Speakers

ALDO Group

Valérie Martin is the Vice-President of Communications and Culture at the ALDO Group. She joined the ALDO Group over 22 years ago working in stores in her hometown of Quebec City. She made the move to the Head Office in 2001 when she came to Montreal for university. In these last two decades, she has become an expert in communications, strategy creation, company’s culture and Corporate Social Responsibility.

Valérie received her BA from Université du Québec à Montréal in Fashion Marketing in 2003. As a natural storyteller, that same year she decided to specialize in communications, earning a certificate in both Public Relations from Université de Montréal and Journalism from Université du Québec à Montréal.

In her current role, Valérie is responsible for leading Global Communications, Corporate PR/Public Affairs, Sustainability, Community Engagement, Learning & Development, Events & Recognition, and Corporate Branding. A strong guardian of the ALDO Group’s company culture, Valérie has been a key player in creating and nurturing a unique experience and environment that resonates with associates today. Her accomplishments include introducing innovative perks such as an on-site community garden to a cutting-edge wellness program. She also built a global volunteering program, offering associates time-off to volunteer every year for a cause they are passionate about. This initiative increased the ALDO Group’s volunteering participation by 58% in only one year.

Cossette

Chris Bergeron understands the pressures of transformation. She’s transitioned from a male editor to a female advertising executive. She has been exploring the art of storytelling and engagement for over 15 years first as a journalist, an editor, a creative director, a strategist and now as vice-president of Content Experience at Canada’s leading agency, Cossette. She’s overseen national and international content and social campaigns for McDonald’s Canada, Tourisme Montreal, Destination Canada, Liberté and L’Oréal Paris. She is an outspoken advocate for trans rights and a woman who kicks ass every day.

Ville de Montreal

Nathalie began her professional career as a teacher in France after completing a Master’s Degree in Literature from the Sorbonne in Paris. Developing a deep passion for Human Resources and Recruitment, Nathalie made her move to a 6th country, re-locating to Montreal to kick-start the next wave of her career.

After a stint with National Bank, Nathalie joined L’Oreal Canada as Talent Acquisition Manager, leading up the Brandstorm international marketing competition for campus recruitment. Eventually, after a maternity leave spent in Benin, West Africa, she joined Sourcinc, an innovative start-up where she focused on strategic sourcing of talent internationally. Nathalie now works as as a key member of the HR/Recruitment team for the Ville de Montreal, focused on IT and tech recruiting, facing daily challenges of how to attract high-performing IT professionals to a unionized environment for the betterment of every citizen’s urban experience.

Play the Future – an online prediction game where you can have fun and win cool stuff

Young in spirit, extreme in opinion and jewelry, Andy Nulman has been creating and leading major disruption forces for four decades.

Currently, he’s co-founder and CEO of Play The Future, Inc. a forward-thinking digital platform/brand marketing tool that converts the big data points and events of major brand into consumer engagement and entertainment; a natural progression for a tech entrepreneur who believes that “Life’s A Game!”

From July, 2010 until September, 2015, for the second time, Andy took on the position of President of Montreal’s renowned Just For Laughs International Comedy Festival, the world’s first and largest comedy event. This was Andy’s encore performance at JFL; from 1985 until 1999, he literally transformed the event from a two-day show to a month-long cultural happening, attracting over 2 million visitors per year to see talent the likes of Jay Leno, Drew Carey, Jim Carrey, John Cleese, Kevin Hart, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Ray Romano and Adam Sandler, and created/Executive Produced over 150 Festival TV shows, in a variety of languages, all over the world.

During the decade in between Just For Laughs stints, Andy was President and CMO of Airborne Technology Ventures, a company celebrated as a pioneer in the industry of mobile media and marketing. In 1999, Andy co-founded Airborne (then Airborne Entertainment) with Garner Bornstein, and provided the company with the insight and creativity necessary to successfully strengthen brands like Family Guy, Disney, Maxim, the NHLand the NFL through the creation of innovative mobile content and applications. Airborne was sold for over $100 million to Cybird of Japan in 2005 and was honoured the following year as North America’s 4th-Fastest Growing Tech Company in Deloitte’s Fast 500 ranking.There was a life before comedy though, starting as a journalist out of high school at the age of 16, becoming Entertainment Editor of the Sunday Express newspaper at 17 and writing for entertainment publications the likes of Variety, Us and Circus. This was followed by a three-year stint as a marketing consultant which led to co-promoting the first-ever North American concert tour of comedian Howie Mandel.

