Fall Conference: Nov 22 - 24

Diane Biesinger (she/her)

CHRP, HR and Learning Specialist, HRPA

Diane Biesinger has more than 20 years of experience in HR and has enjoyed working in a wide range of industries from startups to Fortune 100 companies. Diane holds the Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation as awarded by the HRPA. She currently brings her passion for HR to the role of HR & Learning Specialist at the HRPA, where her focus runs the range of the workplace experience for all HRPA employees, “keeping the lights on in HR” and delivering on the association’s strategic initiatives. 

Diane is proud that HRPA has been certified as a Great Place to Work by GPTW Canada for the last four years and is looking forward to having that continue and improve. Prior to joining HRPA, she spent six years in the telecommunications space working with companies such as Bell and Rogers, as Director of HR. She is passionate about IDEA (inclusivity, diversity, equity, accessibility) and supporting leaders and staff to promote organizational objectives. Diane likes to bring her whole self to work and is enthusiastic about relationships as she brings a genuine love of people, especially our differences, to her daily interactions. 

Lindsay Recknell (she/her)

President & CEO, Paradigm Corporate Wellness Inc.

Lindsay gets people talking, teaches self-awareness and brain science, and helps as many people as she can use positive psychology to motivate positive change. As President & CEO of Paradigm Corporate Wellness Inc, she continues to raise mental health maturity in organizations while making conversations about mental health in the workplace as normalized as any other conversation.  

A certified Psychological Health & Safety Advisor, Lindsay works with leaders and HR professionals to give them the knowledge and confidence to know what to say about mental health at work, how to help while considering the moral, ethical and legal considerations and how to make mental health-related decisions in the best interest of the company, their individual teams and themselves. 

She empowers individuals, strengthens teams and transforms organizations through her podcast, Mental Health for Leaders, a certificate program for leaders and HR professionals titled, Mental Health Skills Training, a digital subscription of conversation starters titled, Language of Mental Health, and a live, virtual or in-person workshop titled, From Burnout to Hope. Lindsay lives in Calgary with her husband and their two Golden Retrievers. 

lindsay@paradigmcw.com 

Patrick Bensen

Organizational & Clinical Psychologist Director, Leaders of Tomorrow Institute

Patrick is a highly experienced and versatile organizational and clinical psychologist with expertise in all facets of workplace behaviour, including HR-workforce relationship, organizational leadership, training and professional development, workplace ergonomics and workplace structural and cultural redesign as well as psychological health and safety, organizational wellness, burnout prevention and work-life harmonization. 

Patrick has a proven ability to uniquely blend forward-thinking business approaches with expert organizational psychology methodology, leading to highly successful employees, healthy work environments and elevated career paths. Adept at assessing business’s needs, he can create tailored workplace solutions to address issues, find opportunities and leverage emerging trends.  

With exceptional communication skills in given languages, Patrick can effectively communicate with various organizational stakeholders, leaders, community members and professional organizations. His areas of expertise include: organizational consultations leadership and change management, as well as project and HR management, and training development. He is also well-versed in cognitive psychology, counselling psychology and clinical psychology. 

– Organizational Consultant
– Project Management
– Cognitive Psychology
– Human Resource Management
– Training & Development
– Counselling Psychology
– Operational Leadership
– Organizational Change Management
– Clinical Psychology 

Patrick is a board member at Mental Health Europe under the EU Commission, an organizational expert and senior advisor to the board of the Hong Kong Psychological Association, a member of the steering committee at the American Psychological Association for the Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award, a member of the International Association for Counselling, and a senior advisor and contributor at Forbes Business Council. 

Josh Blair

Co-Founder & CEO, Impro.AI

Josh knows that technology is at its best when combined with human ingenuity to deliver exceptional customer experiences. His company, Impro.AI enables organizations and people to accelerate their growth through AI-powered risk management and performance coaching.

