ABOUT
Economic and social disruption, intense competition, a decline in talent attraction and retention, and disengaged workers are just a few of the non-stop challenges that HR departments across Canada are facing after two years of fighting fires through the pandemic.
The HR Leaders Summit Canada is a comprehensive event designed to tackle these issues and connect, inspire, and prepare Canada’s best and brightest for this year’s challenges and 2023’s trends.
This leadership-enhancing event will bring together trailblazing companies to share their insights on topics like overcoming disruption, coming out ahead in the war for talent, data-based retention strategies, leveraging digitization, boosting recruitment with brand revitalization and managing future business challenges.
Bring your team to HR Leaders Summit Canada 2022 to be inspired, re-imagine your approach to HR, and set concrete goals and action points for your company going forward.
Why attend?
Designed to connect, inspire, and equip Canada’s top HR teams with the latest insights into HR strategy
The agenda was developed to deliver practical takeaways for HR teams from inspirational keynotes and case studies to panels and interactive breakout sessions
HR Leaders’ 2022 is live once again, offering full networking and knowledge-sharing potential
The expanded two-day agenda will address all of the biggest challenges facing HR professionals
2022 SPEAKERS

Dr. Dave Williams
Astronaut, Aquanaut & Leadership Expert

Sandy McIntosh
EVP People & Culture and CHRO
Telus

Jarik Conrad
HCM Advisory, Executive Director, Equity at Work
UKG

Dr. David Satok
Chief Medical Officer
Rogers Communications

Greg Bambury
CHRO
Medavie

Marie-Helene Daigle
VP Human Resources
Sollio Agriculture

Donna Valiquette
Chief Corporate Administrative Officer, Canada & Head of Culture & Employee Experience, Americas
MUFG

Emma Horgan
Chief People Officer
Questrade

Nadine Huggins
CHRO
Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Lisa Osachoff
Chief People & Culture Officer
Western Financial Group

Drew Calcagno
Principal, Product Operations & Strategic Communications
Google

Sandra Petosa
Senior Vice President, Talent, Culture & Diversity
Groupe CH

Dan Sharkey
SVP, Global Human Resources
CAE

Clint Philp
Senior Manager, Talent Marketing
Scotiabank

Gary Beckstrand
Vice President
O.C. Tanner Institute

Mia Guerra
Vice President Human Resources, Global Functions & Digital Business Services
HSBC

Joey Raheb
Senior Vice President – Chief Broking Officer & National Leader Growth & Client Engagement, Wellbeing
Aon

Nancy Drab
Global Director, Organizational & Leadership Development
Roche

Candace DiCresce
Senior Director, Safety & Wellbeing
Rogers Communications

Rob Catalano
Chief Engagement Officer
WorkTango

Carolyn Byer
HR Lead Canada
Microsoft

Adam Kelly
EVP & CCO
CloudMD

Erin Gordon
Vice President Human Resources
Lindt & Sprungli Canada

Sean Fahey
CEO
VidCruiter

Jo Ann Miele
Director Talent Management
Bayer Canada

Dana Cioffi – Tagliabue
Vice President, Human Resources & Employee Value Proposition
Teranet

Raj Dam
Assistant Director, Partnerships and External Relations, Arts & Science Co-op
University of Toronto