Andy is an acclaimed, thought-provoking and risk-taking public speaker, who has motivated and entertained Fortune 500 companies the likes of GM, Eveready/Energizer, 3M and Wal-Mart. In 2013, Andy broke new ground as his “Grow Wings” speech was the most popular presentation at Montreal’s annual C2-MTL commerce and creativity event, where this year, his role as “Troublemaker” allowed him to replicate classic “Wisdom of Crowds” experiments and slaughter sacred cows in the business and tech spheres. He has also been a frequent speaker at McGill University, including being honored to speak at the prestigious McGill Alumni Leacock Luncheon and the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada. For three years, he also taught the revolutionary “Marketing and Society” class in McGill’s BCom program, where his students learned how to build YouTube channels and use them as a powerful corporate tool.

Over and above his speaking, Andy has written three books: “How To Do The Impossible,” “I Almost Killed George Burns” and his most recent “Pow! Right between The Eyes! Profiting From The Element of Surprise.” Other accomplishments include being named one of the “Top 40 Under 40” business leaders by the Financial Post in 1997, being voted one of the Top 100 Montrealers of the 20^th Century by the Montreal Gazette in 2000, and being honored as a distinguished recipient of the McGill Management Achievement Award in 2004. He is a board member of Montreal’s powerful StartupFest, and won Startup Canada’s 2016’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Quebec.

In his spare time, Andy is also an inventive stage director, half-decent snowboarder, obsessive gym rat, hardworking hockey player and gutsy rock singer. Married with two grown children and two rambunctious dogs, his major disappointment is that he has only one life to live…but he’s working on a solution.

Associate Professor, McGill University
Associate Fellow, Green Templeton College, Oxford University

Prior to his academic career Karl spent eleven years working for IBM and Hitachi. Before McGill, he taught at Oxford University for five years. He has taught on executive education programs including at Oxford, Cambridge, IMD, Duke, LBS, IIMBangalore, Renmin (Beijing), and Darden.

His publications include 150+ articles and chapters in books, including his own book, Working Effectively with Millennials. His newest book, Introverted/Ambiverted/Extroverted Leaders, is forthcoming.

A regular contributor to Forbes, Karl has interviewed leaders including Justin Trudeau, Nobel Prize Winner Muhammed Yunus, Google CFO Patrick Pichette, Geoff Molson and more. Karl was nominated for the 2017 “Thinkers50” Distinguished Achievement Award in the Leadership Category as a top thinker for his research on leaders.

Bombardier

Annick Robinson has developed an expertise in Corporate Communications, working for several fortune-50 companies over the past 20 years. A consummate innovator, she has acquired a depth of experience in strategically improving employee and stakeholder engagement during times of change and transition. Annick is currently Head of Communications and Public Relations for a Bombardier division.

An activist at heart, she is also the co-founder of the Cradles for Cuddles fund, dedicated to supporting bereaved families in our community, and co-president of the Communications Committee for la Gouvernance au Feminin, helping advance equity in corporate organizations in North America. She is perhaps best know though, as the author of a viral facebook post on predatory marketing techniques aimed at women. Her impromptu post was shared millions of times around the world, and picked up by almost every major international TV, magazines and radio outlet.

Annick is the mother to two perfect boys, one of which is living with a rare debilitating disease.

Miss Fresh

Marie-Eve discovered meal kits while living in Australia with her brother Bernard. As a foodie and hard-working professional, she instantly fell in love with the concept of getting recipes and pre-portioned ingredients delivered at home. Her adventure as an entrepreneur started then, in 2015 and at age 32, when she moved back to Montreal and co-founded MissFresh along with her brother and childhood friend Ritter. The company was acquired at 70% by Metro in 2017 and now employs over 270 employees in Canada.

Prior to her entrepreneurial route, Marie-Eve graduated from HEC University with a diploma in Marketing and International Management and cumulated over 12 years of experience as a digital leader in various industries including Media (TVA, Yahoo!7 and Seven West Media), E-commerce (Mediagrif) and Telecommunications (Bell).

Stradigi AI

Feyzah has spent her career building the HR departments of several companies in multiple industries. She was a key player in the acquisition and integration of Luxury Retreats by Airbnb and specialized in the structure, organization and expansion of the company during its hypergrowth.

She currently serves as the VP of Human Resources at Stradigi AI, a leader in artificial intelligence helping companies rapidly transform their business using solutions powered by AI, in a configurable, scalable and secure way.

She is a dedicated keynote speaker, ambassador and volunteer for Elizabeth House as well as a proud mother of three children.

DNE Resources, Link Energy & Pricefolio.com

Wayne Burke is a Montreal-based entrepreneur, Co-Founder & President of DNE Resources, an award-winning energy-consulting firm focused on helping customers take charge of their energy.

