accenture, Cerner, P&G, and Blackberry Messenger. 

Her roles have been diverse and evolved as an Engineer, Analyst, Data Scientist. She brings an international exposure of working in the Engineering & Analytics fields. 

She graduated as Master of Business Analytics from York University, Toronto and did undergrad in Computer Engineering from Staffordshire University, UK. She has been mentoring young students, budding engineers, graduates, skilled professionals who want to use Engineering as a means to bring innovative solutions to the multiple problems in the society.  

She is also part of different not- for profit organizations such as Women in Tech World, Women in Leadership. 

She wants to bring the male: female ratio in the STEM field at a better level than what she has seen so far. She wants to help young women & men to align their passion using right tools & skills. 

Ishan is a product professional with over 6.5 years of experience, specializing in developing product vision and strategy, to-point executions, and spearheading a multitude of Tech products. His experiences include Product Management at MobiKwik to generate a GMV of USD 400 Million yearly; leading a product at Morgan Stanley that produces a GMV of USD 6 billion yearly and Tech Leadership at MobiKwik to build a wide variety of Fintech Products on Spring, Django, SQL, NoSQL, and Cloud stack. Currently, working as a Product Manager at Publicis Sapient on engagement with Morgan Stanley. Ishan has also Completed an MBA summer internship at Amazon, Toronto as a Senior Product Manager Intern in 2021.

James Mwangi is a data science and analytics consultant, practitioner, researcher, and educator whose work experience spans over 15 years in financial services, automotive, healthcare, manufacturing, public service and education. He has undertaken complex end-to-end data science and analytics projects for banks, USAID, Land Rover Corporation and City of Toronto. Some of his flagship projects include institutional space optimization, enhancing traffic safety through analytics, workflow analytics and market basket analysis of business product lines.

James has a PhD in Information Systems focusing on Decision Tree Algorithms and a Master of Science in Distributed Information Systems and Artificial Intelligence. His bachelor’s degree is in computer science and statistics. He has broad experience teaching data science and analytics in colleges and universities in North America.

I’m a cybersecurity professional with over 2 decades of Information cloud security, architecture, engineering, auditing, risk management, GRC and formal training in ethical hacking.

Jeff is the Director of Customer Protection (Authentication) and Cryptographic Services within the information security department of a major financial institution with over 20 years’ experience in 24/7 operations environments. Prior to venturing into information security, his focus was as a director of architecture in the contact centre and application development space, leading technical teams of up to 100 members. He primarily served financial services, telecommunications, and professional services organizations.

His experience in architecture, data centre, program management, application development and strategy has led him to experience every one of the 8 domains prescribed within the CISSP Common Body of Knowledge.

Jeff wrote his Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification exam in 2013. He first trained as an aircraft engineer and continues to carry learnings from that industry into technical operations.

Jeff teaches the Cyber Security Operations Management course within the Certificate in Advanced Cyber Security and he is also the Academic Coordinator for the Post-Graduate Certificate in Cyber Security Operations.

Jennifer is a data science & AI strategy consultant, and an inaugural class member of the Masters, Management in AI program at Queen’s. In addition, she is a recent graduate of the MIT Executive Program on AI: Implications for Business Strategy, and holds an Honors Bachelors of Commerce with a minor in Computer Science from the University of British Columbia.

Jennifer has over 7 years of experience in a strategy, finance, operations and data analytics capacity. Her passion for business, and emerging technologies has been refined over the years via strategic roles at leading global organizations including ABInBev, Uber, PepsiCo, JP Morgan and the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Jennifer is passionate about digital literacy, serving as the Toronto Lead for Canada Learning Code, and as a course developer and instructor for the Intro to Artificial Intelligence course delivered by Durham College and assessable to the entire Ontario College System.

When not immersed in an IDE, or exploring the latest python package, Jennifer can be found sailing or going for a run along the waterfront.

Juan Rodriguez graduated with a Bachelor of Telecom Engineering from Venezuela from Fermin Toro University in 2008, specializing in Project Management in Canada in 2013 at Centennial College in Toronto. Juan is passionate about innovation and team improvements, for this reason, he started learning about Agile transformations and Design Thinking and holds several of the most known certifications in the industry. He has been in the telecommunications industry for the last 14 years holding positions in operations and development areas, from both the vendor and the telco side. Currently, he is a full-time senior DevOps engineer at TELUS Mobility Inc, for the Voice and Services Automation team. Juan is also an active professional engineer licensed in Ontario (PEO) since 2017.

Dr. Karthik Kuber has several years of academic research as well as applied data science experience in the technology and banking sectors. His current interests are in exploring and applying various Machine Learning techniques in the context of large-scale engineering systems, with a special emphasis on building interpretable models. Dr. Kuber received his PhD from Syracuse University in Computer Science, focusing on Machine Learning and Evolutionary Computation, is a certified instructor with NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute, and has co-organised three editions of the International Workshop on Evolutionary Rule-based Machine Learning. Dr. Kuber is currently a Senior Data Scientist at RBC. He also volunteers actively with DataKind on projects applying Data Science for social causes. Outside of work, you will probably find him on a cricket field or in a dojo.

Read an interview with Karthik

Kellen Holmes has over 6 years of security investigations and incident response experience and is currently employed as the Team Lead of the Security Operations Centre at CIBC. He completed a 2-year diploma program for Computer Programming and 3 years in the Information Systems Security program at Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning.

His life goal is to one day automate himself out of a job and he dreams of building systems that protect and enable human beings to thrive. Beyond information security and information technology, Kellen enjoys caring for his house plants and arguing with his cat.

Konrad Haase currently works as a Lead Offensive Security Consultant, where he conducts a variety of offensive security engagements, including penetration tests, social engineering campaigns, and red team assessments. Konrad provides valuable insights on the real-world impact of the findings of his engagements by leveraging his past work experience leading incident response teams in the remediation of cyber security incidents involving ransomware, insider threats, data-theft, fraud, and application abuse. Konrad’s passion for security research has led him to work with some of the largest third-party software vendors to patch zero-day vulnerabilities he discovered in popular consumer software products. Konrad holds a Bachelor of Engineering Science in Software Engineering from Western University and several industry certifications including the Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP), Offensive Security Certified Expert 3 (OSCE3), and the SANS Institute GIAC Reverse Engineering Malware (GREM). Konrad is also on the GIAC/SANS Advisory Board.

Leonardo Espinosa is a Senior Consultant providing strategic cybersecurity services in Mandiant’s Toronto, Canada office. As part of the strategic services team, he conducts cloud security assessments, security program and cyber response readiness assessments, and security program development and transformation engagements for organizations and governments in Canada, the United States, and internationally.

Leonardo immigrated to Canada in 2016 to study, work, and live in the GTA. In 2017 he started a diploma program at Centennial College (Computer systems technician – Networking) and finished the program in 2018, graduating with honours.

Leonardo has over 15 years of experience working in private-sector organizations in Canada and Brazil, with a broad range of information technology and information security skills from core routing and switching, firewalls, and public cloud security, design, and architecture. Focused on guiding organizations to navigate the complexities of securing decentralized cloud workloads, Leonardo applies technical expertise allied with a strategic mindset to provide actionable results. In addition to his public cloud security enthusiasm, Leonardo has done extensive work with clients in US and Canada, assessing their preparedness for cybersecurity incidents, especially ransomware. He has designed and facilitated numerous executive and technical-level tabletop exercises with large organizations, providing valuable observations and recommendations to improve incident response preparedness.

Leo has over 10+ years of experience in various solution architecture and enterprise architecture roles with large organizations in the financial, manufacturing, and software industries. He is currently a Cloud Solutions Architect at Microsoft helping the largest Canadian organizations adopt cloud technology. Leo has extensive experience with service-oriented architecture, application integration, cloud-native application and hybrid-cloud architecture, as well as security software architecture. Leo is also TOGAF® 9 Certified, a Microsoft Certified Azure Solutions Architect and holds a Computer Science degree from York University. Leo has also taught technology related courses in several educational institutions. In his spare time, Leo enjoys reading, listening to podcasts, traveling around the world, and dissecting the latest technology buzzwords.

Mahmoud is an experienced developer with half a decade of experience in the blockchain industry. Having worked in various roles in the development side he currently leads the team at Mavennet. He has extensive experience building products on the FinTech and Supply chain sides and has directly managed multiple production and software releases in that timeframe. He is a co-editor of multiple W3C Specifications and is passionate about sharing his experiences and expertise in modern software development, including distributed systems, DevOps, cloud native-solutions, and the cutting edge of technology.

Maria is an experienced global compliance and data professional with over 10 years experience. She is focused on helping her clients develop strategic and innovative solutions for responsible data use.

Maria has experience in leading data protection and data strategy at a fast-growing global startup. She also played a key role in data consultancy and audit fieldworks for global clients with PwC Canada, US, EU and UK.

Maria contributed to Nymity’s research methodology and thought leadership through analysis of global privacy and data protection developments. Her expertise in legislative policy, regulatory compliance and industry good practice helped her develop multiple global frameworks.

Maria is actively involved with the International Association of Privacy Professionals through her contribution to the Advisory Boards, publications and delivery of CIPM and CIPP trainings.

Mark is a leader, consultant and educator in the fields of business intelligence and data analytics. In the corporate education area, Mark has developed and delivered many courses on topics related to big data, data provisioning, data quality, data governance, analytics and business intelligence. He has delivered courses in both classroom and online formats to corporate and government clients on a global basis. In the consulting and operations fields, Mark has worked in information strategy, performance management, control center operations, transaction control, compliance, business intelligence, analytics, simulation, application development, 5 program leadership and project management. He has built and developed high performing teams that delivered quality results.

Mark has significant industry experience in the energy sector gained from operational, leadership and consulting roles at production, transmission and distribution companies. His domain experience is primarily in system operations, commercial transaction control and asset management. As a Certified Business Intelligence Professional (CBIP) at the Mastery Level, his expertise has been demonstrated in the areas of analytics, information management and team leadership.

Mark teaches CSDA1030 Data Organization for Analysis and the CSDA1050 Advanced Analytics Capstone Course.

Masoum is the Director of Data Science at Royal Bank of Canada where he leads a team of highly-skilled data scientists and engineers. Prior to joining RBC, Masoum was the Senior Manager of Advanced Analytics at Aimia, a data-driven marketing and loyalty analytics company. As a hands-on practitioner, he has experience building and deploying predictive models that optimize marketing decisions for clients in the Retail, CPG, Financial Services, Travel, and Loyalty sectors. He holds a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toronto and a Master of Management Analytics from Queen’s University.

Matthew has spent the past several years working with big data and smart cities in order to better understand where, when, and by whom location-data might be used in real-world applications. His interests has been focused on how code, space, and place coalesce through physical and virtual worlds, as people use mobile and digital technologies to navigate through their everyday lived experiences. Matthew’s work is the implications of big data technologies as they integrate more and more into our daily lives with potential of altering forms of participatory democracy. Matthew is a Senior Geospatial Data Scientist at the City of Toronto, PhD Fellow at McGill University, and was previously a Research Developer at Esri Canada Inc.
 
With over 10 years of experience, much of Matthew’s work has focused on developing and implementing new ways to explore and use big data in decision support systems that provide real-time feedback in domains such as urban planning, policy formation, and community representation.

Mayy is a software engineering professor and she has practical hands-on experience in developing machine learning algorithms and big data recommended systems. Her research work has been published in the IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering journal and she has participated and published conference papers at the “IEEE Big Data” and the “Data mining software repositories” conferences. Mayy has developed and delivered courses in the areas of big data, data analytics, and data mining at universities and colleges across Canada.

Her practical 20+ years of experience covers the banking, telecommunication and academic industries. She has led many projects in fields of CRM, geo-marketing research, business intelligence, network expansions and channel migration across several countries worldwide. She continues to support data analytic initiatives in organizations, with a focus on maximizing the value obtained from data by building analytical models that relate to data & business processes with the objective of providing information for key decisions.