Josh is also the Chairman of Straive, a global EdTech and digital content leader, the Vice Chair of TELUS International, a global leader in the delivery of digital customer experience solutions, and the Governance Chair of Neighbourly Pharmacy, Canada’s largest network of community pharmacies. He additionally serves as a Partner at Esplanade Ventures, a venture capital firm empowering entrepreneurs to deliver technology-based healthcare breakthroughs.

Over his career, Josh has held many roles that bridge the combined power of people, technology and business excellence, including serving as a Chief Learning Officer, Chief HR Officer, Group President, CEO, Board Chair and investor. He is a distinguished engineering alumnus from the University of Victoria and a graduate of the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University.

Opher Brayer

Co-Founder & Chief Scientific Officer, Improv.AI

Opher is a C-Level executive coach that has worked with hundreds of companies in five continents, he is a systems thinker, Polymath, and game theory practitioner, a former jazz musician, and an education innovator – with hundreds of methodologies to his name. Early in his career, Opher was a trainee of thought leaders Michael Hewitt-Gleeson and Jay Abraham. He trained in Systems Dynamics at MIT and in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) with Richard Bandler. Over the past 30 years, he has coached thousands on their way to realizing their potential both personally and professionally. Opher’s groundbreaking work in developing thinking algorithms that help youth and adults alike to elevate their thinking and performance led to him receiving the Tribeca Disruptive Innovator Award in 2018.

Sydney Elaine Butler (they/them)

Founder, Speaker, and Accessibility/Neurodiversity Consultant, Accessible Creates; DEIB Facilitator

Sydney’s professional purpose is to ensure that everyone can be successful regardless of barriers, and for them, as a professional to remove these barriers. Sydney is a 2020 graduate from Sheridan College with an Honours of Bachelor of Business Administration-Human Resources program. They wrote AODA policies, practices and procedures for a non-profit organization, ensured compliance and supported employee training for working alongside and supporting clients with disabilities. At their company called Accessible Creates, they also consult other companies on human-centric accessibility and inclusivity and on empowering and recruiting more diverse teams, in light of intersectionality and other areas of DEI.  

Melanie Drouin

Senior Consultant at Great Place to Work® Canada

Melanie joined GPTW following a very successful 20-year career in marketing research. Having managed, coached and supported people’s growth in fast-paced, high-stress, multicultural environments while working with clients from all industries, Melanie learned first-hand the value of people-centered leadership. She has facilitated leadership workshops and supported leaders in North America, EMEA and APAC. Melanie attended McGill university where she studied Human Resources Management with a focus on organizational behaviour, training and development. She is an active member of the International Association of Facilitators.

Bonita Eby

Burnout Prevention Strategist & Organizational Culture Consultant; Owner, Breakthrough Personal & Professional Development Inc.

Bonita Eby specializes in burnout prevention and wellness for organizations and individuals, operating at the intersection of health and leadership development.

Tyler Fainstat

Executive Director, John Howard Society of Ottawa

Tyler has been the Executive Director of the John Howard Society of Ottawa since August 2016, where he oversees the organization’s wide range of housing and non-housing-based programming, for adults and youth who have been or are at risk of being in conflict with the law. Previously, he was the Executive Director of the John Howard Society of Kingston and has spent ten years working in senior management positions with Médecins Sans Frontières. He holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and Economics from the London School of Economics. 

Anne-Marie Fannon

Director of the Work-Learn Institute, University of Waterloo

In her role, Anne-Marie Fannon sets the research and innovation agenda for the Work-Learn team.  She is passionate about leveraging Work-Learn’s research insights to inform the practice and pedagogy of WIL.    

For the last decade, Anne-Marie was director of Work-Integrated Learning Programs at the University of Waterloo. Here, she oversaw the development and delivery of curriculum that supported students in a variety of work-integrated learning opportunities including the new (WE) Accelerate program, the EDGE program and the WatPD courses.  She is also actively engaged with Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning (CEWIL) Canada and serves as co-chair of CEWIL’s Government and External Relations Committee.    

