2019 Higher Education Summit

TRANSFORMATIONS

November 30, 2019 - December 2, 2019 | Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel

 
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Speakers

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Featured speakers and facilitators

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Chami Akmeemana [More Info]
CEO
Convergence Tech

Chami Akmeemana is the CEO of Blockchain Learning Group and Convergence Tech. He pursued a Ph.D. in Bioceramic Engineering at Queen Mary, University of London, until deciding to forgo an academic career in favor of Law Enforcement. In 2002, he joined London’s Metropolitan Police.

Chami has had 4 successful exits over the last decade and is passionate about the intersection of technology, business and social good. His experience includes serving as Fintech Advisor to the Ontario Securities Commission; Managing Director, Fintech and Blockchain at the Global Risk Institute; and Regulatory Advisor to the Republic of Liberland.

Chami is also the Chairman of the Blockchain Association Australia and an Advisory Board member of doc.ai.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chami1/

 
Jann Arden [More Info]
Renowned musician, bestselling author

Jann Arden can bring a hall full of people to tears through song, only to have them – moments later – rolling in the aisles from her off-the-cuff comedy. Whether she’s performing her music, hosting an event, or telling her deeply personal and affecting stories, Arden’s wisdom and wit shine in everything she does.

Currently starring in the wildly popular CTV show, “Jann,” where she plays a fictionalized, self-deprecating version of herself, Arden catapulted onto the Canadian music scene in 1993 with the release of her debut album, “Time for Mercy.”

Today, she boasts 19 top 10 singles and has received eight Juno Awards, including Female Artist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. She has also been recognized with 10 SOCAN Awards; four Western Canadian Music Awards; a MuchMusic Video Award; three Prairie Music Awards; and an Alberta Recording Industry Association Award. She has also been honoured with a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame and was inducted into the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

Arden was also the host of “Being Jann” on CBC Radio. She has been a judge on television’s “Canada Sings” and has appeared on the “Rick Mercer Report” and in several sitcoms in addition to her own show. She is also a returning co-host of CTV’s “The Social.”

On stage, Arden was part of the cast for the Canadian tour of “The Vagina Monologues.”

Her most recent album of original material is “These Are the Days,” released in early 2018.

Arden is the author of several books, including, “If I Knew, Don’t You Think I’d Tell You?,” “ I’ll Tell You One Damn Thing and That’s All I Know,” “Falling Backwards,” and her memoir, “Feeding My Mother” — a piercingly honest account of her experience with her mother, who suffered from Alzheimer’s.

Sponsored by:

 
Tim Arnold [More Info]
President
Leaders for Leaders

Tim Arnold is the president of Leaders for Leaders and the author of “The Power of Healthy Tension.”

He has spent over two decades helping organizations unite teams, spark change and get unstuck, with clients that include The United Nations, Citibank, KPMG, Toyota and Siemens.

He leverages his experience launching successful businesses, social enterprises, and community development programs to bring a real-world perspective to his clients. With advanced degrees in both business and social justice, he is able to help organizations pursue both profit and purpose.

Beyond leadership and team development, Arnold is an avid outdoorsman, world traveller and a really bad hockey player. His biggest accomplishments are being dad to Declan and Avryl, and husband to Becky.

Sponsored by:

 
Carl Barrelet [More Info]
Head of Data Science
KPMG

Carl Barrelet is head of data science at KPMG’s Data & Analytics Center of Excellence, the Lighthouse, in Toronto.

Barrelet gives his clients the most important tool for success: insights. With a PhD from Harvard University and years of experience at investment firms and research in pure science and applied data analytics, he has employed analytics to drive business decisions and create new opportunities for clients.

His current and past clients include energy, financial service and commodity trading house companies. He focuses on machine learning, advanced analytics and artificial intelligence.

 
Julia Brandwin-Glait [More Info]
Manager, School of Technology & Environment
Nova Scotia Community College

Julia Brandwin-Glait has been with Nova Scotia Community College for 18 years. During that time, she has been faculty, project coordinator, curriculum consultant and is now the manager for the School of IT & Creative Industries.

Although she considers the South Shore of Nova Scotia to be her home, she has “Come From Away” – from Toronto, to be specific.

In Toronto, she spent a decade working for Metro Toronto Police in the 911 communications centre and was also a pharmacy technician. She had a very brief stint as a makeup artist for weddings.

