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DAY 1- March 29, 2022

OPENING KEYNOTE
Stress and Performance: Body and Mind Work
Presented by: Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe and Dr. Greg Wells

As we move into the next phase of the pandemic, we are forced to balance hope for the future with burnout in the present. How can we leverage the mind-body connection to successfully navigate the complex requirements of this moment?

Join Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe and Dr. Greg Wells for a special joint session on cultivating physical and mental wellness to manage stress, build resiliency, and maintain a high level of performance in everyday life. Robyne and Greg will share their complementary expertise, personal experiences, and the latest research to equip you with practical tools to overcome our current challenges.
 
Session takeaways:

• Learn about the important work we can do for our mind and body to refresh and prepare ourselves emotionally and physically.
• Understand how burnout and stress are some of the biggest challenges of the moment, and the practical strategies to help tackle these issues.
• Tactics to help feel more in control and proactive day-to-day.
• 1% Wins: Make 1% gains in health habits to earn exponential performance results.
• The risks to health and performance from keeping your brain in constant “go mode.”
• Understand the five different brain states and their distinct functions to achieve potential.

Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe
Expert on Resiliency and Workplace Wellness

Described as one of the most sought-after, engaging, thought-provoking, and truly transformative international speakers and scholars in her field, Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe is a multi-award-winning psychology and education instructor who specializes in resiliency, navigating stress and change, and personal wellness. Her keynotes provide practical strategies, grounded in global research and case studies, that help foster resiliency within ourselves and others.

Hanley-Dafoe’s work is inspired by personal experience. She learned resiliency from the ground up as someone who has experienced significant obstacles throughout her life. This, combined with more than 16 years of university teaching and research experience, makes Hanley-Dafoe’s work both accessible and relatable while providing realistic and sustainable strategies for understanding and practicing resiliency and wellness.

Hanley-Dafoe is also the author of Calm Within the Storm, which outlines a kinder approach to taking on the challenges of life and developing authentic self-alignment and balance.

Dr. Greg Wells
Health and Performance Expert | Physiologist | Bestselling Author

Dr. Greg Wells is a health and high performance expert who, as a scientist and physiologist, has dedicated his career to making the science of human limits understandable and actionable. In his informative and engaging keynotes, Wells draws parallels between elite athletes and top executives to help business leaders perform at the highest level, even when under the most extreme circumstances.

For more than 25 years, Wells has worked with some of the highest-performing individuals on the planet, including Olympic and World champions, as well as organizations ranging from General Electric to BMO, Deloitte, KPMG, BMW, Audi, Sysco Foods, YPO, and Air Canada. He is also committed to inspiring children and young adults through his close working relationship with several school boards and independent schools.

A veteran endurance athlete himself, Wells has participated in the grueling Nanisivik Marathon 600 miles north of the Arctic Circle; Ironman Canada; and the Tour D’Afrique, an 11,000 km cycling race that is the longest in the world. He is also a travel and expedition adventurer who has journeyed through every imaginable terrain and conditions in more than 50 countries. 

Wells is the author of four bestselling books: Superbodies, The Ripple Effect, The Focus Effect, and his most recent, Rest, Refocus, Recharge: A Guide for Optimizing Your Life. He also hosted the award-winning Superbodies series, which aired on Olympic broadcasts worldwide in 2010 and 2012. As a speaker, Wells has travelled the world speaking at events such as TEDx and The Titan Summit, and has shared the stage with Robin Sharma, Richard Branson, Steve Wozniak, and Deepak Chopra.

Wells has a PhD in Physiology, served as an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at the University of Toronto, and is currently a senior scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. He is also the CEO and founder of Wells Performance, a global consulting firm committed to achieving the moonshot of helping teams, schools, and businesses become places where people get healthy, perform optimally, and reach their potential. 

Day 1- Breakout Sessions

Emerging Trends in Benefits
Presented by Andrea Hansen, Sutton Benefits & Pension

Uncover the link between a healthy and productive workforce and improving your bottom line! If your HR priorities include improving engagement, reducing costs, improving efficiencies, and building better mental health, this session will share insights to support you.

