Julie Angus

Molecular Biologist, Adventurer, Writer, & Filmmaker

Julie Angus is a leading adventurer, bestselling author, scientist, and entrepreneur. She was awarded National Geographic’s “Adventurer of the Year” award when she became the first woman to row across the Atlantic Ocean from mainland to mainland. She has also cycled across continents, rowed thousands of kilometers of coastlines and rivers, and organized an expedition that sailed the ancient Phoenician trading routes. Julie draws on lessons learned in extreme environments to motivate and inspire her audiences to reach their goals and overcome challenges.

Julie has written three books, produced several documentaries, and has a graduate degree in microbiology. A serial entrepreneur, Julie has had a successful career in venture capital, business development, and technology transfer. She is currently the CEO and co-founder of Open Ocean Robotics, a marine drone company that was recently granted an $800,000 prize from the Women in Cleantech Challenge to transform how we understand our oceans.

Named as one of North America’s leading adventurers by Explore magazine and one of Canada’s Greatest Women Explorers by Canadian Geographic, Julie is also a fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society and recipient of numerous awards, including the University of Victoria Distinguished Alumni Award and McMaster University Young Alumni Award.

Guy Beaudin

Senior Partner & Region Lead, Canada
RHR International

Guy Beaudin is a senior partner at RHR International, serving as Canada’s region lead. He delivers expert leadership consulting to CEOs, boards of directors, and senior executive teams worldwide. With over 24 years of experience, Guy excels in helping teams assess and develop high-potential talent, supporting executives in new roles, and assisting boards in managing CEO succession. Guy builds organic and collaborative leadership teams, fostering meaningful, long-term relationships. His values of curiosity and helping others achieve their potential drive him to effect real change through research-based approaches tailored to each client. Guy holds an MBA from the University of Ottawa and a PhD in industrial and organizational psychology from the University of Montreal.

Drew Calcagno

Principal, Product Operations, Research & AI
Google

Drew Calcagno is a principal at Google Research, focusing on product operations and strategic narratives for the company’s R&D efforts in various forms of artificial intelligence, advanced computing, and more. He’s a former government official and naval officer, having served non-politically at the White House, at the Pentagon, and on a forward-deployed warship. At those posts, he wrote artificial intelligence policy for the Chief Technology Officer of the United States and managed machine learning programs for the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence. Calcagno graduated from the University of Oxford as a Rotary Scholar, the University of London – SOAS as a Fulbright Scholar, the US Naval Academy with distinction.

Lorna Clamp

Senior Vice President of Strategy & Culture
Securiguard

Lorna’s journey with Securiguard commenced in 1993, and her unwavering dedication has been a cornerstone of the company’s success. As the Senior Vice President for Strategy & Culture, Lorna’s leadership extends over diverse departments, including People and Culture, Health & Safety, Quality Assurance, and Branding & Marketing. She also takes on the responsibility of overseeing Securiguard’s commitment to their Triple Bottom Line: People, Planet, and Profit.  

Lorna’s leadership has fueled numerous sustainability initiatives that have fostered an operational commitment to environmental stewardship at Securiguard; this continued effort aims to achieve Securiguard’s goal of being Net Zero by 2050. Beyond sustainability, Lorna presides over a variety of social responsibility initiatives that give back to communities across Canada. These encompass not only charitable donations but also a spectrum of volunteer opportunities with numerous organizations. 

Lorna stands as a beacon of organizational change, acknowledged across the industry for her dedication to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Her transformative approach resulted in Securiguard’s recognition as a finalist in the Canadian HR Awards for Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion in both 2021 and 2023. Securiguard was also presented Waterstones Most Admired Corporate Culture Award in consecutive years – 2022 and 2023 and most recently awarded the Top 100 Employers Award in 2023. 

 Lorna possesses extensive experience in union negotiations, labour relations, strategic talent acquisition and health and safety protocols, ensuring that Securiguard maintains the highest standards of employee well-being, and is recognized in the industry as an employer of choice. Lorna’s outstanding contributions continue to shape Securiguard’s future, leaving an enduring mark on the company’s growth, values, and industry recognition. 

Julie Develin

Principal Human Insights Program Manager
UKG

Julie Develin, MSHRD, SHRM-SCP, GTML 

An expert on employee relations, workplace flexibility, and workforce development, Julie Develin is a Sr. Partner, HCM Advisory at UKG, a global leader in workforce cloud solutions. With more than 17 years of experience as an HR executive focused on improving workplace culture and enhancing the employee experience, Develin helps organizations worldwide implement strategic employee technology and workplace initiatives to enhance productivity, improve communication, and increase satisfaction across the workforce. Develin holds an M.S. in human resources development from McDaniel College, where she continues to work today as an adjunct professor in the human resources management and human services management programs. 

Cheryl Fullerton

EVP People & Communications
Corus Entertainment

Cheryl Fullerton is Executive Vice President, People and Communications at Corus Entertainment, where she is responsible for the creation of integrated and high impact HR solutions to support the exceptional creativity and performance of the company’s 4,000 people. Cheryl also oversees the Communications function, which includes internal and external communications strategies and execution for Corus’ roster of market-leading specialty television services, radio stations and associated assets, including sponsorships and Corus’ corporate social responsibility programs such as Corus Feeds Kids.