In addition to being an advocate for those without a voice, her diverse background has allowed for a collaboration of divergent interests, creating an ability to find innovative ways to bring learning to students, particularly in the burgeoning fields of technology.

 
Cherie Brant [More Info]
Partner, Corporate Commercial Group
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

Cherie Brant is a partner in the electricity markets and Indigenous law groups at Borden Ladner Gervais.

She has a commercial practice across a wide range of sectors, including energy and transmission, land development and financing on First Nations lands, franchising, cannabis and economic development. Brant also provides strategic policy and governance counsel to Indigenous groups seeking to exercise their jurisdiction and authority.

Industry clients in the natural resource, energy and infrastructure sectors seek Brant’s counsel when developing projects or partnerships with Indigenous groups and addressing constitutionally protected interests of the Indigenous nations with which Canada shares its land and jurisdiction. Brant has been lauded for her knowledge and expertise, including receiving Lexpert’s Zenith Award—a national award recognizing women's contributions in the law. She was also named one of Lexpert’s “Rising Stars: Leading Lawyers Under 40.”

In 2012, she completed the first 100 per cent First Nation-owned wind-power project in Ontario and is active in renewable energy development, having now completed more than 300 megawatts of renewable energy partnerships involving First Nations. She has completed more than 1,000 megawatts of partnerships involving First Nations for competitive procurement processes.

As lead counsel to the First Nations Energy Alliance (a consortium of 20 First Nations) on the integrated power system plan review before the Ontario Energy Board, her counsel was instrumental in promoting Aboriginal participation models for renewable energy procurement.

 
Tracy Cocivera [More Info]
National Practice Leader
Knightsbridge

Tracy Cocivera is an insightful organizational psychologist and innovative practice leader who strategically creates leadership development and talent management solutions for senior executives to achieve lasting business results.

Cocivera has over 20 years of global experience as an executive coach, team expert and business leader.

As an executive leader and organizational psychologist, Cocivera is known for exceptional insights into human behavior, designing and delivering innovative talent solutions, producing outstanding impact, and driving sustainable organizational transformation.

She partners with senior executives to help them to gain organizational insights, make effective decisions and take calculated risks to move organizations forward.

Cocivera has a passion for understanding the complexity of human dynamics and helps executives to better understand these dynamics to become more influential and impactful leaders. She has had a profound impact on the success of countless senior executives and their teams across diverse sectors.

Known for her challenging yet supportive approach to sustainable behavioural change, Cocivera engages executives to drive business success by applying her expertise in executive development and research on the art of power and influence.

 
Sarah Dionne [More Info]
Senior Manager, Enterprise Risk Practice
MNP LLP

Sarah Dionne is a manager in MNP’s enterprise risk services practice, specializing in enterprise risk management, project risk management and business resilience. As a core member of MNP’s team, Dionne has been involved with the implementation and enhancement of risk-management programs across a wide variety of sectors, with a particular focus on post-secondary institutions and the public sector.

In addition to her work with MNP, Dionne formerly worked as the manager, enterprise risk, for Toronto Community Housing Corporation. In this capacity, she managed the corporation’s risk management and emergency management programs, which included formalizing TCHC’s processes, reporting and communication, as well as risk escalation process, governance and training.

Dionne holds a master’s of disaster and emergency management from York University, as well as several risk management designations, including the certified risk manager certification from the Risk and Insurance Management Society.

 
Nancy Evans [More Info]
Executive Director of Marketing and Communications, Smith School of Business
Queen's University

Nancy Evans joined Queen’s University in 2017 as the executive director, marketing and communications, for Smith School of Business. Smith is renowned for its excellence, innovation and leadership in business education - from establishing the first undergraduate business degree a century ago to creating ground-breaking programs in artificial intelligence, analytics, entrepreneurship, social impact and more.

Evans previously led marketing, communications and stakeholder relations functions for private and public sector organizations, including the Electrical Safety Authority, Proof, and Manulife Financial.

She brings a mix of corporate and consulting experience and more than 20 years of strategy and leadership experience. An accredited corporate director, she serves on the boards of Quinte Health Care and The Success Collaborative.

 
Steven Gentile [More Info]
Chief Fiscal Policy Officer
Tennessee Higher Education Commission

In his role as Chief Fiscal Policy Officer for the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, Steven Gentile directs the State’s outcomes-based funding formula, tuition and fee policies, and appropriation requests for all Tennessee higher education, including community colleges, universities, technical colleges and specialized units. Driven to increase access to and successful completion in higher education, he and his fiscal policy team research and implement policies that help make institutions more affordable and effective.

