Executive Advisor, Author, & Sr. Director of Technology
Lowes
About Dr. Kalifa Oliver
Dr. Kalifa Oliver is a global HR industry expert and award winning Employee Experience (EX) strategist, distinguished scholar, author and a luminary in the intersection of academia, business, and innovation. Focused on creating brilliant employee experiences based on data analytics, people-centered design, and customer experience philosophy. Her groundbreaking research, talks, and published works have not only expanded the boundaries of knowledge but also inspires a new generation of leaders. Dr. Oliver’s unique ability to articulate complex ideas and tell stories with clarity and enthusiasm transcends traditional academic confines, making her a sought-after voice in both expert circles and with broader corporate leadership and executive audiences.
Dr. Oliver is the author of I Think I Love My Job: Secrets to Designing a People-Centered Employer Value Proposition (That You Can Actually Boast About) a must read book for professionals and executives connected to the HR space.
Lola Obomighie is a healthcare executive and Certified Human Resources Executive (CHRE) with the HRPA. With over 20 years of international leadership experience across healthcare, higher education, and the public and not-for-profit sectors in England and Canada, she currently serves as Vice President, People, Culture & Organizational Effectiveness at Northumberland Hills Hospital.
A strategic and values-driven leader, Lola is recognized for advancing workforce transformation, organizational effectiveness, equity, diversity and inclusion, and people-centred cultures that support engagement, well-being, and sustainable performance. She is passionate about HR metrics, evidence-informed decision-making, and cultivating inclusive workplace cultures that align people strategies with organizational priorities and long-term sustainability. She is also known for her collaborative leadership style and systems-thinking approach.
Lola holds a BSc (Hons) in Economics and Statistics, an MSc in Human Resources Management, and has completed the Rotman Global Executive MBA in Healthcare and the Life Sciences (GEMBA-HLS). She is also a Certified Health Executive (CHE), Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), and Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), UK.
Nura Askar is a senior Human Resources and Learning & Development leader with extensive experience in talent management, leadership development, organizational transformation, and employee growth. She currently serves as National Director, Learning & Development for Intact’s Claims business, leading learning strategy and transformation for a large national workforce. Prior to joining Intact, she served as Vice President, Human Resources of Canada at Cogeco and as Global Director, Learning & Development at Hatch. Passionate about connecting people, technology, and business strategy, Nura leads transformative learning initiatives that unlock performance, help people thrive, and enable organizations to achieve lasting impact.
Manuelita Cherizard is a passionate advocate for human development and growth. This personal mission is driven by a deep knowledge of how to align talent with organizational objectives, as well as keen personal insight. She has learned first-hand how appropriate support can impact professional achievement. Throughout her varied career, she has made mentoring and development a top priority.
Manuelita has the ability to drive change and build relationships with her expertise extending to board committees, where she contributes insights to HR, governance, and nominations. Manuelita is a solutions-oriented leader dedicated to enhancing organizational success through thoughtful HR practices.
Manuelita has guided human resources efforts in private, public, not for-profit, and crown corporations having both unionized and non-unionized employees. She is currently the Chief Human Resources Officer at the Royal Ontario Museum, one of Canada’s pre-eminent cultural institutions. She has also led HR at Groupe Média TFO, the CBC's English Services, and held roles of increasing responsibility in Human Resources at various financial services institutions.
A life-long learner, Manuelita earned her MBA at Concordia University in Montreal, after obtaining a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM). She is fluent in French and English, and has a working knowledge of Spanish.
Manuelita’s commitment to helping others to develop their potential has led her to volunteer her time as an active and committed board member for organizations dedicated to helping under-employed and marginalized individuals improve their lives.
Katie Duarte is on a mission to improve feedback at work by challenging traditional approaches. With a masters degree in Organizational Psychology and a research background in feedback dynamics, she brings insights to help organizations make impactful improvements to feedback by considering the parts that both the giver and the receiver play. Taking a systems approach to her work, Katie also holds two professional designations: one in training and development, and one in organization development, acknowledging that truly effective feedback requires a cooperative effort between the environment (processes, policies, and procedures), the feedback giver, and the feedback receiver.