Naranjan Kumar Goklani is a seasoned IT professional with over 13 years of experience in information security, compliance, risk management and auditing while working in both domestic and global organizations. Naranjan currently is a country audit lead at one of the “big 3” cloud service providers where he is single threaded owner for addressing compliance blockers for customers to ease their adoption of cloud-based services. Previously, Naranjan has worked with Ernst & Young (EY) and its multiple clients, at internal audit services at Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC) and as an independent consultant for CISO’s team at Liberty Utilities.

Naranjan holds M.Eng. (Electrical & Computer Engineering) from the University of Waterloo and the following professional designations: CISSP, CISA, CISM, CRISC and GIAC Public Cloud Security.

Joba Hassan stands out as a highly skilled cloud architect within the Information Technology industry, boasting a Master of Applied Computing degree from the University of Windsor and a B.Sc. in Computer Science from Covenant University in Nigeria. His academic foundation is complemented by a wealth of practical experience, backed by a series of prominent industry certifications.

Joba’s commitment to continuous learning is evident through his acquisition of key certifications, including the HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate and Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA). These certifications underscore his proficiency in Terraform and Kubernetes administration. Furthermore, Joba holds the AWS Certified Developer – Associate and AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate certifications, solidifying his expertise in designing and developing solutions on the Amazon Web Services platform.

In his role as a Cloud Architect at CloudOps Inc, Joba has spearheaded transformative cloud transition projects. His responsibilities have included the strategic design and automated deployment of cloud resources across diverse platforms such as AWS, GCP, and Azure.

The combination of Joba’s academic accomplishments, certifications, and hands-on experience positions him as an exceptionally qualified Cloud Architect. His ability to navigate the intricacies of cloud technology and drive innovative solutions makes him a valuable asset in the dynamic landscape of Information Technology.

Parul Khanna is a seasoned cyber security professional with specialization in risk management, incident response, cloud security and software engineering. She has a Masters degree in Information System Security Management from Canadian University and holds CISSP, CCSP, CISA, CISM, CRISC, CDPSE and CCSK designations.

Previously, Parul has worked as a core team member of Cybersecurity Operations Centre at one of Canada’s Big 5 bank. She is a subject matter expert on risk assessments, security control improvements and security solutions.

In addition to her professional career, Parul has published a research paper on Doxing at an International Conference on Information Security, Privacy and Forensics held in Montreal. Parul has also served as a board member for the (ISC)2 Toronto Chapter.

She loves to volunteer her time for the WiCyS (Women in Cybersecurity) community, enjoys mentoring aspiring professionals, and is a passionate public speaker at cybersecurity conferences.

Peter is a recognized thought leader in information privacy with 20 years of international experience as a former marketer, technologist, lobbyist and association leader and as a current consultant, educator and keynote speaker.

Peter helped grow the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) from a professional community to the world’s largest privacy association as its first Assistant Director and then as Vice President. He led the creation of the first professional certification in privacy, the IAPP’s Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP) in 2004 and launched the CIPP-Canada (CIPP/C) in 2006. Today, over 30,000 professionals globally hold one or more of the CIPP credentials which certify knowledge in privacy laws, standards and practices.

Peter helped to establish the Canadian office of the IAPP and the Canada Privacy Symposium, the flagship annual event held in Toronto since 2006. He has worked closely with practitioners, policy makers and regulators from around the world on privacy matters. Peter’s roots are in digital media at WIRED magazine and Hotwired, one of the very first Web publishing sites. He also served as the first managing director of the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) and led the expansion of the “Your Ad Choices” consumer privacy preference program.

Peter has served in leadership roles at technology companies CMGI and dataxu (now Roku), trade associations the 4A’s, DAA and the NAI and ad agencies Wells Rich Greene BDDP and MVBMS Partners/EURO RSCG. He has represented industry in policy working groups and technical standards bodies such as the Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) and the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Presently, Peter advises clients on the digital media marketplace and the evolving regulatory environment for information privacy.

Piyush Verma is a cyber security professional with over 9 years of experience in the industry working with top-notch consulting firms in the EMEA and North America region focusing on offensive security operations. Currently, Piyush enjoys working with HackerOne as a Senior Technical Engagement Manager and is a firm believer in continuous education, holding several industry certifications including CISSP, OSCP, SANS GCIH and CompTIA CySA+ and PenTest+ among others.

Dr. Preeti Raman designs and investigates evidence-based, data-enhanced hybrid learning experiences and technologies to support caring pedagogies across a range of settings. Her expertise is situated in the fields of computer science, affect studies, the learning sciences and AI in education.

An accomplished professional with over 20 years of global technology consulting and teaching experience, gained from working in North America, Germany, Hong Kong and India, Preeti is a passionate advocate for the importance of math and technology education in driving innovation. She earned her doctorate in Curriculum and Pedagogy at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto where her work has been supported through multiple fellowships and scholarships. She holds an MA in Curriculum Studies and Teacher Development from the University of Toronto, a Master’s in Computer Science from Carleton University and a Bachelor’s in Computer Engineering from Bangalore University. Currently, she is an educational researcher with the Teaching Systems Lab at MIT, USA.

Preeti teaches the CSDA1030 Data Organization for Analysis course.

Rick is a mentor and educator whose work experience spans over 18 years in financial services industry. He is an educator in the fields of Big Data Analytics, Business Intelligence and Project Management. In the education area, Rick has developed and delivered many courses on topics related to big data, data provisioning, data quality, data governance, analytics, project management and business intelligence.

He has delivered courses in the classroom adding an interactive and experiential experience environment. In mentoring, Rick has assisted students in developing inquisitive business modelling comprehension that encapsulates a professional Major Research Project. Many of his projects have been with big name clients such as Napoleon, Busch Systems, Tangerine Bank. He has developed high performing teams that become refined presenters, storytellers, analysts and produce exceptional results.Rick has significant industry experience in the financial sector gained from wholesale and retail that include investments, pensions and capital markets. His expertise has been demonstrated in the areas of analytics and team leadership.

Saad has over ten years of experience working in the health analytics industry and over twenty years in the public sector, both at the provincial and federal levels. Currently, Saad is the Senior Manager for the Ministry of Health’s data science capacity, where he leads the capacity’s mandate to develop AI and advanced analytic solutions that inform policies and decision-making in the Ministry, improve patient outcomes, and increase operational efficiencies.

He was also the Ministry’s inaugural data scientist, leading the business aspects of creating its AI capacity, including strategic planning, cloud-based IT infrastructure procurement, staff recruitment, data governance, networking, and education. Previously, Saad also worked at Statistics Canada as a methodologist. Saad is a data science, analytics, and programming instructor. He has a Master’s of Science, specialization in Biostatistics from Carleton University, and a Bachelor’s of Science, specialization in Mathematical Sciences from McMaster University.

Saber Amini is an engineering professional with a PhD in electronics from the University of Toronto. Dr. Amini’s expertise is in the area of embedded sensor systems with focus on software visualization and storage of sensor data. He has consulted with several companies in implementing big data storage architectures and helping organizations use their data to make better business decisions and gain a competitive edge.

Dr. Amini is an advocate of entrepreneurship in the area of Big Data and believes that there is great potential in the next decade in implementing disruptive business opportunities. He currently runs a start-up focusing on using artificial intelligence for real time marketing and analytics.

Sanjana is passionate about developing comprehensive topical knowledge among students who aspire to work in the Blockchain industry. She currently works full-time as an anti-money laundering IT controls auditor with TD Bank. She is also an alumnus of the program and aspires to foster the same positive learning environment that she experienced.

Santosh has close to a decade of Information Technology experience with various roles in Cybersecurity, Incident Management, and Service Desk. Having started his career in customer-facing roles, he saw first-hand the threats faced by the larger population, which encouraged him to pursue a career in cybersecurity as a Purple Team member.

Currently working as the Manager of Cybersecurity and Compliance at Centennial College, he is responsible for the college’s cybersecurity roadmap and day-to-day operations. As an educator, Santosh holds security awareness sessions for students and mentors who are new or aspiring cyber professionals on making the switch to cybersecurity. He has worked as a process trainer at IBM, helping graduates get up to speed with business, technology, and process workflows.

Santosh holds the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC), and GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH) among other certifications. In his free time, he contributes to the development of the GIAC exams as part of their Advisory Board. Santosh is also a technology hobbyist and is often tinkering with a Raspberry Pi or breaking and fixing things on AWS servers.

Scott is a product management and technology professional with a deep understanding of organizational strategy, technology design, and change management. As a Senior UX Lead in Sun Life’s Digital Products team, he is responsible for managing the user experience for the customer facing applications. Previously, Scott was a Senior Product Manager at RBC where he was responsible for creating the learning experience for RBC’s global enterprise programs, and also managed the relationship between RBC Learning and the Technology & Operations group.

Scott is an experienced executive training facilitator, and has been nominated for teaching awards in McMaster University’s MBA program. He holds a Ph.D in Knowledge Management along with a Master of Information Studies (MIS) in Information Systems from University of Toronto, a Master of Education from Athabasca University, and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University.

Previously, Scott has led a national training department at an automotive financial services firm where he was responsible for strategy and all instructional design. Scott also facilitated the educational design of McMaster’s new EMBA in Digital Transformation, and instructed courses in McMaster University’s undergraduate, MBA, and EMBA programs.. His previous industry experience in financial services, project management, consulting and information systems security management add to his experience.

Shagun is currently working as a full-stack developer at IBM Canada and has previous experience working as a technical instructor for more than 6 years in an IT firm. Her experience spans across various sectors including B2B services, Fintech, and Blockchain services. Along with programming, Shagun currently works on payment integrations, micro-services, and AWS cloud components including DevOps and cloud-native solutions. She completed her Master’s in Software Engineering from Concordia University, Montreal.

Steve Ferrigni has over 20 years of experience in progressively senior roles within the information technology and cyber security industries. In his current role as Director, Steve is responsible for managing and overseeing all areas of cyber security and IT Risk to help protect the organization and the sensitive data of its clients and employees. Steve has built and led various aspects of cyber security projects, including operations, vulnerability assessments, risk assessments, security architecture, education, awareness, and strategic planning. He has extensive experience in this field, working at the Ontario Government and private organizations. Steve holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business and is passionate about cybersecurity education and awareness.

Tomisin has worked and consulted on various blockchain projects and initiatives. These range from governments and some of their agencies to startups abroad and larger firms here in Canada.

Trish Villanueva, Global Head of Cyber Security Operations at Scotiabank, started as a SOC analyst 10 years ago and has gone on to build Security Operations Centres in 4 continents around the world. Trish has been involved in responding to some of North America’s prolific breaches and has consulted on security operations for 100+ organizations globally. Currently, she manages a team of cybersecurity professionals, including Cyber Threat Intelligence, Global Incident Response, and Data Loss Monitoring.

Victor became interested in blockchain and cryptocurrency in 2014. After taking blockchain courses offered by University Nicosia and ConsenSys, he was convinced that this decentralization technology can change the world for the better. In 2015, he co-founded the blockchain community group at CPP Investment Board and hosted frequent blockchain workshops for his colleagues. He was part of a blockchain pilot team that conducted a feasibility study on an enterprise blockchain use case. In 2019, Victor co-founded the DeFi Toronto meetup to promote decentralized finance as a use case of public blockchains. In 2020, he and his team won the first prize (US$2500) from Aave in EthGlobal’s HackMoney hackathon.

Victor is a veteran financial economist and investment analyst with 20+ years of experience investing across multiple asset classes, including real estate, infrastructure, and fixed income. He graduated with a Master’s degree in applied economics from the University of Victoria and is a CFA charterholder. He was on the advisory committee of George Brown College’s blockchain development program.

Victor has over 18 years of experience in progressively responsible IT roles in the financial service industry, primarily focusing on designing and developing mission-critical, n-tier, trading systems supporting different lines of business within Capital Markets including wealth management, prime brokerage, fixed income, and forex for TD, CIBC and BMO.

He is currently a Senior Technology Officer for BMO Global Markets, Fixed Income Technology.

Victor has experience as a software developer, architect, senior manager, director, and has led global software development teams in Toronto, New York, London, India and Hong Kong.

