Ascend Canada Annual Conference

September 22nd - 24th, 2020

Connect. Learn. Unleash Your Potential.

About

Ascend Canada invites you to our Annual Conference. Our theme this year, Connect, Learn, Unleash your Potential, brings together a diverse mix of influential thought leaders to discuss a variety of topics ranging from diversity, equality, leadership, and professional development.

We’ve adapted the conference to an all-virtual environment this year. We’re confident this will still be a valuable attendee experience with thought-provoking leaders and knowledge-boosting workshops. Meet our 2020 speakers.

Our line-up of speakers over this 3-day professional development conference will inspire you to be a greater leader. See below for the full program schedule.

Tickets

REGISTER TODAY!

All proceeds for the Ascend Canada Annual Conference will be in support of United Way Centraide to support our communities in this unprecedented year.

Ascend Canada members may be eligible for a discount. Email us at toronto.events@ascendleadership.ca from your work email to secure your code.

Speakers

R.Dagher Headshot 345KB
Rola Dagher
Global Channel Chief, Dell Technologies

Rola Dagher is a huge believer in diversity of thought and has made it her mission to empower and nurture her employees and has been a vocal champion for immigrants and for mental health awareness. Prior to her role at Dell Technologies, Rola served as President & CEO of Cisco Canada, where she led the organization to quickly emerge as one of the company’s top globally performing regions.

Armughan Nov 2019
Armughan Ahmad
President & Managing Partner, Digital at KPMG

Armughan Ahmad is a President & Managing Partner, Digital at KPMG. He leads the firm’s digital transformation solutions go to market, serving large enterprise, commercial and public sector clients. At KPMG he is bridging consulting services with mainstream and exponential technologies to deliver business function level customer experiences. Before joining KPMG, he served as the Senior Vice President & General Manager at Dell Technologies, where he led the company’s Global Cloud, Solutions and Alliances organization with a team of engineering, sales, marketing and customer success organization across North American, European and Asian markets. Before Dell Tech, he held executive positions at Hewlett Packard, Huawei 3Com and other technology firms. Armughan serves on the advisory board of Future Skills Center and Queens University’s AI and Analytics board. He is a passionate promoter of girls’ STEAM education, mental health awareness and homelessness resettlement programs.

Serena F
Serena Fong
Vice President, Strategic Engagement, Catalyst

As Catalyst Vice President, Strategic Engagement, Serena Fong drives positive change by leading and executing strategic communications and strategies to key stakeholders, including government leaders, policy-makers, influencers, strategic partners, Catalyst Supporter organizations and board members. She works across the organization to create and execute a compelling and impactful engagement strategy, which includes: developing highly actionable, user-friendly education and awareness-building toolkits to disseminate and implement Catalyst research, ideas, and insights; providing strategy and communications counsel as needed to drive mission impact; leading special projects such as the Catalyst CEO Champions For Change initiative, and leading and providing advice and recommendations on the development of Catalyst’s public positions on various social and governmental policies and issues.
Serena positions Catalyst to give expert testimony, guidance, advice, and recommendations to governments and organizations around the world, serves as a policy expert and gives presentations for various speaking engagements and media opportunities. Prior to working at Catalyst, Serena was a television news producer, working for a number of broadcast news programs airing on national news networks such as ABC, Fox News, and MSNBC. She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from Syracuse University.

