Stephen Poloz is Special Advisor at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. As the former Governor of the Bank of Canada, Stephen is a widely recognized economist with 40 years experience in financial markets, forecasting and economic policy.

An Officer of the Order of Canada, Stephen has made significant contributions to the country throughout his career and continues to do so. In 2024, Stephen led an economic working group created by the federal government to help find more opportunities for Canada’s largest pension funds to drive economic growth here at home. Outcomes from the consultation were published in the Fall Economic Statement of December 2024.

In October 2025, Stephen was appointed as an expert advisor by the Ontario government to the Panel for Utility Leadership and Service Excellence (PULSE). This panel will support the government’s long-term plan to deliver reliable energy in Ontario.

Stephen joined Osler after seven years at the helm of the central bank. His experience in having guided Canada’s monetary response, particularly during the first half of 2020, demonstrated his ability to translate complex market information into the business context.

Prior to joining the Bank of Canada, Stephen spent 14 years at Export Development Canada as Chief Economist (1999-2008), and Head of Lending (2008-2011) and then as President and CEO of EDC (2011-2013).

In 2023, Stephen won the National Business Book Award for The Next Age of Uncertainty: How the World Can Adapt to a Riskier Future, which is also a national bestseller.

He has received honorary Doctoral degrees from Trent University, the University of Western Ontario, and Ontario Tech University.

Firman is an Indigenous project developer and proud member of Serpent River First Nation. He has dedicated his career to advancing First Nation economic development through Nation-led infrastructure and renewable energy projects across Canada.

Over the course of his career, Firman has supported the development of governance structures, strategic partnerships, and major project opportunities that create long-term economic benefits for Indigenous communities. His experience includes First Nation-led industry negotiations, strategic business planning, venture structuring, project development, and securing capital for large-scale renewable energy initiatives.

Firman holds a Master of Business Administration from the Ivey Business School and a Bachelor of Commerce from Toronto Metropolitan University.

Sven List was appointed Senior Vice-President, Canadian Corporate Business in April 2024. In this role, he oversees EDC’s large-segment financing portfolio to support international trade for these critical drivers of Canada’s prosperity.

Prior to this, Sven was Senior Vice-President, Corporate and International. In that role, since April 2022, he was accountable for the relationship management and loan underwriting functions for EDC’s corporate customer segment as well as EDC’s international strategy and operations.

Since joining EDC in 2000, Sven worked in progressively senior roles in the Structured Project Finance (SPF) team before being promoted to VP and Head of Structured and Project Finance in 2014 and then VP and Head of Corporate Lending International. He was appointed to EDC’s Executive Management Team as Senior Vice-President, Trade Connections in May 2019. Prior to joining EDC, he held positions of increasing responsibility within the corporate banking unit of a foreign bank’s operations in Mexico.

Mr. Dion is a former Chairman & CEO of Frog Lake Energy Resources Corp and has over 40 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. He is the former Chief of Kehewin and Grand Chief of Alberta and is the founding Chairman of the Indian Resource Council.

Mark Iype is the Deputy National Editor and Alberta Bureau Chief for The Globe and Mail.

Patrick Brethour has written on economics, business and politics and business across the country for nearly three decades, including, most recently, his award-winning coverage of tax and fiscal policy.

Patrick has covered the rise and fall of the dot-coms, Alberta’s oil boom and the spectacle of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. He was deputy editor of Report on Business, and then senior news editor, before heading to New Brunswick in 2014.

There, as editor in chief of Brunswick News, he led the organization to multiple national and regional journalism awards, including a Michener nomination for coverage of the deficiencies of New Brunswick's child-care system.

He returned to The Globe in 2017 as a senior news editor, moving to the tax and fiscal policy beat in 2019. As editorials editor, he is responsible for The Globe’s daily editorials – a key voice in the national debate.

Emma Graney has covered energy from The Globe and Mail’s Calgary Bureau since 2019, including oil and gas, alternate fuels, renewables, liabilities and green technology. She keeps her eye on the energy sector across the country, from the oil sands in Alberta (1, 2) to geothermal potential in Saskatchewan, the explosive liabilities of old gas wells in Ontario, and renewable hydrogen in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Emma was one of The Globe's team of correspondents deployed to Europe in the days following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In 2023, she was part of the Oxford Climate Journalism Network cohort in 2023 and, in 2020, was a Columbia University Energy Journalism fellow.

Emma first landed in Alberta in 2016 as provincial affairs reporter for the Edmonton Journal, where she hosted the weekly Press Gallery podcast about Alberta politics and was part of the team that won a National Newspaper Award for Fort McMurray wildfire coverage. She has reported in Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador, the U.K., Indonesia and her native Australia, and has investigated artificial intelligence in China as an Asia Pacific Foundation media fellow. She holds a Bachelor of Journalism and a Bachelor of Business from the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane

Patrick Brethour has written on economics, business and politics and business across the country for nearly three decades, including, most recently, his award-winning coverage of tax and fiscal policy.

