May 9 & 10
Making Moments Matter in the Employee Lifecycle
Maya Angelou famously said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” In the world of business, this principle is evident through a human-centric organizational ethos – the theme of this year’s HR Summit.
Developed in partnership with
Presenting Sponsor
Location
Virtual, Online.
Event platform access will be communicated by email 48 hours prior to the event start.
CPD Hours
6.25
Price
Members: FREE
Non-Members: $125
Group (3+ more): $110 per registrant
Employee Experience Rules
The pandemic has revamped the way employees define and negotiate their needs and expectations at work. Here’s what has changed:
- Employees are clearer about their expectations from employers – they want to know they matter
- Employees are empowered to advocate for working conditions that foster well-being
- Employee experiences, of which wellness is an important part, directly correlate with talent engagement, productivity, performance and retention[1].
- Relationships with managers and team members, working environment and understandings of one’s role and value also affect employee experiences.
Organizations that do not prioritize employee well-being expose themselves to the risk of losing talent. It is time to re-humanize organizations, because businesses can no longer be transactional or stoic when it comes to supporting employees.
This year’s HR Summit, titled “Human-Centric Workplaces: Making Moments Matter in the Employee Life Cycle” will explore in detail how the most successful organizations of tomorrow will develop cultures and business practices that address the experiences of the humans that work there. This summit will offer practical tools and tactics for HR professionals to support human-centric organizational cultures. Attendees will walk away with actionable takeaways to optimize employee experience and make the best of the moments that truly matter to employees.
Why Attend this Event?
- Learn how employee appreciation drives employee experiences
- Equip yourself and your organization with tools to cultivate employee wellness, reduce absenteeism and strengthen employee engagement
- Better understand how to stay abreast with the changing pace of disruption, innovation and the impact of this on today’s workforce.
- Become familiar with how a human-centric framework can support organizational productivity, growth and resilience.
Who Should Attend?
- HR Specialists, HR Generalists, HR Managers, HR Directors, HR Business Partners
- Organizational Development Professionals and others who lead or execute OD strategies and programs in their organizations
- Business Leaders who are responsible for employee wellbeing, employee engagement, leadership, and policy development
Please note that HRPA reserves the right to modify and update session titles, descriptions and speakers.
DAY 1: May 9, 2022
8:45 AM – 9:15 AM
Event Welcome and Introduction
Speaker(s): Kris Tierney, CHRP, CHRL, Vice President, Human Resources and Learning, HRPA
Human-centric values, policies, systems and leaders directly impact organizational sustainability and viability. A human-centred approach to strategic business decision making, organizational design and leadership is the way of the future. Explore relevant research and data to understand the nuances of human-centric culture and leadership, including the pitfalls and risks that make it necessary and the solutions it can offer.
9:15 AM – 10:15 AM
Trust-Based Cultures
Moderator: Laura Williams, Managing Partner, Williams HR Law LLP President and CEO, Williams HR Consulting Inc.;
Speaker(s): Melanie Drouin, Senior Consultant, Great Place to Work® Canada
Instead of an entitlement culture, organizations need to establish reciprocal, trust-based relationships with employees that are symbiotic and mutually beneficial. Driving home the importance of rooting organizational cultures in trust, this session examines strategies to build and drive trust-based cultures. Other topics covered include ways to measure trust and make sense of the data, as well as how to maintain trust on an ongoing basis.
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Shifts in Employee Needs Coming out of the Pandemic
Moderator: Laura Williams, Managing Partner, Williams HR Law LLP; President and CEO, Williams HR Consulting Inc.
Speaker(s): Vania Sakelaris, MBA, CHE, RCC™, CBC™, Founder, VAS & Associates Inc.
Evidence suggests that addressing employees’ new, intensified and varying needs is vital. For instance, as the Gartner report details, establishing programs, processes and guidance to enable discussion of sometimes uncomfortable topics[1] can directly address emerging employee expectations. Based on research and data that speaks to employees’ changing needs, we will analyze how workplaces are changing due to the pandemic, which trends are here to say and how to prepare for the future.
11:45 AM – 12:30 PM
Moments that Matter
Moderator: Kris Tierney, CHRP, CHRL, Vice President, Human Resources and Learning, HRPA
Speaker(s): John Coné, Catalyst and Advisor to Talent Development Executives
According to i4CP, there are three types of “moments that matter”: obvious (common, expected, touchpoints throughout the employee journey), opaque (may be hinted at but are less overt) and finally, invisible moments (that happen to an employee and that the business may not know about or consider important).
This session takes a deep dive into this ‘Moments that Matter’ concept and its various iterations, with a focus on strategies that HR and businesses can put into motion to build human-centric practices and habits into organizational programs, policies and systems.
DAY 2: May 10, 2022
8:45 AM – 9:00 AM
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Speaker(s): Kris Tierney, CHRP, CHRL, Vice President, Human Resources and Learning, HRPA
9:00 AM – 10:15 AM
HR and Workplace Trends: Trends Overview, Recruitment, Accommodation
Day 2 of this summit kicks off with a presentation on key findings from the HRPA 2021 Trends Survey, delving into five emerging trends that the report identifies i.e., recruitment and retention, flexible work arrangements, employee benefits, learning and development, and IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility).
Part A – HRPA Trends Survey
Moderator: Laura Williams, Managing Partner, Williams HR Law LLP President and CEO, Williams HR Consulting Inc.
Speaker(s): Kris Tierney, CHRP, CHRL, Vice President, Human Resources and Learning, HRPA
Day 2 of this summit kicks off with a presentation on key findings from the HRPA 2021 Trends Survey, delving into five emerging trends that the report identifies i.e., recruitment and retention, flexible work arrangements, employee benefits, learning and development, and IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility).
Part B – Recruitment
Moderator: Laura Williams, Managing Partner, Williams HR Law LLP President and CEO, Williams HR Consulting Inc.
Speaker(s): Jason Murray, President and Managing Partner, BIPOC Executive Search
This session sheds light on how equity, diversity and inclusion can be at the forefront of a more humanized recruitment process. Familiarize yourself with useful tips and top takeaways when it comes to human-centric recruitment, as well as some stumbling blocks to be wary of.