As a strategic and Global Chief People Officer, I aim to redefine how organizations connect business performance with human potential. With a career spanning North America, Europe, EMEA, and APAC, I've led organizations through high-growth phases, M&A integrations, and cultural transformation—proving that people strategy is the most powerful lever for sustainable success. I bring a results-driven approach grounded in empathy, innovation, and action. Passionate about the evolving world of work, I champion the integration of technology, talent, and culture to create workplaces where people thrive and businesses outperform.
From building scalable global talent strategies to fostering leadership excellence, I focus on enabling organizations to not just adapt, but to lead in times of change. Believing that culture and the Employee Experience are a company’s ultimate competitive advantage, I advocate for purposeful leadership and brand-driven performance as the foundation of long-term growth.
Erin Kuzz is a seasoned employment lawyer and workplace strategist renowned for her expertise in navigating the complexities of labour and employment law and fostering productive and compliance-oriented work environments. With more than two decades of experience, Erin has established herself as a trusted advisor to organizations of all sizes, providing tailored legal solutions and strategic guidance to address a wide range of employment-related challenges.
Erin's commitment to professional excellence and her contributions to the fields of labour employment law have garnered recognition from her peers and industry organizations alike, including as one of Canada's leading employment and labour lawyers by Lexpert®, Leading 500 Cross-Border Lawyers®, Chambers Global®, Who’s Who Legal® (Global Elite Thought Leader & Most Highly Regarded), and Best Lawyers®. She is also a Fellow of the prestigious College of Labor and Employment Lawyers®. Erin sits as a member, representing employers, of the Labour-Management Advisory Committee, advising Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.
Sherrard Kuzz LLP’s dedicated team of legal professionals is committed to delivering exceptional counsel and advocacy to employers across various industries. The firm's client-centric approach, and unwavering dedication to achieving favourable outcomes, have earned it, and Erin, a reputation for excellence and integrity within the legal community.
Margot Lackenbauer is Chief Human Resources Officer at BDO Canada, where she leads the firm’s national people strategy for nearly 5,000 partners and staff. With more than 20 years of HR leadership experience across multiple industries, Margot brings a practical, business-focused approach to aligning people strategy with organizational priorities.
Throughout her career, Margot has led significant business and talent transformations, helping organizations build the leadership and workforce capabilities needed to support growth and evolving business needs. She is particularly interested in how AI is reshaping work and the implications for people, organizations and the role of HR. Margot also serves on the Board of Directors of The Stop Community Food Centre, a Toronto-based organization that uses food as a catalyst to build community, advance equity and create pathways to belonging.
Katya Laviolette is Chief People Officer at 1Password and currently serves as a Board Director and Commmittee Chair with both Sanimax and Solotech. She also serves on the Human Resources Committee of the McGill University Board of Governors and previously served for many years on the Board of Pour 3 Points.
Over a 30+ year career, Katya has held senior executive and people leadership roles at SSENSE, TC Transcontinental, CBC/Radio-Canada, Rio Tinto, Bombardier and CN. She brings a distinctly Canadian and global perspective to building high-performing organizations, leading culture change, and navigating complex environments involving boards, investors, founders, families and global teams. Her expertise includes executive and board governance, succession, rewards, M&A and organizational effectiveness. Bilingual in English and French, Katya is also active in mentoring women leaders and supporting the next generation of Canadian talent.
Simone Ostrowski is a Partner at Whitten & Lublin and practices exclusively in employment and labour law. She advises and represents both employers and employees in unionized and non-unionized workplace matters.
Simone’s practice includes wrongful and constructive dismissal claims, employment agreements, executive compensation, workplace investigations, human rights and harassment matters, occupational health and safety issues, accommodations, workplace policies and compliance, grievance arbitrations, unfair labour practice allegations, and other labour relations disputes.
A graduate of Queen’s University Faculty of Law (2013), Simone is an experienced litigator known for her thoughtful advocacy, practical advice, and strategic approach to resolving workplace disputes. She has a particular interest in human rights law and has spoken on panels addressing human rights issues in the workplace. She has appeared at all levels of court in Ontario, as well as at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Tribunal.
Award winning, transformational leader, and culture-building executive with experience supporting executive teams and leaders in navigating complexity, strengthening performance, and enhancing leadership effectiveness. She works at the intersection of business performance, leadership, and boardroom dynamics; helping organizations align strategy, people, and execution.