Patrick has covered the rise and fall of the dot-coms, Alberta’s oil boom and the spectacle of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. He was deputy editor of Report on Business, and then senior news editor, before heading to New Brunswick in 2014.

There, as editor in chief of Brunswick News, he led the organization to multiple national and regional journalism awards, including a Michener nomination for coverage of the deficiencies of New Brunswick's child-care system.

He returned to The Globe in 2017 as a senior news editor, moving to the tax and fiscal policy beat in 2019. As editorials editor, he is responsible for The Globe’s daily editorials – a key voice in the national debate.

Susannah has worked for more than 20 years in the energy sector and is known for leading change within organizations as it relates to integrating value and building collaborative partnerships with private and public sector actors, customers, partners, indigenous and non-indigenous communities.

She has a strong public policy, advocacy and project development background that has advanced projects across the energy sector spectrum including renewable and non-renewable power, oil and gas production, pipelines, carbon capture and sequestration, low carbon hydrogen, nuclear, geothermal and liquified natural gas (LNG). She has worked in the US, Canada and Europe managing global and local teams.

Most notably, Susannah is recognized for her leadership in driving two of Canada’s most significant nation building projects including Keystone Oil Pipeline and LNG Canada, the largest private sector investment in Canadian history.

In her most recent role as Shell Canada Limited President and Country Chair, she represented the integrated lines of business in Canada including upstream oil and gas, downstream, renewable energy solutions and Shell Trading. Along with division leadership, she created the business case for ongoing investment across the Canadian portfolio including Shell’s most recent investment in Polaris CCS - a carbon capture sequestration project designed to capture 750,000 tonnes of CO2 per year at full build out.

Prior to joining Shell, Susannah held senior roles at TC Energy, based in Washington, DC and at MicroStrategy and Accenture based in New York City and Washington, DC, respectively.

Dan is the Co-Founder and CEO of Greengate Power, one of Canada's most accomplished renewable energy developers. Over 19 years, Dan and his team developed a landmark portfolio of large-scale wind and solar projects including the 300 MW Blackspring Ridge Wind Project, once Canada's largest wind facility, and the 465 MW Travers Solar Project, the largest solar project ever built in Canada and one of the largest in the world. In total, Greengate has developed over 1.5 GW of renewable energy projects representing more than $2 billion in investment and enough clean energy to power over 500,000 Canadian homes.

Dan is also Co-Founder and Partner of Augur VC, a venture capital firm investing at the intersection of energy and AI - the Watt-Bit value chain - where innovations in AI infrastructure and digital technology are transforming the energy industry.

Dan serves as Chair of the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund, a City of Calgary initiative driving economic development and job creation. He also serves as a board member and strategic advisor to several companies and has formerly served on the boards of Calgary Economic Development and the Pembina Institute, and as Board Chair of the Paperny Family JCC.

Dan is a frequent speaker and media commentator on energy, innovation, and entrepreneurship. He has been named to Canada's Clean50 twice (2015, 2023), recognized as Resource Leader of the Year by the Alberta Chamber of Resources (2021), named one of Alberta's 50 Most Influential People twice by Alberta Venture and named EY Entrepreneur of the Year Prairies (2012).

Jessica Tan is President of Sun Life Canada. She is responsible for leading Sun Life’s business in its home market, driving continued growth as a leader in health, wealth and protection for Canadians. Sun Life Canada is a 160-year business serving 12 million Canadians, which is more than half the working Canadians in the country across insurance, wealth, asset management, and health businesses.

Jessica is widely recognized as a transformative leader. She held a top 5 ranking on Fortune's Most Powerful Women for 5 consecutive years (2019 - 2023) and has been recognized as one of Forbes' The World's 100 Most Powerful Women since 2019. Prior to Sun Life in North America, Jessica worked in Asia for 20 years across Greater China, India, and Southeast Asia. Specifically, she was the co-CEO of Ping An, one of Asia’s largest insurance companies, responsible for Ping An’s insurance, digital banking,
healthcare, and technology businesses. Prior to that Jessica was a partner at McKinsey where she worked in North America and Asia working with global and regional financial services companies and regulators.

