The late Prime Minister Brian Mulroney with his daughter,
Caroline Mulroney, MPP and President of the Treasury Board,
who will be accepting a special posthumous recognition award for her father,
whose Government established the Canada Awards for Excellence.

Speakers listed in alphabetic order

Dany Assaf

Co-chair of Tory’s Competition and Foreign Investment Group, Author

Dany is a globally recognized lawyer with deep and broad international business experience advising and helping businesses grow worldwide. Dany is also the author of the books, “Say Please and Thank You & Stand In Line: One Man’s Story of What Makes Canada Special, and How to Keep It that Way”, and “Everybody’s Business: How to Ensure Canadian Prosperity Through the Twenty-First Century”.

Dany has taught and lectured at major Canadian universities and written and been a commentator on major Canadian media platforms including the Globe and Mail, the Star and, the National Post newspapers and the CBC, CTV, BNN Bloomberg, and Global television networks. Dany has also been involved in many community initiatives and projects over the years including been President of the Canadian Club of Toronto and he and his wife Lisa also co-founded the annual Fast in the 6 event held on Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square bringing Canadians of all backgrounds together to celebrate its motto: Diversity. Unity. Prosperity. Dany also sits on the boards of the Unity Health hospital network, Canadian Race Relations Foundation, and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.

Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon

President and Vice-Chancellor, The University of British Columbia

Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon started a five-year term as the 17th President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of British Columbia in 2023.

Before joining UBC, Dr. Bacon served in several academic leadership roles, including as President and Vice-Chancellor of Carleton University in Ottawa, Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) at Queen’s University in Kingston, and as Provost and Vice-President (Academic Affairs) at Concordia University in his hometown of Montreal.

Dr. Bacon holds a PhD in neuropsychology from the University of Montreal, after which he undertook a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. His research focuses on the neurophysiological and cognitive bases of visual and multisensory perception.

Sharing his own lived experience, he advocates nationally for open conversations about mental health and substance use.

Suzanne Blanchard

Vice-President (Students and Enrolment Division), Carleton University

Suzanne Blanchard is the Vice-President (Students and Enrolment Division) at Carleton University, where she leads a transformative portfolio dedicated to enhancing the student experience and refining enrolment strategies. With a distinguished career in higher education administration, Suzanne is dedicated to elevating student services, championing diversity and inclusion, and pioneering innovative programs that empower students to reach their academic, personal and professional potential.

In her current role, Suzanne oversees a diverse range of initiatives designed to enhance student support services, including academic advising, career development and mental health support. Her collaborative leadership style has fostered a culture of innovation, information sharing and mutual support within Students and Enrolment. Her leadership has been instrumental in the creation and implementation of Carleton’s innovative Student Mental Health Framework and Coordinated Accessibility Strategy. She is a steadfast advocate for fostering an inclusive and accessible environment where staff and students from all backgrounds can thrive.

Suzanne earned her Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) from the University of Ottawa and has been a dedicated professional in post-secondary education since the late 1980s, with roles at the Ministry of Colleges and Universities, La Cité collégiale, and Carleton University, where she has served as Director of Admission Services, University Registrar, and Associate Vice President (Students and Enrolment).

In addition to her role at Carleton, Suzanne chairs the Canadian Accessibility Network Governing Council and is a board member of the Ashbury College Board of Governors.

Tony Chapman

Creator and Host of the Award Winning Podcast and Platform Chatter that Matters

Dr. Jim Chung

Chief Medical Officer, Air Canada

Dr. Jim Chung has been Air Canada’s Chief Medical Officer since 2014.  In this role, he has oversight for both employee and passenger medical regulatory and pilot medical certification.   He is also responsible for the corporate disability management program and the corporate wellness program, Unlock the Best in You (UBY).  

Dr. Chung is a graduate of the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine and completed his undergraduate studies at McMaster University.

He served in the Canadian Forces in various medical officer roles while stationed at CFB Petawawa including a deployment to Bosnia with Canada’s NATO SFOR mission and a deployment to Turkey with Canada’s Disaster Assistance Response Team in response to a major earthquake in 1999.