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Sonny Wong
President & Creative Director, Hamazaki Wong Marketing Group

Sonny is a marketing entrepreneur with a diversity of interests that span marketing/media, live programs and events, sustainability, arts and culture, film and television, creativity, and social innovation. He is president and creative director of Hamazaki Wong Marketing Group, an award-winning multicultural marketing-communications agency. Sonny co-founder and producer of the Leo Awards, BC’s annual awards program for the film and television industry. He is also founder and a project producer of #HealthNotHate, a national grassroots movement created to combat systemic racism. Along with a team of marketers, media professionals, creatives and business people, #HealthNotHate has come together in volunteerism to address the swelling issue of inclusion, equality, and diversity.
Sonny is a committed community steward with a long record of community and social engagement, and leadership. Among his appointments are board of trustees of Capilano University, Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Foundation of BC, Pacific Council Member of OMNI Television, member of the Vancouver Chinatown Legacy Stewardship Group, director of BC Entertainment Hall of Fame, and the Chinese Canadian Museum Society. Previously, he was Chair of the community advisory board of Seattle-based KCTS 9 (Pacific Northwest PBS affiliate), founder and chair of the Board of Change Society, and a founding member of the Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival, serving as its General Manager & Producer for over a decade. Sonny is also a published writer and thought leader having been published in Adweek, Business in Vancouver, Huffington Post, Strategy, and others. He was an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Commerce at the University of British Columbia. Sonny has been recognized as one of Business in Vancouver’s 40 Under 40. He has a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Marketing from UBC.

Sandeep Tatla (temporary)
Sandeep Tatla
Vice President, Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Corporate Social Responsibility, PointClickCare

A catalyst for change, Sandeep is a forward-thinking executive leader with demonstrated experience successfully leading diversity, equity and inclusion change strategies across different and complex industries. Her focus is on systemic and sustainable change. Her passion is creating cultures where we all thrive. Sandeep is currently the VP, Head of Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Responsibility at PointClickCare. PointClickCare is the recognized leader in cloud-based software in the senior care market in North America. Prior to joining PointClickCare, Sandeep served as a senior leader in diversity and inclusion for PwC Canada and Manulife’s Global operations.
Before delving deep into the diversity and inclusion sphere, Sandeep practiced labor and employment law, specializing in human rights law and regularly provided organizations with proactive and strategic advice on respectful workplace cultures. With her strong background in diversity and inclusion and deep experience and passion for making change is regularly asked to comment and speak on diversity-related topics. In addition to regularly being quoted in various professional publications, Sandeep has been asked to speak on D& I issue in the media and had a diversity column in the National Post. Sandeep has an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree from York University, with a double major in Psychology and Law & Society; a Bachelor of Laws (Juris Doctor) from the University of Western Ontario; and a Certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution from the University of Windsor. Sandeep was called to the Bar in Ontario in 2005.

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Claude Guay
President & General Manager of IBM Canada

Claude Guay is the President & General Manager of IBM Canada, where he leads a team that is passionate about delivering value to its clients, and helping Canadian organizations, both large and small, use innovative technology to reinvent their business. His team includes thousands of IBMers across the country who offer an industry-driven view that enables clients to harness the power of Cloud, AI and other emerging technologies, to solve their biggest challenges and thrive. Prior to his appointment as President & General Manager in April 2020, Claude was the Managing Partner, Operations and Performance of IBM Global Business Services (GBS) North America. GBS is IBM’s consulting and system integration organization, focused on Digital Strategy and Interactive Experience, Cognitive Process Transformation and Cloud Application Innovation. Claude is an Advisory Council Member of the DMZ, an accelerator for tech start-ups in Canada and a Board Member of Robotique First Quebec, inspiring young people to pursue interest in Science and Technology. He is also active in the Young Presidents’ Organization and enjoys coaching start-ups.

Eva Lau Headshot Coral Full Body
Eva Lau
Founding and General Partner, Two Small Fish Ventures

Eva is a well respected entrepreneur-turned-investor and one of the few women leading a venture fund in Canada. She is the Founding Partner of Two Small Fish Ventures, a venture fund that invests globally in early-stage, transformative tech companies with strong network effects. Before starting Two Small Fish Ventures, she was Wattpad’s Head of Community and Content. She helped nurture and scale Wattpad from its infancy to become one of the largest online communities with tens of millions of monthly users around the world. With a sharp focus on investing companies with strong network effect as their defensibility, Eva has created the ASSET framework that many entrepreneurs and accelerators have adopted in their developing business strategies. Eva is regarded as an expert in this area. Eva is also involved in many incubators and accelerators, such as Creative Destruction Lab at Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto’s Entrepreneurship Hatchery, Ryerson’s DMZ, University of Waterloo’s Velocity and Techstars. She also serves on the board of Branksome Hall and a number of startup companies.