Part C – Beyond Accommodation
Moderator: Laura Williams, Managing Partner, Williams HR Law LLP President and CEO, Williams HR Consulting Inc.
Speaker(s): Dr. Rumeet Billan, Ph.D., Chief Learning Architect at Viewpoint Leadership Inc.
Go beyond just the legal obligations related to childcare, eldercare, disability management and return-to-work support and become skilled in approaching accommodation in the workplace through a humane, compassionate and empathetic lens.
10:30 AM – 11:45 AM
HR and Workplace Trends: Flexible Work, Employee Benefits, Learning and Development
Part A – Flexible Work
Moderator: Kris Tierney, CHRP, CHRL, Vice President, Human Resources and Learning, HRPA
Speaker(s): Ann Gomez, Speaker, Author & Founding President, Clear Concept Inc.
Employee demands have served as a driver for highlighting the need for flexibility in the workplace.
This moderated discussion pays attention to mechanisms that can best support businesses in implementing and managing workplaces that account for employees’ needs.
Part B – Employee Benefits
Moderator: Kris Tierney, CHRP, CHRL, Vice President, Human Resources and Learning, HRPA
Speaker(s): Todd Humber, Publisher, Talent Canada
Redesigning benefits with a human-centric perspective requires a fuller understanding of how benefits program designs are changing overall. Personalizing support to meet employees’ diverse needs and supporting employees in coping with emerging and exacerbated stress factors are the cornerstones of such an approach. Equip yourself with top takeaways and practical tools for revamping employee benefits.
Part C – Learning and Development
Moderator: Laura Williams, Managing Partner, Williams HR Law LLP President and CEO, Williams HR Consulting Inc.
Speaker(s): Kris Tierney, CHRP, CHRL, Vice President, Human Resources and Learning, HRPA
This session looks into how learning and development can be more human-centric and how organizations invest in workforce development. Also learn more about effective ways to incorporate such an outlook and the pitfalls to look out for along the way.
12:00 PM – 12:30 PM
Closing Keynote
Speaker(s): Laura Williams, Managing Partner, Williams HR Law LLP President and CEO, Williams HR Consulting Inc.
The summit wraps up with a motivating speech that recaps the aspects of human-centric leadership covered across sessions and proposes how we can move forward with inspiring optimism, hope and purpose.
Kris Tierney, CHRP, CHRL (Co-Chair)
Vice President, Human Resources and Learning, HRPA
Kris’ approach as an executive leader is to achieve results by creating outstanding workplaces where people and culture are strategic priorities. She is a passionate and skilled business executive with 15 years’ experience leading HR in hi-tech, high growth companies in automotive and financial services, where she served as a trusted people and culture strategist, advisor, and business partner to the C-Suite.
Kris started her career in hospitality where she held various leadership and management positions. For more than 20 years, Kris has served as a valued member of senior and executive leadership teams, where her skills in HR, leadership, strategy, and culture were honed and her passion for business and human resources were developed. She is periodically called upon by media, conferences, and academia to contribute her experience and perspectives as an HR and business leader.
Kris has achieved the Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) and Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) designations as awarded by the Human Resources Professionals Association in Ontario, Canada. As a lifelong learner, Kris is thrilled to bring professional development and learning opportunities to the HR community in her role as Vice-President, Human Resources and Learning at the HRPA.
Laura Williams (Co-Chair)
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 full range of labour and employment law matters and is a seasoned workplace investigator with specific expertise in conducting investigations and organizational reviews related to equity diversity inclusion and systemic discrimination issues.
As 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, Laura 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.
In addition to her work, 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. Laura 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. Laura 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.
Melanie Drouin
Senior Consultant, Great Place to Work® Canada
Melanie Drouin is a Senior Consultant at Great Place to Work® Canada. She joined GPTW following a very successful 20-year career in Marketing Research. Having managed, coached & grown people in fast-paced, high-stress, multicultural environments while working with clients from all industries, Melanie learned first-hand the value of people-centered leadership. Melanie has facilitated leadership workshops and supported leaders in North America, EMEA & APAC. Melanie attended McGill university where she studied Human Resources Management with a focus on organizational behaviour, training & development. She is an active member of the International Association of Facilitators.
Vania Sakelaris, MBA, CHE, RCC™, CBC™
Founder, VAS & Associates Inc.
Vania Sakelaris is a seasoned executive and the founder of VAS & Associates Inc. a management consulting firm which provides customized advisory, coaching and training services to corporate executives, their boards, and their teams building on her 25+ year career. As a solutions catalyst, Vania has supported hundreds of individuals through impactful change and growth.
Vania has been consistently recognized as a respected, trusted, and strategic senior leader. Her portfolio includes a decade in long-term care home administration in the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. It advanced to a decade of executive leadership within a $4.8B regional health authority including accountability for multi-million dollar, and complex transformation strategies in collaboration with multiple stakeholders and funders.
Vania’s lifelong passion for capacity building inspired her coaching work and the launch of her business venture which focuses on empowering senior leaders and emerging leaders. She supports global clients from a variety of industries, specializing in service industries including healthcare, education, professional services, banking, and public administration. She provides respectful, customized services reflecting her business acumen and a values-based approach. She is results and performance driven and supports her clients as a trusted partner in accountability, enabling advancement of their defined goals and helping to unleash their potential and to overcome barriers to success.
In addition to coaching, Vania also supports her clients with leadership development through customized training. This builds on her collaboration with universities across Canada, the US and internationally and includes lecturing and authoring of published case studies with a focus on strategy, leadership, entrepreneurship, and women in leadership.
Vania holds an MBA from the Ivey Business School and is a Certified Health Executive and a Certified Business Coach. She is a member of the Harvard Institute of Coaching, the International Coach Federation, and the Canadian Physician Coaches Network.
John Coné
Catalyst and Advisor to Talent Development Executives
As Principal of the Eleventh Hour Group, John consults on talent management and organizational learning, with special emphasis on strategy and on organizing and managing complex organizations. He serves as advisor to CLOs and on several learning advisory groups.
John is the Catalyst for the CTDO Next group, the Association for Talent Development (ATD) executive network. He Chairs the Chief Learning & Talent Officers Board for the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp.)
