Awards | Prizes | Registration | Schedule | Speakers | Sponsors |  Tradeshow | Venue

 

DAY 1- October 4, 2023

OPENING KEYNOTES

It Starts with You
Carla Gradin | Certified Body Language Trainer

Master the unspoken rules of communication to create more efficient, impactful interactions.

This teaching uncovers how our brains and bodies work so that people can optimize our everyday activities.

Power On Agency's presentations join human behaviour psychology and subconscious programming with body language and vocal power to help participants better understand the ways they can positively influence themselves and others.

Human potential means all of us have the power and room to grow; therefore, our goal is to deliver content that constantly builds people to the next level of leadership, connection and communication so that the relationships in their professional and personal life survive and thrive.

Over the two days, as a Keynote Presenter and the Conference Host, Carla will explain the science behind the unspoken rules of communication and help us apply these skills to  the art of creating more efficient and impactful interactions.

Carla Gradin, B.Comm, B.Ed is the owner of Power On Agency.  She delivers content through her live Powerful People workshop, her online course Spark Connection, and most recently released the Power On Agency App.   

Carla works with conscientious and impactful leaders who understand that how they show up in person has a huge impact on their credibility, their connections and their confidence. She uses the latest research on human behaviour and psychology to help people understand the subtle nuances that are powerfully influencing our actions and our words during any and all professional responsibilities - such as leading, learning, interviewing, presenting, and networking.

From entrepreneurs to corporate leaders, her ability to illustrate the secret superpowers of nonverbal communication in an easy actionable way, has helped thousands of people relay their message more powerfully by mastering their presence, and showing up in a way that is empowering to themselves and to others.

 

VIRTUAL KEYNOTE
Blueprint to the Future: Leading in a New World of Work
Eric Termuende | Future of Work and Leadership Expert 

While the trends, charts, graphs, and predictions about the future of work are interesting, the rhetoric around the future of work is often stuck on what it might look like, not how we get there. Instead of wasting time trying to predict what’s next, leaders need to better understand the specific steps we need to take to focus on building incredible teams that thrive in the face of adversity and uncertainty; and have each other’s backs along the way.

In this engaging, insight-filled, and actionable presentation, future of work and leadership expert Eric Termuende shares his research-backed blueprint for successful leadership in a world that has yet to be created. 

Attendees will receive a practical guide to building teams that are more productive, engaged, creative, and innovative. They’ll learn from the experiences of the National Football League, category-leading companies, and trailblazers from around the world about the importance of building trust, removing friction, and creating a culture of experimentation. 

Attendees will discover ways to “future-proof” their teams by making a series of one-degree shifts that result in an improved sense of belonging, psychological safety, and engagement. Attendees will walk away with immediate, actionable, budget-free steps to become the type of leader that builds resilient, innovative teams, no matter what else is going on in the world.

What audiences come away with:

• Practical strategies to boost trust, resilience, and camaraderie.
• Research-backed insights on building team agility and excitement toward impending change.
• An understanding of how to harness the power of one-degree shifts.
• Methods for finding and reducing friction within teams.
• Actionable steps to cultivate a culture of experimentation, risk free.
  

Perfect for those looking to:

• Understand what to expect in the future of work.
• Navigate lasting talent shortages.
• Build an action plan to navigate uncertainty.
• Discover trends in talent/work location/demographics/economic trends.
• Build agile, human-centered leaders.
  

 

Eric Termuende is a globally recognized thought leader, bestselling author, and keynote speaker, Eric Termuende brings a fresh perspective to the future of work, leadership, workplace culture, and talent management. He has spent years studying the world’s greatest places to work to learn what sets amazing leaders apart and how to build resilient, innovative, and future-ready teams. Termuende’s refreshing, down-to-earth messaging not only leaves audiences excited about the future, but also equips them with the practical tools and know-how to thrive in it.

Termuende has delivered hundreds of keynotes around the world, with clients from category-leading companies like Amazon, Coca-Cola, Nationwide, IBM, Zoom, Nokia, John Deere, and Toyota, to name a few. His research and insights have also been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, Inc., and many other prominent publications. Termuende has been named one of the world’s Top 100 Emerging Innovators by American Express and is a former World Economic Forum Global Shaper.

In addition, Termuende is the co-founder of NoW of Work, where he advises industry-leading organizations, institutions, and associations on future-proofing their teams, talent management, and rehumanizing the workplace. His bestselling book, Rethink Work, has become a must-read for today’s leaders. From the stages of TEDx to BUILDEX to the Milken Global Conference, Termuende inspires, challenges, and opens minds to opportunities for growth.