Annabella Tamburro
HR Transformation Specialist
Board Member

Greg Smith
Partner
Lighthouse NINE

Dorenda McNeil
Senior Vice President
Counsel Public Relations

Heather Lamont
Vice President, Client Success & Loyalty
ADP Canada

Roxana Firescu
Senior Vice President, HR
Cineflix

Kelly Mawhinney
Partner, Toronto Careers Business
Mercer

Jeff Livingston
Marketing Manager, Brand
ADP Canada

Rabia Moaz
Senior Manager, Tangerine Talent Acquisition
Scotiabank

Christi Scarrow
Partner
Lighthouse NINE
2022 AGENDA
All times in ET
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Opening remarks from chairperson
Kelly Mawhinney
Partner, Toronto Careers Business
Mercer -
Welcome address from Event Partner
Jarik Conrad
HCM Advisory, Executive Director, Equity at Work
UKG -
Keynote introduction by ADP
Jeff Livingston
Marketing Manager, Brand
ADP Canada -
Opening keynote: The NASA way – Lessons on leadership, teamwork, and corporate culture
Space exploration is as much a story of leadership and teamwork as it is a story of exploration and discovery. As the former director of the Space and Life Sciences Directorate, Dr. Dave Williams will share how NASA recovered from tragedy and adversity, and how it developed a culture of competency that continues to attract the best and brightest.
- Leadership insights and important principles for leading in environments where outcomes are critical to success
- The importance of speaking up and listening up in achieving organizational excellence.
- Best practices for controlling risk
- Strategies to build resilience and peak performing teams
Dr. Dave Williams
Astronaut, Aquanaut & Leadership Expert
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Case study: Future-proofing your employee wellness strategy
HR must lead organizations in taking a flexible approach to meeting employees’ wellness needs including optimizing operations for better workflow, assessing overall anxiety levels affecting employees, and developing strategies to address signs of high stress and burnout. Having the correct tools in place to ensure the wellness of staff is crucial to employee satisfaction and the success of your company. This session explores how HR professionals can future-proof employee wellness strategies to prevent critical challenges arising around low productivity, absenteeism, and loss of talent.
- Identifying innovative wellness resources that support busy professionals
- Creating a supportive work culture from the top down
- Assessing workloads, sick leave, and time-off policies to address unnecessary pressures on staff
- What benefits can have a meaningful impact on employees’ circumstances?
- How can CHROs improve their EQ skills in a remote work environment?
Jarik Conrad
HCM Advisory, Executive Director, Equity at Work
UKG -
Morning coffee and networking break
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Case study: Realigning HR strategies to win the war for talent
With the competition for talent at an all-time high, employees are re-evaluating their priorities when it comes to how, when and where they work, as well as the purpose behind their work; companies need to take this into account as they seek to win key talent. This session will examine how leading companies are adapting their HR operations and value proposition to the new reality to overcome recruitment and retention challenges.
- Revitalizing your employer brand to boost recruitment
- Understanding which recruitment channels are working and which ones need improvement
- Developing new strategies to identify candidates with the right skillsets
- Keeping your company current with new technologies to attract the best talent
Clint Philp
Senior Manager, Talent Marketing
ScotiabankRabia Moaz
Senior Manager, Tangerine Talent Acquisition
Scotiabank -
Lunch and networking break
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Panel: Creating fulfilling employee experiences that amplify resilience
As work changes, one thing is clear – a generic approach to culture will no longer suffice. Insightful strategies that tap into what employees need most are essential in creating fulfilling experiences that attract, engage, and retain top talent in an evolving market.
Join this panel discussion to uncover:
- Understanding the four key factors that lead to fulfillment and form the basis of resilient cultures
- Enabling positive interactions between colleagues and management – both in the office and remotely
- Ensuring a positive experience during critical phases, such as onboarding, performance reviews, and promotions
- Integrating innovative new technology platforms to offer employees frictionless access to information and services
Moderator
Christi Scarrow
Partner
Lighthouse NINEPanelists
Gary Beckstrand
Vice President
O.C. Tanner InstituteSandra Petosa
Senior Vice President, Talent, Culture & Diversity
Groupe CHDana Cioffi – Tagliabue
Vice President, Human Resources & Employee Value Proposition
Teranet -
Panel: Developing a comprehensive data-based retention strategy
