Agenda

Liza Fromer

TV Host and Broadcast Journalist

Known for her wit, charm, and engaging personality, Liza Fromer is a widely respected broadcast journalist. Most recently, Liza hosted The Morning Show on Global television. Previous to that she spent 5 years hosting Breakfast Television on Citytv.

After earning a degree in Radio and Television Arts from Ryerson University, Liza's first experience in broadcasting was as the driver of the Q107 Community Cruiser. She later launched her television career at YTV as co-host of both Clips and Video & Arcade Top Ten. From 1995 to 1997, Liza hosted The Weather Network's Good Morning Toronto and later became the weekend anchor and reporter at A-Channel in Calgary where she anchored the station's first-ever newscast. Liza also worked with The Discovery Channel and CBS Newspath Los Angeles. Liza made a life changing journey when she traveled to Tanzania in East Africa to document the plight of orphaned and abandoned children for the international charity SOS Children's Villages.

She was also thrilled to add author to her resume when the series of 6 children’s books she co-wrote were published by Tundra books.

Ravi Kumar S

President, Infosys

Ravi is the Chairman of the Board of Infosys BPM Ltd. He is a President and the Deputy Chief Operating Officer at Infosys Limited. In this role, he leads the Infosys global delivery organization across all global industry segments, driving digital transformation services, application development and maintenance; independent validation services, engineering services, emerging technology solutions, business intelligence & analytics, cloud & infrastructure, and enterprise package applications service lines. In addition, Ravi is championing and leading the U.S talent model for Infosys to drive the creation of new Innovation and Technology Hubs by collaborating with clients, local state governments and academic ecosystems. He oversees Infosys Business Process Management (BPM) and is the Chairman of the Board of Infosys BPM Ltd. He also oversees Infosys operations for Infosys Public Services, Latin America, Japan and China. He is the Chairman of the Board of Infosys China and is also on the Board of Infosys Public Services, Infosys Consulting and McCamish Systems (an Infosys BPM company). Ravi's responsibilities include managing the alliances organization and the partner ecosystems at Infosys. He is chairperson of the Infosys Foundation, USA.

Victor Fedeli

Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, and Chair of Cabinet, Ontario Government

Victor Fedeli is a lifelong entrepreneur, successful business person, author, and philanthropist, serving in the Ontario government as Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, and Chair of Cabinet.

His business experience led his firm Fedeli Corporation to be ranked 34th in the Top 50 Best Places to Work in Canada in 1989. It also served him well, when he was elected to two terms as Mayor of North Bay from 2003 to 2010. As Mayor, Vic focused on fiscal prudence and economic development, restoring hope and solvency to North Bay.

In 2011 Vic was elected to the Ontario Legislature, and is now serving his third term as MPP for Nipissing. In 2018 the PC Caucus unanimously elected him to serve as Interim Leader of the Official Opposition.

Vic served ten terms on the Board of the North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce, served as Director with Global Vision, and has served on many agencies, boards, and commissions, often as Chair.

Katherine Emberly

President - Business, Shaw Communications

Katherine has been a leader at Shaw since 2004 and has held a variety of roles across the organization including President, Business, Brand and Communications, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Vice President, Operations, Vice President Focus to Deliver, Vice President, Marketing, Vice President, Communications and Public Relations, Director, Corporate Communications and Manager, Advertising.

Prior to joining Shaw, Katherine worked at several top Advertising Agencies in Canada and holds a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics degree from University of Alberta. In 2012 Katherine completed the Harvard Business School CTAM Executive Leadership program and is a Certified Advertising Agency Professional (CAAP) by the Institute of Canadian Advertising.

In addition to the Calgary Economic Development board, Katherine is also a member of the Calgary Sports and Major Events Committee reporting into Tourism Calgary. Previously Katherine sat on the board of Ronald McDonald House Southern Alberta for five years.

Katherine is married to University of Calgary professor Dr. Reed Ferber and together they have two young daughters Lucy and Lily. Women in leadership is a key passion of Katherine’s and she spends time speaking to and mentoring the next generation of female leaders in Canada.

• LinkedIn - https://ca.linkedin.com/in/katherine-emberly-0330202a
• Email address – Emberly@sjrb.ca
• Phonetic spelling - “KATH-er-in Em-ber-ly”

Afzal Jessa

Chief Digital Officer (CDO), Vale

Over his 24-year career Afzal has seen a significant change in technology and its impact on organizations. The pace of change is accelerating, and an organizations’ ability to both anticipate and respond to emerging market opportunities will be paramount to their future relevance. This is what attracted Afzal to take the role as Chief Digital Officer of Vale, one of the largest global mining companies. In this role he is responsible for driving the digital transformation across Vale globally; partnering inside and outside the organization to transform the business and eventually disrupt the industry through the application of technology. While he has the objective is to deliver measurable returns through a risk-balanced transformation portfolio, his primary role is to create an environment that supports broader innovation and to help Vale embrace new possibilities through creating a new digital culture and ways of work that is embedded in the Organization's strategy broadly.