 

---

Day 1- Breakout Sessions

Transforming Performance Management
Ruth Kinzel | Kinzel Cadrin & Associates Consulting Inc.

There are many persistent challenges and frustrations with "Performance Management" for both employers and employees in every sector. Traditional transactional approaches remain common practice although they are typically insufficient to foster a culture of accountability or enduring employee engagement.  Instinctively, many HR practitioners know it's not working well and yet do not have time or opportunity to explore leading practices. This session provides that opportunity. Join me to better understand the mindset and mechanics that make for a more contemporary and transformative approach to employee performance support. That shift is a game-changer.

Participants will have opportunity to better understand:

• The mindset needed to transform transactional approaches to employee performance
• What is transactional HR and what is transformational, strategic HR
• Calibrating performance expectations to foster more role acceptance
• Core components of job performance and challenges with metrics
• Creating a line of sight from individual roles to collective corporate purpose
• Other aspects of robust Employee Performance Support tools and processes

 

Ruth Kinzel, CPHR, PhD
Ruth  found her way to Organizational Development while part of a workplace that handled it badly in the early 1980’s. The experience proved there’s far too much at stake not to do this well. How we work together directly impacts business success, employee well-being, employer reputation, and ultimately those whom the business serves. Ruth's sense that quality of work life and business success are interdependent told her there had to be better ways to create the right conditions for business success and employee well-being.

Why then do most organizational development initiatives fail? Ruth needed to know the answer and how to do it effectively, which led her to train as a scholar-practitioner. Two weeks into graduate school, Ruth felt like she’d come home! It was thrilling to learn models, concepts, and names for the things that go on in the spaces between people that she’d always noticed but didn’t know how to make sense of. Thirty-five years later, Ruth is as passionate as ever about helping to create healthy human systems in service of business excellence.

Ruth has a PhD in Applied Social Psychology and extensive training from the NTL Institute for Applied Behavioural Science, as well as being a Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR). For decades, she served as a faculty member in Royal Roads University’s Conflict Analysis & Management Graduate Program, a Professional Affiliate of the U of S Department of Psychology, and a faculty member in Executive Education at the Edwards School of Business. Ruth is also a seasoned MBTI practitioner, and a long-standing mentor in the Betty-Ann Heggie Womentorship Program and volunteer instructor for Leadership Saskatoon. Whatever the context, Ruth brings together relevant and robust theory, research, and practice to help those she serves to address real issues, of real concern, to real people, in real time.

Ruth deeply loves Saskatoon and our province, was raised to contribute to community, and is a life-long learner. She enjoys stimulating conversation, the arts, compelling ideas, and shared laughter. Her now adult children have, and continue to be, remarkable teachers. Home and the garden are her sanctuary.

---

Managing Your Remote & Hybrid Workforce- Employee Surveillance & Privacy Concerns
Amy Gibson & Kristél Kriel | MLT Aikins LLP

Remote work and hybrid work environments are in high demand from employees.

By the end of 2022, the number of remote workers in Canada had more than doubled since the start of 2019. With such a large increase in remote and hybrid work over such a short period of time, employers have had to consider strategies to better manage their remote-based employees to maintain both productivity and employee wellbeing. For many employers, part of the solution has been the use of computer software to monitor employee productivity. This presentation will explore employee privacy concerns when monitoring productivity of remote workers, and recommendations for continuing to manage employees while working remotely.  

Learning outcomes:

• Attendees will gain working knowledge of the privacy laws applicable to Saskatchewan employees. 
• Attendees will learn about recent legal decisions regarding employee surveillance in the workplace and how it applies to remote work environments
• Attendees will learn about key considerations for evaluating whether employee surveillance is appropriate for their remote workforce and what other options may be more appropriate. 
  

Amy Gibson, JD is a Partner at MLT Aikins and carries on a general labour and employment practice. She advises employers on a variety of labour issues, including union certification drives, collective agreement interpretation, labour disputes, workplace policies, discipline and discharge, employment contracts, OH&S, workers’ compensation, labour standards and human rights. She has experience with a variety of court and administrative proceedings as well as representing clients before the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board and in Canada Labour Code unjust dismissal adjudications.