Anne-Marie was president of the association in 2016/2017 during which time she led the association through an expansion of its mandate from co-op to work-integrated learning. She is a graduate of the University of Waterloo (MA ’03), Western University (BA ’01) and Brock University (BEd ’11). 

Alison Grenier

Senior Consultant, Head of Culture & Research, Great Place to Work® Canada

With over 15 years’ experience studying the Best Workplaces, Alison leverages GPTW’s unparalleled data library to uncover emerging workplace trends and insights. She is skilled in high-level analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data and supports some of Canada’s leading organizations with specific and actionable feedback to improve their workplace culture. Prior to this, Alison worked in a variety of human resource roles in the manufacturing, not-for-profit and service sectors. She holds a Master’s degree in Workplace Learning and Change, and lives in beautiful British Columbia with her husband and four children. 

Alyssa James

Mental Health Specialist, Dialogue

Alyssa has her master’s degree in social work from the University of British Columbia. Alyssa works as a Mental Health Therapist at Dialogue providing Solution Focused Brief Therapy to members in areas such as anxiety, depression, grief, and relationships. She has experience working in community and residential mental health settings, including in-home counselling for seniors, addiction treatment centers, and concurrent disorder counselling for health agencies.

Mamy Kalambay (MACP)

Mental Health Content Specialist, Dialogue

Mamy creates and presents engaging content (i.e., webinars, articles, scripts, capsules) related to mental health issues. Mamy also has valuable experience as a psychotherapist, assisting individuals facing various challenges related to their mental health such as depression, anxiety, stress related to work/personal life or traumatic events. 

Saba J. Khan

Principal Lawyer, Saba Khan Law 

Saba is the founder and Principal Lawyer at Saba Khan Law. She practices in the areas of employment and human rights law, assisting both employer and employee clients with a key focus on efficiency and client service. In her practice, she assists clients on a wide range of areas including drafting and reviewing employment agreements, navigating terminations, negotiating severance packages, human rights matters, workplace harassment and conducting workplace investigations, constructive dismissals, and drafting workplace policies. In her personal time, Saba enjoys training in kickboxing, skiing and expanding her culinary repertoire.   

Nevetha Kugathas

Co-op Student, Research Assistant of the Work-Learn Institute, University of Waterloo

Along with her team, Nevetha conducts research on the role of co-op and work-integrated learning and the development of talent. She is currently completing her third year in psychology with a research-intensive specialization and a minor in cognitive science. She hopes to pursue research on children’s neurodevelopmental milestones and aspires to working closely with children on the autism spectrum.    

Sarah Lussier Hoskyn

MA Econ, BPHA; Health & Wellness Researcher; Founder, Rooted Sky Solutions

Sarah’s mission is to empower individuals, workplaces and health systems to transform their health and wellbeing by uncovering new possibilities rooted in research. She can help you find and measure innovative solutions for your unique health and wellbeing challenges. She helps workplaces by performing assessments and root cause analyses, as well as researching solutions and conducting evaluations.  

She is an economist with 15+ years of experience in the healthcare policy field, mostly in pharma. Her research has influenced many policy decisions, and has been featured in peer-reviewed journals, professional magazines, industry blogs, as well as her own newsletter, Dreams and Roots. She is also a public speaker, a musician and a personal trainer. She has an M.A. in Economics from the University of Waterloo and a B.A. in Economics and Management from McGill and has completed her Benefits and Private Healthcare Associate (BPHA) designation from Connex Health in 2021. She is currently undergoing her Certified Personal Training through the National Academy of Sports Medicine.  

Sarah is intuitive, resourceful and knowledgeable about data sources and collection methods. She is curious about digging to find the root cause, and creative at communicating findings to generate meaningful insights and ensure proper understanding.  

Visit her LinkedIn page at www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlussierhoskyn/ or contact her at: sarahlussier@gmail.com  

Martine Massarelli

Director, Employee Experience, Dialogue

Martine thrives when finding new solutions for an engaging and stimulating workplace. With a well-rounded HR background ranging from employee relations and HR analytics, to communications and recruitment, along with experience in the healthcare and technology sectors, Martine thrives by seeing others grow and by sharing her passion for a strong employee experience with others. 