Hot topics in benefits include:

• Virtual Health- integration with Employee Family Assistance Plans
• Substance Use Employee Benefits
• Pharmacogenetics
• Evolution of Health Spending Accounts
• Retirement Savings Plans- Link between Health, Finances & Benefits

Andrea Hansen is a recognized Educator, Writer, Speaker and Benefits Advisor, whom you may have seen published in The Business Advisor, PotashWorks, and HR Saskatchewan magazines. Andrea is the President of Sutton Benefits & Pension and creator of the Sutton Employee Engagement Wheel. She is passionate about helping successful growing companies to improve business performance by aligning and leveraging their group benefits & pension programs as part of a comprehensive integrated approach to attracting and retaining talent. With over 20 years of experience, Andrea has supported hundreds of successful employers optimize their group benefit & pension plans to maximize value and results.

COVID-19 Take 10
Presented by Brent Matkowski & Shane Buchanan, MLT Aikins

Join us in this open forum legal session, for discussion on strategies for navigating various employment-related legal issues. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage with experienced lawyers from MLT Aikins, which has Saskatchewan's largest management-side labour and employment practice.

COVID-19 Legal Update

• Legislation and Public Health Order update 
• Understanding Federal and Provincial Government announcements 
  

COVID-19 Vaccination Policies 

• Managing privacy law obligations for vaccination status and test results
• How to deal with booster shots
• Dealing with non-compliance
• How to respond to exemption requests 
• How long is a vaccination policy necessary 
  

COVID-19 Hot Topics 

• Discussion of the latest topics related to COVID-19 

Brent Matkowski practices in the firm’s labour and employment group. Brent assists employers with labour and employment law matters including labour relations, human rights, occupational health and safety, certification, collective agreement negotiation, workers’ compensation, employment standards, employment contracts, employer policies and discipline. Brent has represented employers before the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal, Court of Queen’s Bench, Labour Relations Board and Provincial Court. Brent has also represented employers before a variety of administrative boards and arbitrators.

Shane Buchanan maintains a general labour and employment practice. With a background in human resources, Shane provides an understanding of the issues faced by business leaders and provides practical solutions to all areas of labour and employment law. Shane is a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan College of Law. During law school, he served as a team captain of the Huskies Football team and vice-president of the Huskies Athletics Committee. He previously worked as a law student for a world-leading potash company where he focused on labour and employment law and assisted in a merger between two agriculture companies that resulted in the creation of the world’s largest provider of crop inputs and services. He also has experience working for one of the world’s largest uranium producers.

Developing Star Performers
Presented by Tara Landes, Bellrock Benchmarking Inc.

In this interactive workshop, Tara Landes from Bellrock will provide tools and resources to identify top performers, develop their talents and ensure they are motivated to stay with the organization and challenged just enough to stay in flow. Participants will practice coaching conversations that allow staff to flourish and how to align individual career paths with organizational succession requirements. They will also learn how to foster relationships with staff, develop their strengths, and create a positive work environment.

Learning outcomes:

1. Coach and mentor staff from any discipline to increase capacity and improve retention.
2. Develop succession plans and career paths for themselves and their reports.
3. Foster relationships across the organization and create a positive working environment.

Tara Landes has spent over two decades working directly with the leaders and management of dozens of North American small and mid-sized enterprises. She is the founder and president of Bellrock Benchmarking Inc., a BC based management consulting firm listed on the Profit W100 and one of Business in Vancouver’s Largest Sales and Management Training Companies. Bellrock helps business leaders solve their toughest problems through business training and consulting. When she is not helping clients, you’ll find her on a boat in the Gulf Islands of British Columbia, reading a great book while her husband and sons fish.

Leading YOUR Gratitude Shift!
Presented by Ryan Walter, Speaker | Trainer | Leadership Expert

Discovering the energy of Thankfulness, revealed in your 6 Mindsets! Participants will experience a deeper awareness of how to access and increase gratitude as they explore Ryan’s Thinking Tendencies Model. This practical, interactive process uncovers the value of enhancing gratitude and helps individuals and cultures to Shift their thinking to intentionally apply its benefits.

Participants can look forward to:

• Regenerating energy by focusing on gratitude
• Intentionally increasing the influence of gratitude
• Recognizing how to personally access gratitude
• Discovering the language of gratitude
• Reducing negativity by activating the power of gratitude

Ryan harnesses scientific discovery combined with his personal experience to inspire the hearts and minds of participants, encouraging people to build a deeper capacity to be thankful and to thank others. Whether in the arena of Human Resources, the NHL, Business, Family or life, increasing gratitude always regenerates personal and cultural energy!