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Raj Viswanathan
Chief Financial Officer, Scotiabank

Raj Viswanathan is the Group Head and Chief Financial Officer at Scotiabank. In this role, Raj oversees the Finance Department, including Investor Relations, Taxation, Economics, Strategic Transactions, Procurement and Group Treasury functions at the Bank, as well as the Structural Cost Transformation project.Raj first joined Scotiabank in 2002 and has held progressively senior positions in Internal Audit and Finance since that time. Raj was appointed Executive Vice President in 2018. Prior to being Chief Financial Officer, in 2014, Raj was appointed Senior Vice President & Chief Accountant. In this role, Raj was responsible for overseeing the Chief Accountant’s group which includes Group responsibilities for Capital Management, Accounting Policies & Procedures, and Financial Analysis and Reporting. In this role, Raj also led the Bank’s multi-year Finance Transformation project.

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Saijal Patel
Founder, Saij Wealth Consulting Inc.

Saijal Patel is the Founder and CEO of Saij Wealth Consulting/Saij Elle, a financial consultancy and education platform with a mission to help women create financial independence and security, financial institutions better serve the needs of female investors, and companies build effective financial wellness & inclusion programs for all employees. With more than twenty years’ experience in the financial industry in North America and Asia, she is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Charterholder and has held positions as a financial strategist and analyst. Saijal is a former business anchor and correspondent for Canada’s Business News Network and CNBC Asia. She’s delivered commentary and analysis on Asian economies, stock markets, and corporate news to more than 300 million households around the world. Her coverage earned her recognition as one of the most influential South Asian Women Executives in the Media and Entertainment Industry. She also led Manulife’s PR activities across Asia where she was instrumental in building the company’s brand awareness through top tier media placements for executives, strategic PR campaigns and thought leadership..

Gen (Microsoft)
Geneviève Iezzoni
Social Marketing, Storytelling & Social Selling Lead, Microsoft

Neuro-atypical rad feminist and lover of Social (Justice and Media). She helps tell stories about humans and machines at Microsoft. When not working, she’s with her cats.

Square Headshot Talina Titizian
Talina Titizian
Digital Marketing & Operations Lead, Microsoft

Talina Titizian is experienced in marketing management and analytics. She currently leads digital marketing & operations at Microsoft and serves as an instructor in the digital marketing community.

Dukwon Lee
Enterprise Relationship Manager, Linkedin

As a passionate and professional consultant, Dukwon has transferred the way employers attract and engage online job consumers. With an innate drive for providing a helping hand, Dukwon is proud to work at LinkedIn where he can help his customers in finding and attracting top talent and to leverage LinkedIn to build businesses at massive scale, as well as to participate in communication programs. Furthermore, Dukown has spoken as an invited speaker and guest lecturer at various conferences and universities to a wide range of audiences in topic such as career development and importance of a strong social network brand.

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Alec Cheng
VP & Treasurer, OPG

Alec Cheng is Vice President, Treasurer at OPG, responsible for the Company’streasury and insurance functions.Alec is accountable to deliver strategic value by optimizing the company’s capital structure and liquidity position. In this role, he oversees OPG’s debt financing program, liquidity management, and credit rating process. He also provides leadership to the insurance risk management function across the organization. He delivers strategic guidance on new investments, acquisitions and other strategic initiatives. He is also an officer of the Corporation and a member of the company’s Pension Committee. Prior to this role, Alec had in‐depth experience in financial reporting, complex accounting, internal controls, and commercial management at OPG. Alec is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) with a Master Degree in Accounting from the University of Waterloo. Alec began his career at Grant Thornton in the assurance practice.

