Event registration will close on Monday, June 4, 2024 at 9:00 AM ET. If you require assistance, please contact marketing@globeandmail.com.
It is often difficult for entrepreneurs to separate family from business when planning their legacy. This intertwined transition is often challenging, with no one-size-fits-all solution. With a generation entering retirement in droves and a changing business landscape, these conversations are increasingly top-of-mind for many families and enterprises alike.
Join The Globe and Mail for a hybrid event that will be looking at common questions that arise when building a succession plan, the psychology behind decision-making and the approaches people can take when considering these matters.
if you have registered to attend today's event virtually, click the button below to join the webcast. you can join as early as 11:15 a.m. et. programming begins at 11:45 a.m. et.
Event registration will close on Monday, June 4, 2024 at 9:00 AM ET.For assistance, please contact marketing@globeandmail.com.
Roger Greenberg
Executive Chairman of the Board of The Minto Group and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Minto Apartment REIT
Kathy Cheng
President, WS & Co., and Founder, Redwood Classics Apparel
Shernee Chandaria
President, Conros Corporation, and President, LePage's 2000
Sheena Chandaria
VP, Sales & Corporate Affairs at Conros Corporation
Richter is a Business | Family Office that provides strategic advice on business matters and on families’ financial and personal objectives across generations. With close to 100 years of experience advising at the intersection of family and business, Richter has developed an integrated approach to help business owners find sustainable success. Whether business, personal, or both, Richter is uniquely positioned to address the needs of Canada’s most successful entrepreneurs, private clients, business owners and business families and help them chart a clear path to shape their legacy for the future.
Over a career spanning three decades, Bill has come to understand the value of building the best possible approaches to communicating. This has translated into an optimistic approach to addressing the greatest challenges confronting his clients and a constant focus on driving to the desired outcome.
Bill has assisted countless family enterprises and private company business owners, giving him a wealth of business and executive management experience. He has successfully led several private companies and practices and delivered many complex transformation programs. Bill has a reputation for taking an active, hands-on facilitation approach designed to remove the barriers that commonly affect successful transitions.
He has worked closely with many owners, C-level leaders, families, boards and management teams in helping design and implement approaches that deliver meaningful and sustained outcomes for high-net-worth/business families and other privately-owned businesses. Bill has held CEO/President positions, led Family Enterprise Services and Value Creation practices, and held a host of other executive positions. He has also been the national co-lead of an award-recognized Women in Leadership program.
Bill also has extensive experience in leading, advising and coaching individuals, teams and families in many critical areas including conflict resolution and management of change cycles, wealth/business transition and communication planning, owner and organization alignment, family and business board planning, executive and leadership development, merger and acquisition synergy, and culture assessment/definition.
Bill holds the Family Enterprise Advisor (FEA) designation and has been certified and accredited as a coach with the International Coach Federation (ICF).
Accomplished, driven, yet known for his kindness, Greg has big ideas that match the scope of his ambition. A great people
connector he loves to build durable, effective business
relationships. His enthusiastic nature means that he is ready to jump whole heartedly into every project he takes on.
Greg is a seasoned wealth management professional with
almost 30 years’ experience in global financial markets, working with individuals, institutions, and family offices. Greg brings a unique, holistic approach to wealth management and works with professionals in a segment of the market that sees value in working alongside an independent, trusted advisor as part oftheir overarching wealth management solution.
As a Family Enterprise Advisor (FEA), Greg works with families to help them navigate the complexities of wealth and legacy transmission. Bringing together both a technical skill set, as well as a deep understanding of relational family and enterprise strategy issues, he strives to help families address complex problems through open communication and trust.
Roger Greenberg is the Executive Chairman of the Board of The Minto Group and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Minto Apartment REIT. In addition, he is the the Executive Chairman and Managing Partner of the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG), sits on the Board of Governors of the Canadian Football League, and was one of five members of Ottawa's business community leading the Lansdowne Transformation Plan.
Roger joined Minto Group on a full time basis in 1985 and became CEO in 1991. He has since divided his time and passion between overseeing operations of Minto and lending his expertise to philanthropic causes in the community. In October 2013, Roger turned over the CEO reins to Michael Waters.
Throughout his career, Roger has received many distinguished awards, including being appointed a Member of the Order of Canada, the Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario (FRPO) Lifetime Achievement Award, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Gilbert Greenberg Distinguished Service Award by the Ottawa Jewish Community, Ottawa Business Journal's CEO of the Year in 2004 and United Way Community Builder in 2001, to name a few.
Roger obtained his Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Toronto and his law degree at Osgoode Hall Law School. After completing his bar admission in 1982, Roger practiced real estate law at Toronto law firm Blaney McMurtry for three years.
Clare O’Hara is an award-winning journalist. She covers wealth management and insurance as a reporter for The Globe and Mail's Report on Business.