Cheryl joined Corus in the fall of 2015, after over 25 years honing her expertise as a business-focused people expert, in a series of great Canadian companies; Maple Leaf Foods, Canada Bread, Morneau Shepell and Sobeys.

Cheryl has been granted a Certified Human Resources Executive (CHRE) designation, and is a member of the HR Professional magazine Editorial Advisory Board and the CHRO Advisory Council of the HR Professional Association. She also currently chairs the Board of Spectra Community Support Services, a volunteer-driven, community-based organization providing emotional support and crisis intervention for the Region of Peel. She has a Bachelor of Science summa cum laude and an HRCCC designation from McMaster University.

Rebecca Barrett

MSW, RSW, Therapist, Mindfulness Facilitator and Certified Yoga Teacher
Rebecca Barrett Therapy

Rebecca Barrett is a social worker, therapist, mindfulness facilitator and certified yoga teacher. In her private practice, Rebecca provides therapeutic support to individuals diagnosed with cancer and their caregivers and those navigating chronic illness, grief and bereavement, relationship challenges, mood disorders and trauma. Rebecca uses mindfulness, visualization and relaxation techniques to help transform suffering into deep healing. Her practice is attachment, somatic (body work) and polyvagal (nervous system) informed. 

Prior to private practice, Rebecca worked as an oncology social worker at Princess Margaret and Mount Sinai Hospital, working with interdisciplinary teams to support patients with cancer and their families, including resource counselling, patient education and psychosocial support. Rebecca assisted in co-creating the psychosocial training module for nurses caring for women diagnosed with breast cancer during pregnancy and published a research article in conjunction with her palliative care colleagues on supporting caregivers of cancer patients. At a community level, Rebecca has facilitated support groups for caregivers of cancer patients at Gilda’s Club and offers her therapy services to the short-term counselling program for those touched by cancer at Wellspring.

Rob Catalano

Chief Strategy Officer
WorkTango

Rob is WorkTango’s co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer and has spent the last 18 years building HR Technology and advisory companies. Rob was on the founding team at Achievers, where he spent 10+ years growing the organization and his passion for improving the employee experience led him to co-founding WorkTango in 2015 to help companies collect and act on authentic employee feedback. He was named one of the 100 Top Global Employee Engagement Influencers each year between 2017 and 2020 and has had the privilege of speaking to HR leaders in over 40 cities.  He is an avid hockey and volleyball player, traveler, used to play guitar in a metal band, and in his own terms a ‘pointaholic’ – he collects loyalty points for everything and anything! You can reach him at [email protected] or @RobCatalano on twitter. 

Jane Fedoretz

EVP People, Talent & Transformation
TransAlta

Jane Fedoretz is the Executive Vice President of People, Talent and Transformation at TransAlta Corporation located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She is the Chair of TransAlta’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Council and strategy and is also the Chair of the Culture Leadership Team at the company.

Jane is responsible for oversight and governance of all Human Resource matters, TransAlta’s Transformation Office and Corporate Communications. Jane has over 20 years of in-house legal experience in the energy industry and as a private practitioner.

In 2020, Jane was recognized as one of the “2020 Best Executive” in the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business magazine. Jane is best known for being a transformational change agent and is highly focused on creating a workplace that is inclusive and safe for all employees.

Jane is passionate about creating a healthy work culture and improving working relationships by engendering psychological safety and trust, creating opportunities for learning and sharing between leaders and employees across the organization.

In the last two years, Jane’s Human Resources team has been recognized several times for their creativity and focus on their accomplishments in creating a human-centric approach in implementing HR innovative practices and learning and development awards for creating bespoke company learning programs. Her team recently launched a peer-topeer recognition platform and a health and wellness platform aimed at enhancing an improved quality of life for all employees

Jamie Gowryluk

Head of Enterprise and Commercial Growth
SkiptheDishes

Jamie Gowryluk is the Head of Enterprise and Commercial Growth for SkipTheDishes. Since joining the organization in 2020, she has held several leadership roles and built the Sales, Sales Enablement and Training & Development departments from the ground up. Leading multiple large teams with a broad scope, Jamie is responsible for bringing a strategic vision and ensuring business success. She has an innate talent for creating collaborative, high-performing teams and under her guidance, Skip is currently building its newest organization, Skip For Business, while also leading Ancillary Revenue and Sales/Technical Enablement.  Previously, Jamie held numerous executive leadership roles in commercial operations within the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. 

Kara MacKillop

President
The Roxton Group

Former EVP People & Culture at Canada Goose and HR lead at Red Bull Canada and Indigo Books, Kara is a trusted advisor and executive thought partner. With a stellar track record of helping these high-profile global brands through transition and growth, Kara brings her experience as a top HR executive to her corporate consulting practice. Named a Report on Business Best Executive in 2021 and winner of a 2020 HRO Today Association Award, Kara’s holistic understanding of C-level objectives creates bandwidth for corporate leaders and helps guide executives through change across all levels. As businesses and employees usher in a new era of hybrid workplace culture, Kara develops innovative strategies to help enterprises and leaders identify their big-picture people needs and improve engagement and trust through her hands-on experience.