Jacob Morgan

International Best-selling Author, Keynote Speaker, Professionally Trained Futurist; Founder, FutureOfWorkUniversity.com 

Amongst other accolades, Jacob is the international best-selling author of 4 books and the founder of FutureOfWorkUniversity.com an online education and training platform which offers courses on leadership, the future of work and the employee experience. He is also the host of Leading The Future of Work, one of the world’s most popular leadership podcasts. His work has been endorsed by the CEOs of Unilever, Cisco, Mastercard, Nestle, Best Buy, SAP, KPMG, T-Mobile, Audi, Kaiser Permanente and many others. Jacob has also contributed to and been cited in publications such as Cosmopolitan, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, CNN, Glamour, the MIT Sloan Management Review, USA Today and The Harvard Business Review. He is currently working on a new book exploring leadership and vulnerability, to be released mid 2023. You can learn more about Jacob and get access to his content by visiting TheFutureOrganization.com. 

Dr. Chris Mullen

Director, The Workforce Institute

Dr. Chris Mullen, PhD, SPHR, SHRM-SCP is the executive director of The Workforce Institute at UKG, the leading workplace think tank focused on the frontline employee experience.  In this role, he leads the institute’s education and research initiatives, which focus on empowering organizations with meaningful strategies to improve employee engagement by delivering a modern work experience. Dr. Mullen’s 15-year career as an HR practitioner and leader has shaped his Ph.D. work in work-life negotiation.  

Mary Neilans

Accessibility and Aging Well Consultant; Founder, AIM for Inclusion

Mary has worked on numerous accessibility projects as a consultant, business analyst, and accessibility documentation and training specialist. She has managed and completed projects both through her own organization—AIM for Inclusion—as well as through collaboration with other organizations, including AccessAbility Advantage, Enabling Access, and Human Space.

With over 20 years of consulting experience in a wide range of sectors, Mary now focuses on raising awareness of accessibility barriers and requirements in the workplace. She assists organizations in meeting or exceeding provincial and federal accessibility legislation compliance standards, identifying and removing barriers, and creating a culture of inclusion and belonging.

Mary develops and delivers customized presentations and workshops that provide informative and interactive opportunities for management, employees, board members, volunteers and community members. Topics cover various aspects of accessibility awareness and aging well, with the goal of eliminating ableism and ageism in the workplace and the broader community.

Mary has a Sociology degree from the University of Toronto, a certificate in Principles and Practices in Accessibility from Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University), and additional certification and training related to project management, research, documentation and adult education. She is an active member of the International Association of Accessibility Professionals, a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies, and a Certified Professional Consultant on Aging.

Brandy Payne (she/her/hers)

Workplace Mental Health Strategist, Thriving Workplaces

Brandy helps leaders and their teams extinguish burnout, bolster well-being, and build a workplace where everyone’s mental health can thrive. She helps leaders and managers lead in a way that fosters a healthy workplace culture, while reducing or eliminating the underlying (and often unintentional) factors that undermine mental wellness at work.  

She has worked with corporations, non-profit/social-profit agencies and government departments of various sizes and is focused on meeting her clients where they are with tailor-made advice, strategies and solutions.   

Brandy is a CMHA-Certified Psychological Health & Safety Advisor, and former Associate Minister of Health in Alberta (responsible for Mental Health & Substance Use). She draws on a combination of scientific evidence, best practices and lived experience to help individuals and organizations. 

Dr. Marc Robin

Medical Director, Dialogue

Dr. Marc Robin has over 20 years of experience as a family physician providing person-centered care. As Medical Director of Dialogue, he leads a multidisciplinary team that develops a virtual approach to collaborative care in primary care and mental health. He is passionate about empowering members to adopt evidence-based lifestyle changes that lead to better wellness and disease prevention.