Victor holds an MBA from Wilfrid Laurier University, BCom in Business & Information Management from Toronto Metropolitan University, Diploma in Computer Science from Seneca College, and BA in Education from Vinh University, Vietnam.

Victoria holds the CISSP, CISA and CPA designations and has an MBA from Queen’s University. She is currently a Senior Information Security Consultant at a “Big 5″ bank specializing in red team remediation and support. Victoria is passionate about education and contributes to the community as an Assistant Instructor in the Certificate in Cyber Security Fundamentals at York University. She also supports the cybersecurity community as President of the (ISC)² Toronto Chapter board, where she works to create professional education opportunities, encourages increased diversity in the field, and connects the numerous and diverse information security groups across the GTA in order to advance the industry together. Victoria is also researching new insights into the “human element” through marrying the fields of psychology and cybersecurity, and is a frequent speaker at cybersecurity conferences and events.

Wessam Abdelwahab is a Senior Enterprise Solutions Architect with over 15 years of extensive experience in managing, architecting, designing, developing, and implementing secure large-scale distributed systems within the private and public sectors. He led the architecture, integration, and infrastructure upgrades for multi-million-dollar systems within the financial industry as part of legacy systems modernization and digital transformation. He is a Cloud Evangelist transforming IT landscapes and accelerating the journey to the cloud.

Yinghui, an experienced developer with a demonstrated history of working in the computer software industry, from healthcare, AI to blockchain. She has strong engineering professional skills in computer science, databases, and full-stack development, who focuses on delivering sustainable technical solutions that create a positive impact on the society.

Zain is a cybersecurity, technology, and IT audit professional with over 11 years of experience in the field. Zain serves as a Senior Manager of Technology and Cybersecurity assurance at Manulife, a global financial services and asset management company headquartered in Canada.

Zain possesses a high level of passion in post-graduate course development, teaching and cybersecurity training. Zain is an Instructor in the Information Security Audit program and the Post-Graduate Certificate in CloudOps program at York University. Zain is an enthusiastic public speaker as he has delivered guest lectures and cybersecurity talks at multiple universities and security conferences across Canada. Zain is a York University alumni with an Honours in Bachelors of Commerce.

Zain’s teaching and training methodology focuses on empowering students to think about what is being taught and how that concepts apply to the real world. He takes the time to explaining course content very clearly and in detail to students while encouraging active class participation.

Zain holds Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designations.

Read an interview with Zain

Zeyad Azem is the Leadership Partner in Data & Analytics at Gartner focused on helping organizations across Canada build and advance their data and analytics strategies. Zeyad has been planning and implementing transformational data-driven solutions for over 20 years across a variety of sectors.

Zeyad previously spent over a decade in data and analytics consulting, architecting CoE analytics practices and delivering large-scale analytics solutions for several Fortune 500 companies including RBC, TD Bank, Scotiabank, and Genworth. He brings hands-on knowledge, experience, and leadership in advanced analytics across functional areas including Risk Management, Marketing, and Product Strategy. Zeyad has built and led several lean data science teams that leveraged data and analytics to drive customer value.

His experience is supported by a Bachelor of Science degrees in Physics & Computer Science from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Master of Science degree in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Guelph. Zeyad also holds executive certificates in strategy, Innovation, and leadership from MIT Sloan School of Management.

Amin brings nearly 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry in all phases of pharmaceutical research and drug development. Amin has more than two decades of senior leadership, project management and clinical trial monitoring experience working across a broad spectrum of pharmaceutical companies, contract research organizations, and site management organizations. He has worked for Fortune 500 companies including Procter & Gamble, Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Syneos, PPD, ICON, and Parexel. His experience includes operational oversight of multi-therapeutic, global Phase I-IV drug/biologic trials, device studies, and functional outcome projects. He has managed multi-compound client portfolios and programs for key accounts including a large Phase III global study with 3000+ patients from 180 sites across 26 countries where he oversaw global clinical operations and program management for Canada, USA, and Latin America.

In his current role as Director of Clinical Operations for Parexel Biotech, Inc., Amin focuses on end-to-end program management of large global Phase II/III oncology and rare disease studies. He works with global cross-functional teams to craft program strategy, mission, and vision, manage trial and department budgets and P&L functions, develop clinical and business decision support systems, and provide consulting services to clients.

Amin is also a licensed compounding pharmacist and provides direct patient care services in community pharmacy. Amin received his HBSc. in Cell & Molecular Biology, and a professional degree in Pharmacy (BPharm) from the University of Toronto, an MBA in Corporate Finance and Entrepreneurship from Queen’s University, and a Certificate in Precision Oncology and Cancer Genomics from the Harvard School of Medicine.

Celin has over 17 years of experience working in the clinical research field and is currently a Senior Global Trial Manager, Cell Therapy with Bristol Myers Squib. Previously, she worked with Hoffman La-Roche as a Global Studies Manager, where she was responsible for all operational aspects of study management, managing various immuno-oncology trials, along with being an integral part of the investigator relations initiative. Previously, Celin worked at multinational pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca Canada as a Local Study Leader responsible for leading and executing Phase I-III trials in oncology, nephrology and respiratory. During her tenure at AstraZeneca, she was recognized for her leadership and contribution with the Scientific Affairs Excellence Award for collaborating to deliver immuno-oncology studies and drive strategic research investment. Celin has held various roles including Research Officer with a site management organization, as well as Senior Project Manager and Clinical Research Coordinator with a leading multinational hospital. Celin has led the planning and execution of investigator-initiated trials funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Indian Council of Medical Research, focused on maternal health, childbirth, and the early detection of cancer.

Celin has instructed at the University of Mumbai, where she provided professional training to postgraduate students in clinical trial coordination. Celin graduated at the top of her class with a BSc. from Mumbai University and holds a Masters Degree in Clinical Research from Cranfield University in the UK.

Dr. Dan Ashbourne is a Clinical Psychologist, registered in Ontario by the College of Psychologists and an Accredited Family Mediator with the Ontario Association for Family Mediation. Dr. Ashbourne began working at the London Family Court Clinic in 1999 after having run a Children’s Mental Health Centre in Newfoundland, and later working in Thunder Bay across many diverse communities. He became the Executive Director at the London Family Court Clinic (LFCC) in 2011 until retiring from that role in January 2022.  LFCC provides mental health services to children and families involved with legal/clinical systems. Over many years at LFCC, Dr. Ashbourne built relationships with various Indigenous colleagues and communities, including supporting the collaboration with Oneida Settlement through the Lona’tshistanet project for children, youth, and families.  As Executive Director Emeritus of LFCC, Dr. Ashbourne continues to provide assessments and consultations to the courts for Youth in Conflict with the Law, Child Welfare and/or Parenting Plan Evaluations, as well as provide clinical and consulting support to a new LFCC division, Navigating Onward, or NavOn. He also provides consultation to the ADR-LINK referral service, the Child Witness Program, the London-Middlesex Child and Youth Advocacy Centre (CYAC), and for FASD assessment consultations.

Dr. Ashbourne has been a long-standing member of the Association of Family & Conciliation Courts (AFCC) and has sat on the Board of Directors of the Ontario Chapter. He is on the executive committee of a joint project funded by MCCSS between the Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children (CREVAWC) and the LFCC, which is reviewing the Ontario Death Review Committee Recommendations provided following the deaths of adults and/or children. Currently, Dr. Ashbourne oversees various grants and projects at LFCC, while providing training to legal and mental health professionals on topics including trauma informed care, self-care for professionals, family relations, domestic violence, interviewing children, reporting on the Voice of the Child, and Child Inclusive Mediation.

Jasmine is a Clinical Research Manager, Lead Research Training Program – Education Specialist across UHN Clinical Research at the Princess Margaret Cancer Program. She is responsible for developing and facilitating training programs based on clinical research staff needs and audit findings. Her projects include the standardization of clinical research documentation, quality assurance initiatives and establishing e-learning clinical research course content for UHN Research and the Princess Margaret Cancer Program. Jasmine also has over 15 years of experience working as a Study Coordinator, monitoring and coordinating multicentre investigator-initiated and sponsored oncology trials at Princess Margaret.

In 2013, Jasmine completed her Master’s degree in Adult Education and Community Development at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. Jasmine is a Professor in the School of Biological Sciences and Applied Chemistry at Seneca College and has designed and delivered training in clinical research practice and clinical trial project management at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) and University Health Network. Jasmine is an active member of SOCRA and since 2021 she has been the Co-Chair of the Education Committee with Network of Networks, a Canadian not for profit aimed at improving site quality and excellence in clinical trial conduct.

Lisa has more than 15 years of clinical research experience gained in several multinational pharmaceutical companies, with a rapid growth of responsibilities. Currently, she is a Global Clinical Trial Manager at Janssen Inc., part of the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson. She works with diverse cross-functional study teams including those at the global and country level and is responsible for the end-to-end operational management and delivery of large oncology trials.

Lisa has held a number of different roles in her career including Local/Country Trial Manager, Global Clinical Project Leader, Clinical Trial Monitor, Monitor Manager, and Study Coordinator. She has been an integral part of managing and leading teams to successful execution and delivery of Phase I-IV studies in various therapeutic areas, which includes oncology, endocrinology, immunology, cardiovascular, hematology, and neurology. Her extensive experience includes working at several prominent companies and academic institutions, such as Bayer Inc., Novo Nordisk Canada Inc., ApoPharma Inc., and Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.

Lisa holds an Honours Bachelor of Health Science from the University of Western Ontario and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Clinical Research. She is also a graduate of the Project Management Certificate Program at Ryerson University.

Miran has over 12 years of experience in clinical research, conducting academic and industry sponsored clinical trials in oncology, cardiology, and neuropsychopharmacology, following his completion of a PhD in molecular medicine (pharmacology). As a Scientific Associate with the Surgical Oncology Department of the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, the largest oncology hospital in Canada and a global leader in cancer research, he supervised the conduct of a number of phase II and III clinical trials evaluating novel disease biomarkers and treatments.

In his current position as Research Manager within the Joint Department of Medical Imaging, Miran oversees research conducted using imaging modalities at University Health Network, Mt. Sinai Hospital, and Women’s College Hospital. He has extensive experience in the design and conduct of multi-site phase III studies and adaptive clinical trials accruing in both Canada and the United States.

Nicole has almost 20 years of Clinical Research experience working with several industry leaders in drug and vaccine development including Eli Lilly, PAREXEL and currently as an Associate Director and Clinical Trial Leader with EMD Serono Research & Development Institute Inc. In her experience in the multi-national pharmaceutical/biotech industry, Nicole has gained significant experience in managing programs and studies in Phase I through IV in therapeutic areas that include oncology, immunology, endocrinology, men’s and women’s health, central nervous system (CNS), infectious disease and vaccines.

Starting as a Local Study Manager in Canada managing Phase II and III studies, Nicole progressed through various roles and responsibilities which led to relocating to Geneva, Switzerland managing early development studies. Upon returning to Canada, Nicole further diversified her experience by joining Sanofi-Aventis, working on vaccine studies in Toronto. Over the last 10 years, Nicole has managed a number of programs with a focus on budgeting and procurement within a Clinical Trial Program environment.

Nicole obtained an Honours Bachelor of Science in Biology from The University of Western Ontario and a Certificate in Clinical Research from Humber College.

Ronak has over 14 years of experience working in the clinical research industry in Canada and India. He is currently a Global Study Manager (Oncology) at AstraZeneca Canada, where he is responsible for study management and delivery of clinical studies from clinical study protocol development through to study set-up, maintenance, close out, report development and archiving.

Ronak has extensive experience in the monitoring of clinical trials through early and late development (Phases I-IV) in various therapeutic areas, which includes oncology and cardiovascular in addition to endocrinology, ophthalmology and pain management. Ronak gained his monitoring experience as a Senior Clinical Research Associate with ICON-DocsGlobal, one of the world’s largest clinical research organizations, as well as a host of multinational pharmaceutical companies including Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and Boehringer-Ingelheim across Canada and India.

Ronak is a Dentist by education and has a Post-Graduate Certificate in Clinical Research. He has certifications in Clinical Research and Clinical Research Project Management through the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP).