Dr. Chung attained his flight surgeon training through the Canadian Forces Defence and Civil Institute of Environmental Medicine and also completed his Master in Aviation Medicine and Post graduate diploma in Occupational Medicine with Otago University.

Dr. Chung also completed his emergency medicine training and certification with the University of Toronto following his service with the Canadian Forces, practicing as an emergency medicine physician in Toronto prior to joining Air Canada in 2009 and assuming the role of Chief Medical Officer with Air Canada in 2014.

Erin Davis

Broadcaster, Author, Sleep Enthusiast

Arlene Dickinson

Founder & General Partner of District Ventures Capital

Arlene Dickinson is a visionary entrepreneur and leader with a remarkable track record of success. She is the Founder and General Partner of District Ventures Capital, a venture capital fund that invests in innovative companies in the food & beverage and health & wellness sectors. Under her leadership, District Ventures Capital has become a leading force in the industry, with a portfolio of ground-breaking companies that are transforming the way we live and eat.

Beyond her business ventures, Dickinson is a sought-after speaker, three-time best-selling author, and philanthropist. She is widely recognized for her role as a Venture Capitalist on the hit television series, Dragons’ Den, where she currently has starred for over 16 seasons.

Dickinson’s leadership and entrepreneurial prowess have earned her numerous accolades over the years, including induction into the Southern Alberta Business Hall of Fame, the Marketing Hall of Legends, recognition as one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100 Hall of Fame, and the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Diamond and Platinum Jubilee Awards. Dickinson served as an Honorary Captain of the Royal Canadian Navy for over 10 years visiting our troops overseas numerous times.

With her unwavering commitment to excellence, her passion for innovation, and her deep dedication to her community and country, Arlene Dickinson is a true Canadian icon and a shining example of what can be achieved through hard work, determination, and vision.

Allan N. Ebedes

CEO, Excellence Canada

Since 2005, Allan Ebedes has led Excellence Canada, formerly known as the National Quality Institute. Working with the Board of Directors, he is responsible for setting the strategic direction of Excellence Canada and delivering on its business plan and mission.

Allan began his business career as a Chartered Accountant (CA) at Coopers & Lybrand, now PWC. He then became a partner at a small furniture and appliance chain, which grew significantly during his ownership, and was subsequently sold to The Brick. In 1979, he started a private career college called the Toronto School of Business, a division of International Business Schools, which grew to become the largest career college in Canada, with 50 locations coast to coast which during his ownership, trained over 250,000 adult students for new and rewarding careers. Allan took the company public on the NASDAQ exchange.

In 2002, Allan founded Management Mentors International, a company dedicated to corporate training and development, coaching and mentoring. He was also appointed as President of the Academy of Learning, a chain of 100 computer learning centres across Canada.

Allan is a CA, CPA and earned an MBA from the University of Toronto (now Rotman School of Management) and an LLM law degree in Global Business through an evening program at the Faculty of Law. Allan is a Certified Director (ICD.D) with the Institute of Corporate Directors and is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO).

Jennifer Lombardo

Health & Wellness Manager, Wajax

Jennifer Lombardo has a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree in Health Studies & Sociology from McMaster University, as well as a Post-Graduate Certificate in Workplace Wellness & Health Promotion from Centennial College. For the last 20 years, Jennifer has worked with a variety of organizations in both the private and public sectors, to assist them with developing, implementing and evaluating leading edge Health & Wellness programs. In her present role as the Health & Wellness Manager at Wajax, Jennifer is committed to creating  psychologically healthy and safe workspaces at their 120- branches across the country.

Ms. Lombardo is an active member on the Conference Board of Canada’s Council on Workplace Health and Wellness. She also volunteers as a Verifier with Excellence Canada, where she assists with evaluating organizations who are applying for certification in Healthy Workplace and/or Mental Health at Work.

On a personal note, Jennifer is passionate about making the world a better place. Outside of work hours, she can often be found helping others get organized, save money, and avoid food waste. She also enjoys giving back to the communities in which she works and lives with her family.

Jon Love, C.M.

Executive Chair and Founder, KingSett Capital Inc.

Jon began his real estate career with Oxford Properties in 1980, becoming President in 1987 and CEO in 1992. Jon led Oxford’s initial public offering in 1995 and oversaw $7 billion in acquisitions over the ensuing six years. Oxford was acquired by the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) in 2001 in a $4 billion privatization.