In 2026, Jessica joined the Board of Directors of the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA). Jessica is also an active leader in the global community for fintech, healthcare and elderly care. She sits on several global boards and advisory committees including MAS’ (Monitory Authority of Singapore) Financial Centre Advisory Panel (FCAP), the Singapore Central Provident Fund (Singapore National Pensions Fund >US$460 billion),
SEA Group (Southeast Asia's largest gaming, e-commerce and fintech company), Global Finance & Technology Network (Global Fintech Network started by the Monetary Authority of Singapore), Asia Society Global Board of Trustees, Oxford Blavatnik School of Government, and AGE-WELL elderly care/tech organization in Canada.

Deborah Yedlin joined the Calgary Chamber of Commerce in July, 2021 with a background that includes experience on Wall Street and Bay Street, and more than two decades as a business columnist for various media outlets, commenting on the nexus of business and politics since 1996.

Since moving to Calgary in 1992, Yedlin has been very active in the Calgary community – as a board member on a number of not-for-profit organizations including serving as the co-chair of the 2016 United Way Campaign. Yedlin served as the 14th Chancellor of the University of Calgary and is currently one of three co-chairs of the $250 million Calgary Cancer Centre fundraising campaign.

A first-generation Canadian, born and raised in Edmonton, Deborah is a graduate of the University of Alberta and Queen’s University. She also completed her ICD.D designation through the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary.

Joyce Carter is President & CEO of Halifax International Airport Authority, overseeing the management, development and operation of Halifax Stanfield International Airport. She holds leadership roles in various aviation organizations, including being the first female Past Chair of the Canadian Airports Council. A strong advocate for women in leadership, she mentors others and participates in programs like the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Mentorship Program. Joyce has received numerous accolades, including being named one of Atlantic Canada’s Top 50 CEOs (2017-2020) and one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women (2023). In 2024, she was appointed by the RCAF as Honorary Colonel of 12 Wing Shearwater, and in 2025, she was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal for her contributions to transportation and commerce.

Martha Hall Findlay, BA (International Relations), LLB, ICD.D is Director and Palmer Chair in Public Policy, School of Public Policy, University of Calgary; a member of the Expert Group on Canada-U.S. Relations; Corporate Director (currently a member of the Board of TELUS); and Senior Advisor for Teneo.

Prior to joining the School of Public Policy, Martha Chief Sustainability and Chief Climate Officer at Suncor Energy, and before that served as president and CEO of the Canada West Foundation. She has long had a reputation for being non-partisan, objective, and pragmatic by advocating for public policy solutions based on thorough research and analysis.

As a Member of Parliament, she was a member of the Official Opposition shadow cabinet and served on several House of Commons committees as the critic for International Trade; Finance; Government Works and Public Services; and Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities.

As a corporate lawyer and senior business executive in both Canada and Europe, she developed extensive experience in energy, telecommunications, sustainability, trade (international and internal) and global markets.

She was for several years a member of the Deputy Minister of International Trade’s Trade Expert Advisory Council. She wrote the ‘Energy and Climate Change’ chapter of The Indo-Pacific – new strategies for Canadian engagement with a critical region (2022, Fen Osler Hampson, Goldy Hyder and Tina Park, eds.) She is a member of the Asia Business Leaders Advisory Council, and a member of the Executive Committee of the Canada Korea Forum.

She was named a Canadian Climate Champion in 2021; a top global female oil and gas executive and one of the top 275 global energy women influencers; and was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal. She was silver medalist at the 1976 Canadian Alpine Ski Championships, and coached several young skiers who went on to compete in the Olympics. She has served on the Boards of various non-profit and community organizations, including in some cases as Chair.

She has written dozens of essays, articles, book chapters and op eds and is frequently interviewed for national and international print and broadcast media, in both French and English.

Ryan MacDonald is a senior editor with the Report on Business at The Globe and Mail, where he has held editorial positions since 2007. He leads a team of award-winning journalists focused on energy and natural resource issues that are critical to the Canadian economy.

Harry Culham leads a team of over 48,000 team members globally who live CIBC’s purpose every day: to help make your ambition a reality.

With a proven track record of leading key areas of CIBC’s businesses and head office groups, Harry has instilled a strategic, client-focused and growth-oriented mindset across the organization, building an exceptional team and delivering outstanding business results.

Harry first joined CIBC as an intern in Vancouver and participated in one of the bank’s first graduate programs. He then gained extensive experience in senior banking roles in Europe and Asia before rejoining CIBC in 2008, ultimately taking on the leadership of CIBC’s global Capital Markets business in 2015. He has been responsible for leading and optimizing several areas of the bank including CIBC Caribbean, CIBC Mellon and the Strategic Client Office. He has also led the bank’s Enterprise Strategy and Corporate Development function and Global Asset Management.

Prior to being appointed President and CEO, he was CIBC’s Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the bank’s four Strategic Business Units.