John has served as Board Chair and Interim CEO of ATD and was also Chair of ASTD’s Certification Institute. He was the first VP of Learning and Development at Dell Computer. He has also served on the Editorial Board of Strategic HR Review, the board of SumTotal Systems, and as VP of HR for Sequent Computer Systems Inc.
Jason Murray
President and Managing Partner, BIPOC Executive Search
Over the course of his career, Jason has worked on 400+ executive searches as well as a range of EDI services in partnership with client companies. Prior to founding BIPOC Executive Search Inc., Jason worked at a multinational executive search firm as well as a boutique search firm before that. For part of his career, he worked in the Consulting Division of Deloitte & Touche as the Human Capital and Strategy & Operations Supervisor. In this position he provided organizational management and HR services to the 994 individuals in the division, and was a respected voice around matters of equity, diversity, and inclusion and increasing representation throughout the organization.
Jason has a community-facing orientation, and currently serves as Chair of the Board for the Toronto Fringe Festival. He has done work with a number of organizations that have a deep and abiding commitment to representation in the workforce, including the Canadian Board Diversity Council, Fora (formerly G(irls)20), and Pride at Work Canada. He has facilitated EDI workshops and talks for a number of organizations and initiatives, including the African Canadian Women in the Public Service Network (ACWPS), Business for the Arts, Innovators Alliance, National Dialogues and Action for Inclusive Higher Education and Communities, Supply Chain Canada, Social Value Matters, and The Walrus. He has been a roundtable panelist with the likes of the Hon. Kathleen Wynne, CNN’s Van Jones, and so forth.
Jason holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, and a Master’s degree in Management from Boston University (also the alma mater of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez). He is certified in unconscious-bias decision making and iOS app development and has completed courses on predicative data analytics and the use of artificial intelligence in recruitment and retention.
Dr. Rumeet Billan, PhD
Chief Learning Architect at Viewpoint Leadership Inc.
Dr. Rumeet Billan is an award-winning, internationally recognized entrepreneur, researcher, speaker, and expert on psychological capital. Her mission is to transform workplace cultures through research, training, and experiences that enable trust, foster belonging, and build resilience. Dr. Billan completed her PhD at the University of Toronto, and has designed and facilitated programs, courses, and training sessions across industries and sectors. Dr. Billan has been named Canada’s Top 100 Health Leaders in 2021, Canada’s Top 10 Power Women, and was twice named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network. She is a regular guest on top radio and television morning shows, and has been featured in Forbes, The Globe and Mail, National Post, and more. Since 2004, she has contributed to social impact initiatives that improve access to and the quality of education in North America, South America, and Africa. Recently, Dr. Billan made a donation of more than 280,000 brand-new books from various publishers and authors to be distributed to children and youth in need. She continues to support causes and lead initiatives that promote human welfare. For details, visit www.rumeetbillan.com
Ann Gomez
Speaker, Author & Founding President, Clear Concept Inc.
Ann Gomez is the founding president of Clear Concept Inc, as well as an engaging speaker and a USA Today bestselling author. Ann is passionate about helping people do their best work at all stages of their career. Ann brings 20 years of experience delivering compelling and practical talks about productivity, collaboration, mindset, and wellbeing. Ann and her team support people around the world and across industries to help busy people make the most of their time.
Ann is a recurring faculty member for the Leadership in Administration program at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management Initiative for Women in Business. Ann has been featured in The Globe & Mail and has appeared on CBC Radio, Global TV, BNN and Huffington Thrive Global.
Prior to founding Clear Concept Inc., Ann was a management consultant at A.T. Kearney. Earlier in her career, Ann was a pharmaceutical representative and research coordinator. Ann has an MBA from Queen’s University where she was the President of the MBA class. Ann also has an Honours Bachelor’s Degree in Science (Biology & Psychology) from McMaster University.
Outside of work, Ann and her husband love spending time with their four active kids.
Todd Humber
Publisher, Talent Canada
Todd Humber is a group publisher at Annex Business Media in Toronto. As a journalist, he has spent more than 20 years covering issues of importance to HR professionals and employers. In 2019, he launched Talent Canada — a cutting-edge media brand designed to educate senior leadership about the importance of investing in people. Before that, he worked at Thomson Reuters where he was the publisher and editor-in-chief of a national human resources publication.
Kris Tierney, CHRP, CHRL (Co-Chair)
Vice President, Human Resources and Learning, HRPA
Kris’ approach as an executive leader is to achieve results by creating outstanding workplaces where people and culture are strategic priorities. She is a passionate and skilled business executive with 15 years’ experience leading HR in hi-tech, high growth companies in automotive and financial services, where she served as a trusted people and culture strategist, advisor, and business partner to the C-Suite.
Kris started her career in hospitality where she held various leadership and management positions. For more than 20 years, Kris has served as a valued member of senior and executive leadership teams, where her skills in HR, leadership, strategy, and culture were honed and her passion for business and human resources were developed. She is periodically called upon by media, conferences, and academia to contribute her experience and perspectives as an HR and business leader.
Kris has achieved the Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) and Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) designations as awarded by the Human Resources Professionals Association in Ontario, Canada. As a lifelong learner, Kris is thrilled to bring professional development and learning opportunities to the HR community in her role as Vice-President, Human Resources and Learning at the HRPA.
Laura Williams (Co-Chair)
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 full range of labour and employment law matters and is a seasoned workplace investigator with specific expertise in conducting investigations and organizational reviews related to equity diversity inclusion and systemic discrimination issues.
As 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, Laura 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.
In addition to her work, 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. Laura 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. Laura 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.
Melanie Drouin
Senior Consultant, Great Place to Work® Canada
Melanie Drouin is a Senior Consultant at Great Place to Work® Canada. She joined GPTW following a very successful 20-year career in Marketing Research. Having managed, coached & grown people in fast-paced, high-stress, multicultural environments while working with clients from all industries, Melanie learned first-hand the value of people-centered leadership. Melanie has facilitated leadership workshops and supported leaders in North America, EMEA & APAC. Melanie attended McGill university where she studied Human Resources Management with a focus on organizational behaviour, training & development. She is an active member of the International Association of Facilitators.
