Opening Ceremonies
Tuesday, April 30

Leonard Brody

Business and Technology Visionary

The Monumental Shift: An In-Depth Look Into the Future of Canada, Technology and the Changing Workforce

Over the last five years, our personal and professional worlds have gone through more dramatic change than any other period in history. The Industrial Revolution was a blip on the radar compared to where we are now. We don't communicate in the same way and our concept of self and work has entirely changed. Those that do not understand these underpinnings will simply be left behind. Technology and the Web in particular, has left us completely exposed as human beings. We have learned more about ourselves as a species because of the connectivity of the Web than anything known before it. We have entered an era of a true global dialogue. Participation is no longer optional. Not joining the conversation will mean difficulty in hiring and retaining talent. More importantly, it will create massive dissonance between an enterprise and its customers. Do you know the new rules and trends to watch for?

Morning Keynote
Wednesday, May 1

Clara Hughes

Six-time Olympic Medalist Summer and Winter Olympic Games

Overcoming Obstacles to Achieve the Olympic Dream

She is one of the darlings of Canadian sport. With six Olympic medals to her credit, Clara is the only Canadian to have won medals in both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. An Officer of the Order of Canada, Clara continues to compete, most recently participating in her last Olympic Games in London, 2012, and also sits on the International Board of Directors of Right to Play. What many of us didn't know until recently is that she has accomplished all this while battling deep depression. Reflecting upon her own experiences, Hughes will tell you how hard it is to be an elite athlete – pushing herself to the limit, sometimes succeeding, sometimes failing, and all the while dealing with deep-rooted human emotions and keeping herself in check.

Lunch Keynote
Wednesday, May 1

Dr. Linda Duxbury

Professor, Sprott School of Business, Carleton University

Work-Life Balance – Rhetoric Vs Reality

With Canadian corporations losing over $4 billion a year to employee absenteeism, the well-being and satisfaction of employees cannot be overlooked. Dr. Linda Duxbury, Canada's most accomplished researcher, writer and speaker on work-life balance will tell you that work life balance and stress have increased over the past 10 years while organizational outcomes such as job satisfaction and organization commitment have decreased and absence, turnover and job stress have increased. But why? Demographic shifts in the workforce, lack of action by employers, increased workloads, technology, downsizing and rightsizing, employee behaviour and organizational culture are all factors. Dr. Duxbury will discuss key reasons why and how organizations need to make it easier for employees to balance work and life. She maintains that for there to be significant change organizations need to change their culture and she has some ideas.