 

Kristél Kriel is a Partner with MLT Aikins who provides practical and strategic advice to public and private organizations across all industries on privacy, cybersecurity and freedom of information laws, including matters such as interpretation, compliance, policy development, education, training and risk management as well as incident response. She helps organizations implement creative solutions for privacy issues affecting their customers and workplaces. Kristél also provides strategic advice to organizations on provincial and federal access requests and complaints, as well as reviews by privacy regulators across Canada.

 

---

Miskâsowin 'Finding One's Sense of Origin': Indigenous Recruitment & Retention Strategies
Presented by: Desiree Gervais, CPHR | Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA)

Officially established as a non-profit organization in 1995, the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) has flourished for over 25 years, providing first-class entertainment to guests across Saskatchewan through each of our seven casino destinations. In November 2022, SIGA launched with provincial partners, the first online gambling and sports betting website PlayNow.com for Saskatchewan. SIGA's mandate is to strengthen the lives of First Nation Peoples through employment, economic growth, positive community relations and achieving financial self-reliance. As a responsible corporate citizen, SIGA has made a commitment to our customers, employees, stakeholders, and suppliers to advocate the responsible use of our gaming products.
 
SIGA has leading workforce demographic outcomes.  Of the 1,370 employees, 65% identify as First Nation and 52% of employees are female, including 46% which serve at the managerial level. SIGA has adopted five guiding principles to encourage balance, while incorporating the traditional aspects of First Nations culture. Miskâsowin signifies the value of finding one’s sense of origin and belonging. A fundamental goal of SIGA is to bring about this guiding principle to the work environment in a positive way. This value speaks to instilling a sense of pride in ourselves and our province’s First Nations’ heritage.
 
Desiree Gervais, Vice President of Human Resources will lead a discussion around SIGA's unique business model, and how to effectively action impactful Indigenous recruitment and retention strategies. The session will include innovative tools and strategies that promote engagement, Reconciliation, collaboration and teamwork in the workplace. Additionally, this session will focus on staying current with emerging trends in a competitive labour environment.
 
Learning Objectives:

• Outline SIGA's journey of Building Back from the global pandemic with record-breaking outcomes
• Demonstrate practical tips and strategies for effective Indigenous engagement, recruitment, and retention
• Share examples of Reconciliation in action 
• Inspire the HR community to raise the bar as it relates to Indigenous talent management
  
  

Desiree Gervais, CPHR is nêhiyaw iskwêw from the Sapotaweyak Cree Nation on Treaty 4 Territory. She has over two decades of progressive Human Resources experience with First Nations government, and highly regulated environments in the gaming, energy and mining sectors. Desiree has a Bachelor of Commerce degree (in Human Resources) from the University of Saskatchewan, as well as her CPHR Designation. Since joining the SIGA Executive Management Team in February 2022, Desiree has been instrumental in leading and elevating people programs across the organization. Desiree sits on the Government of Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety Advisory Committee where she received a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal for public service in 2022. 

---

CLOSING KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Healthier Workforce: Neurodiversity and Mental Health in the Workplace
Dr. Marie-Hélène Pelletier | Leadership Resilience and Burnout Expert

Your team and your organization already include a probably large but hidden neurodiverse population. This likely leads to even more creativity, innovation, productivity and resilience. A more conscious effort to create and support such diversity would benefit everyone – individuals, teams and the organization. If you increase your literacy and framework, then you create the potential for positive outcomes. Organizational climates that connect neurodiversity with inclusion and ethical climates do even better.
In this talk, Dr Marie-Helene covers what neurodiversity is, how it differs from and intersects with mental health at work and its significance. She guides a research-based reflection on where we are currently at and how to move forward to support even better psychological health and safety for a neurodiverse population.

Learning Objectives:

• Define neurodiversity and its connection with mental health
• Understand how beliefs and literacy impact support of neurodiversity at work
• Identify actions to start taking now to support neurodiversity

  

Dr. Marie-Hélène Pelletier is an award-winning Leadership and Workplace Mental Health Expert, Psychologist, Advisor and Speaker.  As one of only a handful of work psychologists holding both a PHD and MBA, Dr. Pelletier brings a mix of business and clinical expertise to her talks and client work.  She has led mental health strategy in senior leadership positions for organizations such as Sun Life Financial, a Global 500 company. Dr. Pelletier has been on the boards of the Canadian Psychological Association and the International Association of Applied Psychology and is an active member of the Global Clinical Practice Network of the World Health Organization. She possesses a unique ability to translate psychology research about health, performance, and resiliency into strategies that professionals, leaders, and teams need to thrive.