Vania Sakelaris, MBA, CHE, RCC™, CBC™
Founder, VAS & Associates Inc.
Vania Sakelaris is a seasoned executive and the founder of VAS & Associates Inc. a management consulting firm which provides customized advisory, coaching and training services to corporate executives, their boards, and their teams building on her 25+ year career. As a solutions catalyst, Vania has supported hundreds of individuals through impactful change and growth.
Vania has been consistently recognized as a respected, trusted, and strategic senior leader. Her portfolio includes a decade in long-term care home administration in the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. It advanced to a decade of executive leadership within a $4.8B regional health authority including accountability for multi-million dollar, and complex transformation strategies in collaboration with multiple stakeholders and funders.
Vania’s lifelong passion for capacity building inspired her coaching work and the launch of her business venture which focuses on empowering senior leaders and emerging leaders. She supports global clients from a variety of industries, specializing in service industries including healthcare, education, professional services, banking, and public administration. She provides respectful, customized services reflecting her business acumen and a values-based approach. She is results and performance driven and supports her clients as a trusted partner in accountability, enabling advancement of their defined goals and helping to unleash their potential and to overcome barriers to success.
In addition to coaching, Vania also supports her clients with leadership development through customized training. This builds on her collaboration with universities across Canada, the US and internationally and includes lecturing and authoring of published case studies with a focus on strategy, leadership, entrepreneurship, and women in leadership.
Vania holds an MBA from the Ivey Business School and is a Certified Health Executive and a Certified Business Coach. She is a member of the Harvard Institute of Coaching, the International Coach Federation, and the Canadian Physician Coaches Network.
John Coné
Catalyst and Advisor to Talent Development Executives
As Principal of the Eleventh Hour Group, John consults on talent management and organizational learning, with special emphasis on strategy and on organizing and managing complex organizations. He serves as advisor to CLOs and on several learning advisory groups.
John is the Catalyst for the CTDO Next group, the Association for Talent Development (ATD) executive network. He Chairs the Chief Learning & Talent Officers Board for the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp.)
John has served as Board Chair and Interim CEO of ATD and was also Chair of ASTD’s Certification Institute. He was the first VP of Learning and Development at Dell Computer. He has also served on the Editorial Board of Strategic HR Review, the board of SumTotal Systems, and as VP of HR for Sequent Computer Systems Inc.
Jason Murray
President and Managing Partner, BIPOC Executive Search
Over the course of his career, Jason has worked on 400+ executive searches as well as a range of EDI services in partnership with client companies. Prior to founding BIPOC Executive Search Inc., Jason worked at a multinational executive search firm as well as a boutique search firm before that. For part of his career, he worked in the Consulting Division of Deloitte & Touche as the Human Capital and Strategy & Operations Supervisor. In this position he provided organizational management and HR services to the 994 individuals in the division, and was a respected voice around matters of equity, diversity, and inclusion and increasing representation throughout the organization.
Jason has a community-facing orientation, and currently serves as Chair of the Board for the Toronto Fringe Festival. He has done work with a number of organizations that have a deep and abiding commitment to representation in the workforce, including the Canadian Board Diversity Council, Fora (formerly G(irls)20), and Pride at Work Canada. He has facilitated EDI workshops and talks for a number of organizations and initiatives, including the African Canadian Women in the Public Service Network (ACWPS), Business for the Arts, Innovators Alliance, National Dialogues and Action for Inclusive Higher Education and Communities, Supply Chain Canada, Social Value Matters, and The Walrus. He has been a roundtable panelist with the likes of the Hon. Kathleen Wynne, CNN’s Van Jones, and so forth.
Jason holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, and a Master’s degree in Management from Boston University (also the alma mater of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez). He is certified in unconscious-bias decision making and iOS app development and has completed courses on predicative data analytics and the use of artificial intelligence in recruitment and retention.
Dr. Rumeet Billan, PhD
Chief Learning Architect at Viewpoint Leadership Inc.
Dr. Rumeet Billan is an award-winning, internationally recognized entrepreneur, researcher, speaker, and expert on psychological capital. Her mission is to transform workplace cultures through research, training, and experiences that enable trust, foster belonging, and build resilience. Dr. Billan completed her PhD at the University of Toronto, and has designed and facilitated programs, courses, and training sessions across industries and sectors. Dr. Billan has been named Canada’s Top 100 Health Leaders in 2021, Canada’s Top 10 Power Women, and was twice named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network. She is a regular guest on top radio and television morning shows, and has been featured in Forbes, The Globe and Mail, National Post, and more. Since 2004, she has contributed to social impact initiatives that improve access to and the quality of education in North America, South America, and Africa. Recently, Dr. Billan made a donation of more than 280,000 brand-new books from various publishers and authors to be distributed to children and youth in need. She continues to support causes and lead initiatives that promote human welfare. For details, visit www.rumeetbillan.com
Ann Gomez
Speaker, Author & Founding President, Clear Concept Inc.
Ann Gomez is the founding president of Clear Concept Inc, as well as an engaging speaker and a USA Today bestselling author. Ann is passionate about helping people do their best work at all stages of their career. Ann brings 20 years of experience delivering compelling and practical talks about productivity, collaboration, mindset, and wellbeing. Ann and her team support people around the world and across industries to help busy people make the most of their time.
Ann is a recurring faculty member for the Leadership in Administration program at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management Initiative for Women in Business. Ann has been featured in The Globe & Mail and has appeared on CBC Radio, Global TV, BNN and Huffington Thrive Global.
Prior to founding Clear Concept Inc., Ann was a management consultant at A.T. Kearney. Earlier in her career, Ann was a pharmaceutical representative and research coordinator. Ann has an MBA from Queen’s University where she was the President of the MBA class. Ann also has an Honours Bachelor’s Degree in Science (Biology & Psychology) from McMaster University.
Outside of work, Ann and her husband love spending time with their four active kids.
Todd Humber
Publisher, Talent Canada
Todd Humber is a group publisher at Annex Business Media in Toronto. As a journalist, he has spent more than 20 years covering issues of importance to HR professionals and employers. In 2019, he launched Talent Canada — a cutting-edge media brand designed to educate senior leadership about the importance of investing in people. Before that, he worked at Thomson Reuters where he was the publisher and editor-in-chief of a national human resources publication.