Taymour has over 17 years working in the clinical research field and is currently a Global Studies Leader at Hoffmann-La Roche, a prominent multinational pharmaceutical company. He is responsible for leading cross-functional study teams on the successful execution and delivery of large global trials and overseeing a team of Global Studies Managers.

Previously, Taymour worked as a Global Studies Manager at Hoffmann-La Roche, where he was responsible for all operational aspects of study management and in various disease areas including infectious disease, immunology and ophthalmology. Prior to that, Taymour worked at multinational pharmaceutical firm Novo Nordisk Canada, as a Country Study Manager responsible for the management and execution of phase III-IV trials in diabetes, obesity and pediatrics. Taymour started his career working in Clinical Research Organizations. He held various roles including Senior Project Manager, Project Manager and Clinical Research Coordinator at AXON Clinical Research and DecisionLine Clinical Research.

Taymour has over 10 years of experience as an educator in the field of clinical research. He holds an Honours Bachelor of Science in Human Biology with a minor in Bioethics from the University of Toronto and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Clinical Research from Humber College.

Adam Drutz has been working in the marketing and advertising industry for over 25 years. His experience is broad based including work in market research, media sales, brand promotions, shopper marketing, brand partnerships as well as experience in the mobile and digital settings.

To highlight, he is an experienced business executive, he has an extensive business network, has worked with many of the biggest Fortune 500 brands in the world and holds an MBA & Post Graduate Certificate in Marketing Management.

Adam has been teaching in the areas of marketing & sales since 2021 and is truly thrilled to be here. His long-time passion has been to have the opportunity to teach in the areas of marketing & sales to share his knowledge, foster thought leadership and inspire students to engage and prepare for their careers in a positive and inclusive way.

Adam has taught at George Brown College, Centennial College & The Schulich School of Business at York University.

You’ll find that his teaching style is fun, inclusive, interactive and will bring industry knowledge to all class discussion.

Adrian Seeley is the Senior Director of Media Sales at Narcity Media Group and has cultivated 15 years of experience helping small to midsize Canadian publishers with their digital advertising and online presence. To begin his career, Adrian was one of the first social community managers in Canada on behalf of several Fortune 500 companies, winning multiple awards personally and for clients. After launching his own business, he transitioned to social media buying, managing publisher networks, stacks, and ad sales for small to medium-sized Canadian businesses, helping them generate significant revenue growth.

Alexandra Ospina is the founder of Momentiv Consulting, a digital marketing firm that works with SMBs to develop unique strategies that attract and nurture valuable customer relationships. She specializes in implementing marketing automation to create efficiencies so businesses can focus on what matters most – delighting their customers. With a wealth of experience as a B2B digital marketer, Alexandra is a veteran at creating captivating digital content.

Before devoting herself to Momentiv Consulting, Alexandra worked in clean tech. Sustainability being a critical personal value, she headed the marketing department for a leading manufacturer of fuel-efficient technologies. Her efforts garnered attention across North America’s transportation industry. Alexandra’s achievements include securing government funding for transformative digital marketing projects, planning international market penetration strategies, hosting industry events at world-famous locations like the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and multiple finalist nominations for export and technology awards in Canada.

For the past 8 years, Alisha has been using research, design and strategy to help some of Canada’s biggest brands in Canada and beyond create experiences that focus on people. Alisha is especially focused on how design thinking can create both social change while having positive impact on business. Today, she is applying her experiences and philosophy to her role as Senior Designer at Shopify. She is also the founder of Side x Side Collective, an organization affecting change within the design industry by providing women, agender, and non-binary designers and technologists with goal-oriented mentorship and support.

Born and raised in Winnipeg Manitoba, Amy moved to Toronto to complete her undergraduate degree in Economics and Political Science at York University. She moved to Hong Kong for two years where she completed her Master’s degree in Economics from Hong Kong University. Amy also has a diploma in Chinese Herbal Medicine and a diploma in Acupuncture and a diploma in Architectural drafting.

Amy worked in the private sector while studying business at the University of Toronto. In 20 years of working in the financial area, she attained the position of Chief Financial Officer. She has hands-on experience in many industries in the private sector such as:

• Food Technology
• Pulp and Paper
• Fashion & Textiles
• Corrugated Packaging
• Plastics
• Transportation and Distribution
• Venture Capital
• RecruitmentStartups

Leaving the corporate world, she became the Road Manager for Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald, and Count Basie and his Orchestra, managing their European tours. She went on the road with them for two years. Her work in the entertainment industry continued with IMG‘s “Stars On Ice” – Canadian and US productions for five years.

It was consulting work that led her to the Internet world.

Amy and her team have built custom websites, custom database applications, e-commerce sites, and developing videos targeted to the internet and cutting-edge marketing strategies. Implementing Pay-Per-Click campaigns and SEO strategies, her client base expanded to managing online presence for professional directories, such as cosmetic surgeons, cosmetic dentists, CPAs, real estate brokers, and mortgage brokers. She also has been retained by management groups to conduct Social Media workshops and seminars for corporate clients.

On the leading edge of Social Media when “Social Media” was just a buzzword in 2002, Amy had the opportunity to work with some of today’s leading gurus.

In 2008, Amy started Net Directives, Inc., a company focused on providing Creative Web Solutions and Innovative Marketing strategies incorporating Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing, Local Business Marketing, Mobile App Development, Marketing Video development, and Internet Marketing.

She has a green screen studio located in mid-town Toronto where she produces videos for clients and also serves as a photography studio for corporate headshots and product photography.

On a personal note, she is happily married and has no time for walks on the beach but strives to be a couch potato once a week. No children but looking to adopt. Preferably, adult children who have an education, a job, and a place of their own. She is currently taking applications.

My Company Websites:

• https://www.netdirectives.com/
• https://oogleme.com/
• https://www.ooglemestudios.com/
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Basim Salim is a senior marketing executive with over 10 years of experience working locally and internationally in both B2C and B2B industries, Basim specializes in digital marketing, international marketing strategy, product development, and demand generation. He holds a Bachelors of Commerce from York University and completed his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from the DeGroote School of Business.

Basim is passionate about marketing, professional development and executive coaching and is dedicated to helping young professionals succeed in career and in life.  He offers his marketing expertise through Udemy where he has designed and taught over a dozen marketing courses averaging a 4.5 star rating to over 45,000+ entrepreneurs and small business owners from 143 countries around the globe.

Carmen has been a designer, researcher and teacher for more than a decade. He has achieved degrees in computer science and management science at Ryerson University and then went on to obtain his PhD in Industrial Engineering at the University of Toronto. His PhD thesis entitled The Vibrochord – Investigating a Vibrotactile Instrument, explored the design, creation and use of the world’s first digital, fully vibrotactile musical instrument. Carmen went on to become a Professor at Centennial College where he led several applied research projects including MagnusMode and a Mixed Reality Mobile Game. He then left the world of academia and went into the financial industry to design online and mobile user experiences for CIBC and RBC. After starting and leading a small prototyping team at RBC Carmen left to establish the design practice at a small company based in Markham called Orbit Group.

Carol Schulte is a global speaker, teacher, and executive coach – with a focus on courageous leadership and communication. Founder of The Brave Initiative, she works with Fortune 500 corporations, International Associations, leaders and their teams – empowering them to step into the bravest versions of themselves.

Previous to York University, Carol was an instructor at the University of Illinois, teaching within the PR and communications department. She holds a BFA in Theatre Performance, an MA in Communication, and has spent the last 10 years running her own successful company. She blends her educational and professional experience to create a classroom environment that is engaging, inclusive, and evokes a curiosity to explore the exciting world of PR and communications.

Carol is a published author of The Brave Healing Journal, lived in 12 countries, and outside of work volunteers at a local women’s shelter, teaches fitness, and is pretty serious about her carpool karaoke game!

Carrie Lysenko has been knee deep in Digital since the early 2000s. She has led the growth and development of one of Canada’s most beloved sites and apps at The Weather Network for over a decade. She now heads up Product at VerticalScope, which is the largest online community and forum provider in the world.

Cathy has worked on high profile PR campaigns with some of the most brilliant brands & marketers in Canada. She’s a 20-year PR agency veteran with an MBA, who founded Cowan & Company Communications—a communications agency specializing in premium lifestyle brands—which has been recognized 4 times as IABC/Toronto’s Boutique PR Agency of the Year. In addition to winning numerous awards for marketing communications, media relations, special events, publications, social media and social responsibility, she’s collaborated with trailblazing brands, including L’Oreal Paris, Kraft, Jamieson Vitamins, Cisco, Expedia, Nintendo and Food Banks Canada. But, ultimately, extraordinary communications results are her driving passion and greatest professional reward. She’s thrilled to share these real-world Canadian PR successes and best practices with her students at York University.

Cherry Chau, a Toronto-based product designer, made her transition from corporate finance to UX/UI in 2017. Starting her career in a fintech startup, she gained invaluable experience navigating a dynamic environment and acquiring a diverse skill set that laid the foundation for her career. Her journey continued at Shopify, where she has been refining those skills and fostering deep domain knowledge in the fulfillment space. Her expertise lies in interpreting intricate product requirements, collaborating seamlessly with cross-functional teams, and employing a strategic blend of ideation, prototyping, and testing to deliver solutions that resonate with users and drive business success. Outside of her day-to-day work, she is passionate about bridging the gap between academia and industry, helping students transition into this ever-growing field of design.

Christine is a results-oriented communications professional with more than seven years of experience, specializing in internal communications. She is currently a Manager for the Employee Relations division at Air Canada and has a firm grasp of corporate messaging, branding, event planning and leadership communications. Christine has always been passionate about the telecommunications industry and enjoys enhancing employee and customer engagement through internal and external communications, along with testing new products and services. She has had success facilitating the development of employee communication initiatives including leadership blogs, vlogs, town halls, emails and speaking notes, as well as identified communication gaps between management and front-line employees. Her work has resulted in new processes that better support internal stakeholders in day to day operations.

Read an interview with Christine

Donna is a marketing leader with over 10 years of experience in beauty and CPG industries across North America. She’s held marketing and category director roles at Estee Lauder Companies and Dyson Hair Care, launching some of the most globally recognized products and campaigns. She’s partnered with big tech players such as Google, Meta, TikTok, and Condé Nast and key retailers such as Sephora, Amazon and HBC to bring brands to the forefront of the digital evolution.

What started as stumbling into brand management after a B.A. in Economics from the University of Toronto, has turned into a career passion.

Doris is an award-winning writer and editor. She has successfully worked as a content creator for more than 25 years. She was the editor of a national magazine, was part of the editorial staff at regional publications, and has freelanced for major newspapers and magazines in Canada. She has also created branded content and assisted brands with their promotion. She believes there are always several potential stories, and several ways to tell them — the key is understanding the audience, the brand, and the platform.

Elias is a Senior Product Designer with a Master’s in Human-Computer Interaction and a background in Engineering. He has honed his skills in designing user-centered digital experiences. His diverse portfolio includes working with startups, enterprise companies, and government agencies.

Elias collaborates cross-functionally with teams, including sales, marketing, customer success, and development, to craft intuitive digital interfaces. His commitment to understanding user goals and requirements is evident in his approach to product design, where he balances user needs, business goals and technical constraints.

He co-founded Booomerang.io, a platform dedicated to making outdoor adventures more accessible and affordable by enabling individuals to rent or lend sports gear within their community.

Elias brings a wealth of real-world experience and industry insights to the educational landscape by empowering students to excel in the field of UX design and prepares them for success in today’s competitive market.

Erica is a performance marketing consultant with a diverse background in both corporate companies and global media agencies. Her journey in digital marketing started in 2011 with digital media planning of display, search, and social campaigns for clients such as IBM, Cogeco, Tim Hortons, and US pharmaceutical companies. At Rogers Communications, she’s led many e-commerce and digital product initiatives to transform their user’s digital experience, drive B2B lead generation activities, and consumer acquisitions. Currently, she is an independent consultant for a number of small to mid-size companies in e-commerce, technology, and real estate, helping clients excel in digital marketing.