Andrew Roeske

Certified Financial Planner, JHS Ottawa Board Member

Andrew is an individual with lived experience in addiction and of the Canadian justice system. He is currently the Office Manager of Turn Key Wealth Management. He also serves as Treasurer on the Board of Directors for the John Howard Society of Ottawa and is co-Chair of the Fresh Start Coalition, which is comprised of over 90 organizations across the country that advocate for criminal record reform. 

Jennifer Rozon

President, McLean & Company & Official Member at Forbes Human Resources Council

Jennifer manages the overall vision and strategy for research, product development, business development and customer experience at McLean & Company. She is passionate about elevating HR departments and executing innovative ideas through inspired team members. Jennifer is an analytical leader who drives bottom-line results while staying people focused and embracing change as an opportunity to drive breakthrough performance.  

She firmly believes that creating an exceptional employee experience will in turn create a better member experience. Since joining the organization in 2006, Jennifer has held positions in research, business development, corporate strategy and product development. She pioneered some of the first blueprints and diagnostic products, including the development of the Employee Engagement Program. Prior to joining McLean & Company, Jennifer held roles at Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, BlackBerry and Wal-Mart. She received her Honors in Business Administration from the Ivey Business School at Western University. 

Dr. Kemi S. Anazodo

Professor, Human Resources Management, University of Windsor

Kemi S. Anazodo, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at the Odette School of Business at the University of Windsor. Dr. Anazodo’s research focuses on giving voice to marginalized and stigmatized persons navigating the employment process. Through this work, Dr. Anazodo integrates mixed methodologies to explore social phenomena such as identity, equity and stigma, and examine how individuals navigate the complexity of their experiences in employment. His research captures experiences of integrating and reintegrating justice-involved persons into employment.  Dr. Anazodo is currently leading a SSHRC funded project titled A Second Chance in Sight: Employer Perspectives of Employment for Individuals with a Criminal History, which involves capturing the perspectives of Canadian HR professionals and organizational leaders towards hiring justice–involved persons.  

Valerie Stam, PhD, (she/her/elle)

Operations Director, City for All Women Initiative (CAWI)

After working for three and a half years as Executive Director, Valerie now focuses on building and growing the internal operations at CAWI. She is particularly interested in creating systems and cultures that embody strong intersectional feminist values. Valerie is an experienced facilitator and loves connecting people and building community.  

Valerie has more than 20 years of experience in local and international development. She has worked in West Africa, South Asia, Europe and Canada on gender equality, peacebuilding, anti-racism and anti-poverty initiatives. She has a PhD in sociology from Carlton University where she used participatory theatre to research race and belonging with second-generation youth. In her free time, Valerie can be found gardening, playing her cello, kayaking and reading. 

Jennifer Valentyne

Television Personality

The face of morning television’s “Live Eye” segment for 23 years, Jennifer Valentyne was also the host of Global News Morning Toronto as well as The Bachelor and The Bachelorette Canada’s first live after show on the W Network. Her journey to being one of the most recognizable faces on television started when she was attending Centennial College for Radio and Television Broadcasting while working as the Key590 radio station Cash Car Girl. She then took an internship at MuchMusic, and after graduation, obtained a full-time position as a graphics operator in hopes of becoming a VJ. Moses Znaimer, founder of CityTV, had other plans, and brought her to morning television in the memorable role of the singing weather girl, and the rest is history. 

Over the course of her career, Valentyne has interviewed celebrities such as Sir Richard Branson, Billy Crystal, Rachel McAdams, Channing Tatum and Harrison Ford, but her passion has always been people in the community. She has the exceptional gift of unearthing their fascinating stories and sharing them in a meaningful way. 

Additionally, Valentyne was a founding member of the comedy troupe “On the Off Ramp” and studied improv at The Second City. She has been writing songs and singing jazz since she was a teenager and went on tour after releasing two CDs. She was also previously a co-host of Q107 with John Derringer. 