---

DAY 2- October 5, 2023

OPENING KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Shifting the Lens: The Impacts of Systemic Racism on Indigenous Engagement and Inclusion
Becky Sasakamoose-Kuffner and Sharissa Hantke | City of Saskatoon

The “Shifting the Lens” session takes an integrated systems approach to provide a foundational understanding of the impact of institutional and systemic manifestations of racism on Indigenous engagement and  Inclusion. This discussion is helpful in “framing” an inquiry for next steps to be not only be productive but also effective in locating how and where we see our organizations in an era of Reconciliation as well as the social, political and economic future of the country.

The session draws upon an Anti-Racist theory defined as “an action-oriented strategy for institutional, systemic change to address racism and the interlocking systems of social oppression” that perpetuate unequal social outcomes that are detrimental to the social, political, and economic health of regions, municipalities and communities. An anti-racism approach is a systematic method of analysis and a proactive course of action. It’s different from other approaches that focus on multiculturalism or diversity because it acknowledges that systemic racism exists and actively confronts the unequal power dynamic between groups and the structures that sustain it. Anti-racism involves consistently assessing structures, policies and programs, and through monitoring outcomes, ensuring they are fair and equitable for everyone.

In this session, attendees will learn:

• Ways to open up unsettling conversations of race without making people afraid to speak for fear of being naïve, offensive, or using the wrong language.
• Why Racism is more than a set of individualistic prejudices, feelings of hatred and irrationalities.
• How systemic and institutional racism function and are sustained.
• How racism impacts our workplace, and why it is important for everyone to work towards the elimination of racial discrimination and other forms of oppression.
• How to identify interlocking systems of oppression in society
• The impact of racism on engagement and inclusion

Becky Sasakamoose Kuffner is a member of Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation in Saskatchewan. Since 2008, she has been employed as the Cultural Diversity and Race Relations consultant for the City of Saskatoon Community Development Branch. Before returning to her Saskatchewan roots, Becky worked as a policy analyst with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Canadian Partnership Branch in Gatineau, Quebec. Before her time with the federal government she spent 9 years with the provincial government as an employment consultant working on Aboriginal labour force development.

Becky holds undergraduate degrees from the University of Regina and L’Université Laval (Quebec City, QC.) and a Master’s Degree in Education Foundations from the University of Saskatchewan.

Becky’s commitment to the urban Indigenous community and Anti-Racism is demonstrated in her academic and professional pursuits. She continues to be an active member of Saskatoon’s urban Aboriginal community and is currently the co-chair of the National Urban Indigenous Coalitions Council.

 

Sharissa Hantke, RN, M.Ed. is an ablebodied cisgender white settler woman seeking to practice anti-racism by learning her own complicity in colonialism and living into her responsibility to change and to push for change. Based on Treaty 6 territory in Saskatoon, she started teaching nursing in 2012. In 2021 she completed a master's in educational foundations under the supervision of anti-racism expert Dr. Verna St. Denis. Sharissa continues to learn and teach anti-racist, anti-oppressive education through the Anti-Racism Network. She wrote a chapter in White Benevolence: Racism and Colonial Violence in the Helping Professions which was released in May 2022.

---

Day 2- Breakout Sessions

Challenges HR Professionals will Navigate in Response to the Growing Use of Smart AI
Benjamin Dunning | Edwards School of Business, University of Saskatchewan

Join us for an engaging session as we delve into the pressing challenges HR professionals are facing in response to the rapid integration of smart AI in higher education. Discover how students are reacting to this transformation and gain insights into strategies for preparing them for the AI-driven business world. During this session, we will explore concerns regarding AI's role in improving resumes, its potential for completing tasks traditionally done by employees, the risks of confabulated responses, and the complex issues surrounding the ownership of AI-produced work. Additionally, we will shed light on how university students are experiencing these AI-related challenges and share strategies to help them navigate the evolving landscape, preparing them to thrive in a business world increasingly shaped by smart AI technologies.

 

Benjamin Dunning is an instructor of Marketing and Business Ethics at the University of Saskatchewan. With a strong foundation in academia and a passion for exploring the integration of smart AI into the worlds of education and business, Ben is committed to fostering a deeper understanding of these transformative forces.

Canvassing 10 of the current legal issues being faced by HR professionals in both union and non-union workplaces. Participants will be able to identify, and manage, some of the current legal issues facing HR Professionals in Saskatchewan.