Prior to THEC, he served as Assistant Dean of Admission and Financial Aid at his alma mater, Davidson College, in N.C., where he counseled and assessed admission and financial aid applicants in a selective admission environment. Steven received his Doctorate of Education in Higher Education Leadership in Policy from Vanderbilt University in early 2019. In his free time, he and his partner, Solvig, are raising their three-year old daughter, Austen, and one-year old son, Soren.

 
Chantal Hébert [More Info]
National Affairs Columnist
Toronto Star

Chantal Hébert is a national affairs writer with the Toronto Star and a guest columnist for L’Actualité.

She is a weekly participant on the political panel, At Issue, on CBC-TV’s “The National” and on “Les Coulisses du Pouvoir” and the Montreal show, “C’est pas trop tôt,” on Radio-Canada.

Hébert began her career in Toronto as a reporter for the regional newsroom of Radio-Canada in 1975 before moving on to Parliament Hill for Radio-Canada. She has served as parliamentary bureau chief for Le Devoir and La Presse.

Hébert is a graduate of Glendon College, York University. She is a senior fellow of Massey College at the University of Toronto and holds honorary doctorates from Bishop’s and York University,

She is a recipient of two Asia-Pacific media fellowships (Malaysia and Japan) and the 2005 recipient of the APEX Public Service Award.

In 2006, she received the Hy Solomon award for excellence in journalism and public policy, as well as York University’s Pinnacle Achievement Bryden Alumni award.

Her second book, “The Morning After,” was published in 2014. That same year, she won a National Magazine Award (gold) for her political column in L’actualité. She is an officer of the Order of Canada.

Sponsored by:

 
Nureisse Khan [More Info]
Graduate
George Brown College

Nureisse Khan holds an honours bachelor of business administration degree in hospitality from George Brown College, where she recently graduated as the 2019 valedictorian of her class.

Khan was a student governor from 2017 to 2019 while also remaining an active student life ambassador. Currently, she works full time at CIBC in technology. Outside of working hours, she enjoys reading, dancing and travelling whenever possible.

 
Graham Lloyd [More Info]
CEO
College Employer Council

On August 1, 2019 Graham was appointed as CEO for the College Employer Council. Graham is a bilingual business leader and lawyer with over 25 years' experience.

Graham was previously with the Dairy Farmers of Ontario, Ontario’s milk marketing board, where he held several senior leadership roles including most recently their CEO. Graham was also the General Counsel at a multi-national Insurer, and prior to that was a litigator in Toronto.

As a bilingual business leader and lawyer, he brings a significant skillset in advocacy, strategic planning, governance, communications, managing complex negotiations and issues while regularly working with stakeholders, government and the media.

During his time in the dairy industry, he worked with multiple diverse stakeholders and was actively involved in the negotiation of complex agreements and programs.

 
Peter Mansbridge [More Info]
Former anchor,
CBC-TV’s The National

Peter Mansbridge is one of Canada’s most respected and recognizable figures. For five decades, including 29 years as anchor of CBC-TV’s “The National,” he has guided Canadians through the political, economic and cultural events that have shaped the country. Unsurprisingly, he’s also a great public speaker. In keynotes, he highlights the very real contribution of Canada, and its citizens, in building a better world.

Mansbridge’s sterling career at the CBC is without precedent. He served as the chief correspondent of CBC News, helmed its flagship show, “The National,” anchored all CBC News specials, and hosted the intelligent interview show, “Mansbridge: One on One.”

For his work, Mansbridge has received over a dozen national awards for broadcast excellence. Yet for all the accolades, he remains an astoundingly grounded individual, with a gentle humour and trademark integrity.

Reflecting back on his journalism career, which has taken him across the country and the planet, he told CBC Radio’s “The Current”: “When you hear from others about their perceptions of Canada, it opens your eyes about the country you live in. You learn things about yourself you didn’t know.”

Away from the news desk, Mansbridge has been recognized by leading universities in the United States, the United Kingdom, and of course Canada. He’s been a fellow at Yale, has lectured at Oxford, was named chancellor of Mount Allison University, and is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Mansbridge has received 13 honorary doctorates, including his latest from McMaster University, where he told graduates that, “We need to face disagreements and divisions head on, but with passion and conviction and respect.”