Lubna Ladak head shot
Lubna Ladak
VP Corporate Business Development & Strategy, OPG

Lubna Ladak is Vice-President of Corporate Business Development and Strategy at Ontario Power Generation (OPG). OPG is a multibillion-dollar company with 9,000 employees and one of the most diverse electricity generators in North America. Lubna’s role is to provide financial and commercial strategies to expand and diversify OPG’s generation portfolio through acquisitions and organic growth. Her previous roles at OPG include, Vice-President, Treasury, and Vice-President Finance where she provided financial leadership over large capital projects, electricity supply contracts, rate regulation, business planning, accounting, and reporting. Prior to entering the energy industry, Lubna was a Manager in Ernst & Young’s assurance practice. Lubna gives back to her professional community by mentoring future leaders, and leading OPG’s Mentoring Plus+ program. She also serves on the Board of Nanticoke Solar Inc., which is a partnership between OPG, and two indigenous groups Lubna is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA-CA) with a BA in Commerce from the University of Toronto, and an MBA from the Rotman School of Management.

Priyanka Head shot 2
Priyanka Mehandiratta
Director of Learning, DX Canada

Priyanka cares about people. This has been made evident by a seasoned career as a trusted partner in the world of talent management for 15+ years. Transitioning into the world of leadership development was a no-brainer. Priyanka embodies distinct business acumen that mirrors the valuable communication skills and kindness that are central to her teachings and training. As a lifelong learner and change agent, Priyanka’s role as the Director of Learning for DX Learning has solidified her commitment to building teams and businesses that seek to make a positive impact. A Certified Training and Facilitation Professional and MBA Graduate she has, in addition to receiving numerous Super Achiever awards, also been accredited by former colleagues as ‘the go-to person from a coaching & learning perspective whose experience has granted her solid trust from her team as well as from clients.

Clif Smith Headshot (2)
Clif Smith
EY Americas Mindfulness Leader & EY Global Mindfulness Network Leader

Clif, a US Army veteran, former diplomat and intelligence officer, serves as EY’s foremost advisor on mindfulness and is an internationally recognized leader for bringing mindfulness into the corporate world. Clif brings his story and over 25 years of experience leading through high-pressure situations into his teachings and demonstrates the value of adopting mindfulness as a fundamental part of our personal and professional lives. Following his passion for developing others, he built EY’s Mindful Leadership program, delivering practical training to 45,000+ EY/client personnel with measurable impact on leadership, performance, and well-being. Clif’s upcoming book, Mindfulness without the Bells and Beads – Unlocking Exceptional Performance, Leadership and Wellbeing for the Working Professional, is slated to hit the shelves 27 April 2021.

Tarundeep Dhot - 1
Tarundeep Dhot
Associate Partner, Advanced Analytics and AI, IBM

Tarundeep Dhot is the Associate Partner for Advanced Analytics, Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at IBM Global Business Services, based out of Toronto. He has global career spanning Management Consulting, Banking and Research. In his current role, Tarun works closely with the Canadian banking sector to drive significant growth through innovation, technology and data-driven decision-making. Tarun has been recognized as a thought leader and currently sits on multiple Advisory Councils, including Harvard Business Review and Data Science and Analytics programs at York University. He is a frequent speaker at global conferences and a published author. Tarun also advises leading healthcare practitioners globally on leveraging Data and AI to solve the healthcare challenges with a focus on Telehealth and Assistive Technologies. Tarun holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, a Master’s degree in Computer Science specializing in Artificial Intelligence and Executive training from Columbia University.