This session would empower participants to deal with some of the foremost legal issues in the workplace, including remote work, and accommodation issues.

Steve Seiferling is the Managing Lawyer and CEO of Seiferling Law, a management side labour and employment law firm in Saskatoon. Steve helps unionized, and non-union, Saskatchewan businesses navigate all legal aspects of their relationship with employees. Steve is also a sessional lecturer at the Edwards School of Business, teaching labour law, and workplace health and safety.

---

Integrating an EDI Framework for Action and Accountability
Jocelyn Peltier-Huntley | Prairie Catalyst

Advancing EDI within organizations will involve a process, over a period of time, to integrate inclusive and equitable practices in various systems with the ultimate goal of shifting workplace culture to engage and retain a diverse and representative workforce. EDI framework and strategies are necessary elements of advancing EDI and ensuring accountability to complete EDI actions.

At the end of this session, participants will be able to articulate 5 necessary components of an EDI framework.

Jocelyn Peltier-Huntley, M.Sc, P.Eng. is an EDI researcher and professional mechanical engineer with nearly 20 years of experience leading change. Jocelyn has been recognized by Engineers Canada as an EDI Champion and by Vanier Canada for her leadership capacity. Through her business, Prairie Catalyst, Jocelyn is driven to create awareness and remove roadblocks so that all individuals and organizations can realize the benefits of inclusion and achieve their full potential. She helps her clients lead change through uncovering problems, establishing common understanding, and implementing practical solutions. Jocelyn supports leaders to make changes with a consultative and collaborative approach that engages key stakeholders.

Jocelyn has a B.Sc. with distinction in Mechanical Engineering and a M.Sc. in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Saskatchewan. She is a 2021 Vanier scholar and is working with International Minerals Innovation Institute and Mitacs on her PhD project, titled “Activating Allies”. After spending thirteen years of her career working at Canadian mining and mineral processing sites in technical and leadership roles, Jocelyn is now expanding her social impact potential by leading and inspiring positive change through EDI research, facilitation, public speaking, and consulting. 

Jocelyn is an active volunteer and Vice-Chair of the Board with Women in Mining and Women in Nuclear Saskatchewan. In her role as Vice-Chair, she has coordinated and facilitated strategic planning sessions and workshops, both in person and virtually. Jocelyn was formerly the Chair of the Mentorship committee which paired more than 100 mentees and mentors from the Saskatchewan mining and nuclear industries under her leadership.

---

CLOSING KEYNOTE SPEAKER

The Success-Energy Equation
Michelle Cederberg | Health and Productivity Expert

“Beat Burnout. Harness your Energy. Streamline Success.”

In this high-energy keynote, Health and Productivity Expert Michelle Cederberg shares research from her latest book The Success-Energy Equation. After years of studying top-in-class professionals she’s uncovered obvious, though rarely recognized, or exercised ways to streamline success, reduce stress and eliminate exhaustion.

From fail-proofing your routines, to clarifying your goals, and finally breaking free from the traps of distraction, Michelle uncovers a powerful combination of scientific facts, health truths, and laughable human behaviors that when implemented, will set you apart from the average ambitious individual and help you solve your own personal formula for success in profound ways.

KEY OUTCOMES & AUDIENCE IMPACT:

• Develop a clearer understanding (and newfound sense of humor) about where your energy is being ‘poured, invested or drained’.
• Learn how to overcome common barriers like distractions and bad habits, to become more consistent with your goals and outcomes.
• Discover four science-backed variables that can significantly impact your goals, confidence, productivity, and success.
• Streamline, optimize and eliminate unnecessary stressors to boost productivity and drive you, and your company, to new levels of true success.

 

Michelle Cederberg
For over 20 years, Health and Productivity Expert Michelle Cederberg has captivated audiences across North America with her empowering and humorous messages about how to set worthwhile goals, get energized for success, and live a bigger life.

As a certified and in-demand speaker, author, coach and consultant, she believes that personal and professional success is directly influenced by how well we harness the physical, mental and emotional capacity we each have within us. She enthusiastically calls on science to help people boost that capacity, gain clarity, build confidence and develop the discipline to create the life and career they want.

Michelle holds a Masters in Kinesiology, a BA in Psychology, specialization in Health & Exercise Psychology, is a Certified Speaking Professional, Certified Exercise Physiologist and a High-Performance Coach. Her life’s work is about combining mind, body and practicality to powerfully ignite change in everyday professionals.