Mansbridge was also named an officer of the Order of Canada—one of the country’s highest civilian honours—for his “contributions to broadcasting, for his commitment to helping Canadians better understand their country and the world, and for his dedication to literacy and Canada’s youth.”

Known for his trademark voice and unflappable onscreen presence, Mansbridge has also found success as an author. His book, “Peter Mansbridge One on One,” was a national bestseller, and he’s penned contributions to “The 100 Photos That Changed Canada,” “Canada’s Great War Album,” and the ambitious essay collection, “100 Days That Changed Canada.”

 
Ron McLester [More Info]
Vice President, Truth, Reconciliation and Indigenization
Algonquin College

Ron (Deganadus) McLester is vice president, truth, reconciliation and indigenization at Algonquin College in Ottawa. He brings rich knowledge to his role as vice president, from personal lived experiences as well as his professional proficiencies.

He joined Algonquin in August 2016 as executive director and special adviser to the president on Indigenous initiatives.

He spent the early days of his career as an Indigenous student counsellor at McMaster University and a cultural coordinator at the University of Guelph. From 2009 to 2011, McLester was manager and special adviser to the vice president of student services at Mohawk College in Hamilton, where he oversaw program creation and the development of specialized support services for Indigenous learners.

In 2011, Ron became the director and special adviser on Indigenous initiatives at Mohawk College. With that mandate, he was responsible for overseeing the mutually beneficial partnership between Mohawk College and Sheridan College, Six Nations Polytechnic and the University of Guelph for the purposes of bettering service to Indigenous learners.

Impressively, he was responsible for the creation of the “Bundled Arrows Initiative,” a regional collaboration between Indigenous communities and the first Indigenous education initiative of this scale.

He has also led the creation of significant spaces dedicated to honour and serve Indigenous learners. During his time at Mohawk, he was able to secure significant funding and increased the profile of Indigenous initiatives locally, regionally and provincially. Part of this recognition included being recognized as one of Hamilton’s Top 40 under 40.

Over the past couple years, McLester has been a key influencer in the indigenization of Algonquin College, resulting in enhanced relationships with the student association, Indigenous communities and various college stakeholder groups.

 
Daniel J. Michaluk [More Info]
Partner
Hicks Morley

Dan Michaluk, a partner in Hicks Morley’s Toronto office, acts for management in information security, cyber security, data management and privacy and freedom of information matters. He works extensively in the Canadian post-secondary education sector.

He is regularly engaged to help organizations respond optimally to security and cyber incidents, defend security and privacy complaints, claims and grievances, handle complex freedom of information matters and appeals and address security, environmental safety and privacy-related operational issues.

Michaluk has maintained a privacy and security practice since 2003 and has acted as a security incident “coach” since 2006. He has been recognized by Best Lawyers, Chambers Canada and Lexpert and has authored and contributed to privacy and e-discovery texts.

He has represented clients in significant privacy, security and freedom of information litigation, including litigation at the Ontario Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of Canada.

Michaluk was a recipient of the 2018 Lexpert Zenith Award celebrating mid-career excellence in computer and IT law.

 
Vince Molinaro [More Info]
Founder and CEO
Leadership Contract Inc.

Vince Molinaro is the founder and CEO of Leadership Contract Inc. As a leadership adviser, speaker and global expert on leadership accountability, Molinaro travels the world, helping companies build strong leadership cultures with truly accountable leaders at every level.

He experienced a defining moment early in his career when he saw a respected colleague and mentor succumb to a cancer she believed was the byproduct of a stressful, toxic work environment. As a result, he has made it his calling to confront weak and mediocre leadership. He shows leaders at all levels how to step up and fulfil their obligations and responsibilities to drive the success of their organizations.

He is the author of the New York Times bestselling book, “The Leadership Contract,” and “The Leadership Contract Field Guide.” He is also co-author of “Leadership Solutions” and “The Leadership Gap.”

Molinaro does not simply preach leadership accountability—he lives it every day as an entrepreneur and global executive. His research and writing on leadership accountability are featured in some of the world’s leading business publications. He also shares his leadership insights through his Gut Check for Leaders blog.

He and his family live near Toronto.

 
Farooq Naiyer [More Info]
Chief Information Security Officer
ORION

Farooq Naiyer is the shared chief information security officer (CISO) at ORION and eight post-secondary institutions.