With turnover at record highs, companies across the globe are being forced to re-evaluate and reinforce their relationship with employees. HR leaders need to take stock of compensation, benefits, flexibility, wellbeing, and foster trust to deliver a competitive employee value proposition. This session will look at success stories from companies that overhauled their retention strategy and provide a detailed overview of the steps taken.
- Developing an updated retention strategy and integrating it into HR operations
- Benchmarking compensation and benefits to identify areas of improvement
- Using potential sources of data such as eNPS to inform HR decisions
- Leveraging metrics in attrition and turnover to enable data-driven retention strategies
Moderator
Christi Scarrow
Partner
Lighthouse NINEPanelists
Joey Raheb
Senior Vice President – Chief Broking Officer & National Leader Growth & Client Engagement, Wellbeing
AonRoxana Firescu
Senior Vice President, HR
CineflixMarie-Helene Daigle
VP Human Resources
Sollio Agriculture -
Afternoon coffee and networking break
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Panel: Redesigning career development plans to drive engagement
With ever increasing competition for talent, companies are facing a severe shortage of the skills vital to supporting business growth. This session will explore the importance of enhancing your internal development strategies by providing upskilling and reskilling opportunities and offering career frameworks with a robust learning and development strategy.
- Building critical skills of managers and employees for career growth opportunities
- How to identify and then develop leadership competencies to ensure strategic imperatives are achieved
- Supporting L&D programs by listening to employees and recognizing and rewarding achievements
- How to create meaningful mentorships in a remote workspace
Moderator
Christi Scarrow
Partner
Lighthouse NINEPanelists
Greg Bambury
CHRO
MedavieRob Catalano
Chief Engagement Officer
WorkTangoNancy Drab
Global Director, Organizational & Leadership Development
Roche -
Closing Remarks from chairperson & Drinks Welcome
Kelly Mawhinney
Partner, Toronto Careers Business
MercerAlison Darling
Director, Professional Programs
Queen’s University IRC -
Networking Drinks Reception
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Breakfast
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Opening remarks from chairperson
Kelly Mawhinney
Partner, Toronto Careers Business
Mercer -
Opening keynote: Leveraging the power of culture to respond to unprecedented disruption
This informal fireside chat will look at how Rogers Communications’ longstanding culture of support for employees’ physical, mental and financial well-being helped its workforce overcome the challenges presented by the pandemic, and successfully adapt to a new way of working.
Dr. David Satok
Chief Medical Officer
Rogers CommunicationsCandace DiCresce
Senior Director, Safety & Wellbeing
Rogers Communications -
Case study: An overview of a cultural evolution – lessons learned
In the current climate of disruption, culture is the key enabler of HR strategy and of critical importance to helping organisations to achieve their targets. This case study will provide a detailed look at the steps needed to overhaul company culture to support the business and increase overall resilience to potential challenges.
- Rethinking core values to rapidly adapt to new business challenges
- How can leaders create a strong, positive, and inclusive company culture?
- Facilitating open communication, collaboration and driving innovation
- Making the move to an outcome-focused work culture
Dan Sharkey
SVP, Global Human Resources
CAE -
Morning coffee and networking break
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Panel: Achieving balanced hybrid work arrangements to optimise employee health, wellness and productivity
Remote work structures have been essential over the past two years and represent a major change in how companies operate. Now considered a must by many employees, they have a major impact on culture and a company’s capability to attract and retain talent. This session will look at how organisations can offer employees the flexibility to work where, when, and how they choose, while ensuring employees can thrive both physically and mentally whether at home or at the workplace.
- Understanding the important role that HR leaders play in enabling hybrid work
- Creating a healthy, safe, and empowering hybrid workspace and home-space
- Best practices for keeping hybrid workers motivated and engaged
- Managing hybrid work mental health issues such as social anxiety, health anxiety and stress
- Workers’ compensation and accommodation services required for hybrid workers
Moderator
Dorenda McNeil
Senior Vice President
Counsel Public RelationsPanelists
Carolyn Byer
HR Lead Canada
MicrosoftMarie-Helene Daigle
VP Human Resources
Sollio AgricultureAdam Kelly
EVP & CCO
CloudMD -
Roundtable discussions – Share ideas and develop solutions
Discuss the topics that matter to you most. This session’s interactive format enables in-depth peer-to-peer discussions around the HR professionals’ key challenges, offering an opportunity to network and exchange best practices.
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Lunch and networking break
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Panel: Integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion in your company culture