Employee Experience Rules
The pandemic has revamped the way employees define and negotiate their needs and expectations at work. Here’s what has changed:
- Employees are clearer about their expectations from employers – they want to know they matter
- Employees are empowered to advocate for working conditions that foster well-being
- Employee experiences, of which wellness is an important part, directly correlate with talent engagement, productivity, performance and retention[1].
- Relationships with managers and team members, working environment and understandings of one’s role and value also affect employee experiences.
Organizations that do not prioritize employee well-being expose themselves to the risk of losing talent. It is time to re-humanize organizations, because businesses can no longer be transactional or stoic when it comes to supporting employees.
This year’s HR Summit, titled “Human-Centric Workplaces: Making Moments Matter in the Employee Life Cycle” will explore in detail how the most successful organizations of tomorrow will develop cultures and business practices that address the experiences of the humans that work there. This summit will offer practical tools and tactics for HR professionals to support human-centric organizational cultures. Attendees will walk away with actionable takeaways to optimize employee experience and make the best of the moments that truly matter to employees.
Why Attend this Event?
- Learn how employee appreciation drives employee experiences
- Equip yourself and your organization with tools to cultivate employee wellness, reduce absenteeism and strengthen employee engagement
- Better understand how to stay abreast with the changing pace of disruption, innovation and the impact of this on today’s workforce.
- Become familiar with how a human-centric framework can support organizational productivity, growth and resilience.
Who Should Attend?
- HR Specialists, HR Generalists, HR Managers, HR Directors, HR Business Partners
- Organizational Development Professionals and others who lead or execute OD strategies and programs in their organizations
- Business Leaders who are responsible for employee wellbeing, employee engagement, leadership, and policy development
Please note that HRPA reserves the right to modify and update session titles, descriptions and speakers.
DAY 1: May 9, 2022
8:45 AM – 9:15 AM
Event Welcome and Introduction
Speaker(s): Kris Tierney, CHRP, CHRL, Vice President, Human Resources and Learning, HRPA
Human-centric values, policies, systems and leaders directly impact organizational sustainability and viability. A human-centred approach to strategic business decision making, organizational design and leadership is the way of the future. Explore relevant research and data to understand the nuances of human-centric culture and leadership, including the pitfalls and risks that make it necessary and the solutions it can offer.
9:15 AM – 10:15 AM
Trust-Based Cultures
Moderator: Laura Williams, Managing Partner, Williams HR Law LLP President and CEO, Williams HR Consulting Inc.;
Speaker(s): Melanie Drouin, Senior Consultant, Great Place to Work® Canada
Instead of an entitlement culture, organizations need to establish reciprocal, trust-based relationships with employees that are symbiotic and mutually beneficial. Driving home the importance of rooting organizational cultures in trust, this session examines strategies to build and drive trust-based cultures. Other topics covered include ways to measure trust and make sense of the data, as well as how to maintain trust on an ongoing basis.
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Shifts in Employee Needs Coming out of the Pandemic
Moderator: Laura Williams, Managing Partner, Williams HR Law LLP; President and CEO, Williams HR Consulting Inc.
Speaker(s): Vania Sakelaris, MBA, CHE, RCC™, CBC™, Founder, VAS & Associates Inc.
Evidence suggests that addressing employees’ new, intensified and varying needs is vital. For instance, as the Gartner report details, establishing programs, processes and guidance to enable discussion of sometimes uncomfortable topics[1] can directly address emerging employee expectations. Based on research and data that speaks to employees’ changing needs, we will analyze how workplaces are changing due to the pandemic, which trends are here to say and how to prepare for the future.
11:45 AM – 12:30 PM
Moments that Matter
Moderator: Kris Tierney, CHRP, CHRL, Vice President, Human Resources and Learning, HRPA
Speaker(s): John Coné, Catalyst and Advisor to Talent Development Executives
According to i4CP, there are three types of “moments that matter”: obvious (common, expected, touchpoints throughout the employee journey), opaque (may be hinted at but are less overt) and finally, invisible moments (that happen to an employee and that the business may not know about or consider important).
This session takes a deep dive into this ‘Moments that Matter’ concept and its various iterations, with a focus on strategies that HR and businesses can put into motion to build human-centric practices and habits into organizational programs, policies and systems.
DAY 2: May 10, 2022
8:45 AM – 9:00 AM
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Speaker(s): Kris Tierney, CHRP, CHRL, Vice President, Human Resources and Learning, HRPA
9:00 AM – 10:15 AM
HR and Workplace Trends: Trends Overview, Recruitment, Accommodation
Day 2 of this summit kicks off with a presentation on key findings from the HRPA 2021 Trends Survey, delving into five emerging trends that the report identifies i.e., recruitment and retention, flexible work arrangements, employee benefits, learning and development, and IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility).
Part A – HRPA Trends Survey
Moderator: Laura Williams, Managing Partner, Williams HR Law LLP President and CEO, Williams HR Consulting Inc.
Speaker(s): Kris Tierney, CHRP, CHRL, Vice President, Human Resources and Learning, HRPA
Day 2 of this summit kicks off with a presentation on key findings from the HRPA 2021 Trends Survey, delving into five emerging trends that the report identifies i.e., recruitment and retention, flexible work arrangements, employee benefits, learning and development, and IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility).
Part B – Recruitment
Moderator: Laura Williams, Managing Partner, Williams HR Law LLP President and CEO, Williams HR Consulting Inc.
Speaker(s): Jason Murray, President and Managing Partner, BIPOC Executive Search
This session sheds light on how equity, diversity and inclusion can be at the forefront of a more humanized recruitment process. Familiarize yourself with useful tips and top takeaways when it comes to human-centric recruitment, as well as some stumbling blocks to be wary of.
Part C – Beyond Accommodation
Moderator: Laura Williams, Managing Partner, Williams HR Law LLP President and CEO, Williams HR Consulting Inc.
Speaker(s): Dr. Rumeet Billan, Ph.D., Chief Learning Architect at Viewpoint Leadership Inc.