Prior to this, he has held a variety of global executive roles including leading IT Innovation, Business-unit CIO, and IT Architecture/Strategy at Vale. Afzal is an accomplished executive with significant experience leading large, technology-enabled transformation programs. Over his career, Afzal has held executive positions in software and consulting firms including as a Director at BearingPoint where he led the CRM practice with a focus on analytics. Afzal started his career as a founding partner of a software startup.

Afzal earned his BASC in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo and in Industrial Engineering at the University of Tottori, Japan.

He is passionate about promoting global diversity and inclusion and on developing and harnessing talent through new ways of working and collaboration. He sits on a number of advisory boards for startups and is an active member in Vale’s Diversity and Inclusion global council.

Shawn Mandel

Senior Vice President - Digital, Rogers Communications

Shawn Mandel joined Rogers Communications in 2020 as Senior Vice President of Digital, returning to the company after beginning his career at Rogers nearly two decades prior. In his role, Shawn drives the company’s digital strategy, design, planning and development for all digital platforms across Rogers’ robust consumer and enterprise customer base.

Shawn brings nearly 20 years of industry-leading experience in building agile teams, driving digital transformation and growth, and enhancing corporate culture and customer experiences.

Prior to returning to Rogers, Shawn led digital transformation initiatives as Chief Technology Officer at Cineplex and Chief Digital Officer at TELUS. In addition to his professional achievements, Shawn holds a Bachelor of Commerce from York University and is a graduate of the Senior Executive Leadership Program offered through Harvard Business School.

Shawn serves on the Digital Transformation Committee of the Board of Directors for TO Live and volunteers his time as a mentor with the Techstars Toronto Accelerator, where he helps support the next generation of Canadian innovation leaders.

Elena Christopher

Senior Vice President – Research, HFS

Elena Christopher is Senior Vice President–Research at HFS. Elena leads HFS’ coverage of banking and financial services (BFS) informed by more than two decades of collaboration and advisory work with financial services firms across banking, capital markets, and regulatory compliance. Her industry alignment is complemented by her emerging technology coverage of Triple-A Trifecta change agents—AI, automation, and smart analytics. Elena helps HFS maintain its position as the strongest impact thought leader for business operations and IT services research.

Elena brings more than 25 years of IT and business process services expertise to HFS, having served as either an advisor or vendor partner for major clients in industries such as financial services, high-tech, communications, retail, automotive and energy. She most recently led Strategy & Portfolio for Conduent’s (formerly Xerox Services) Commercial business. Her previous roles include Managing Director, Research, Risk & Compliance at DTI where she built and ran their risk and compliance outsourcing practice; Vice President, Financial Services at Mobius Knowledge Services where she launched their Reference Data practice; Vice President, Research & Analytics at OfficeTiger/RR Donnelley, where she built one of the first successful offshore Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) practices; and Global Research Director, Gartner, where she provided research and advisory services to consumers and purveyors of IT and business process services.

Elena holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Anthropology (cum laude) from Lewis and Clark College. She resides outside Washington, DC with her husband and two children. She is an avid runner, delights in cooking friends tasty food and traveling off the beaten path with her family.

Charles Duncan

Executive Vice President, WestJet and President, Swoop

Charles Duncan joined WestJet in June of 2017 as the President of WestJet Encore. In August 2018 he became Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer before becoming the President of Swoop, WestJet’s ultra-low-cost carrier in April 2020.

As President of Swoop, Charles has accountability for all aspects of the business, including short and long-term planning, branding, pricing, product development and operations. Charles will drive Swoop’s footprint in Canada in support of the WestJet Group’s long-term strategy.

In addition to being the President of Swoop, Charles also oversees WestJet Cargo where he is focused on the domestic and international growth of the airline’s in-house cargo services.

Prior to joining WestJet, Charles enjoyed a long and successful career with Continental Airlines and then, through merger, with United Airlines. He navigated the commercial side of the Continental business with roles in pricing and revenue management, network planning and sales, spending thirteen years in Asia. In his last position at United Airlines, Charles was Senior Vice-President, Technical Operations, where he oversaw the maintenance organization of 12,500 employees.

During his 20-year career in aviation, Charles has held several senior leadership positions, including President of Continental Micronesia, Vice-President, Chicago O’Hare Hub, as well as Vice-President, Europe, Middle East, Africa and India for United Airlines.  