With a background as a senior enterprise leader, Janine brings practical insight into executive decision-making, transformation, and stakeholder management. She is a trusted partner to leaders operating in global, highly regulated environments and is particularly effective in supporting leaders through periods of transformation, organizational change, and increased complexity and growth.
As an executive coach and facilitator, Janine works with senior leaders and leadership teams to strengthen self-awareness, decision-making, and leadership presence. She creates focused, high-trust environments where clients can challenge assumptions, think strategically, and translate insight into action.
Clients (domestic and international) value Janine for her clarity, sound judgment, and ability to quickly focus on what matters most, enabling leaders with alignment, confidence, and impact.
An experienced business executive, HR professional, and leader with 25+ years’ experience in business development, operations, human resource management, and executive coaching. Lee-Ann has a broad and diverse background in Retail, Telecommunications, Print Media, Broadcast, Post-Production, Health Services, and Travel industries with experience working in both large corporations and small entrepreneurial businesses.
Lee-Ann is a proven facilitator, process engineer, and strategic planner recognized for her award-winning training and development Marketing, Health & Safety, and Operations Development programs. Lee-Ann’s passion for creating amazing workplaces is anchored in her belief that when companies care about and invest in their people, they thrive and achieve great things together. Her energy, creativity and solution-based problem solving are inspirational, contagious and foundational to success.
On a personal note, Lee-Ann was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada where she raised her 3 now adult children with her husband and partner of over 30 years.
Over the course of her career, Tammy has worked in various HR leadership roles with known industry leaders like TELUS, Grand & Toy, OfficeMax, OpenText. She currently leads an HR function as an CHRO at Edgewood Health Network Inc. Tammy holds board positions at several non-for-profit community organizations and is currently serving as a President of one of Ontario’s oldest Figure Skating Club, WFSC and as a chair of the HRPA Central East Chapter. Tammy is a graduate of University of Toronto with honors, currently holds SHRM, CHRP and CHRL, CHRE designations. She holds an active certification by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing in Adult Mental Health First Aid USA and has recently completed a Labour Law program at York University – Osgoode Hall Law School and specialization program with Harvard Business School.
Loren Blandon is a behavioral scientist, People & HR executive, and one of the leading voices on the future of work. With 18+ years of global leadership across tech, healthcare, FMCG, and creative industries, Loren has led award-winning workforce transformation efforts at scale. Known for her distinct lens that blends technology, culture, and human behavior, Loren is a sought-after speaker and podcast guest, followed by thousands across social media. She advises organizations globally and sits on advisory boards shaping the future of AI, leadership, and work design.
As a seasoned strategic people and talent advisor passionate about driving and delivering change, Krista Skalde joined Inovia Capital in April 2021, responsible for the design and implementation of talent management, organizational effectiveness solutions, and market-aligned HR practices to drive business performance, both internally within Inovia and with Inovia’s Portfolio Companies. Prior to Inovia, Krista was with the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, leading human capital due diligence in portfolio company acquisitions, and value creation deliverables. She has held different roles in organizational and leadership development, as well as working as an independent consultant, in different geographies around the world. Her work has spanned industries such as Investment Management, Corporate Hospitality, Insurance, Banking/Finance, Technology, Transport, Automotive/Aeronautical, and Pharmaceutical.
Daniel is a human resources strategy expert with over 25 years of international consulting experience across all continents. He specializes in total rewards, talent strategy, and organizational and workforce transformation.
As a thought leader in geopolitics, artificial intelligence, and HR transformation, he analyzes how global dynamics are reshaping workforce strategy. Daniel has also co-authored many publications on people sustainability, skills-based organizations and other key topics.
Ric Phillips, MBA is an executive communication coach & corporate trainer helping leaders and teams communicate with simplicity, empathy and confidence. He shares his “3 Vs of Communication” holistic system to align verbal, vocal and visual communications.
Ric is an author, a Global Guru Top 30 Communication Professional since 2022, and a frequent conference speaker, including TEDx. His background includes sociology, psychology, NLP, body language analysis, teaching ESL and training entrepreneurs globally. Though located in Toronto he has conducted training from NYC to Paris, Moscow to Tel Aviv, Oxford to Yerevan and more.