Ryan Walter has played more than 1000 games over 15 seasons in the National Hockey League. Drafted second overall by the Washington Capitals, he was named the youngest NHL captain in my second of 4 seasons. He went on to play 9 seasons and won a Stanley Cup with the Montreal Canadiens, and returned to his home town to play his last 2 seasons for the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan had the honour of being Team Canada Captain in the inaugural World Junior Tournament, was selected to play in the NHL All-Star game and for Team Canada in 3 World Championships, became a Vice-President of the National Hockey League Players Association, and was honoured as NHL Man of the Year in his final season. Ryan was also inducted into the BC Hockey Hall of Fame, the Burnaby Sports Hall of Fame, and named to the 30 all-time Washington Capitals’ Dream team, the top 50 all-time BCHL players, the top 125 WHL of all time, and the top 100 Montreal Canadiens in 100 years.

After retiring from hockey, Ryan obtained a Master of Arts Degree in Leadership/Business. He has written 5 books and contributed to online and print magazines, newspapers, radio, and television. Ryan serves as a Director of Partners International Canada, and a member of the Seton Hall University Stillman School of Business Leadership Advisory Council, and received the TEC Canada 2015 Speaker of the Year Award. Pre-COVID, Ryan travelled extensively, presenting keynote speeches and interactive training to conferences and corporations. During the past season he has been presenting and training over Zoom with the mission of inspiring players, teams, businesses, and organizations across North America and beyond, to play their best game.

CLOSING KEYNOTE SPEAKER
What's Next? Navigating the Future of Work 
Presented by Hamza Khan

Change isn’t coming, it’s already here. By 2030, 70% of the workforce will be affected by automation. This means 2 in 3 people will be forced to rethink their entire career game plan. That’s the bad news. The good news is that we’re going to be ok, because when it comes to adapting to change, as a species, humans are undefeated.

Coming off of a difficult year that has only accelerated the pace of change in the workforce, it’s more important now than ever for organizations to prepare themselves and their teams for the only constant in life — change.

This requires a new kind of leadership style, one that can operationalize four innate human abilities to ensure that the rate of change happening inside an organization far exceeds the rate of change on the outside — the key to survival in the future of work.

Hamza Khan
Future of Work Expert | Author of Leadership, Reinvented

Hamza Khan is a multi-award-winning marketer, bestselling author, and global keynote speaker whose TEDx talk “Stop Managing, Start Leading” has been viewed over a million times. He shares actionable insights on resilience, productivity, and leadership to help people and organizations thrive in the future of work and transform ideas into action.

From New York to Singapore, from Los Angeles to Sydney, Khan is a global thought leader who has spoken to hundreds of audiences across many industries, in numerous countries. His clients have included some of the world’s most dynamic companies and organizations, including PepsiCo, LinkedIn, Deloitte, PwC, Trivago, and over 100 colleges, and his insights have been featured by notable media outlets such as VICE, Business Insider, and The Globe and Mail. He is also the author of Amazon bestseller The Burnout Gamble: Achieve More by Beating Burnout and Building Resilience. 

Khan works alongside young people and new talent as Managing Director of Student Life Network, Canada’s largest and most comprehensive education resource platform, which reaches over 2.7 million students. He is also the co-founder of Splash Effect, a boutique marketing & creative agency, as well as SkillsCamp, a soft skills training company. As an educator, he is currently an instructor at Seneca College and Ryerson University, teaching courses on digital marketing and social media. 

DAY 2- March 30, 2022

OPENING KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Discovering the Power of Indigenous Inclusion and Innovation
Presented by Kelly Lendsay

Following the reports of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) Inquiry, supreme court decisions and some community protests, there has been a laser-like spotlight on Indigenous inclusion in the country. In his presentation, Kelly Lendsay answers the question on the minds of employers everywhere, “How did we get here and what do we do now?”. As the founding CEO of Indigenous Works in 1988 (formerly the Aboriginal Human Resource Council), Lendsay presents a stirring vision of what we can accomplish together, free of shame or blame, to achieve unprecedented new levels of social and economic inclusion. He shows how government and business can forge more effective engagements with Indigenous communities—through training, employment, and workplace partnership, including strategies for the recruiting and retaining of one of the fastest growing segments of our society and develop a significant ROI (Return on Inclusion). He will share some new first time insights on a new initiative, Luminary: Advancing Indigenous Innovation for Economic Transformation, Employment and Wellbeing which will forge new research and innovation partnerships with academia and Indigenous businesses and communities.