He provides those organizations with strategic security thought leadership while bringing them tangible working programs and tools for compliance, risk management, a governance framework and broader shared cybersecurity services.

Naiyer brings rich experience of more than 15 years in the area of cybersecurity, privacy, technology compliance and assurance.

Prior to joining ORION, Naiyer was part of the cybersecurity and privacy team at PwC in Canada, where he led several cybersecurity engagements. Prior to that, he led IT assurance teams for a leading retail giant in Canada.

He has also held leadership roles in leading financial institutions in the Middle East and South Asia. He has had prior association with the Big 4 consulting firms in South Asia.

Naiyer holds a BSc (honours) in computer sciences and various leading certifications in the area of Information Security and IT assurance. He has attended numerous international and local training on information security management and IT audit and compliance.

In recognition of the IS initiatives undertaken as the CISO of DIB Bank, he was awarded the CSO Compass Award in 2010.

He has delivered lectures at some of the leading universities in South Asia on IT audits, information security management and IT compliance. He has conducted several workshops in the same area.

He was selected as the community leader for “information security management” at the cybersecurity conference in Las Vegas, organized by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association. In the past, he has also served on the board of directors of the local chapters of the Information Systems Audit and Control Association.

 
Meghan O’Keefe [More Info]
Director of Government and Community Relations
Colleges Ontario

Meghan O’Keefe is Colleges Ontario’s new director of government and community relations and will be working to direct advocacy programs on behalf of the college sector, while liaising with the provincial government and colleges across the province on issues of interest to the sector.

O’Keefe is a government relations professional who first cut her teeth in procurement and government relations in Ottawa and has most recently been working for a professional association in Toronto. O’Keefe has worked for a professional association, two not-for-profits, a consultancy firm and on Parliament Hill.

As the former senior manager of government relations and public engagement for a national health charity, her team was listed as the most active lobbyist on health issues in Ottawa. Some of her professional highlights include successfully advocating for an evidence-based food guide and pushing policy forward for front-of-package nutrition labels.

O’Keefe has a master’s degree in public policy and international affairs from the University of Ottawa. She also studied at the University of Guelph and the University of Swaziland. In her spare time, she actively serves in the Canadian Army Reserves. In the past, she has deployed domestically to support natural disaster relief efforts.

 
Jacqueline Ottmann [More Info]
Professor and vice-provost, Indigenous engagement
University of Saskatchewan

Jacqueline Ottmann is Anishinaabe (Saulteaux). She is a former elementary school teacher, high school teacher and principal and is now a scholar.

While at the University of Calgary, she was coordinator of the First Nations, Métis, Inuit undergraduate teacher education program and director of Indigenous Education Initiatives within the Werklund School of Education (WSE). She also co-chaired the WSE Indigenous strategy and – alongside the provost – the university-wide Indigenous strategy.

Ottmann became professor and vice-provost, Indigenous engagement, at the University of Saskatchewan on Oct. 1, 2017.

Ottmann has been recognized as an international researcher, advocate and changemaker whose purpose is to transform practices inclusive of Indigenous leadership, methodologies and pedagogies. Ottmann is driven to create schools and communities that foster a deeper sense of belonging and appreciation for Indigenous Peoples - their histories, stories, ways of knowing and being.

 
Dr. Audrey J. Penner [More Info]
Vice President, Academic and Student Success
Northern College

Audrey J. Penner is vice president, academic and student success, at Northern College, responsible for academic planning and policy and procedures, including applied research.

She has worked as a teacher, administrator, consultant, researcher and senior leader within the post-secondary environment.

Penner is a director on the eCampusOntario board and has chaired the college committee of vice presidents, academic, for Colleges Ontario.

Penner has experience in large directorates with responsibilities for policies and operational needs of applied research, curriculum and instructional development, adult education, language training for newcomers to Canada, library services, assessment services and integration of the education-enhanced technology pedagogy.

She has co-chaired the Northern College Collaborative Program project and co-chaired the northern institutions pathway steering committee.

She has led research projects for ONCAT on measuring the cost of credit transfer for small colleges and creating a culture of mobility for small institutions.

Penner has presented and published nationally and internationally on post-secondary trends and issues, with a recurring theme of evidence-based approaches to management.

She is the recipient of several professional awards, including an alumnus of distinction award from the University of Manitoba. She has also received local, provincial and national recognition for various areas of volunteer work.