In his mid-twenties, Wayne abandoned an ultra-successful sales career to take a chance on a start-up. Having slept on the floor of his first sales office during the peak of the economic recession he was well prepared for the rigors of entrepreneurship. With the support of his Co-Founder Steve Shoiry, Wayne was able to complete degrees in Political Science at Concordia and Law at McGill while building DNE and subsequent related entities. Armed with these tools and mounds of grit and determination in tow, Wayne and Steve’s company, DNE Resources, went on to establish offices across North America and Europe, service more than 350,000 clients, and win awards for its work with homeowners, schools, non-profits, and beyond. Along the way, Wayne and Steve have also Co-Founded Link Energy and Pricefolio.com, two up-and-coming players in the energy and online comparison-shopping for home services sectors respectively. In 2014, Wayne and his Steve were recipients of the EY Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for Quebec and DNE also won the Canada’s Greatest Workplace award in each of the three years it applied.

Aside from the dedication to social and environmental change inherent in his businesses, Wayne maintains a deep connection to various charitable causes which he supports regularly, from delivering food-baskets to lower-income Montreal communities to young entrepreneurship competitions for students across Canada. A firm believer in using business for the good of the world, Wayne has built a culture across his organizations that is positive, progressive, and just downright inspiring.

Agence Dialekta Inc.

• Senior digital marketing expert, specializing in marketing innovation
• Over 20 years of experience
• Bachelor’s degree in Business administration (Marketing Major with honors)

Cyril started as an online media measurement specialist at Cossette Communications Inc. Working closely with the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB, previously BPIQ), he helped define the way agencies measure the efficiency of their digital campaigns using the latest innovations in market research, site analytics and ad-serving. Shortly after, he took on the role of online media planner and helped develop winning media strategies for some of Canada’s top brands. Today, as President of Dialekta, Cyril is redefining the way our industry works, by encouraging Canadian advertising agencies to work more closely together and to share best practices and the highest standards in terms of transparency and customer service.

Ginette Gagnon Management

Ginette makes influencers. She assists leaders, experts and managers who are deeply motivated by their professional development. Her expertise lies in helping to develop leaders in areas including strategic communications and influence, decision-making, strategic thinking, executive presence, team performance and earning trust.

An actuary by trade, Ginette worked as an actuarial consultant for close to ten years, before joining IT organizations, where she held leadership positions, notably as Vice-President at CGI, General Manager at Aimia, as well as being a member of the executive team at Aeroplan.

She is certified ACC of the International Coach Federation, as well as accredited by Team Coaching International. Ginette holds a Master of Science in Management from HEC Montréal (2017) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Actuarial Mathematics from Concordia University (1990).

Her most recent book was published in French on intuition and influence in the business world.

AppyHere

Martin is an HR leader with over 20 years of organizational transformation experience across multiple industries. He is passionate about technology and more specifically in the human resources sector. He has held positions of increasing responsibility in private or public companies in acquisition mode, in times of rapid growth and in transitional economic cycles. Martin is the co-founder of AppyHere. AppyHere is revolutionizing the world of blue collar recruitment by optimizing how recruiters and candidates connect. Thanks to its patented algorithm, it is continuously learning and improving its way to fill positions.

Viridis

Simon Naylor is the Co-Founder and Vice-President of Viridis, a leading Quebec-based organic waste recycling company. An agronomist by trade, Simon is armed with a Master’s Degree in plant biology from Universite de Montreal. He founded Viridis in 2009, which rapidly proved itself to be an innovator in the field, growing to more than 10$ million in revenue and over 50 employees. Today Viridis recycles more than 500,000 tons of organic waste material each year.

Actively involved in his community, Simon is a member of the board of Ecotech Quebec, Recy-Quebec, the CETEQ, and more. A member of Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), Simon is a thought-leader in his industry, striving constantly to leave a positive impact on the world.

Rio Tinto

Maya has over 8 years of recruitment and HR experience in both Montreal and Toronto and more recently working with start-ups on employee experience and culture management. Her five years working with global organizations while at LinkedIn in Toronto brings insight into how companies, from the start-up to the international giant, recruit and retain employees. She brings humour and real-world context to individuals looking to network and stand out in their job search. She currently works at Rio Tinto in Recruitment Marketing, managing their social media platforms and writing copy to drive attraction of top talent globally.

Moroccan Oil

As Moroccanoil’s first Sustainability Manager, Bryan is responsible for leading the integration of the principles of sustainable development into Moroccanoil’s brand, products, services, operations, and culture. Bryan was born and raised in Montreal and holds a BSc in chemistry from McGill University and an MSc in Sustainability Management from the University of Toronto.

Erickson Resource Group

Stephanie Erickson, a California native, has a Master’s Degree in Social Work and is licensed in both Quebec and California.  She founded Erickson Resource Group, a clinical practice dedicated to improving the lives of families.  As a Family Caregiving Expert, she is a regular contributor on Breakfast Television Montreal and other media outlets throughout the U.S. and Canada discussing topics related to health and well-being.