His favourite WestJet destination is the Okanagan Region in B.C. It combines world-class skiing, water sports, and plenty of outdoor activity, along with terrific locally-grown produce and amazing local wines. All wine-growing regions around the world are special, but for Charles, the Okanagan is the best.

Carlos Buss

SVP, Chief Transformation and Information Officer, Agropur

An accomplished global executive with over two decades of experience in delivering value through technology and business transformations in CPG, automotive, consulting and agribusiness. He has held a wide variety of leadership roles including Chief Digital Officer, Chief Information Officer and Chief Data & Analytics Officer. He has extensive expertise in defining and delivering digital and technology strategy and transformation of operating model and business. He also has experience working on Boards and with management to steer corporate strategic planning, M&A, and P&L. Carlos has an MBA and Masters in Production Engineering from the prestigious Brazilian university PUC. He is fluent in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Jodi Carradice

SVP and Chief People & Culture Officer, The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company

The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company is headquartered in Winnipeg, MB. Jodi has served the organization since 2007. Wawanesa, a leading property & casualty and life insurer, and its subsidiaries, has over 6,000 employees across Canada and in the U.S.

Jodi oversees the People Systems & Programs, Human Resources & People Development, and Culture, Community & Communications functions at Wawanesa.

Jodi received the ICD.D designation in 2020 and is currently a Director for Western Financial Group, Habitat for Humanity Manitoba, the St Boniface Hospital Foundation and United Way Winnipeg’s Board of Trustees. Jodi holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Calgary, is a Certified Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) and a Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP).

Raj Viswanathan

Group Head and Chief Financial Officer, Scotiabank

Raj Viswanathan is the Group Head and Chief Financial Officer at Scotiabank. He was appointed to the role in December 2019. Raj oversees the Finance Department, including Business Line finance groups, Finance & Strategy, Economics, Taxation, Chief Accountants, Procurement, Investor Relations, Group Treasury and Strategic Transactions & Review.

Raj first joined Scotiabank in 2002 and has held progressively senior positions in Internal Audit and Finance. Raj was appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in 2018. In 2014, Raj was appointed Senior Vice President & Chief Accountant. In this role, Raj was responsible for overseeing the Chief Accountant’s group which included group responsibilities for: Capital Management, Accounting Policies & Procedures, and Financial Analysis and Reporting. In this role, Raj also led the Bank’s multi-year Finance Transformation project.

David Rackus

Senior Vice President - Canadian IT, Digital Business and Technology Solutions, Sun Life

David Rackus is Senior Vice President, Canadian IT, in Sun Life’s Digital Business and Technology Solutions (DBTS) organization. In this role, David is responsible for partnering with Sun Life’s Canadian business group to delivery digital and technology solutions.

David joined Sun Life in 2008 and has held IT leadership roles in Group Benefits, Group Retirement Services, Retail Insurance and Wealth, Sun Life Capital Management and Corporate. He assumed his current responsibilities in 2020.

David is a member of the Company’s Digital Business and Technology Solutions Executive Team and Canadian Executive Team.

Before joining Sun Life, David spent over 20 years in the IT and healthcare industries. David holds a Master of Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Bachelor of Mathematics from the University of Waterloo.

Skyler Mattson

President, WONGDOODY

Skyler Mattson is President of WONGDOODY, a human experience company powered by Infosys. She has built her career driving award-winning, transformative work for clients across a range of categories, from consumer-packaged goods to technology to education. She is Founder of The Motherboard, a global community of thousands of moms who share insights to help Fortune 500 companies innovate. The Motherboard was awarded by Fast Company as a World Changing Idea.

Skyler has led several female empowerment initiatives, including #TheReal10 which aims to close the gender pay gap and #IPumpedHere, which encourages workplaces to provide better facilities for breast-pumping employees. Putting philosophy into action, Skyler frequently lectures at Pepperdine University, speaks at industry events, and writes about the importance of bringing more diverse voices and perspectives to marketing and technology. She has been a delegate to the World Economic Forum and proudly serves as a board member for the Infosys Foundation. Skyler thrives in high-energy environments where you rarely sit down, which is a good thing, since her clients at home include three sons under the age of ten.

Ted Schadler

President, WONGDOODY

Vice President, Principal Analyst, Forrester

Ted Schadler serves digital business professionals. He has 33 years of experience in the technology industry, analyzing the effects of disruptive technologies on experiences and on business strategy and architecture. His research agenda focuses on digital transformation, experience-led transformation, commerce and digital experience service providers, and the future of services.

Ted is the coauthor of The Mobile Mind Shift: Engineer Your Business to Win in the Mobile Moment (Groundswell Press, June 2014). Companies have a choice: to be present in a customer's hand — or lose the mobile moment to a competitor or other distraction. This book gives companies the guidance and tools to serve customers in their immediate context and moments of need: Continuously identify mobile moments, design mobile engagement, engineer solutions, and analyze to optimize outcomes. Now that it’s clear that most customers won’t download your app, it’s just as true for the mobile web — even more so for most brands.