 
Steven Pinker [More Info]
Harvard professor and bestselling author
 

Steven Pinker is an experimental psychologist who conducts research in visual cognition, psycholinguistics and social relations.

He grew up in Montreal and earned his BA from McGill and his PhD from Harvard. Currently Johnstone Professor of Psychology, he has also taught at Stanford and MIT.

He has won numerous prizes for his research, his teaching, and his nine books, including “The Language Instinct, How the Mind Works,” “The Blank Slate,” “The Better Angels of Our Nature” and “The Sense of Style.”

He is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, a Humanist of the Year, a recipient of nine honorary doctorates and one of Foreign Policy magazine’s “World’s Top 100 Public Intellectuals” and Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World Today.”

He is chair of the Usage Panel of the American Heritage Dictionary and writes frequently for The New York Times, The Guardian and other publications.

His current book is called “Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress.”

https://www.thelavinagency.com/speakers/steven-pinker

 
Victoria Prince [More Info]
Partner
Borden Ladner Gervais

Victoria Prince is the national practice group leader of the corporate commercial group at Borden Ladner Gervais, the national leader of the charities and not-for-profit law group, as well as the Toronto regional leader of the advertising and sponsorship group. She is a partner in the Toronto office and has a broad corporate practice, often acting as an outside general counsel for clients. She was the business department manager in Toronto for several years.

Prince advises for-profit and not-for-profit clients on a wide range of issues, including corporate governance, restructurings, transactions, incorporations, and negotiation and drafting of agreements. She also advises on contests, advertising, marketing, packaging and labelling. Her clients span a wide range of industries that include the manufacturing sector, financial services, technology, school boards, post-secondary institutions, foundations and charities. Among other tasks, she advises these entities on governance and strategic initiatives, advising on day-to-day business issues and reviewing and drafting agreements. Prince speaks often to the not-for-profit sector.

 
Gerard J. Puccio [More Info]
Department Chair and Professor
Buffalo State - The State University of New York

Gerard J. Puccio is the department chair and professor at the International Center for Studies in Creativity (ICSC), SUNY-Buffalo State.

Puccio has written more than 60 articles, chapters and books. His most recent book titled, “Organizational Creativity and Innovation: A Personal Journey for Innovators and Entrepreneurs,” highlights the crucial role creativity plays in an economy driven by innovation. Prior to this publication, Puccio co-authored “The Innovative Team,” a fable about a team that was able to apply proven creative-thinking tools to turn around a dysfunctional and unproductive situation.

Puccio is an accomplished speaker and consultant. He has worked with major corporations, universities, and numerous school districts. Some of his recent clients include the BBC, Fisher-Price Brands, The National Association of State Colleges and Universities, The Smithsonian Institution, BNP Paribas, Durham College and Sheridan College. He has delivered creativity workshops and presentations across the United States and in more than 20 different countries.

In 2013, Puccio was selected by the Teaching Company as one of America’s Great Lecturers and as such was invited to design and deliver a course comprised of 24 video sessions that are each 30 minutes long. The course, titled The Creative Thinker’s Toolkit, was released in January 2014. Puccio was also a featured speaker at a TEDx event held in New York City in December 2012.

In 2017, Puccio was among the top 100 in North America to receive the John C. Maxwell Transformational Leadership award. He has also received Buffalo State’s President’s Medal for Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creativity. As well as the State University of New York Chancellor’s Recognition Award for Exemplary Contributions in Research and Scholarship.

Puccio holds a PhD in organizational psychology from the University of Manchester, England.

 
Philip Racco [More Info]
Senior Manager, Enterprise Risk Practice
MNP LLP

Phil Racco is a senior manager in MNP’s enterprise risk services practice, specializing in enterprise risk management and business resilience, where he has provided input and support for the development of multiple enterprise risk management, crisis management, emergency response, and business continuity programs.

Racco has worked with a number of organizations conducting risk assessments, business impact analyses and process reviews, and is particularly noted for his work in strategy and plan development, training, testing, auditing and crisis management. Particularly recognized for his ability to tailor solutions to fit client needs, his ability to adapt and scale have allowed him to work within a variety of industries, including post-secondary education, municipalities, health and energy and utilities.

Racco holds a masters in disaster and emergency management from York University, as well as several risk management designations, including the certified risk manager certification from the Risk and Insurance Management Society.