Catherine Reese (1)
Catherine Reese
IBM Services Practice Leader – Advanced Analytics, IBM

Catherine Reese is a Senior Partner within the Cognitive Business Decision Support service line of IBM Global Business Services. The Cognitive Business Decision Support service line is focused on helping clients gain greater precision and predictability out of every business decision by applying cognition to fundamentally transform their business. Mrs. Reese began her career with IBM in 2004 after completing her Masters of Business Administration degree in Richmond, VA. She is an established program manager and has worked at numerous top Financial and Consumer Product Good institutions, providing a variety of analytical and technical experience to complex information management projects. Mrs. Reese specializes in digital transformations that leverage enterprise and external data, agile practices, and advanced analytics, including machine learning, to generate business outcomes. Currently, Mrs. Reese is the Global Advanced Analytics/Machine Learning Practice Leader. Her global team is responsible for helping clients integrate advanced analytics and data-driven decisioning into their business making processes. Mrs. Reese also holds responsibility for The Weather Company integration, which IBM acquired in January 2016. She is developing cognitive solutions that harness the power of weather and building up weather capability within Global Business Services. Mrs. Reese volunteers her time for various Women in Technology and STEM initiatives.

FAQs

  • How to set up Webex?
    • Webex links will be provided to registered attendees starting week of September 14th 2020.
  • How to Register?
    • Registration through EventBrite – Link.
  • What is included in my registration?
  • Can I invite my friends (non-members) to the event?
    • Yes, the Ascend Annual Conference is open to everyone.
  • My company is a Ascend Sponsor, do I get a discount?
    • Yes, please ask your Ascend company representative for your Promo Code.
  • Why is there a fee?
    • All proceeds from the Ascend Annual Conference will be in support of the United Way Centraide to support our communities in this unprecedented year
  • What is the cancellation policy?
    • Consistent with Ascend’s Canada policy. There will be no refunds offered for cancellations.
  • Due to company security policies, I can’t join a virtual platform using my computer. How do I participate?
    • Please consider joining the session through your personal devices, be it your phone, tablet, or non-work computer.
  • Is the Conference eligible for CPE?
    • Certificates of completion for CPE credit verification for CPA and certain other designation holders, upon request. For more information please email toronto.events@ascendleadership.ca
  • How do I log into a virtual event on the day of the event?
    • Event links and outlook invites will be sent by September 18. On the day of the event, click the link to log into the event. You may be asked to input your name and email address to generate the attendee account.
  • Will the Ascend Annual Conference 2020 be recorded?
    • The Ascend Annual Conference will be recorded for future Ascend Canada marketing purposes. In respect to the rights of our presenters, recordings will only be used for future Ascend Canada promotional use only
  • What is the recommended attire for the Ascend Annual Conference?
    • Attendee video cameras will be turned off (no webcams required!) during the sessions to minimize distraction for our presenters. Feel free to dress in casual attire.
  • I can’t attend the entire Ascent Annual Conference. Can I attend individual sessions?
    • Yes, your ticket provides full access to all program. Feel free to attend any sessions that works for your schedule.
  • What do I need to do before the event?
    • Register for the event through EventBrite.
    • Sign in to the Webex Event session through the individual event link provided by Sep 18 .
  • I have questions about the Ascend Annual Conference 2020 that aren’t answered here. Who can I contact?
  • Do I need a Webex account to access a Webex event?
    • No, a Webex account is not required. Sign in with your email directly through the Webex Event link provided
  • What do I need in order to access a Webex event?
    • Webex Events supports PC and iOS operating systems
  • What tablets and mobile devices can I use for Webex events?
    • You can join the Ascend Canada Annual Conference on your mobile or tablet. A browser login will be opened once you click on the link provided.
Venue