Clare began her career as a research reporter at Investment Executive, a national newspaper for financial service industry professionals. Her coverage of Canada's biggest banks blocking the sale of independent investment funds prompted a regulatory investigation in 2022 and led to a Gold SABEW Canada Best in Business Award for Personal Finance and Investing.
She has also been awarded first place at the PMAC Awards for Excellence in Investment Journalism. In 2022, Clare, along with her colleagues, was nominated for a National Newspaper Award for revealing the scant progress from companies that had publicly pledged to improve the diversity of their workforces and combat systemic racism. She has an undergraduate degree in media information from University of Western Ontario and a journalism degree from the University of King’s College in Halifax.
Steve Beauchesne is a celebrated entrepreneur and advocate for family businesses.
Beyond his direct involvement with Family Enterprise Canada (FEC) and Family Enterprise Foundation (FEF), Steve’s journey with his father, from creating Beau’s, a leading craft brewery, to spearheading charitable initiatives, showcases his exceptional leadership and commitment to making a difference.
Under Steve’s guidance, Beau’s achieved remarkable success and set new standards in sustainability, inclusivity, and community engagement. His experiences building a beloved brand and creating memorable experiences through Beau’s Oktoberfest demonstrate his capability to foster growth, inspire innovation, and cultivate meaningful connections.
Steve’s vision for FEC and FEF revolves around empowering our members with valuable resources and a strong community support system. His track record of visionary leadership, strategic planning, and impactful communication promises to elevate our mission to new heights.
His passion, expertise, and innovative approach will undoubtedly enrich our community and enhance our collective efforts to support family enterprises across Canada.
Naim Ali is a key figure in Canada’s family business sector, currently serving as the Chair of the Board of Family Enterprise Canada. This organization plays a national role in supporting the family enterprise community, which is vital for Canada's economy. Family businesses create 7 million jobs and contribute to half of the private sector's GDP.
Family Enterprise Canada helps these businesses by offering support, education, and a platform to voice their concerns and needs, ensuring they continue to thrive and contribute to the economy. Ali’s leadership as Chair of Family Enterprise Canada focuses on building a strong community among business families and ensuring access to family enterprise learning, peer support, and resources.
Ali's tenure as the CEO of SM2 Capital Partners has been distinguished by his exceptional strategic planning skills. Since his return to Calgary in 2010, he has steered the family's diverse portfolio, which encompasses commercial real estate, parking lots, car rentals, hotels, and casinos, as well as investments in residential real estate and senior housing projects. His strategic decisions have been pivotal in expanding the family’s interests across North America.
His personal interests and community engagements complement Ali's professional life. He is an avid golfer, skier, and wake surfer, and he actively participates in advisory meetings with his TEC Group and Personal Advisory Group. His commitment to his extended family is evident in his choice to reside with them in Calgary, AB.
Through his leadership at Family Enterprise Canada and his management of SM2 Capital Partners, Naim Ali plays a significant role in nurturing the growth and sustainability of family enterprises across Canada. His efforts contribute to the success of these businesses and the overall health of the Canadian economy.
Elaine is Co-President and CEO at Gerrie Electric, one of the largest independent electrical distributors in Canada, headquartered in Burlington. The 26 location, 8 division company is a Canadian, family owned business and is a certified Women Business Enterprise and is recognized as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies for the past four years.
As a graduate of the University of Western Ontario, Elaine worked in all aspects of the company including Automation, Operations, Administration, Corporate Quotations, Sales until she moved onto the Executive in 1988. She continues to be an active owner focused on Strategy, Customers and Operations.
Elaine has served on numerous Industry and Executive Boards including Burlington Economic Development Corporation, Young Presidents Organization, Burlington Hydro Board of Directors, Chair of Supply and Distribution Committee, Chair of Electro-federation Canada, Chair of Electro-Federation Scholarship Committee, SupplyForce and sat on the Steering Committee at Mohawk College to develop the Industrial Distribution Leadership Certificate Program, Committee of Hungry For Change/Canadian Feed the Children, throughout her career hoping to both give back and to influence industry. She currently sits on Burlington Economic Development Board of Directors and EDGE Management Board.
Lorna Johnston, MBA, CTA (Organizations), CTA (Psychotherapy), TSTA (Training and Supervising (Coaching) Transactional Analyst, is the founder and CEO of The Change Institute. With her extensive background in global business and deep expertise in psychotherapy, Lorna offers a unique blend of business acumen and psychological insight. She specializes in guiding leaders of family and private enterprises through transformative processes that integrate business practices with a profound understanding of human motivations and limiting beliefs.
Lorna’s career began in a global organization, where she honed her business skills and developed a keen understanding of diverse leadership dynamics. Over the years, she has worked with leaders and teams worldwide, helping them to realize their potential both as business leaders and as human beings. Her distinctive approach focuses on the often unconscious human processes that accompany business decision-making, bridging the gap between external business practices and the internal psychological landscape of individuals and groups.