In the current era of social change and connectivity, the business case for DEI is stronger than ever. Companies are now seeing the direct impact of DEI on overall employee satisfaction and the bottom line. While overall representation and equality in organizations is improving, there are still many opportunities to make changes that will deliver increased wellbeing and productivity. This session will examine recent trends in DEI and provide action points for new initiatives in your organization.
- Understanding the role of HR in driving DEI initiatives
- Reimagining workspaces and HR services to be more accessible and inclusive
- Launching new DEI initiatives to move beyond preliminary discussions
- Creating a panel of DEI specialists to support the process
Moderator
Greg Smith
Partner
Lighthouse NINEPanelists
Raj Dam
Assistant Director, Partnerships and External Relations, Arts & Science Co-op
University of TorontoJo Ann Miele
Director Talent Management
Bayer CanadaErin Gordon
Vice President Human Resources
Lindt & Sprungli Canada -
Panel: Developing superior employee engagement strategies throughout the employee journey
In an increasingly uncertain economic and geopolitical climate, employee engagement is top of mind for HR professionals, and their employees. Companies that support workers in their roles, look after their overall wellbeing and foster trust are gaining an edge in the current job market. This session will address innovative approaches to employee engagement that are delivering results for leading companies.
- Creating a sense of belonging within the organization at all levels and stages
- Engaging candidates to get them started on the right path
- Best practices for empowering employees and making them feel valued
- Communication strategies that motivate teams and encourage collaboration
- Involving employees in the recruitment process and enabling them to share their experiences
Moderator
Greg Smith
Partner
Lighthouse NINEPanelists
Donna Valiquette
Chief Corporate Administrative Officer, Canada & Head of Culture & Employee Experience, Americas
MUFGSean Fahey
CEO
VidCruiterSandy McIntosh
EVP People & Culture and CHRO
TelusDrew Calcagno
Principal, Product Operations & Strategic Communications
Google -
Afternoon coffee and networking break
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Panel: Restructuring HR to manage future business challenges
Organizations around the globe are facing massive disruption to their business models, as well as unprecedented turnover and economic uncertainty. These challenges require a new streamlined approach to HR to increase flexibility and responsiveness. This session will look at how companies can move from traditional operational silos to new HR models and quickly deal with critical issues
- Positioning HR Leaders as business advisors and agents for change
- How have the lessons learned during the past two years changed HR?
- A look at new strategies to increase agility, efficiency, and productivity
- Using HR technologies to improve workflows rather than processes
Moderator
Annabella Tamburro
HR Transformation Specialist
Board MemberPanelists
Mia Guerra
Vice President Human Resources, Global Functions & Digital Business Services
HSBCNadine Huggins
CHRO
Royal Canadian Mounted PoliceEmma Horgan
Chief People Officer
Questrade -
Closing Remarks from chairperson & End of Conference
Kelly Mawhinney
Partner, Toronto Careers Business
Mercer
SPONSORS
Event Partner
Gold Sponsors
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Keynote Session Sponsor
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Silver Sponsors
exhibitor sponsors
VENUE
THE INTERNATIONAL CENTRE
- Conference Centre Entrance – 6900 Airport Rd, Mississauga, ON L4V 1E8
- 1.800.567.1199 / 905.677.6131
- internationalcentre.com
TRAVEL PLANS
Preferred Accommodation
Hotel room rates are subject to all applicable taxes and fees. Rooms are subject to availability in each hotel from November 12/13 – November 15 . We recommend that you book as soon as possible.
HOLIDAY INN TORONTO AIRPORT EAST
600 Dixon Road, Toronto ON, M9W 1J1
Book your group rate via the reservation link or email [email protected]/[email protected]. Use the group name HR Tech Summit Canada to secure the discounted rate until October 12, 2023.
Room rate: $169 CAD per standard room/night
Cut-off date: October 12, 2023
Check in: 3pm Check out: 12pm
Book your group rate for HR Leaders Summit Canada.
Hotel Parking: Discounted $10.00+13% HST (regular price is $20.00+13% HST), first come first serve.

FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON TORONTO AIRPORT
6257 Airport Road, Mississauga, Ontario L4V 1E4
Book your group rate via the reservation link or call 1-800-368-7764 or 905-678-1400. Use the group name HR Leaders Summit Canada to secure the discounted rate until October 12, 2023
Room rate: $195 per standard room/night
Cut-off date: October 12, 2023
Check in: 3pm Check out: 12pm
Book your group rate for HR Leaders Summit Canada.
Hotel Parking: $28 per day

THANKS FOR TAKING PART IN THE HR LEADERS SUMMIT CANADA 2022
Missed the 2022 event? Register your interest to participate in HR Leaders Summit Canada 2023