His commitment to community service and creating a culture of care is reflected in his roles as Co-Chair of the CIBC Foundation, Executive Chair of CIBC Miracle Day, the United Way Finance Sector lead, and as a member of the Board of Sinai Health. He holds a degree from the University of British Columbia's Sauder School of Business and is a Leslie Wong Fellow.

David Walmsley is the Globe and Mail’s editor-in-chief. Under his editorship, The Globe and Mail has won the annual Canadian Michener Award for meritorious public service journalism three times as well as dominated the annual National Newspaper Awards.

As President & Chief Executive Officer, Jon is responsible for the strategic direction of the company and delivering strong financial, operational and sustainability performance. Jon took on this leadership role in April 2023. He is also a Director of the company.

Jon has more than 30 years of finance and operations experience, mostly in the Canadian oil and gas industry. He has been at Cenovus since 2018, serving first as Executive Vice-President & Chief Financial Officer and most recently as the Executive Vice-President & Chief Operating Officer. Jon was an integral part of the 2021 strategic combination with Husky Energy, having served as the Chief Financial Officer at both Cenovus and Husky. Jon also worked at Irving Oil as the company’s Chief Financial Officer and Chief Commercial Officer, with responsibility for all supply, trading and commercial aspects of the company including coordinating business development projects involving pipelines, rail and terminal operations. Prior to that, Jon worked at Suncor for 10 years where he held increasingly senior roles in finance and operations, including operating responsibility for the company’s upgrader in Fort McMurray.

Jon currently serves on the Board of Irving Oil and Chairs the Board at the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP).
He is a Chartered Professional Accountant and a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Alberta. Jon holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Bachelor of Arts (Economics) degree from the University of Alberta.

Jeffrey Jones is a veteran journalist specializing in mergers, acquisitions and private equity for The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business. Before joining The Globe and Mail in 2013, he was a senior reporter for Reuters, writing news, features and analysis on energy deals, pipelines, politics and general topics. His work has taken him from the Far North to the Deep South.

Chris Avery is the President & CEO of the Arctic Gateway Group (AGG), an Indigenous- and community-owned organization that owns and operates the Hudson Bay Railway and the Port of Churchill. Chris is an accomplished executive with over 25 years of leadership experience in the transportation industry. Since his appointment in July 2024, he has championed Churchill and the railway as a critical Canadian infrastructure that unlocks new economic opportunities for northern Manitoba and strengthens national supply chains. Under his leadership AGG has set a vision to be a major port in Canada and a significant set of trade enabling infrastructure in support of our national goals to diversify our trade, become an energy super power, and assert our sovereignty in the North.

As the former President & CEO of Canadian North and First Air, Chris led the successful merger and integration of the two airlines and guided the organization through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under his leadership, Canadian North was named one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies and recognized as Regional Airline of the Year (2022) by Air Transport World. He spent 13 years at WestJet in a variety of senior leadership roles and has also held management positions with Alaska Airlines, Canadian Airlines, and other companies in the travel and transportation sectors

As the President and CEO of Capital Power, Avik leads the company in its growth and expansion across Canada and the U.S. and champions the team in accelerating its current strategic drive to deliver balanced energy solutions.

Prior to joining Capital Power, Avik spent over two decades in the energy business in executive, operational, investing, and senior advisory roles. He has invested over $12 billion in growing long-term value for energy and energy transition companies.

Avik strongly believes in fostering the next generation of entrepreneurs and currently serves as the Director of Enactus Canada, an international non-profit helping university students solve the world’s biggest problems through social innovation.

Teresa holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in social work from the University of Calgary and has dedicated her career to promoting active civic engagement and volunteerism, social inclusion, cross-cultural understanding and antidiscrimination awareness.

An active part of her community for 40 years, Teresa founded seven organizations including the Asian Heritage Foundation, the ACCT Foundation, the Ethno-Cultural Council of Calgary (Action Dignity) and the Calgary Chinese Community Services Association as well as served on over 30 committees and boards at local, provincial and national levels. Teresa is also a member of the Calgary Arts Foundation currently.

Her community service has earned her an Immigrant of Distinction Award, YWCA’s Woman of Distinction Award, the Chinese Canadian Legend Award, the Queen’s Jubilee Award for Multiculturalism and Community Services, the Canada 125th Commemorative Award for Community Services and the Queen Elizabeth’s 60 th Jubilee Award.

Teresa is the first Trustee and Chair of the Calgary Board of Education of Asian Canadian descent (1995 to 1999) and the first female Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta and Cabinet Minister of Asian Canadian descent (2008-2015).

Other than her accomplishments in community and political services, she is also a consultant by profession, including diversity training, and has worked for the Calgary health region, United Way of Calgary, the Red Cross, Calgary Board of Education, the Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association, and the Calgary Immigrant Aid Society.