Virtual Conference powered by WebEx

Date

22nd to 24th SEP 2020

Time

12:00pm – 4:00pm EDT

No upcoming events
Day 1 Tue, September 22, 2020
  • 12:00 PM — 12:15 PM
    President’s Opening Remarks
    • A photo of Manjit Singh
      Manjit Singh
      President, Ascend Canada
  • 12:15 PM — 1:00 PM
    Spotlight Speaker – Fireside Chat
    • R.Dagher Headshot 345KB
      Rola Dagher
      Global Channel Chief, Dell Technologies
    • Armughan Nov 2019
      Armughan Ahmad
      President & Managing Partner, Digital at KPMG
  • 1:00 PM — 2:00 PM
    Insider tips on how to network in today’s digital world and succeed in Digital Selling
    Delegates will receive invaluable tips on how to realize the full potential to create a rock star LinkedIn profile. You will also gain insider advice on how to use LinkedIn tools such as Profile and Long-form posts that professionals are using to increase their productivity, success, and build their own professional brand. Delegates will dive into content tips and leverage channels and networks to build success with Digital Selling.
    • Dukwon Lee
      Dukwon Lee
      Enterprise Relationship Manager, Linkedin
    • Gen (Microsoft)
      Geneviève Iezzoni
      Social Marketing, Storytelling & Social Selling Lead, Microsoft
    • Square Headshot Talina Titizian
      Talina Titizian
      Digital Marketing & Operations Lead, Microsoft
  • 2:00 PM — 3:00 PM
    Keeping the Conversation Going: Allyship between the Black and Asian Communities
    The recent senseless killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others have intensified the spotlight on the systemic pattern of anti-black racism in our communities. This has resulted in the imperative laser focus on racist policies that have held our race back for decades with no resolve. Black Instagram squares and corporate messaging against anti-black racism steadily filled our timelines, however what is truly being done to drive impactful change and create real diverse and inclusive environments? Join us for a passionate panel discussion on why it’s important to keep these issues top of mind with specific measurable progress. Learning Objectives: (1) what does Black Lives Matter mean, why it’s important in any diversity and inclusion discussion; (2) the exploration of systemic racism and its differing impacts based on skin colour, cultural background, and location; (3) why holding employers accountable to true diversity and inclusion based on metric-based goals and timelines is imperative for impactful change; and (4) steps all professionals can take in becoming an active ally for change.
    • Aziz Garuba
      Aziz Garuba
      Director, Cost Transformation & Reporting, RBC & Past President, CAUFP
    • MerylAfrika
      Meryl Afrika
      Payments Expert, Marketing & Innovation at Peoples Group & President, CAUFP
    • Fanny Chiu
      Fanny Chiu
      Senior Lead, Maintenance and Investigation Operations, RBC
    • Nabeel Ali
      Nabeel Ali
      Senior Manager, Personal and Business Lending Origination, RBC
    • Nardia Campbell - Headshot
      Nardia Campbell
      Manager, Subject Matter Expert, RBC
    • Vivienne_Lutwama-400x400
      Vivienne Lutwama
      Director, AML and Compliance Audit Oversight, RBC
    • Sarah
      Sarah Calaguio
      Manager, Incentive Strategy and Governance, RBC
  • 2:00 PM — 3:15 PM
    ERG Leaders Forum - by invitation
    The success of an Employee Resource Group, Business Resource Group, or Professional Networks, requires leadership, agility, and commitment of time and talent. The goal of this session is to enable ERG leaders and members representing organizations across industries to have a dialogue about exploring ways to enhance the strategic alignment of ERGs.
  • 3:00 PM — 4:00 PM
    Why ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) is even more important now?
    COVID-19 has highlighted that environment, social responsibility, and good governance are more important now than ever. While the world was busy fighting this pandemic, COVID-19 also offered us proof that collective global action can reduce emissions and help in the battle against climate change. COVID-19 disproportionately affected marginalized and lower socio-economic status individuals, who ironically, are the same individuals that helped sustain the economy as corporations rapidly transitioned to remote and online work. We do not only have a moral responsibility to recognize and sustain these individuals that are the fabric of our society, but there is also a financial benefit to doing so.