Erick Bauer is the founder and principal of The Bauer Group. He is a strategic leader, educator, and entrepreneur with 15 years of experience managing complex marketing and communications programs in fast-paced agency, corporate, and non-profit environments. He has led award-winning communications programs for some of the world’s largest brands, including Google, Nike, Coca-Cola, Samsung, BMO, Molson Coors, Wal-Mart, UPS and Pepsi. He has deep expertise in all facets of public relations, corporate communications, branding, digital/social media, corporate reputation management, issues and crisis, thought leadership, and executive profiling.

Erick is also passionate about developing the next generation of communications professionals. As a post-graduate instructor, he has been able to mentor and support young professionals, while at the same time supporting students who are committed to starting their careers in business, marketing, and communications.

He holds an undergraduate degree from York University and an MBA from Wilfrid Laurier University. When he’s not working, you can find Erick relaxing on the dock at the family cottage or chauffeuring his two young children to a hockey rink. He currently resides in the west end of Toronto.

Gina has 15 years of marketing experience working at large corporations from retail, to entertainment, to travel with companies such as Cineplex, Sony, OLG, Air Canada, Clearbanc, and now GoodFood. With considerable experience working in the fast-paced world of startups, Gina brings her experience and insights to lectures, speaking about campaigns she has developed and how businesses operate in the real world. She is passionate about marketing, an out-of-the-box thinker, and enjoys building processes and relationships.

Heath is a global-award-winning communications expert who has taught thousands of PR students at five different universities and colleges across Canada over the past 10 years. Outside of the classroom, he is the President of Echo Communications Inc., a reputation management consulting firm that helps companies across North America. Heath is a sought-after industry thought leader that has spoken at 70 conferences around the world and teaches communicators around the world through the International Association of Business Communicators Academy.

Heath has previously taught at the University of Guelph-Humber, Humber College, University of Victoria, and McMaster University, and has been a PR curriculum developer for Centennial College. His teaching philosophy is predicated on bringing the real world into the classroom to prepare his students for future success. He generously shares his 20 years of diverse marketing, PR, and journalism experience from the corporate, agency, consulting and non-profit sectors with his students. Heath has been published in a university textbook and international journals. He was recently re-elected for his fourth consecutive term on the Board of Director’s for the Canadian Public Relations Society.

Hope Seidman has a lifelong passion for education and learning. She earned a PhD in Educational Technology and focussed her research on the development and evaluation of critical thinking skills in university-level students and the design of learning experiences that help to support self-disciplined thinking.

Hope has more than 20 years of experience working as an instructional designer and learning advisor in the private sector, for non- profit organisations and for the government of Canada. She has also led faculty development projects internationally, aimed at improving student outcomes in higher education.

During her decade-long tenure with the federal government, Hope’s primary responsibility was to advise senior management on how to meaningfully implement new technologies and approaches to support workplace learning, collaboration and performance outcomes.
She also played a significant role in supervising graduate student interns (M.A., Educational Technology) as well as junior learning advisors to help them acquire the skills they needed to achieve rewarding careers in the field.

Hope took some time off from work to travel with her family and is excited to reconnect with her passion for learning and development. She lives in Stratford, Ontario with her husband and two children.

Irina is a learning experience designer, educator, researcher, workshop facilitator, and creative problem solver. Her work practice intersects inclusive design, cognitive science, and technology.

Learning is a process, and as a Learning Experience Designer, Irina explores a learner’s entire journey to create human-centric and accessible learning experiences rooted in learning outcomes, design thinking principles, cognitive science research, adult learning, and inclusive design. Her work with educators and learners is driven by accessibility practices, multimedia design, research-based standards in learning, and digital learning development practices.

Jeff’s background in business and human resources management spans more than twenty-five years. In his capacity as an independent consultant, he has worked with some of Canada’s most influential companies, completing client engagements in both the public and private sectors. His international experience includes working with post-secondary partners in Indonesia to assist with the development of applied entrepreneurship curriculum and the establishment of community business support centres.

Jeff has taught management development, organizational behaviour, human resource planning and development, and business foundation courses at McMaster and York universities, and at Seneca, Conestoga, and Confederation colleges. He has an undergraduate honours degree in Economics from Laurentian University in Sudbury, and a graduate degree in Education from Nipissing University in North Bay.

Jen has a variety of experience in the communications field, having worked in community relations and event management for over 10 years, for both not-for-profit and for profit sectors. Over the last 6 years, Jen’s focus has been on the animal care field, working both for Nestle Purina and the Ontario SPCA & Humane Societies. Jen has a variety of experience working as a spokesperson for organizations. Alongside this, Jen has a variety of experience working with stakeholders, from donors to community partners!

Jen holds a bachelor of arts (honours) from Brock University in Popular Culture and Communications, a post-graduate certificate (high honours) co-op from Seneca College in Corporate Communications, and a Masters of Education from Ontario Tech University.

With a passion for teaching and education, Jen has previously taught courses at Durham College, and hopes to continue to teach and help students reach their goals!

Joanne Cordell is a seasoned communications professional with over 30 years of experience in public affairs, issues management and stakeholder relations. Her focus has been the public sector, where she has worked in 10 provincial ministries, several municipalities and the agency and postsecondary education sectors. Joanne has experience advising senior level executives and elected officials, including working for a Member of Provincial Parliament at Queen’s Park. She played a key communications role for a municipal association during the Social Contract and has managed many public events with small business, including the Queen’s Park Liaison Forum and the Small Business Agency of Ontario. Joanne is a strong writer, having written for non-profit organizations and has contributed to two PubMed articles.

Jude has gained over ten years of professional experience as a Learning Experience Design (LXD) consultant and educator. This extends across international borders working with global teams like Microsoft, Mazda Europe, Danone-Nutricia, GE, and Accor Hospitality, as well as private learning institutions. Her current role is in the food technology and sustainability sector where she works as Senior Learning & Development Specialist with Mosa Meat.

She has also cultivated a human-centered philosophy to learning design and is an advocate for diversity and inclusion. Currently, she is pursuing an EdD with the University of Glasgow. Her research explores areas of post-feminism and cultural studies related to policy and practice in education. As a result, her approach to LXD development engages distinct perspectives, develops competencies, and generates more relevance for her learners.

Justin is a lifelong storyteller. With a degree in professional writing from York University, he plied his craft as a journalist for five years before becoming a content marketing manager. He currently works as the managing editor for Ratehub.ca, a fintech startup in Toronto that aims to help Canadians make better financial decisions. When not managing Ratehub’s content department he freelances as a writer, helping brands tell their stories.

Katherine Janson is an independent marketing communications consultant and Principal of KJ Communications Consulting. A former investigative journalist with over 20 years of experience in PR, marketing and strategic communications, Katherine loves building brands and thinking through the big picture of where an organization or an issue is going. She has led award-winning marketing and communications campaigns for national non-profits, household brands and municipal political candidates. A self-professed word nerd with a passion for the health and social impact space, Katherine enjoys connecting with people and leading collaborative teams to build community and do work that matters. She likes puns, making sense of science and mining human insights to drive population-wide behaviour-change.

With 20+ years experience, Ken brings an in-depth understanding of the digital marketing ecosystem to his instruction.

Having developed digital engagement programs for leading companies including Nike, Arlene Dickinson Enterprises and Reliance Home Comfort. Ken has utilized a range of tactics including digital CX, content marketing, SEO, and paid search, to achieve high- impact business results.

In his current role as the principal consultant with Marketize, Ken advises SMEs and start-ups seeking to increase their customer base and revenue returns through the digital channel.

I am immersed in Digital Strategy, Digital Marketing, SEO, Search Engine Marketing, and Content Marketing. I have led teams of digital marketing professionals, working on projects for startup companies all the way to multi-million dollar organizations.

I have also served as Editor for an educational, international trade publication that was the first of its kind in the pro-audio, video and lighting markets.

I believe that, despite our foibles, we are destined for great things.

I look forward to connecting with you.

For more than 10 years Laurie Baker, PhD has been helping businesses succeed through digital marketing. Working with businesses of all sizes, she has helped to redefine brand narratives, launch new product campaigns, and help build out successful content marketing strategies.

Published in the Canadian Journal of Communications (and elsewhere), Laurie has a deep fascination with the ways that technology redefines the creation of cultural and ritual experiences. Through the lens of technology use, she has explored how economic and ritual anthropology and science and technology studies intersect through the creation of new market spaces. In 2015, Laurie co-authored “Trying The Way: Ethnographic Glimpses of York University”. This publication is a reflection of her long- standing appreciation for the community and collegiality that York offers.

Leigh Mitchell is an inclusive marketer and the founder of Bee Happy HR & Marketing Co. where she manages innovative, diversity-driven marketing campaigns and develops progressive brand identities for business and HR clients. Leigh has worked with national brands, government organizations, non-profits, and social enterprises throughout her career. Leigh’s mission is to drive equality and belonging into strategic plans and everyday workplace communications.  Leigh is also the founder of Women in Biz Network. She runs and promotes a business accelerator, her Time to Thrive Podcast, mentorship initiatives, and a vetted career board for women.

Leigh is known for developing unique influencer marketing campaigns at live events for national brands. Leigh’s thought leadership blogs have been published by Active for Life, Sage, and Microsoft Canada. Throughout her career she has developed unique experiential marketing campaigns for Microsoft Canada, SAGE, TELUS, TD Canada Trust, Staples Canada, and Chevrolet Canada. Her work has been featured in the CBC News, The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Canadian Living, The Wall Street Journal, and as a speaker at numerous industry events. Connect with Leigh on Linkedin and across social media channels via @womenbiznetwork

Lonny is a seasoned communications professional with more than 16 years of experience in public affairs, media relations, project management and strategic communications. He has held various communications positions within the Federal Public Service and is experienced in working with senior executive levels, including the Canadian Prime Minister’s Office, several Federal Ministers and senior military officials.  Lonny has had a varied career including working as a television news producer, covering federal elections, Olympics and Remembrance Day Ceremonies. While working for the public service, he was responsible for media relations for the 2010 G-8 and G-20 Summits in Ontario. Since 2014 Lonny has been managing public affairs at the Department of National Defence (DND). In this role he has coordinated communications for national events such as the 2017 Invictus Games, the visits of the Royal Family in Canada, Ceremonial Guard activities on Parliament Hill, and Canada Day celebrations.

As Vice President of Growth Marketing for Cisco Canada, Luxy provides leadership and hands-on management to define marketing strategy development, in collaboration with Americas team, and the broader Cisco global community. A critical key to her success, is building high performing teams who bridge data and real-life applications and draw new paths to run effective marketing operations at scale. She also believes diversity in culture and thinking is the foundation of organizational success and leads by example through inclusion. Outside of the office, Luxy’s passion for catalyzing new thinking in marketing has led her to Co-Chair the CMA MarTech council and seats at various boards.

Lyndon has 25 years experience working in communications working in-house and agency side. He is a recovering broadcaster, having started his career in radio news having been one of the first 30 Broadcast Journalism graduates from the Bachelors program at Nottingham Trent University in the UK.

Lyndon is the inventor of The Lean Communications Methodology, Framework and toolkit that enables organizations to use Lean Startup principles and processes to build strategic hypotheses and test them in order to improve the effectiveness of communications strategies. He has also developed the first periodic table of elements for strategic communications that allows scientific method to be used by communicators.

Having moved from the UK to Canada in 2010, Lyndon is the founder of two startups, THINK DIFFERENT[LY] and COMMS.BAR – a walk-in style clinic providing strategic communications advice that helps organizations diagnose the challenges facing them and develop effective strategies for overcoming them.

I have 10+ years of experience as a senior-level marketing manager in technology, software, fintech, logistics and legal tech industries. I had a specific focus on marketing campaigns, brand positioning frameworks, and events with a track record of significant contributions to brand awareness, user acquisition funnel, B2B lead generation and partnership relations.

Mangala has a reputation for building iconic brands through fully integrated marketing. She brings marketing, innovation, and digital product teams together to build great businesses and deliver a superior customer experience. Currently an independent strategy consultant, Mangala works with Indigo Books & Music Inc. Previously she held marketing leadership roles at Roots, Pepsico Canada, and Post Consumer Brands. She has also worked at Reckitt Benckiser and started her career at The Nielsen Company.