Kelly Lendsay is a social entrepreneur who is internationally recognized as one of Canada's foremost innovators and organizational development experts in workplace models, corporate/Indigenous partnerships and Indigenous inclusion strategies. His dynamic communication style and social entrepreneurial success has earned him the reputation as an engaging thought leader and effective bridge-builder, fostering trusted partnerships for workforce and economic development across Canada and abroad. A proud Canadian Indigenous leader of Cree and Métis ancestry, he moves seamlessly between both worlds, fostering economic inclusion, well-being and prosperity for Canada. He was honoured by the University of Saskatchewan (U of S), as one of their "100 Alumni of Influence" in the last century whose accomplishments have been recognized for influencing the growth and development of the University, the province, and the world during the last century.

Day 2- Breakout Sessions

Succession Planning
Presented by Trina Boivin, Gallagher Benefit Services

Planning for a Sustainable Future: The what, why and how of succession management. Identifying, developing, and retaining a strong talent pipeline is an ongoing process, rather than a one-time event. In this session, Trina will challenge leaders to rethink "Succession Planning" to "Succession Management" and explain why we should embrace a holistic approach to building the long-term capability of talent to deliver on organizational strategy and vision.

Key Learnings 

• How to understand and address your organizational realities to ready your business for its future needs.
• How to utilize a holistic approach to identify, develop and retain a strong talent pipeline.
• The importance of using assessment tools to mitigate bias and promote inclusion in the succession process.
  

Trina Boivin has been helping organizations identify and accelerate the capability of their top talent to deliver business strategy and results for over 20 years. Working in both consulting and corporate roles, Trina strives to make a difference working cooperatively with business and HR to align talent strategies with practical solutions.

Trina has a deep passion and expertise in leadership development and is keenly interested in the pragmatic applications of the latest tools in neuroleadership and psychometrics deploying their outputs through effective programs that evolve individual and team capability. Trina is Master SuccessFinder certified as well as certified in multiple other assessments and adult training with a Master’s certification in Organizational Psychology and a BA in International Relations. She is also a certified Brain-Based executive coach from the NeuroLeadership Institute, helping to build upon her many years of experience in coaching executives through significant and transformational change initiatives. She fervently believes that everyone has a natural talent that can be developed and maximized for organizational and individual performance.

This session is intended to give a broad overview of Total Rewards and how programming supports the various functions within HR. Total rewards programming is a critical foundation for organizational success and key contributor to employee engagement. Clarity, transparency, and understanding of the linkages at an employee level contribute to engagement overall.

Vanessa Chesters is a writer, blogger, wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend. Over this past year she has embarked on coaching others outside her organization. As a human resources professional, she's had the privilege to work for a variety of organizations and has had the opportunity to create and foster change. Vanessa is passionate, empathetic, and believes that our people grow through fostering and recognizing their unique contributions. She has learnt so much from the people that she works with and especially from those she has had the privilege to lead. One of her favorite quotes is by Nelson Mandela, "A leader...is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, when upon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed behind." Vanessa believes we are all leaders, and, in that role, it is so important to realize the effect it has on those around us. She believes that one simple kind gesture can create ripple effects and we are all instruments of change. For over 15 years Vanessa has worked with organizations in evolving their total rewards programs. 

Employees Behaving Badly
Presented by Robert Frost-Hinz, MLT Aikins

Learn and discuss recent stories about bad behaviour in the workplace, including 'war stories' from the disputes that followed, with teachable points of law and strategies for resolution of similar matters. The discussion will include examples of misconduct encountered by the presenter in their practices, the strategies employed to resolve those problems as well as cautionary tales from litigation that might have been avoided altogether. The 'war stories' selected will focus on recent hot topic issues such as bullying and harassment, social media, investigations and privacy law, as well as the anti-mask movement and bad behaviour during the pandemic.