    • AlecCheng_074
      Alec Cheng
      VP & Treasurer, OPG
    • Lubna Ladak head shot
      Lubna Ladak
      VP Corporate Business Development & Strategy, OPG
Day 2 Wed, September 23, 2020
  • 12:00 PM — 12:15 PM
    Opening Remarks
    • A photo of Victor Tung
      Victor Tung
      Chief Operating Officer and Head of Integration, BMO
  • 12:15 PM — 1:00 PM
    How to stand up to racism and bias in the workplace
    • Serena F
      Serena Fong
      Vice President, Catalyst
    • Sonny W (revised)
      Sonny Wong
      President & Creative Director, Hamazaki Wong Marketing Group
    • Sandeep Tatla (temporary)
      Sandeep Tatla
      Vice President, Head of Diversity, PointClickCare
  • 1:00 PM — 2:00 PM
    How Intentional Employee Experience Evolves Leadership for the Modern Workplace
    Traditional organizational design and leadership is built from the industrial revolution. This frame views leadership as hierarchical and not on relationships and human outcomes. The traditional perspective includes the belief that decisions should all be made top-down and only include the goals of the organization in decision making. This session will explain how being intentional about Employee Experience perspectives allow managers to make better decisions for the business and its people. Delegates will also learn how an EX mindset can develop their leadership for all generations of employees.
    • Priyanka Head shot 2
      Priyanka Mehandiratta
      Director of Learning, DX Canada
  • 2:00 PM — 3:00 PM
    Mindful leadership in the modern world
    As the world around us grows more complex every day, it’s increasingly difficult to pay attention to what truly matters – at work and in our personal lives. If you aspire to be a transformative leader, cultivating mindfulness is an important step on that journey. In addition to helping leaders better navigate complex situations, mindfulness has been shown to reduce stress, improve focus and performance, increase collaboration, as well as self-awareness and empathy. In this session, we will demystify mindfulness, discuss the neuroscience and benefits of mindfulness practices, learn several exercises for enhancing mental focus, empathy, and resilience, and create the initial conditions for improving emotional intelligence and well-being despite complex and demanding work environments. We’ll also briefly touch on ways we can respond mindfully to the natural anxiety and fear that may arise due to the situation surrounding the coronavirus.
    • Clif Smith Headshot EY Prof (3)
      Clif Smith
      EY Americas Mindfulness Leader & EY Global Mindfulness Network Leader
  • 3:00 PM — 4:00 PM
    Bias in artificial intelligence and machine learning
    Artificial intelligence (AI) at Scale: 88% of corporate AI initiatives are struggling to move beyond test phases. AI represents the largest economic opportunity of our lifetime (estimated to contribute roughly $16 trillion to GDP by 2030), but the business adoption of AI has remained low. Learn about how leading organizations establish, industrialize and scale Data and AI within their organizations. Plus, as a workshop attendee, start your journey to build your skills in this field and boost your professional profile.
    • Tarundeep Dhot - 1
      Tarundeep Dhot
      Associate Partner, Advanced Analytics and AI, IBM
    • Catherine Reese (1)
      Catherine Reese
      IBM Services Practice Leader – Advanced Analytics IBM Corporation
Day 3 Thu, September 24, 2020
  • 12:00 PM — 12:15 PM
    OPENING REMARKS
    • A photo of Sahezad Pardhan
      Sahezad Pardhan
      Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Cadillac Fairview
  • 12:15 PM — 1:15 PM
    Executive Panel
    • CGuay - horizontal
      Claude Guay
      President & General Manager of IBM Canada
    • Eva Lau Headshot Coral Full Body
      Eva Lau
      Founding Partner, Two Small Fish Ventures
    • Raj V._headshot
      Raj Viswanathan
      CFO, ScotiaBank
    • saijal 1 pic pink
      Saijal Patel
      Founder, Saij Wealth Consulting Inc.
  • 1:15 PM — 1:30 PM
    Closing Remarks
    • A photo of Bhavna Duggal
      Bhavna Duggal
      Associate Partner, EY