Mangala is an Honours Economics and Math graduate of University of Toronto and completed her Master of Business Administration in Digital Transformation at McMaster DeGroote School of Business.

In addition to her instructor role at the School of Continuing Studies, she is currently board advisor to the Humber College School of Business.

With over a decade of experience in digital marketing and transformation, Mario has focused on strategic marketing as a source of innovation to drive long-lasting change for organizations of all sizes.

Throughout his career, Mario has been a senior management consultant, performance marketer and digital strategist, and has helped a myriad of clients in multiple sectors achieve their marketing and digital transformation goals. Mario has worked in the for-profit sector, helping clients such as Uber, Arc’teryx, Build-a-bear, Spence Diamonds, Meetup and many other enterprise-level, as well as SMBs, solve complex marketing and data problems. Mario has also worked with non-profits and government-funded institutions such as the Vancouver Art Gallery, UBC, BCIT, IntegrityBC, The Canadian Museum of History, The Canadian Crafts Federation, and others.

With experience in both strategy and tactical level digital initiatives, Mario has utilized digital marketing for improved discoverability, growth, and engagement. Mario is currently an Associate Director at Thrive Digital, one of the largest digital marketing agencies in Canada. He holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business, and a BA from UBC.

Melanie started her research career in academia. She worked in various Psychology and Neuroscience labs while completing her Psychology Undergraduate Degree at Western University. While studying psychology she was interested in the relationship humans have with technology, which led her to pursue a Masters Degree in Human-Computer Interaction at Carleton University. Melanie has had experience conducting human factors research for flight simulators and researching the relationship between human perception and virtual reality. She’s spent the past 4 years working in consumer technology and is currently a User Experience Researcher at Shopify.

Melyssa is a veteran within Advertising and Marketing landscape. She has been blazing trails for more years than she cares to admit.

Although she is short in stature, the many hats that she wears make her walk tall with solid experience and a varied skill set.

With over 30 years experience with traditional and digital Marketing and Advertising (and everything in between) for both Higher Education and Top 100 companies, Melyssa’s portfolio includes exciting pieces like a Maclean’s magazine spread for the School of Automotive Studies at Georgian College which appeared in the popular University issue.

Also, the opportunity to celebrate the rank of the first Canadian College to join a Facebook community that was only made of students in higher education, before Facebook went public.

Melyssa is a business owner, a marketer, an advertiser and an artist in everything ink and digital. She is as passionate about business as she is about hockey but don’t ask who her favourite team is. She may not have to tell you.

Michelle is a digital marketing strategist and educator with 20+ years in marketing management combined with 10+ years as a continuing education instructor and adjunct college professor. She is a domain expert in using technology to market with specialties in programmatic advertising, search and content marketing. Michelle began her career with IBM Canada and has worked across various marketing roles within F500, small-medium businesses and startups in high tech. She is passionate about lifelong learning and helping others achieve their ambitions. Michelle holds a B.Comm., Rotman Commerce, from the University of Toronto.

A social anthropologist by training, Michelle combines ethnographic methods and usability testing tools in order to develop a better understanding of individuals’ needs and behavioural motivations. She is a Senior UX Researcher with Scotiabank. Previously, Michelle worked at an innovation and design consultancy where she led research based in anthropological inquiry to support the development of clients’ business strategies. Clients came from the financial, healthcare, telecommunications, and retail goods sectors.

Michelle has been teaching in some capacity since 2003. She earned her B.A. (Geography) and M.A. (Geography) from Queen’s University and her PhD (Social Anthropology) from York University. Additionally, she completed The Teaching Assistant Certificate in Teaching (TACT) at York. Her ongoing professional development includes coursework in design research, strategic foresight, and leadership.

Paige’s experience as a learning designer in post-secondary and non-profit has given her great insight into how people learn. Her mission to craft authentic assessments and goal-driven learning experiences results in programs, courses, and workshops that prioritize the end user’s experience. Paige’s various roles, from consulting to editing, have given her a unique perspective and the ability to approach challenges with curiosity, agility, and empathy. As an educator and mentor, Paige continues to support other designers in crafting memorable and meaningful learning experiences that challenge traditional design norms.

Peter is a full stack marketing executive with 20 years of in-the-trenches CPG, agency and start-up leadership experience. Specializing in brand strategy and communications, he has co-founded two significant start-ups, as well as worked on some of the world’s most coveted brands including RBC, Starbucks, Cineplex, PepsiCo, Campbell’s, NBA, McDonald’s, Dove, Budweiser, Green P Parking, Rogers, Canada Post and Shazam.

In addition to his instructor role at the School of Continuing Studies, Peter is a YSpace advisor at York University’s innovation hub, an active board member for Gerrard Station Development Co. Inc. (formerly Nelson Cannabis Collective Inc.), and continues to consult with a wide variety of brands across North America.

Philippe is a Product Designer and Design Educator based in Toronto, Canada. This hybrid role is a reflection of Philippe’s belief in the importance of bridging the gap between design academia and industry. As a Sr. Product Designer at Shopify Plus, Philippe helps to define problems, interpret product requirements, and understand the needs of users. Day to day, Philippe diverges and then converges solutions through a process of ideation, prototyping, and testing. By working collaboratively with cross-functional teams, such as product management and software engineers, Philippe discovers and clarifies the what and the why of products while leveraging expertise in user experience, visual design, and product strategy to define the how.

As a Design Educator, Philippe aims to activate creativity and to foster critical thinking and strong decision making from students within their academic projects. As such, by emphasizing outcome over output, Philippe intends to apply a holistic design education to ultimately shape designers with a strong, personal voice and who can potentially provide leadership in their projects.

Rahim is an award-winning designer who initially studied Industrial Design at Carleton University and, following his graduation, moved to San Francisco, California in 2011. He pursued an MBA in Design Strategy from the California College of the Arts and had the opportunity to work for companies like Umbra, Teknion, California Innovations, Fuseproject, Samsung & Code & Theory as a Design Strategist, UX Designer and Design Researcher. Rahim also ran his start-up called Story Jar in San Francisco and was accepted into an incubator. On the side, he runs a small studio called Arabesque Studios that focuses on designing products inspired by Islamic Geometry. He loves creative problem solving and is looking forward to teaching and helping you reach your personal design goals.

Ramses Trejo is an accomplished and passionate consultant with close to 25 years of well-rounded international business and technology experience. Web development, entrepreneurship and teaching are at the core of his skills and experience. He enjoys delivering high value digital solutions for his clients, as well as helping students transition from simply coding to developing full-stack innovative web solutions that enable organizations to meet their business objectives.

Ricardo Ramirez is an experienced Service Designer and UX practitioner with over 12 years of industry experience. His background is in computer science with post-graduate studies in entrepreneurship and leading organizations and change. He is NN/g and Scrum.org PSU I certified, and has been accredited as a service design practitioner by the Service Design Network (SDN).

Throughout his career, Ricardo has been relied on to support the design and development of innovative products and services and lead cross-functional teams from research to implementation. He has had the opportunity to work on a number of consulting and advisory roles for industry-leading organizations with an emphasis on human-centred design and digital transformation.

Currently, he is the Manager of Service Design at the Canadian Standards Association where he is responsible for working closely with stakeholders to unearth and address customer needs, making sure the voice of the customer is embedded throughout the design process, and developing and leading the strategy for the experience of their digital products.

Outside of teaching, Ricardo is an active mentor at adplist.org with over 2,020 minutes mentored across multiple countries on topics like design career paths, changing roles, and breaking into service design.

Rob is a Client Services Professional with over 25 years experience working with high-functioning teams in technology development verticals. Rob has engaged in many roles advancing companies of varying sizes in areas of; Business Development, Promotions, Sales & Support and General Management. Corporate teams rely on Rob to evolve their programs as they adapt and adopt new technologies to better manage for the future.

With over twenty years of marketing and branding under her belt, Rovena has worked with a host of diverse industries across the globe. After spending a decade in digital marketing in the agency world as a Creative Director, she navigated herself to the client-side and worked at BMO Bank of Montreal, Sofitel Hotels & Resorts, and Habitat for Humanity, among others. Her work includes creating brand identities from the ground up to writing case studies and company profiles.

Having gained extensive Canadian experience, Rovena made the move to South East Asia and spent several years in Laos and the Philippines working within the hospitality sector and with social enterprises, experiences that have enriched her both professionally and personally. A firm believer in giving back, she has worked with charitable organizations and orphanages in helping with their teaching programs and brand identity designs.

Santo is the VP of Member Services and Marketing at Retail Council of Canada and brings over 20 years of experience of marketing leadership. He began his career in data sciences and progressed to lead B2B/B2C marketing teams across financial, technology and payments industries including companies such as TD Canada Trust, Rogers Communications, CIBC, Moneris and JPMorgan Chase.

In addition, Santo is the VP, Communications for the American Marketing Association, Toronto Chapter and teaches part time at George Brown College. He holds an undergraduate degree in statistics from McMaster University, a Master’s in Information Science from the University of Western Ontario and an MBA from York University.

Scott has focused his career on being an innovator at the intersection of marketing and technology. He is responsible for aligning marketing technology with business goals, serving as a liaison to IT, and evaluating and choosing technology providers.

With over 20 years of experience in telecom and digital media, Scott has been very successful at developing and implementing innovative marketing strategies and transformational business initiatives that deliver results and measurable ROI.

Scott has helped companies such as MasterCard, Kraft Foods, Post Foods, Timex, SIRIUS Satellite Radio, Rogers, and The Ontario Hockey League leverage new technologies to drive business value.

Sean Seaman is an Experience Design practitioner consulting with businesses, organizations, and individuals, reimagining digital solutions that customers and businesses face. Presently, he manages Experience Design at Avanade Digital Innovation Studio, providing thought leadership in design sprints for enterprise clients.

Sean gets great satisfaction in facilitating design thinking workshops with clients, helping them arrive at human-centric design solutions. Sean has 18+ years of experience in Experience Design practice, providing design direction and consultation for Fortune 500 companies. He has extensive experience in the Fin-tech, Retail, and Transportation sectors, previously working with digital design agencies, major retailers, and SAAS companies.

Shalini has extensive industry experience in managing strategic campaigns and developing go-to-market business plans for both B2B and B2C programs. Her industry acumen comes from her direct experience with integrated marketing communication channels and digital tactics in retail, luxury, financial services, educational to automobile sectors across diverse geographic regions in Australia, Canada, India and South Korea.

As President at Fifth Story, Shelley sets the tone, vision and direction of the 40+ employee company. She brings value, leadership experience and business intelligence, working hands-on with clients and her team. In 2013, she led the repositioning of News Canada, a 30+ year business, to Fifth Story, a leading content marketing solutions provider, to meet the evolving needs of their 300+ clients and drive the continued success of the company.

Shelley is well-known for her expertise in content marketing. She has been a featured speaker at numerous Canadian and international marcom events. Shelley has over twenty years of experience in media, marketing and communications. Prior to joining Fifth Story in 2012, Shelley held senior leadership roles at Postmedia, The Globe and Mail, CBC, Rogers and Brunico Communications. Shelley has experience with both B2B and B2C markets and in multiplatform media channels. She developed and managed large brand sponsorships programs for the Olympics and TIFF, and has launched and developed start-up brands in Canada and internationally.

Silvana ignites story ideas and sparks conversations. She is a creative communicator and a strategic thinker with a real passion for storytelling.

For 20 years, she has been engaging and inspiring audiences with her award-winning work, both as a broadcast journalist and communications professional.

Silvana’s attitude, commitment, and determination have earned her a reputation as an expert in her field with a finger on the pulse of emerging digital communications and marketing trends.

In addition to her ability to make the complex simple and the invisible, visible, Silvana has a flair for creating and amplifying authentic stories while maintaining brand integrity and corporate reputation.

She currently works as the head of communications at the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB). Throughout her career, Silvana has led multi-faceted, integrated communications strategies at TRREB, LCBO, and CAA. Before joining the world of communications and marketing, she had a distinguished career as a journalist where she honed her expertise.