Stephanie is passionate about sharing her experience and knowledge with the hopes of encouraging others to take control of their personal health and to advocate on behalf of vulnerable populations. She produces original content to share through social media in the hopes of inspiring others.  As an entrepreneur, a mom, a wife and a puppy owner, free time is not easy to come by.  Yet, Stephanie, always carves out time to train on the flying trapeze.

Arrive

Yona Shtern is CEO & Executive Chairman of Arrive – the market leader in delivering transactional mobility services to over 50 million consumers though partners like SiriusXM, Amazon, Avis, TomTom, Ford, Ticketmaster, Groupon and many others.   Arrive allows drivers to find, book and pay for parking in over 230 cities across North America.

Yona serves as a board member at Swap.com – a leading online fashion consignment marketplace.  He is also an active angel investor, serves on a number of advisory boards and acts a mentor to entrepreneurs at Founder Fuel and Founders Institute.

Prior to joining Arrive, Yona was co-founder and CEO of Beyond the Rack – a leading e-commerce marketplace and Canada’s fastest growing private company in 2014.   He has received numerous awards for his advertising, product launch, and marketing strategies and was named Entrepreneur of the Year in 2015 by Start Up Canada.

Previously Yona was President of Gosh Marketing, Chief Marketing Officer of Ice.com, and CMO of Microcell Telecommunications where he launched the Fido wireless brand in Canada.  He was also Vice President of Direct and Database Marketing at Saks Fifth Avenue and Director of Direct Marketing at Avon Products.  He began his career with a BA in English Literature from McGill University.

Mindspace

Carl Lemieux is a managing partner at Mindspace, responsible Corporate Wellbeing. Carl support leaders, individuals and to unleash their full potential, using increased awareness on what it means to have a life of meaning, impact and happiness while identifying and working with those aspects that tend to keep us stuck in our patterns and automatic reflexes.

Inerjys Ventures

Mick founded Twist Image in 2000, and grew it to one of the largest Digital Marketing agencies in Canada which was later acquired by WPP in 2014. As an entrepreneur who successfully managed an exit, Mick has seen all sides of the entrepreneurship journey. Throughout his career, Mick has worked with Fortune 500 companies in developing business strategies, marketing plans and has helped them transform their companies into the digital age.

For the past 8 years, Mick has sat on charitable and early-stage investment Boards, and mentored entrepreneurs one-o-one. As a result, Mick not only brings his entrepreneurial experience to Inerjys, but he also brings the insights and learnings spanning across the diverse scope of industries he has worked with over his career. His vast experience is instrumental in helping the Inerjys’ portfolio of Cleantech investments with their commercialization challenges while also advancing the growth of the Inerjys team and overall business.

Dialogue

A Montreal native, Sylvain Beauséjour is driven by a personal mission, which is to make a difference in people’s development and success. On a never-ending learning journey, he has built his HR career in the health industry during the past thirty years, navigating through various organisation challenges, opportunities, structures, transformations and cultures. He remains fascinated by human behaviours and interactions, and by the critical catalyst role that leaders play in organisations. He recently joined Dialogue and its awesome team, as V.-P., Human Resources & Talent. Dialogue is the leading Canadian telemedicine platform, delivering excellent care remotely, and allowing patients to access a full team of physicians, nurses and medical specialists.

Sylvain is also a self-taught musician – he has learned to play the bass guitar at a later stage in his life, is now part of an acoustic rock band/duo, and enjoys hitting the stage with his bandmate to fulfill his passion for music.

Fundraising Direct

Vanessa Landry is the Chief Strategy Officer of Fundraising Direct, a local agency which delivers fundraising strategies for over 21 of the leading charities in the Canadian market. She has spent over 10 years running fundraising and marketing campaigns in Australia, the UK, and Canada and is passionate about integrating marketing innovations into the charity sector. In her role as CSO at Fundraising Direct, she is responsible for ensuring the strategic direction of the agency is met both internally and on behalf of their clients, while overseeing a team of 20 and serving on the Senior Leadership Team.

CloudOps

Cristina is a passionate and results-driven leader with nearly 10 years of HR, management and consulting experience. Working in financial, non-profit and technology industries, Cristina has supported HR operations and strategies at the leadership level.

In her current role with CloudOps, a cloud consulting and services company focused on open source, cloud platforms, networking and DevOps, she is cultivating the conditions for business success by focusing on employee well-being and engagement

IQVIA Canada

Diane is the HR Director for IQVIA Canada. Diane has acquired over 25 years of general HR experience working for Government and Pharma. In recent years, she has successfully led multiple M&A activities for IQVIA while partnering with her team to support a growing and complex fast paced organization. Although she is fully dedicated to her work don’t be surprised if you see her out and about on her bike.