Jon is a member of the Business Council of Canada, the Chief Executives Organization, and Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO). Jon is also an Emeritus Advisory Board member at Western University’s Ivey Business School, where he received an Honours degree in Business Administration. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Western University in 2016 and became a member of the Order of Canada (C.M.) in 2018. Jon received the Ivey Business Leader of the Year Award and the NAIOP Rex Icon Award in 2023.

Katrena Munsch

Director Workplace Accommodation and Mental Well-being, Sun Life Financial

Katrena is passionate about building healthier workplaces by helping Employee’s and People Leader’s understand how to optimize their well-being through psychological safety and a data-driven approach to improve mental health outcomes.  With a master’s in science from the School of Kinesiology & Health Sciences at York University her career expands across several key areas that support the employee health journey including, disability management, wellness product development, organizational health consulting, mental health strategy, and mental health program management.  Katrena leads Sun Life’s Employee Workplace Accommodation and Mental Well-being program.  Through her guidance Sun Life has been awarded Best Workplaces for Mental Wellness in Canada for the past three years (2022- 2024), top 3 organizations LifeWorks Workplace Strategy Index for Mental Health and as well as the Order of Excellence for Mental Health @ Work through Excellence Canada.

Outside of the workplace, Katrena is part-time chauffeur braving Toronto traffic to get her daughter to hockey on-time across the GTA.  To unwind and restore, especially after those drives, she loves sweating off stress on her peloton bike or walking on the beach with her dog Coooper.

Joe Roberts

The Skidrow CEO

Joe Roberts aka The Skidrow CEO is an expert on resilience and change. Having experienced
both catastrophic failure and extraordinary success Joe teaches how to overcome the roadblocks that get in the way of high performance.

He helps companies and individuals redefine what’s truly possible by confronting limiting
mindsets. Participants at Joes’ events leave inspired and moved to action.

What is most amazing about Joe is that in 1989 he was living on the streets of Vancouver as a
homeless skid row addict. Through perseverance, determination and his resilient human spirit, Joe pulled himself out of darkness and despair, to become a highly respected business and community leader.

Shirlee Sharkey

Chair of Excellence Canada
Former President & CEO, SE Health

Shirlee Sharkey is recognized as one of Canada’s foremost experts on home care and healthy aging. As a registered nurse and the longtime CEO of SE Health, a unique not-for-profit social enterprise, she has dedicated her career to empowering people, championing compassion, and advancing social innovation to forever impact how people live and age at home. In May 2022, Shirlee stepped down from SE Health following 30 years of breakthrough leadership.

Shirlee shares her passion and expertise as a thought leader, speaker, author, and mentor. In 2020, she collaborated with a range of experts to co-author The Future of Aging, a book that has been described as “a brilliant and powerful challenge to locked-in ageist mindsets, policies and service models.

Sean Slater

President, Excellence Canada

Sean Slater was named President of Excellence Canada in July, 2024.  Prior to joining Excellence Canada, Sean held executive leadership roles at Homewood Health, Solareh, VPI Inc., and Ceridian Canada.

Sean is passionate about growth and success and is a transformative leader dedicated to defining and driving positive results and business evolution.

His 25 years of experience extends to executive management, sales leadership, business development, quality and process improvement, workplace health and wellness, treatment, and technology-enabled health products and programs. He has collaborated closely with private, public, and not-for-profit organizations of all sizes, across all sectors of the Canadian business landscape.

 Sean is committed to helping organizations achieve and sustain their success.

Erika Taylor

Vice President, People and Culture, BC Pension Corporation

She and her team develop business, talent and culture strategies that empower employees to maximize their capabilities and contribute to their fullest potential. She is passionate about cultivating exceptional experiences for employees and teams, fostering an inclusive, purpose-driven corporate culture where everyone can thrive.

With over two decades of experience, Erika is an accomplished leader and has a strong background in driving workforce performance and leading HR initiatives within the BC public sector. She holds a master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies, with a special interest in human and organizational dynamics, and a graduate certificate in values-based leadership from Royal Roads University.