Ted is also the coauthor of Empowered: Unleash Your Employees, Energize Your Customers, and Transform Your Business (Harvard Business Review Press, September 2010). In this groundbreaking and still-current work, Ted analyzes how important it is in the age of the customer for companies to empower employees with the tools and confidence to directly engage customers.

Previous Work Experience

Ted’s work at Forrester spans 20 years, starting with the early days of the internet, open source, and web services. In 1999, Ted launched Forrester’s TechRankings™ product, now the Forrester Wave™. In 2003, Ted became a Forrester Bill Bluestein award winner; the award is granted annually to one of Forrester’s most influential analysts. In 2005, Ted analyzed the impact of technology on customers’ online and mobile behavior. He ran Forrester’s data business during this period. In 2009, Ted launched Forrester's Workforce Technology Assessment, the industry's first benchmark survey of workforce technology adoption. Since 2014, Ted has focused on digital business and digital experience delivery.

Prior to joining Forrester in April 1997, Ted was a cofounder of Phios, an MIT spinoff. Before that, Ted worked for eight years as CTO and director of engineering for a software company serving the healthcare industry. Early in his career, after dropping out of MIT’s PhD physics program, Ted was a singer and bass player for Crash Davenport, a Maryland-based rock-and-roll band.

Goldy Hyder

President and Chief Executive Officer, Business Council of Canada

Founded in 1976, the Council is a non-profit, non-partisan organization representing the chief executives and heads of Canada’s leading enterprises, which collectively employ 1.7 million Canadians and represent every major industry across the country.

From July 2014 to October 2018, Mr. Hyder was President and Chief Executive Officer of Hill+Knowlton Strategies (Canada), providing strategic communications counsel to the firm’s extensive and diverse client base. Prior to joining Hill+Knowlton in 2001, he served as Director of Policy and Chief of Staff to The Right Honourable Joe Clark, former prime minister and former leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party.

In addition to his achievements in business and public policy, Mr. Hyder has a long track record of service on behalf of several charities and non-profit organizations. He is chair of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada’s Asia Business Leaders Advisory Council, a board member of the Business + Higher Education Roundtable, an executive committee member of the Century Initiative and co-chair of Canada’s World Trade Organization Business Advisory Council. In addition, he sits on the advisory boards of two leading organizations promoting advancement of women leaders: Catalyst Canada and the 30% Club (Canada). Mr Hyder is also a member of the selection board for A Seat At The Table, an initiative to encourage greater representation of people with disabilities on corporate boards. He is a past co-chair of the United Way of Ottawa’s Campaign Cabinet, former chair of the Ottawa Senators Foundation, and a former member of the Board of Governors at Carleton University.

Mr. Hyder is a regular commentator in the Canadian media on business, politics and leadership. He is the host of the “Speaking of Business” podcast, which features interviews with Canadian innovators, entrepreneurs and business leaders. In 2013, he received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of his contributions to Canada. He holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy from the University of Calgary.

Kannan Amaresh

Senior Vice President & Global Head – Insurance, Infosys

Kannan has over 25 years of professional experience across the U.S, Canada, UK, Europe & India. He is a key member of the Senior Executive Leadership & Management Council at Infosys. As an SVP and the Global Head of Insurance at Infosys Ltd, he has the executive responsibility for all client relationships and new client acquisitions in the Insurance sector. He brings a deep appreciation of the business, business processes and the usage of technology solutions to help clients in addressing their underlying business challenges and executing digital transformation programs. In addition, he is an established thought leader in the industry, with a particular focus on Risk Management, Corporate Banking and Asset Management. Over the years, he has developed an interest in the adoption of newer technologies in business models.

He is also an inventor, with a patent pending in the U.S. for his seminal work on “Predicting Financial Impact of Business Framework.”He has been with Infosys since June 2000, initially as the Head of Consulting for Infosys’ BFSI division; followed by a 10-year stint in the United Kingdom managing Key Strategic Accounts and New Markets for Banking & Financial services practice. Since Jan 2018, Kannan has taken on the role of Global Head for Insurance Practice. Global Insurance Practice focuses on all clients such as Insurance Carriers, Brokers, MGAs, Exchanges providing a variety of services including Digital Transformation, Energizing the CORE, AI & automation with specific domain expertise. Global Insurance Practice is $800M+ revenue strong with over Top 30 Insurance players across Europe and North America. Kannan is an avid networker and a frequent speaker at various industry and community events and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. Kannan’s prior employers include Standard Chartered Bank, GE Capital TFS, Larsen & Toubro, AF Ferguso & Co.