Valentyne is deeply fulfilled by giving back to the community with volunteer initiatives and is actively involved with Camp Oochigeas, The Children’s Breakfast Club, Dreams Take Flight, Habitat for Humanity, Women Build, Pride Build and World Vision. 

Allison Venditti

CHRP, CHRL; Founder, Moms at Work + My Parental Leave 

Allison Venditti is a career coach and an HR and return-to-work expert with over 15 years of experience creating programs, policies and best practices that improve workplace culture and increase employee retention.  

 After becoming a mother and surviving a life-altering brain injury, Allison decided to leverage her expertise as a corporate recruiter for industries ranging from healthcare to banking. To do so, she started a career coaching business to help women, and especially mothers, build meaningful careers and develop leadership skills to become change makers in their organizations. She has since grown Moms at Work to Canada’s largest professional network for working mothers, providing resources, community and support to over 13,000 women.  

 Allison is passionate about breaking down the barriers women face in succeeding in their careers and in motherhood, she is a sought-after speaker and regular commentator for national news outlets on return-to-work, pay transparency and working parenthood.  

In 2021, Allison organized a roundtable discussion with the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister to discuss ways the government can better support working families during the pandemic. Her input is regularly sought on policy changes impacting women and families. When not at work, Allison can be found sitting on her front porch in her favourite Star Wars T-shirt, planning her next advocacy initiative or biking around downtown Toronto with her three boys – yes, even in wintertime. 

Laura Williams

Managing Partner, Williams HR Law LLP President and CEO, Williams HR Consulting Inc.

Laura has extensive experience providing strategic advice and legal representation to organizations on a wide range of labour and employment law matters. She is a seasoned workplace investigator with specific expertise in conducting investigations and organizational reviews related to equity, diversity, inclusion and systemic discrimination issues.  

A recognized thought leader, Laura has been featured in various publications, including Canadian Lawyer, Lawyers Weekly, Law Times, HR Professional Magazine, Canadian HR Reporter, Canadian Employment Law Today and Canadian Labour Law Today. In addition, she has appeared in various national broadcast and print media including CTV News, Global News, BNN, CBC Radio, the Globe and Mail, National Post, Canadian Business Magazine and Chatelaine.  

Moreover, Laura is a member of various professional organizations and community service associations. She has been appointed as an advisor on the University of Western Ontario’s newly formed Equity Council and to the Adidas United Against Racism Accountability Council. She also has many years of service on various Boards of Directors, including most recently for Canadian Society of Association Executives and is the Chair of the 360Kids Board of Directors. 

Laura’s work has been widely recognized, including with the Excellence in Teaching Award from the University of Toronto, being listed on the annual W100 in 2016, which ranks the top 100 female entrepreneurs in Canada, and being listed as one of the Top 100 Black Females to Watch in 2020 from Canadian International Black Women Event. She has recently launched a podcast for business leaders and HR professionals called, We Thrive Forward – Conversations with Laura Williams, which is available on all major platforms. 

Ingrid Wilson

CHRL, CMS, Senior HR Executive & CHRO|CDEI Strategist and Advocate; Board Member and Advisor

Ingrid brings with her 30 years of global experience in corporate human resources, board and business strategy. She is a recipient of the Top 25 DEI Person of the Year Award, 2021, The Canadian Multicultural Group and LinkedIn Directory of 1000+Women Who Inspire Through Their Work, July 2022. She serves on several community and advisory member boards, including as a Board Director, Governance and Audit at the Canadian Association of Black Insurance Professionals.  

Ingrid has organizational experience with private and public companies, in regulatory environments, with global expertise working for organizations with diverse operations. She has a deep knowledge and understanding of diversity, inclusion and equity through lived experiences and working with vulnerable and marginalized communities. She develops and implements strategies through inclusive talent management strategies, leadership development and culture assessments. She also leads focus groups, speaking circles, interactive awareness programs and webinars, and accessibility strategies focused on eliminating systemic racism as well as physical and technological barriers in order to foster an inclusive, equitable and respectful work environment.