Sveta began her design journey with a Graphic Design degree from OCAD University before transitioning to User Experience Design. Over the past 15 years, she has honed her expertise in user research, UX design, and strategic thinking to create immersive user experiences.

Throughout her career, Sveta has gained diverse knowledge and hands-on experience with marketing, branding, user experience design, product management, and user research. She has led numerous user-centric initiatives to empower organizations with data and evidence to make business decisions. Sveta aims to highlight the transformative power of design in shaping product landscape and strategic roadmap.

Sveta is passionate about nurturing talent, coaching designers, and fostering a culture of design excellence. Currently serving as the Head of UX and Product Design at EventMobi, Sveta leads the design team in crafting innovative solutions that resonate with users and drive the company’s success.

With over 12 years of experience in information technology, Tarun has held various positions ranging from developer to founder & CTO. Tarun has worked on a plethora of Web and Standalone Technologies with cloud & e-Commerce applications development as the primary focus. Tarun can code in over 10 different programming languages and databases, with specializations including Software Engineering, Product Development, Project Management, and Payment integration.

Tarun is a great proponent of Open Source, likes to contribute and develop on open-source programs, and is currently interested in data architecture, predictive analytics, distributed databases and blockchain systems. Tarun holds Master of Computer Science and Master of Business Administration.

With over 15 years of experience in the marketing industry, Thomas “Tom” Hormaza is a lifelong practitioner of Marketing and Human Performance Technology (HPT) enabling to assess and positively impact the entire ecosystem of Human, Technology and Business Performance.

Tom is Founding Partner at French Marketing Canada as well as a regular instructor and guest speaker at numerous Canadian universities and colleges.

Before starting his career in Higher Education teaching, Tom developed expertise in Marketing and Technology Project Management working with these organizations: Ericsson, Microsoft, Apple, Xbox, Google, Audi, Ford, Mazda, VW, Michelin, P&G, Pfizer, Nestlé, Desjardins Insurance, TD, Bank of Montreal, GoDaddy, Dell, Catalyst GroupM WPP, Bombardier, Canadian Tire, Bimbo Breads.

Tim Campbell-Smith is so extroverted he puts the social back into social media. A digital marketing generalist by profession, his consultancy focuses on improving business overall through social media. His career has spanned over five years with hundreds of clients worldwide, specializing in advisory and training services. Tim has consulted for and spoken with thousands of entrepreneurs and organizations around the world, most notably with The Small Business Centres of Ontario, The Canadian Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, The Resilience Summit, Innovation Guelph, Social Media Pro, The Professional Organizers of Canada, and the Los Angeles Film School. Tim’s teaching experience goes beyond his practice, having taught at both Fanshawe College and Conestoga College.

Durham College, Teaching and Training Adults, with Honours University of Calgary, Digital Marketing, with Honours

With over 20 years of public relations experience in the not-for-profit and government sectors, Tracie brings expertise in strategic communications planning, media relations and storytelling. Her background includes leadership positions at organizations such as Covenant House Toronto, Child Development Institute and now Eva’s Initiatives for Homeless Youth as the Senior Director of Communications and Philanthropy.

As a bilingual professional proficient in French, Tracie has served as a media spokesperson on high-profile issues including immigration policy, border security and homelessness. Her accolades include awards from Pride Toronto, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto and Covenant House, recognizing her leadership and commitment to philanthropy.

Tracie has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Alberta with a major in political science and a public relations diploma from Grant MacEwan University.

Tyler began working in content with podcasts over 15 years ago, to videos, to social media, before finding his love of the written word. With over 10 years of experience running his own company and now working for Superside, Tyler understands the total value of full-funnel content marketing.

Andrea Menard, she/they/ᐃᐧᔭᐋᐧᐤ wiyawâw is Métis from the abolished Red River Settlement on Treaty 1. She is the Lead Educational Developer, Indigenizing Curricula and Pedagogies, at the University of Alberta; and is the President & Founder of Indigenous Connect ᑲ ᐋᓂᐢᑰᒧᐦᒋᑫᕁ  kaâniskômohcikehk, which is a non-profit organization that researches and practises Indigenous Legal Orders and Ethics. Andrea has over twenty-five years’ experience relationship-building with Indigenous Nations across Treaties 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10 as well as the Métis Homeland regions, and with Indigenous Nations on the unceded lands of British Columbia.

Andrea teaches, “Reconciliation and Lawyers” at the University of Calgary, Faculty of Law; and co-teaches, “In Search of Reconciliation Through Dispute Resolution” at Osgoode Hall Law School.
She teaches students, academics, and professionals how to decolonize, Indigenize, and apply Indigenous Legal Orders and ethics into their practises and lives.

Andrea is Co-Chair and Co-Founder of the Indigenous Lawyers’ Forum, which is a networking group for Indigenous lawyers, legal academics and law students. She is the academic partner of the Authentic Allyship Project; a Director on Alternative Dispute Resolution Institute of Alberta (ADRIA); on the Advisory Board for the Centre for Constitutional Studies; on the Indigenous Advisory Group-Criminal Justice for the Canadian Bar Association; the Co-Chair of the Indigenous Foundations Subcommittee for The Honourable Beverley Browne – Wîyasôw Iskweêw – Restorative Justice Pilot Project; and is on the Calgary Legal Guidance: Sahwoo mohkaak tsi ma taas (Blackfoot for Before Being Judged) Indigenous Advisory Committee. Andrea was named the Top 25 Most Influential Lawyer for Canadian Lawyer Magazine, 2022.

An Accredited Family Mediator, Anisa holds a Masters of Social Work degree and brings over 20 years of experience in the field of conflict resolution, mediation, negotiation and training. Anisa has particular expertise in dispute and conflict resolution, intimate partner violence, family justice, custody assessment, mental health and parent-child relations. Anisa serves as the Family Mediator and Settlement Conference Facilitator for Legal Aid Ontario, Peel and York Regions. Previously, she worked for Blue Hills Child and Family Services; a registered Ministry of the Attorney General Family Mediation Services Provider, and at the Superior Court of Justice in Newmarket as a Family Mediator and Information Referral Coordinator.

Anisa serves as a Board Member with the Association of Family & Conciliation Courts – Ontario (AFCC-O) and served as Chair and long-time Board Member with Peel Family Mediation Services. She co-founded and spearheaded the Peel Family Mediation Annual Domestic Violence Symposium (2011-2017). Anisa has been a guest lecturer at York University in the Faculty of Social Work at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, a course developer and trainer in family mediation, domestic violence and power imbalance at Humber College, and conducts training for articling students and new staff lawyers on court-based family mediation, intimate partner violence and access to justice. She has also provided internship training through Peel Family Mediation Services and Legal Aid Ontario.

Anisa is an active member of the Ontario Association of Family Mediation, Ontario College of Social Workers, Ontario Association of Social Worker and Social Service Workers, Association of Family & Conciliation Courts – Ontario and Academy of Professional Family Mediators.

Archana is a Certified Family Law Specialist and accredited Family Mediator practicing in Toronto, who brings over 20 years of international experience in family dispute resolution. As a Panel Lawyer for the Office of the Children’s Lawyer, Archana has worked on issues of gender-based violence, child abuse and child protection through representing primarily vulnerable populations including immigrants, refugees, women, and children in high conflict family matters and at all levels of the court system. She believes that culturally appropriate services are crucial for families navigating any dispute resolution process and that diversity and inclusion are key to advancing peace.

Archana is a member of the leadership team of Mediators Beyond Borders International, an international NGO that holds consultative status with the United Nations. She currently serves as a Board Member with the Association of Family & Conciliation Courts – Ontario. Archana is a co-author of the book “Domestic Violence in Immigrant Communities: Case Studies,” which examines the experiences of immigrant and refugee women who have experienced domestic violence, based on analysis of closed legal cases filed in Ontario family courts. Archana’s awards and distinctions include “The Volunteer Service Award” from the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration.

Blaine Donais is a lawyer, mediator, arbitrator, investigator and leading expert in workplace conflict management. He is author of Workplaces That Work, and Engaging Unionized Employees, both published by Canada Law Book. He is president and founder of the Workplace Fairness Institute, Conflict Management Solutions. He is an instructor of workplace dispute resolution at York University and University of Toronto (Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources), and is a visiting lecturer for La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. He teaches human resources professionals, labour leaders and others in human rights, labour and employment law, human resources, collective bargaining, and conflict resolution. He offers workplace interventions with a specialization in unions and unionized work environments.

Bruce Ally is a dispute resolution specialist who began his mediation career nearly 4 decades ago and has since completed in excess of 4000 mediations. Bruce’s specializations include Personal Injury, Family Mediation, Employment Law, Estate, Construction, Human Rights, and Child Protection, amongst other areas.  He is certified to provide services to the Government of Canada for mediation, arbitration, and investigation services and holds a contract with the Government of Ontario to provide both mediation and workplace restoration services.

Bruce is a member of the Ontario Bar Association ADR section, a certified member of the Ontario Association of Mental Health Practitioners (OAMHP), an adjudicator holding membership with the Society of Ontario Adjudicators and Regulators, and a member in good standing with the Ontario Mandatory Mediation Program Superior Court of Justice. He is a Senior Consultant with Workplace Fairness International and is widely published in numerous areas of mediation. Bruce serves as an arbitrator in private matters, investigates workplace harassment issues, and holds certification as an Ombudsman.

Bruce is an Instructor for the Lawyer as Negotiator Program at Osgoode Hall Law School, the Canadian Co-Editor of Mediate.com, and provides and supervises internships to students for the Q.Med and C.Med designations. He has a BA from York University, a Certificate in Mediation from the University of Toronto, an MA in Psychology at Norwich University, an LLM in ADR at Osgoode Hall Law School, as well as Doctoral Studies in Counselling. Currently, Bruce is in the completion stages of his Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Degree from California Southern University.

As a professional mediator and human resources management consultant, Dennis provides court-directed and private mediation services. He also assists major corporations to resolve complex business-to-business and employment-related disputes. Dennis coaches and assesses students in court-directed mediation sessions at his alma mater, Osgoode Hall Law School. Dennis also teaches in the Human Resources Management program at York University’s School of Continuing Studies. He is author of the instructional texts Conflict Management in the Workplace: From Backyard to Boardroom and Your Guide to Successful Career Transition.

Desmond Ellis is a professor based in the La Marsh Research Centre, York University, and a member of the Board for the Family Court Connected Mediation Service. He helped create the La Marsh Centre for Research on Violence and Conflict Resolution at York, and served as its first director for a number of years. Dr. Ellis has been teaching and conducting research projects on conflict resolution theory and practice generally and marital conflict resolution in particular.

Domestic violence associated with participation in collaborative and adversarial separation and divorce proceedings has been a major focus of his research for about 20 years. Since 1993, he has conducted many workshops on assessing and managing the risk of domestic violence, made presentations at conferences across North America, and published a book and several research reports and journal articles on conflict resolution.

Ivana Vaccaro is a partner at RV Law LLP and has been practicing exclusively in the area of family law since she was called to the Ontario Bar in 2004. She has been a longstanding member of the Family Lawyers Association and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts. She is also a member of the Family Dispute Resolution Institute of Ontario, Ontario Association for Family Mediation, and the Canadian Italian Advocates Organization. She is also a Coach and Advisor for the Law Society of Ontario, a presenter for the Mandatory Information Program, and a member of the Board of Directors for The Redwood, a shelter for women and children fleeing abuse.

Ivana appears in both the Ontario Court of Justice and the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in the Greater Toronto Area on a variety of family law issues ranging from parenting and residential arrangements to support and division of property. She is the founder of Mediated Family Results Inc., a separate family dispute resolution service through which she offers family mediation, arbitration and parenting coordination services to families who choose to resolve their disputes outside of the court process.  Ivana was recently cross-appointed to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario as a part-time member, after having served as a part-time member of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board. She also sits on the Custody Review Board, Custody and Family Services Review Board, and Ontario Special Education Tribunal (English).