Go beyond just the legal obligations related to childcare, eldercare, disability management and return-to-work support and become skilled in approaching accommodation in the workplace through a humane, compassionate and empathetic lens.
10:30 AM – 11:45 AM
HR and Workplace Trends: Flexible Work, Employee Benefits, Learning and Development
Part A – Flexible Work
Moderator: Kris Tierney, CHRP, CHRL, Vice President, Human Resources and Learning, HRPA
Speaker(s): Ann Gomez, Speaker, Author & Founding President, Clear Concept Inc.
Employee demands have served as a driver for highlighting the need for flexibility in the workplace.
This moderated discussion pays attention to mechanisms that can best support businesses in implementing and managing workplaces that account for employees’ needs.
Part B – Employee Benefits
Moderator: Kris Tierney, CHRP, CHRL, Vice President, Human Resources and Learning, HRPA
Speaker(s): Todd Humber, Publisher, Talent Canada
Redesigning benefits with a human-centric perspective requires a fuller understanding of how benefits program designs are changing overall. Personalizing support to meet employees’ diverse needs and supporting employees in coping with emerging and exacerbated stress factors are the cornerstones of such an approach. Equip yourself with top takeaways and practical tools for revamping employee benefits.
Part C – Learning and Development
Moderator: Laura Williams, Managing Partner, Williams HR Law LLP President and CEO, Williams HR Consulting Inc.
Speaker(s): Kris Tierney, CHRP, CHRL, Vice President, Human Resources and Learning, HRPA
This session looks into how learning and development can be more human-centric and how organizations invest in workforce development. Also learn more about effective ways to incorporate such an outlook and the pitfalls to look out for along the way.
12:00 PM – 12:30 PM
Closing Keynote
Speaker(s): Laura Williams, Managing Partner, Williams HR Law LLP President and CEO, Williams HR Consulting Inc.
The summit wraps up with a motivating speech that recaps the aspects of human-centric leadership covered across sessions and proposes how we can move forward with inspiring optimism, hope and purpose.
Kris Tierney, CHRP, CHRL (Co-Chair)
Vice President, Human Resources and Learning, HRPA
Kris’ approach as an executive leader is to achieve results by creating outstanding workplaces where people and culture are strategic priorities. She is a passionate and skilled business executive with 15 years’ experience leading HR in hi-tech, high growth companies in automotive and financial services, where she served as a trusted people and culture strategist, advisor, and business partner to the C-Suite.
Kris started her career in hospitality where she held various leadership and management positions. For more than 20 years, Kris has served as a valued member of senior and executive leadership teams, where her skills in HR, leadership, strategy, and culture were honed and her passion for business and human resources were developed. She is periodically called upon by media, conferences, and academia to contribute her experience and perspectives as an HR and business leader.
Kris has achieved the Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) and Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) designations as awarded by the Human Resources Professionals Association in Ontario, Canada. As a lifelong learner, Kris is thrilled to bring professional development and learning opportunities to the HR community in her role as Vice-President, Human Resources and Learning at the HRPA.
Laura Williams (Co-Chair)
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 full range of labour and employment law matters and is a seasoned workplace investigator with specific expertise in conducting investigations and organizational reviews related to equity diversity inclusion and systemic discrimination issues.
As 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, Laura 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.
In addition to her work, 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. Laura 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. Laura 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.
Melanie Drouin
Senior Consultant, Great Place to Work® Canada
Melanie Drouin is a Senior Consultant at Great Place to Work® Canada. She joined GPTW following a very successful 20-year career in Marketing Research. Having managed, coached & grown people in fast-paced, high-stress, multicultural environments while working with clients from all industries, Melanie learned first-hand the value of people-centered leadership. Melanie has facilitated leadership workshops and supported leaders in North America, EMEA & APAC. Melanie attended McGill university where she studied Human Resources Management with a focus on organizational behaviour, training & development. She is an active member of the International Association of Facilitators.
Vania Sakelaris, MBA, CHE, RCC™, CBC™
Founder, VAS & Associates Inc.
Vania Sakelaris is a seasoned executive and the founder of VAS & Associates Inc. a management consulting firm which provides customized advisory, coaching and training services to corporate executives, their boards, and their teams building on her 25+ year career. As a solutions catalyst, Vania has supported hundreds of individuals through impactful change and growth.
Vania has been consistently recognized as a respected, trusted, and strategic senior leader. Her portfolio includes a decade in long-term care home administration in the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. It advanced to a decade of executive leadership within a $4.8B regional health authority including accountability for multi-million dollar, and complex transformation strategies in collaboration with multiple stakeholders and funders.
Vania’s lifelong passion for capacity building inspired her coaching work and the launch of her business venture which focuses on empowering senior leaders and emerging leaders. She supports global clients from a variety of industries, specializing in service industries including healthcare, education, professional services, banking, and public administration. She provides respectful, customized services reflecting her business acumen and a values-based approach. She is results and performance driven and supports her clients as a trusted partner in accountability, enabling advancement of their defined goals and helping to unleash their potential and to overcome barriers to success.
In addition to coaching, Vania also supports her clients with leadership development through customized training. This builds on her collaboration with universities across Canada, the US and internationally and includes lecturing and authoring of published case studies with a focus on strategy, leadership, entrepreneurship, and women in leadership.
Vania holds an MBA from the Ivey Business School and is a Certified Health Executive and a Certified Business Coach. She is a member of the Harvard Institute of Coaching, the International Coach Federation, and the Canadian Physician Coaches Network.
John Coné
Catalyst and Advisor to Talent Development Executives
As Principal of the Eleventh Hour Group, John consults on talent management and organizational learning, with special emphasis on strategy and on organizing and managing complex organizations. He serves as advisor to CLOs and on several learning advisory groups.
John is the Catalyst for the CTDO Next group, the Association for Talent Development (ATD) executive network. He Chairs the Chief Learning & Talent Officers Board for the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp.)
John has served as Board Chair and Interim CEO of ATD and was also Chair of ASTD’s Certification Institute. He was the first VP of Learning and Development at Dell Computer. He has also served on the Editorial Board of Strategic HR Review, the board of SumTotal Systems, and as VP of HR for Sequent Computer Systems Inc.