 
Catherine M. Raso [More Info]
President
CMR Consulting

Catherine Raso, the president of CMR Governance Consulting, is an internationally recognized practitioner, consultant, author and speaker on board governance.

Raso has more than 30 years of experience in the non-profit sector—as a CEO, board member and highly skilled facilitator consulting with more than 500 boards around the world.

Her most popular governance book, “The OnTarget Board Member: 8 Indisputable Behaviours,” is in its fifth edition with over 15,000 copies in print. She has co-authored “The Board Administration Handbook,” “The Policy Governance Fieldbook” and others.

Her newest book, “100 Ways to Build a Better Board: Tools to Use Today,” will be released in 2020. Raso always receives very high ratings for informative, valuable and engaging presentations.

 
Edward Snowden [More Info]
Former intelligence officer and whistleblower

Edward Snowden is an American intelligence contractor who in 2013 revealed the existence of secret wide-ranging information-gathering programs conducted by the National Security Agency (NSA).

Snowden was born in North Carolina but at a young age his family moved to central Maryland, a short distance from NSA headquarters at Fort Meade. He dropped out of high school and studied intermittently between 1999 and 2005 at a college.

He was hired by the Central Intelligence Agency in 2006 and given a top secret clearance. In 2007, he was posted to Geneva, where he worked as a network security technician under a diplomatic cover.

Snowden left the CIA for the NSA in 2009. At the NSA, he worked as a private contractor for the companies Dell and Booz Allen Hamilton and began gathering information on a number of NSA activities—most notably, secret surveillance programs that he believed were overly broad in size and scope.

In May 2013, Snowden conducted a series of interviews in Hong Kong with journalists from the Guardian. Among the NSA secrets leaked by Snowden was a court order that compelled telecommunications company Verizon to turn over metadata (such as numbers dialed and duration of calls) for millions of its subscribers.

Snowden also disclosed the existence of PRISM, a data-mining program that reportedly gave the NSA and other government agencies “direct access” to the servers of such internet giants as Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Apple.

After stories were published in the Guardian and the Washington Post without revealing the source, Snowden came forward, saying he felt no need to hide because he had done nothing wrong. In a subsequent interview with the South China Morning Post, he said the NSA had been hacking into Chinese computers since 2009.

The U.S. charged Snowden with espionage and began negotiating extradition procedures with authorities in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong government declined to act and Snowden – with the assistance of WikiLeaks – flew to Moscow, where his exact whereabouts became the source of intense speculation.

Snowden is the subject of two major films – “Citizenfour,” a documentary that won the Academy Award in 2015 for Best Documentary Feature, and “Snowden,” a biographical political thriller produced and directed by Academy Award-winner Oliver Stone.

 
Wayne Steffler [More Info]
Vice President, Finance and Administration
Sheridan College

Wayne Steffler is the vice president, finance and administration, at Sheridan College.

His portfolio includes financial services, facilities management and sustainability, enterprise risk management (including campus safety, security and emergency management), information technology, internal audit and business services (procurement and ancillary services).

He is also the chief financial officer and acts as treasurer to the college’s board of governors.

Prior to joining Sheridan, Steffler spent several years as the assistant vice president, administration, at Wilfrid Laurier University, where he was involved in a diverse range of finance and administration activities and projects.

Steffler has led successful financial, administrative and cross-functional teams through out his career.

Steffler holds a bachelor of arts degree in economics, a bachelor of commerce degree (honours business administration), a master of business administration degree and a CPA, CMA designation.

 
Glenn Vollebregt [More Info]
President and CEO
St. Lawrence College

Coming soon.

 
Harvey P. Weingarten [More Info]
Former president and CEO
Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario

Harvey P. Weingarten is the past president and CEO of the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO), an independent agency of the Ontario government with a mandate to improve the accessibility, quality and accountability of the province’s colleges and universities.

During his time at HEQCO, Weingarten has expanded the agency’s research capacity and increased its influence and impact with government and institutions.

He previously served as president and vice-chancellor of the University of Calgary from 2001 to 2010. Under his leadership, the university increased access, invested in students, recruited world-class faculty and attracted record amounts of research revenue and philanthropic support.

Weingarten was provost at McMaster University from 1996 to 2001, where he served as dean of science, professor of psychology and department chair.

He received his BSc from McGill University, and his MS, MPhil and PhD from Yale University. Weingarten has served on many boards and councils. He writes, speaks and consults on post-secondary education, innovation and research policy and higher education policy.