Jennifer is an Accredited Family Mediator (AccFM) who specializes in online dispute resolution. Through her private mediation practice, she provides end-to-end separation services and mediates in all areas of family law including parenting plans, support, equalization of net family property and property division. Jennifer uses a collaborative mediation model and works with a team of lawyers who provide independent legal advice at various stages throughout the mediation process, so that her clients fully understand the legal aspects of their separation agreement.

Jennifer brings over 20 years of experience working in front line social service settings including working in shelters for victims of domestic violence, as well as over a decade of experience in family law. Through her experience supporting families going through the family court system, Jennifer has seen firsthand the devastation that divorce and litigation can have on families. Jennifer is passionate about providing families with alternative options to alleviate the pain, financial strain and stress of the traditional divorce process.

Jennifer holds a diploma in Social Service Work from Seneca College, a certificate in Family Mediation from York University, a certificate in Online Dispute Resolution from Osgoode PD and a certificate in Family Arbitration from the National Family Law Arbitration Course.

Jonathan is a Registered Social Worker, Accredited Family Mediator, and Child Protection Mediator in private practice, providing psychotherapy, family arbitration, family court assessments, voice of the child reports, collaborative family law and family mediation. He is a recognized expert witness for the Superior Court of Justice (Family Court) on various topics, including domestic violence, mental health and parenting issues. Jonathan is a Board Member of the Ontario Association for Family Mediation and a member of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, in addition to being a family professional with the Durham Region Collaborative Practice, Peterborough Collaborative Practice and the Collaborative Practice Institute groups.

He is also a roster member of Four Counties Family Court Mediation Service in Peterborough. In addition to his private practice, Jonathan is involved in providing online training on the topics of mental health in the workplace and the trauma-informed approach to working with clients. Jonathan developed his passion for working with children and families going through separation and divorce while working for the Office of the Children’s Lawyer as a Clinical Investigator. Jonathan has degrees in Sociology, Social Work and Counselling Psychology.

Kavita practices exclusively in the area of family law as pertains to mediating, negotiating, arbitrating and litigating residential arrangements, child and spousal support, property division and the preparation of domestic contracts. She is a Certified Specialist in Family Law, accredited Family Mediator, Arbitrator, Parenting Coordinator and former Panel Lawyer for the Office of the Children’s Lawyer. Kavita has worked closely with victims of abuse, facilitated by her fluency in five languages.

Kavita is a Coach and Advisor for the Law Society of Ontario and Legal Aid Ontario, a Board Member for the Caledon Parent-Child Centre, and Treasurer of Peel Mediation-Arbitration. She is a former Board Member of FDRIO and past-President of the Peel Chapter of the OAFM. Kavita is a regular presenter for the Ontario Justice Education Network, Mandatory Information Program, Catholic Cross-Cultural Services, Canadian Council of Muslim Women and multiple Continuing Professional Development programs.

Marc (he/him) [biracial] is a mediator, arbitrator and adjudicator. Designated a Chartered Mediator and Chartered Arbitrator by the ADR Institute of Canada, he is in private practice and serves on the online Condominium Authority Tribunal. Passionate about dispute resolution, Marc supports access to justice, inclusion and overcoming systemic bias. A non-lawyer, Marc has had a 20 year affiliation with a law firm where he gained understanding of the business of legal practice and role of dispute resolution in various processes, on a mandatory and optional basis.

Marc earned a Master of Laws in Dispute Resolution at Osgoode Hall Law School. He now serves as a faculty member of the program, where he lectures, and instructs ALDR 6305: In Search of Reconciliation Through Dispute Resolution. Marc is an Academic Partner of the Authentic Allyship Project, where he supports reconciliation as a non-Indigenous ally, and is a faculty at the Canadian Collaborative for Engagement & Conflict Management. Marc has also lectured at Queen’s University, the University of Calgary Faculty of Law, the University of Saskatchewan College of Law, the Law Society of Ontario and the Canadian Bar Association. He has spoken coast-to-coast and in the United States.

Marc has been widely published. He has written books and been featured in peer-reviewed academic journals, including groundbreaking work on gender-identity and text-based, online mediation in the McGill Journal of Dispute Resolution. Marc’s research has also focused on decision maker bias, self-representation and online processes. The founder of ADR Athletics, a web hub focused on supporting the mental health and wellness of dispute resolution practitioners, Marc has chaired related programs for the ADR Institute of Ontario. He was recognized with a 2020 STAR Award by the institution for his leadership, dedication and impact in the field. In 2022, Marc was elected to represent Ontario on the Board of Directors of the ADR Institute of Canada.

Mary-Anne has served as the Executive Director of the Ontario Association for Family Mediation (OAFM) since 2015. As an OAFM Accredited Family Mediator, Intergenerational Mediator, and Child Protection Mediator in private practice, she works to bring peaceful resolutions that have helped hundreds of families adapt to challenges and changes across the life cycle. Mary-Anne is a roster mediator for the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) and the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services. She also serves as an Assistant Trainer in the Intergenerational Mediation program at OAFM. In 2020, in response to the global pandemic, Mary-Anne became a Certified Online Mediator.

Mary-Anne is passionate about promoting public access to justice, and has been a facilitator for the Home Court Advantage Summit, as well as the Legal Innovation Zone’s technology initiative to expand equitable access to alternative and non-adversarial services for families. Mary-Anne is a regular guest on the Mediation Station radio program and presenter at various institutions, including Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario, Canadian Domestic Homicide Prevention Initiative, Osgoode Hall Law School, and the International Federation on Ageing. She is also a contributing author to three books, Living Together, Separating, Divorcing: Surviving During a Pandemic, Family Conflict During a Pandemic: Stories of Struggle and Hope, and Grief and Fatigue: Families and the Pandemic.

In 2014, Mary-Anne received the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship in recognition of her volunteer contributions to St. Joseph’s Maternal Health Support Program. Mary-Anne supports diversity and equality as an ally always, and as a volunteer for Toronto PFLAG. She served as a Panel Member on the City of Toronto Committee of Adjustment, is the past Chair of the ADR Institute of Ontario’s Family Section and past Board Member of the OAFM from 2009 – 2014.

Michelle holds a Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of Windsor and a Master of Social Work degree from McMaster University. She is a registered social worker and an Accredited Family Mediator serving Hamilton, Halton and Niagara regions. She offers specialized services related to families impacted by separation and divorce including custody and access assessments, family mediation, reintegration therapy, voice of the child reports, parenting coordination, and therapeutic services for children and families impacted by divorce. She is a panelled member of the Office of the Children’s Lawyer and a consultant on high conflict custody disputes to both Hamilton Children’s Aid Societies.

Michelle is a frequent presenter at national and international professional conferences in the area of high conflict separation/divorce and children’s mental health. She is a member of the Ontario College of Social Workers, Ontario Association of Social Workers, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, and the Ontario Association of Family Mediators. She currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Ontario Chapter, and she is the Past Chair of the Hamilton High Conflict Forum.

In practice since 2000, Neeraj practices in Toronto as a family lawyer and family mediator, helping couples who are cohabiting or separating to come to their own durable legal agreements through collaborative negotiation. Neeraj has mediated a wide variety of cases from the very simple to the very complex in all aspects of family law including property division, spousal/child support, parenting plans, prenuptial agreements and cohabitation agreements.

In his first five years of practice, Neeraj practiced law with Legal Aid Ontario, West Scarborough Community Legal Services, and the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General. In 2005, he made the decision to become a sole practitioner focusing exclusively on collaborative family law and family mediation. In addition to maintaining a busy practice, he has sat on the Board of Collaborative Practice Toronto and has served as a Roster Mediator with Mediate393, which provides government-funded family mediation services. Neeraj has spoken on family dispute resolution in various mediation and professional development programs in Ontario, including Collaborative Practice Toronto, the Ontario Association for Family Mediation and now, with York University’s School of Continuing Education.

A graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School, Neeraj has volunteered as a coach with Riverdale Mediation and the Law Society of Ontario. He currently Co-Chair of the Mentor Program for the Family Dispute Resolution Institute of Ontario.

Oliver Martin (he/him) is a highly skilled and experienced mediator, instructor, coach, and workplace consultant. He is dedicated to helping individuals, teams, organizations, and communities connect to self, others, and systems to transform workplace relationships. Since 2003, he has partnered with numerous individuals and organizations throughout Canada, the United States and the Caribbean to improve their ability to lead themself and others through challenging situations. He has also worked behind the scenes in high-profile workplace disputes.

In private practice, Oliver provides training and consultation in conflict resolution, mediation, negotiation, communication, emotional intelligence and leadership development. He also provides mediation, coaching and workplace restorations in unionized and non-unionized environments. He applies an emotional intelligence and organizational systems lens to workplace conflict with a trauma-informed approach.

Oliver is a Senior Consultant at the University of Guelph, providing faculty and staff leadership training, coaching, facilitation, and conflict resolution services. Previously, he was the Director of Training for the Stitt Feld Handy Group (a division of ADR Chambers), an Instructor for the Master’s Certificate in Healthcare Management at Schulich’s Executive Education Centre (York University), and a past Director at the ADR Institute of Ontario.

Oliver received Alternative Dispute Resolution training from the University of Windsor Law School and York University. He has a Master of Arts in Leadership from Royal Roads University. In addition to his training and experience as a mediator, Oliver is certified to administer the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Emotional Intelligence (WE-Q) Profile.

Oliver combines his conflict resolution, emotional intelligence and leadership development expertise to teach others and to create brave spaces for people to connect and transform challenging workplace relationships.

Pramila is the Executive Director at ADR Institute of Ontario, an engaging speaker, and Chartered Mediator with over 22 years of experience. Her mediation experience encompasses workplace, residential and commercial properties, personal injury, employment and business-related contractual disputes, statutory accident benefits, community and criminal disputes.

Pramila has held leadership roles as President of the Community Legal Clinic of York Region, Chair of the Social Planning Council of York Region, and Vice-President of the ADR Institute of Ontario. Her work has been featured on CBC radio, televised on CTV, and published in the Toronto Star. She has taught at Schulich School of Business, Toronto Metropolitan University, Centennial College, George Brown College and Seneca College. Pramila has provided coaching, mediation, ADR & leadership training, and consulting services to thousands of participants representing union groups, crown corporations, major Canadian enterprises, faith groups and community organizations across Canada.

In addition to her mediation practice, Pramila has extensive background in Community Development (CD) and uses engagement strategies, research, and her skills in ADR in CD to mobilize and empower community groups and organizations to create and sustain long-lasting positive changes in neighbourhoods across the GTA. In this capacity, Pramila has instructed and mentored students at the Creative Institute for Toronto’s Young Leaders (CITY Leaders) and the Toronto’s Centre for Community Learning and Development. She has led the implementation of hundreds of programs and services and has received numerous leadership and mentorship awards from elected officials at all levels of government for her work in strengthening the community.

Vicky has been practicing law since 2005 and works primarily in Family Law in the areas of separation and divorce, child protection, adoption, ​​fertility and surrogacy. She is an accredited family mediator and trained cross-border mediator in international child abductions. She is also a facilitator of Legal Aid Settlement Conferences and sits as a Dispute Resolution Officer at the Superior Court of Justice, Family Court Branch in various jurisdictions across Ontario. She is a Panel Lawyer with the Office of the Children’s Lawyer and serves as per diem Duty Counsel at the Family Court. She is also a member of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts – Ontario Chapter (AFCC-O) Parenting Plan Guide Project Task Force.

Vicky is a Coach with the Law Society of Ontario’s Coach and Advisor Network. She volunteers her time as a member of the Board of Directors of l’Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario (AJEFO) and the Family Dispute Resolution Institute of Ontario (FDRIO). As a presenter at conferences, seminars, and other professional development events across Canada, she offers her knowledge and passion for Family Law, technology integration in the workplace, as well as the impact of new technologies like cryptocurrency in the financial disclosure process in legal proceedings. Vicky is originally from Northwestern New Brunswick and is fluently bilingual in French and English. She holds a Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in Communication and a Bachelor of Laws (Common Law in French – LL.B.) both from the University of Ottawa.