Jason Murray
President and Managing Partner, BIPOC Executive Search
Over the course of his career, Jason has worked on 400+ executive searches as well as a range of EDI services in partnership with client companies. Prior to founding BIPOC Executive Search Inc., Jason worked at a multinational executive search firm as well as a boutique search firm before that. For part of his career, he worked in the Consulting Division of Deloitte & Touche as the Human Capital and Strategy & Operations Supervisor. In this position he provided organizational management and HR services to the 994 individuals in the division, and was a respected voice around matters of equity, diversity, and inclusion and increasing representation throughout the organization.
Jason has a community-facing orientation, and currently serves as Chair of the Board for the Toronto Fringe Festival. He has done work with a number of organizations that have a deep and abiding commitment to representation in the workforce, including the Canadian Board Diversity Council, Fora (formerly G(irls)20), and Pride at Work Canada. He has facilitated EDI workshops and talks for a number of organizations and initiatives, including the African Canadian Women in the Public Service Network (ACWPS), Business for the Arts, Innovators Alliance, National Dialogues and Action for Inclusive Higher Education and Communities, Supply Chain Canada, Social Value Matters, and The Walrus. He has been a roundtable panelist with the likes of the Hon. Kathleen Wynne, CNN’s Van Jones, and so forth.
Jason holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, and a Master’s degree in Management from Boston University (also the alma mater of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez). He is certified in unconscious-bias decision making and iOS app development and has completed courses on predicative data analytics and the use of artificial intelligence in recruitment and retention.
Dr. Rumeet Billan, PhD
Chief Learning Architect at Viewpoint Leadership Inc.
Dr. Rumeet Billan is an award-winning, internationally recognized entrepreneur, researcher, speaker, and expert on psychological capital. Her mission is to transform workplace cultures through research, training, and experiences that enable trust, foster belonging, and build resilience. Dr. Billan completed her PhD at the University of Toronto, and has designed and facilitated programs, courses, and training sessions across industries and sectors. Dr. Billan has been named Canada’s Top 100 Health Leaders in 2021, Canada’s Top 10 Power Women, and was twice named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network. She is a regular guest on top radio and television morning shows, and has been featured in Forbes, The Globe and Mail, National Post, and more. Since 2004, she has contributed to social impact initiatives that improve access to and the quality of education in North America, South America, and Africa. Recently, Dr. Billan made a donation of more than 280,000 brand-new books from various publishers and authors to be distributed to children and youth in need. She continues to support causes and lead initiatives that promote human welfare. For details, visit www.rumeetbillan.com
Ann Gomez
Speaker, Author & Founding President, Clear Concept Inc.
Ann Gomez is the founding president of Clear Concept Inc, as well as an engaging speaker and a USA Today bestselling author. Ann is passionate about helping people do their best work at all stages of their career. Ann brings 20 years of experience delivering compelling and practical talks about productivity, collaboration, mindset, and wellbeing. Ann and her team support people around the world and across industries to help busy people make the most of their time.
Ann is a recurring faculty member for the Leadership in Administration program at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management Initiative for Women in Business. Ann has been featured in The Globe & Mail and has appeared on CBC Radio, Global TV, BNN and Huffington Thrive Global.
Prior to founding Clear Concept Inc., Ann was a management consultant at A.T. Kearney. Earlier in her career, Ann was a pharmaceutical representative and research coordinator. Ann has an MBA from Queen’s University where she was the President of the MBA class. Ann also has an Honours Bachelor’s Degree in Science (Biology & Psychology) from McMaster University.
Outside of work, Ann and her husband love spending time with their four active kids.
Todd Humber
Publisher, Talent Canada
Todd Humber is a group publisher at Annex Business Media in Toronto. As a journalist, he has spent more than 20 years covering issues of importance to HR professionals and employers. In 2019, he launched Talent Canada — a cutting-edge media brand designed to educate senior leadership about the importance of investing in people. Before that, he worked at Thomson Reuters where he was the publisher and editor-in-chief of a national human resources publication.
Kris Tierney, CHRP, CHRL (Co-Chair)
Vice President, Human Resources and Learning, HRPA
Kris’ approach as an executive leader is to achieve results by creating outstanding workplaces where people and culture are strategic priorities. She is a passionate and skilled business executive with 15 years’ experience leading HR in hi-tech, high growth companies in automotive and financial services, where she served as a trusted people and culture strategist, advisor, and business partner to the C-Suite.
Kris started her career in hospitality where she held various leadership and management positions. For more than 20 years, Kris has served as a valued member of senior and executive leadership teams, where her skills in HR, leadership, strategy, and culture were honed and her passion for business and human resources were developed. She is periodically called upon by media, conferences, and academia to contribute her experience and perspectives as an HR and business leader.
Kris has achieved the Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) and Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) designations as awarded by the Human Resources Professionals Association in Ontario, Canada. As a lifelong learner, Kris is thrilled to bring professional development and learning opportunities to the HR community in her role as Vice-President, Human Resources and Learning at the HRPA.
Laura Williams (Co-Chair)
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 full range of labour and employment law matters and is a seasoned workplace investigator with specific expertise in conducting investigations and organizational reviews related to equity diversity inclusion and systemic discrimination issues.
As 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, Laura 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.
In addition to her work, 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. Laura 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. Laura 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.
Melanie Drouin
Senior Consultant, Great Place to Work® Canada
Melanie Drouin is a Senior Consultant at Great Place to Work® Canada. She joined GPTW following a very successful 20-year career in Marketing Research. Having managed, coached & grown people in fast-paced, high-stress, multicultural environments while working with clients from all industries, Melanie learned first-hand the value of people-centered leadership. Melanie has facilitated leadership workshops and supported leaders in North America, EMEA & APAC. Melanie attended McGill university where she studied Human Resources Management with a focus on organizational behaviour, training & development. She is an active member of the International Association of Facilitators.
Vania Sakelaris, MBA, CHE, RCC™, CBC™
Founder, VAS & Associates Inc.
Vania Sakelaris is a seasoned executive and the founder of VAS & Associates Inc. a management consulting firm which provides customized advisory, coaching and training services to corporate executives, their boards, and their teams building on her 25+ year career. As a solutions catalyst, Vania has supported hundreds of individuals through impactful change and growth.
