Media advisory – 6th annual Ascend Canada leadership awards gala

Ascend Canada is pleased to announce that their 6th Annual Leadership Awards Gala will take place on April 17th, 2019 at the Ritz-Carlton in Downtown Toronto. Each year, over 300 of Canada’s top business leaders gather to celebrate exceptional leaders who exemplify personal dedication, professional achievement, and commitment to the community. The gala is aimed at celebrating the award recipients, who share Ascend Canada’s vision of advancing diversity and inclusion.

In addition to the awards ceremony, the event will feature a fireside chat with the honorary guest, Elio Luongo, Chief Executive Officer and Senior Partner of KPMG Canada, who will be sharing insights from his career journey and on diversity and inclusion.

“When I reflect on the past year, and on the many role models who have been an inspiration to the community, this year’s theme – ‘Be Bold, Be Different, Be You’ serves as a reminder that each of us can take individual leadership to make a big impact to our respective organization and communities. This year, we continue to expand, lead important conversations, and learn from each other.” says Kelvin Tran, President and Chairman, Ascend Canada.

DATE: Wednesday, April 17th, 2019

TIME: 5.00 p.m. – 8.00 p.m.

LOCATION: The Ritz-Carlton Ballroom, 181 Wellington St. W., Toronto

AGENDA: A total of five awards will be handed out at the gala reception.

• Executive of the Year: K. Rai Sahi is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Morguard Corporation, a leading North American real estate company. Mr. Sahi also serves as Chairman and CEO of TWC Enterprises Limited (formerly ClubLink), Canada’s largest owner and operator of member golf clubs. Mr. Sahi is recognized for demonstrated leadership excellence in business and in the community.
• Rising Star of the Year: Daniel Rodic, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Exact Media, has helped companies like P&G, HelloFresh, Kellogg’s and Booking.com to acquire customers by distributing offers to consumers. He has also been recognized as a Top 30 Under 30 by Forbes Magazine.
• Mentor of the Year: Zahra Ebrahim is an Executive Advisor to Deloitte on Civic Innovation, and a Senior Advisor to political and public interest initiatives across the country. Zahra has mentored hundreds of colleagues, clients and students in her role at Deloitte and as an instructor at the Ontario College of Art and Design University
• Ascend Innovator of the Year: Frank Nguyen, Founder of HelpWear Inc, is disrupting the health care industry and on a mission to provide more affordable health tools. Frank is currently also a Venture Partner at Pioneer Fund.
• Ascend Volunteer of the Year: Mohit Ganju, Canadian Banking Marketing at Scotiabank, has been recognized for his dedication to Ascend Canada and for the growth of Ascend’s online community. Mohit also mentors newcomers at the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council.

About Ascend Canada

Ascend Canada is a non-profit organization with the mission to develop and advance pan-Asian talent through partnership with other Canadian and like-minded organizations. With more than 3,000 members and 20 corporate partners, Ascend Canada’s objectives are to develop the full potential of our members by leveraging our networks and providing programs and events that inspire, as well as educate. For more information on Ascend Canada, visit ascendleadership.ca.

For more information, please contact:

Sandra Woo, Marketing and Communications Consultant, Ascend Canada Email: publicrelations@ascendleadership.ca | Phone: 416-562-6754