Robert Frost-Hinz works in the firm’s labour and employment department. He provides employers and management with guidance on a wide variety of labour and employment issues including labour relations, collective agreement negotiation and interpretation, employment standards, OH&S, policy development, discipline and discharge, along with human rights and accommodations. Robert has represented clients before the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal, Court of Queen’s Bench and Provincial Court, along with a variety of boards, tribunals and arbitrators.

Proactively Remove Barriers and Create Acceptance for Gender Transition in the Workplace
Presented by Kiersten Mohr, Terra Firma Transition

In the 15 years believing she was the only transgender person in her company and industry, Kiersten maintained a well-crafted facade, overwhelmed with fear and the seemingly impossible challenge of achieving her authentic self at work. In all those years, she did not see anyone like her nor an example that her authentic self was possible. Then, she navigated her gender transition, and within one month, over a dozen other gender-diverse individuals facing very similar barriers and unknowns reached out for help. After so many years, Kiersten realized that her story was not unique, she was not alone, and that many others were facing the same uncertain path to achieving their authentic life.

Gender transition in the workplace is intimidating for both the individual and the company. For many organizations, this is an unfamiliar and uncomfortable terrain. For transitioning individuals, it can seem like an impossible mountain to climb with little guarantee of a positive outcome. Using two decades of corporate and leadership expertise, a lived gender transition experience in the corporate setting, a grounding in psychology and insights from working on trans-inclusion with various organizations, this session aims to empower human resources professionals with the perspective, knowledge and tools they need to begin removing systemic barriers for gender diverse individuals and illuminate a path that encourages an inclusive and authentic career for all employees.

After fifteen years as a technical and leadership professional in the Energy Industry, Kiersten Mohr embarked on her life's most significant challenge: gender transition. Kiersten's authentic and vulnerable approach to gender transition enabled her to see how authenticity in the workplace can help build synergy in the office. After the transition, Kiersten began volunteering, educating herself in Psychology, and quickly began to appreciate the challenges gender-diverse individuals face in their careers. Ultimately, her experience ignited a personal passion for creating more space and acceptance for gender-diverse professionals leading her to voluntarily leave her corporate job and begin Terra Firma Transition.

CLOSING KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Get Big Things Done: The Power of Connectional Intelligence
Presented by Erica Dhawan

We live in a world of endless meetings, emails, and constant cross-team dysfunction, duplication, and delays. Our collaboration skills aren’t always working to unlock better value in our business. As radical a concept as Emotional Intelligence was in the 90s, Connectional Intelligence is turning people into superconnectors who accelerate innovation, break down silos and foster breakthrough bottom line impact by harnessing the power of networks. In this presentation, Teamwork and collaboration expert Erica Dhawan will show you how to harness this powerful new idea.

Learning Outcomes:

• Learn successful tactics to address communication overload and foster authentic, innovation-driving relationships.
• Discover tools to break down silos and keep teams aligned, accountable, and motivated both in-person and online.
• Gain specific actions to foster loyalty, respect, collaboration, and innovation across stakeholder networks, regardless of physical distance.
  

Erica Dhawan
Leading Expert on Digital Teamwork, Collaboration & Innovation | Bestselling Author

Erica Dhawan says we all have the power to drive innovation, but first we need to get past the roadblocks we create for ourselves: endless meetings, cross-team dysfunction, resource-wasting duplication, and a lack of real, meaningful inclusion. Drawing on her original research, frontline experience, and proven practical methods, Dhawan helps teams and organizations tap into their Connectional Intelligence and take their collaboration to the next level in an era of digital-first workplaces.

Dhawan is the CEO of Cotential, a firm that helps modern leaders develop so they can drive disruptive thinking while removing bureaucracies and inefficient communication patterns. As a speaker, she has presented to organizations and enterprises that range from the World Economic Forum at Davos, to US and global Fortune 500 companies. Dhawan is also the host of the award-winning podcast Masters of Leadership, and the bestselling author of Get Big Things Done: The Power of Connectional Intelligence and Digital Body Language: How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance.

In 2020, Global Gurus named Dhawan as one of the “30 Top Thought Leaders in Management and Organizational Culture” across the world, while Thinkers50 has named her as the "Oprah of Management Ideas”, and Real Leaders named her #1 among their “Top 20 Women Keynote Speakers of 2020.” As a research fellow, Dhawan has taught courses in leadership and collaboration at both Harvard and MIT. 

THANK YOU TO THE 2022 SPONSORS!