Vania has been consistently recognized as a respected, trusted, and strategic senior leader. Her portfolio includes a decade in long-term care home administration in the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. It advanced to a decade of executive leadership within a $4.8B regional health authority including accountability for multi-million dollar, and complex transformation strategies in collaboration with multiple stakeholders and funders.
Vania’s lifelong passion for capacity building inspired her coaching work and the launch of her business venture which focuses on empowering senior leaders and emerging leaders. She supports global clients from a variety of industries, specializing in service industries including healthcare, education, professional services, banking, and public administration. She provides respectful, customized services reflecting her business acumen and a values-based approach. She is results and performance driven and supports her clients as a trusted partner in accountability, enabling advancement of their defined goals and helping to unleash their potential and to overcome barriers to success.
In addition to coaching, Vania also supports her clients with leadership development through customized training. This builds on her collaboration with universities across Canada, the US and internationally and includes lecturing and authoring of published case studies with a focus on strategy, leadership, entrepreneurship, and women in leadership.
Vania holds an MBA from the Ivey Business School and is a Certified Health Executive and a Certified Business Coach. She is a member of the Harvard Institute of Coaching, the International Coach Federation, and the Canadian Physician Coaches Network.
John Coné
Catalyst and Advisor to Talent Development Executives
As Principal of the Eleventh Hour Group, John consults on talent management and organizational learning, with special emphasis on strategy and on organizing and managing complex organizations. He serves as advisor to CLOs and on several learning advisory groups.
John is the Catalyst for the CTDO Next group, the Association for Talent Development (ATD) executive network. He Chairs the Chief Learning & Talent Officers Board for the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp.)
John has served as Board Chair and Interim CEO of ATD and was also Chair of ASTD’s Certification Institute. He was the first VP of Learning and Development at Dell Computer. He has also served on the Editorial Board of Strategic HR Review, the board of SumTotal Systems, and as VP of HR for Sequent Computer Systems Inc.
Jason Murray
President and Managing Partner, BIPOC Executive Search
Over the course of his career, Jason has worked on 400+ executive searches as well as a range of EDI services in partnership with client companies. Prior to founding BIPOC Executive Search Inc., Jason worked at a multinational executive search firm as well as a boutique search firm before that. For part of his career, he worked in the Consulting Division of Deloitte & Touche as the Human Capital and Strategy & Operations Supervisor. In this position he provided organizational management and HR services to the 994 individuals in the division, and was a respected voice around matters of equity, diversity, and inclusion and increasing representation throughout the organization.
Jason has a community-facing orientation, and currently serves as Chair of the Board for the Toronto Fringe Festival. He has done work with a number of organizations that have a deep and abiding commitment to representation in the workforce, including the Canadian Board Diversity Council, Fora (formerly G(irls)20), and Pride at Work Canada. He has facilitated EDI workshops and talks for a number of organizations and initiatives, including the African Canadian Women in the Public Service Network (ACWPS), Business for the Arts, Innovators Alliance, National Dialogues and Action for Inclusive Higher Education and Communities, Supply Chain Canada, Social Value Matters, and The Walrus. He has been a roundtable panelist with the likes of the Hon. Kathleen Wynne, CNN’s Van Jones, and so forth.
Jason holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, and a Master’s degree in Management from Boston University (also the alma mater of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez). He is certified in unconscious-bias decision making and iOS app development and has completed courses on predicative data analytics and the use of artificial intelligence in recruitment and retention.
Dr. Rumeet Billan, PhD
Chief Learning Architect at Viewpoint Leadership Inc.
Dr. Rumeet Billan is an award-winning, internationally recognized entrepreneur, researcher, speaker, and expert on psychological capital. Her mission is to transform workplace cultures through research, training, and experiences that enable trust, foster belonging, and build resilience. Dr. Billan completed her PhD at the University of Toronto, and has designed and facilitated programs, courses, and training sessions across industries and sectors. Dr. Billan has been named Canada’s Top 100 Health Leaders in 2021, Canada’s Top 10 Power Women, and was twice named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network. She is a regular guest on top radio and television morning shows, and has been featured in Forbes, The Globe and Mail, National Post, and more. Since 2004, she has contributed to social impact initiatives that improve access to and the quality of education in North America, South America, and Africa. Recently, Dr. Billan made a donation of more than 280,000 brand-new books from various publishers and authors to be distributed to children and youth in need. She continues to support causes and lead initiatives that promote human welfare. For details, visit www.rumeetbillan.com
Ann Gomez
Speaker, Author & Founding President, Clear Concept Inc.
Ann Gomez is the founding president of Clear Concept Inc, as well as an engaging speaker and a USA Today bestselling author. Ann is passionate about helping people do their best work at all stages of their career. Ann brings 20 years of experience delivering compelling and practical talks about productivity, collaboration, mindset, and wellbeing. Ann and her team support people around the world and across industries to help busy people make the most of their time.
Ann is a recurring faculty member for the Leadership in Administration program at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management Initiative for Women in Business. Ann has been featured in The Globe & Mail and has appeared on CBC Radio, Global TV, BNN and Huffington Thrive Global.
Prior to founding Clear Concept Inc., Ann was a management consultant at A.T. Kearney. Earlier in her career, Ann was a pharmaceutical representative and research coordinator. Ann has an MBA from Queen’s University where she was the President of the MBA class. Ann also has an Honours Bachelor’s Degree in Science (Biology & Psychology) from McMaster University.
Outside of work, Ann and her husband love spending time with their four active kids.
Todd Humber
Publisher, Talent Canada
Todd Humber is a group publisher at Annex Business Media in Toronto. As a journalist, he has spent more than 20 years covering issues of importance to HR professionals and employers. In 2019, he launched Talent Canada — a cutting-edge media brand designed to educate senior leadership about the importance of investing in people. Before that, he worked at Thomson Reuters where he was the publisher and editor-in-chief of a national human resources publication.
Contact Adam Hart, Business Development Lead, to learn more about partnership or sponsorship opportunities.
Tel: 416.923.2324 ext. 353
Email: ahart@hrpa.ca
Thank you to our Supporting Sponsors
Contributing Partners