Nabil Merali

SVP and Canada Health & Benefits Co-Leader
AON

Based in Toronto Ontario Merali is a Senior Vice President in our Canadian Health and Benefits consulting practice. With over 13 years’ experience he provides traditional group benefits and post-retirement consulting to clients across Canada.

Typical client work involves a variety of group benefits and actuarial projects, including the development of health care strategies, employee and retire plan designs and pricing strategies, claims, analysis, insurance carrier reviews and postretirement benefit valuations. He also support Health and Benefits national committees on innovation and next generation tools and technology.

Merali graduated from the University of Waterloo in 2004 with an Honors Bachelor of Mathematics degree in Actuarial Science. He is a fellow of the Society of Actuaries and the Canadian Institute of Actuaries and also hold the CERA designation.

Carlee Sawyer

Managing Director & Thought Leader
O.C. Tanner

Carlee Sawyer is O.C. Tanner’s Managing Director for Western Canada. Carlee works with HR leaders at top organizations in Canada, creating recognition strategies that impact retention, the employee experience and yield positive outcomes for workplace culture and business results. Carlee is RPI certified and passionate about recognition and the employee experience, most recently contributing as a thought leader sharing insights and recommendations as an extension of the O.C. Tanner Institute. She brings research and insights to audiences across Canada, building on the global culture report and hands on experience to help build meaningful connections with the HR community.   

Permpreet Soomal

Chief People Officer
Capital One Canada

Permpreet is the Chief People Officer for Capital One Canada, with responsibility for the Human Resources function. As a member of the Canadian Senior Leadership Team, she is responsible for helping determine and guide the overall strategic direction of the Canadian business.

Previously, Permpreet held senior executive positions of VP, HR Business Partner, VP, Performance and Global Head, Diversity and Inclusion with Scotiabank, a Canadian bank with a focus on high-growth markets in Latin America. Permpreet built her career in client-facing roles within financial services in retail banking and institutional investment management. As a leader with more than 15 years of professional experience in large, complex financial services organizations, she specializes in organizational design, leadership development, performance, human capital analytics and diversity and inclusion. She has a track record for building HR functions and teams from the ground up, bolstering engagement and enabling a high-performance culture. Permpreet is a champion for Women’s advancement in Financial Services. She helped shape the concept and was a founding advisory board member of the Scotiabank Women Initiative.

Permpreet speaks Punjabi and Spanish and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Financial Management from Wilfrid Laurier University.

Amanda Swant

Director of Employee Experience
Labatt Breweries of Canada

Amanda Swant is the Director of People Experience at Labatt Breweries of Canada.

With 10 years of experience in human resources, Amanda has driven major strategic People initiatives at Labatt. As Director of People Experience, Amanda leads the HR Center of Excellence (COE), which is responsible for commissioning and overseeing the development and implementation of new policies, processes and tools with the aim of introducing good HR practices and relevant solutions for Labatt. Her areas of expertise include employee engagement and talent attraction.

Diana Valler

CHRO
Travel Brands

Diana Valler is an enthusiastic international executive with 20 years of extensive experience in Strategic Human Resources, Talent Management and Organizational Transformation that focus on tangible business results.

Prior to joining Travel Brands and their group of companies, Diana has demonstrated a track record of success as Vice President of Human Resources for multiple professional services organizations within franchising, consulting and software industries.

Her forte is building human capital and organizational capabilities by aligning them with the business objectives and corporate directions to accelerate growth, competitive responsiveness, and rapid execution of strategic initiatives.

Diana has a passion for people and digital transformation, HR innovation and providing guidance and support to business stakeholders.

She is part of HIS Canada Holdings Executive Board leading the Human Resources Shared Services across North America.

Diana also sits on the Board for HRPA York Region as Chair of Career Discussions Group.

As an accomplished leader, Diana is mostly recognized for her contagious positive energy, passion for excellence, relentless pursuit of culture, making things happen, strategic communication and motivational approach.

Diana holds a Master of Arts and a Bachelor of Arts degree. In addition, she is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL), Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP).

Ed Yuen

Vice President, Strategy
ADP

As Vice President, Strategy and HR Outsourcing for Canada, Ed leads the strategic planning process, partnership and acquisition programs, and key strategic initiatives for Canada. He is also accountable for growing our managed offering as the general manager of our Human Resources Outsourcing business.

Prior to ADP, Ed led Growth Strategy and Innovation for Mercer’s Career / Human Capital Management business in Canada and was a Principal Consultant, leading consulting engagements and providing advice to Boards and executive
management of public and private companies, ranging from large TSX60 to preIPO start-ups. Previous to that, he worked in Corporate Strategy as a member of the Office of Strategic Management for the Bank of Montreal (BMO) focusing on the Wealth and Asset Management businesses.

Ed has an undergraduate degree in Finance from the University of British Columbia and an MBA from the University of Oxford.