At the heart of Lorna’s work is her offering “Leadership from the Inside Out” program, a personal development initiative designed for executive leaders and their teams. This program provides participants with the psychological insights, language, and tools needed to understand themselves and others better, ultimately leading to improved decision-making and leadership effectiveness.
Lorna’s expertise is particularly valuable for family-owned enterprises, which face unique challenges related to familial relationships, ambitions, and concerns. She helps these families navigate the complexities of growth and succession planning by addressing the psychological undertones that influence decision-making. By facilitating deep and transformative conversations, Lorna assists families in resolving unresolved hurts and disappointments, bridging generational gaps, and establishing clear succession pathways that honor individual family members, family values, and business goals.
Her approach underscores the importance of addressing issues openly rather than letting them manifest in unproductive behaviors. Lorna’s facilitation enables families to have courageous and meaningful dialogues, ensuring that all members feel heard and respected. Her ultimate goal is to help individuals be fully themselves, to experience life deeply, and to embrace change.
For over 25 years, Lorna has dedicated herself to this transformative work, driven by her passion for helping people feel fully, love deeply, and change often. She can be reached at lorna@thechangeinstitute.com for those interested in learning more about her programs and services.
Heather is Co-President and CEO at Gerrie Electric Wholesale Limited, one of the largest Canadian family owned electrical and automation distributors in Canada, headquartered in Burlington. With 25 locations, eight divisions and 400 employees they passionately support the Industrial, OEM and Contractor markets in Ontario.
Heather knew from a young age that she wanted to carry on her father’s legacy and joined the family business after graduating from Wilfrid Laurier University in 1981. She learned many aspects of the business by working in Lighting showroom, Bookkeeping, Payables, Payroll and Corporate Sales until she joined the Executive team in 1988. Today she focuses on the Strategy, Vendor Relations, Retail Lighting and Human Resources. She is passionate about ensuring Gerrie remains a leader in the industry and that offers their employees opportunities for growth in a caring inspiring culture.
Heather currently serves on Rockwell Automation’s new formed XDAC (Distributor Advisory Council) and had served a previous nine years on their HDAC (Horizontal Distributor Advisory Council representing the Canadian perspectives of the country on behalf of the Rockwell distributors.
Heather is member of Young President’s Organization; she previously served on various committees and was on the Ontario Chapter Executive serving various roles.
Heather has held various positions on Industry Boards as she has always been passionate about serving and giving back to our industry. She has served as the Canadian Divisional Chairperson for Affiliated Distributors (2016-2020) where she played an integral part in the merger of IED Marketing Group into Affiliated Distributors. Was a founding member of the Canadian Divisional Board at AD (2003-2020). Was the first female Chairperson of Electro-Federation Canada. She played a leadership role in the bringing together of the distributors, manufacturers into the newly formed organization of Electro-Federation Canada in 1994. She served on the Board of Directors of a publicly traded company Tiger Tel Communications (2006-2009) until it went private and sold. She has been involved in various not for profit and voluntary organizations such as Child Find Ontario, Chamber of Commerce, Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation in Ontario.
Heather is married to her husband, John of 39 years, proud mother of 4 children and grandmother to Sophia 10, Dominic 5 and Jett one month old. She enjoys spending time with her family at their cottages in Northern Ontario. She is a member of the Burlington Golf and Country Club and plays weekly with her sister and daughter.
Erica Alini covers personal finance for Report on Business. Previously, she worked for nearly five years at Global News, where she created and wrote Money123, a popular weekly newsletter on money matters. Between 2018 and 2020, she also hosted Money123 as a TV series on personal finance that aired Saturday evenings on Global National. Erica also worked as an economics reporter at Maclean’s and Canadian Business magazine, among others. She got her start in journalism at The Wall Street Journal, where she spent the summer of 2009 reporting on the ripple effects of the 2007/2008 financial crisis from New York.
Erica is the author of the bestselling book Money Like You Mean It, Personal Finance Tactics for the Real World, where she argues that economic, social and technological changes have complicated personal finance and provides practical tips on how millennials and Gen Z can achieve middle-class financial goals despite the challenges they face.
Peter Jaskiewicz is the inaugural Director of the Family Enterprise Legacy Institute (FELI), as well as full professor of family business at the Telfer School of Management where he holds the University Research Chair in Enduring Entrepreneurship. He is also the co-author of new best-selling book, Enabling Next Generation Legacies: 35 Questions that Next Generation Members in Enterprising Families Ask.
His findings on family business have received numerous awards and were considered among the most globally influential scholarship in 2013, 2015, and 2017. Peter has presented his research insights to members of the European Parliament, the European Commission, and employees of the United Nations. In addition, he has also worked with the federal government in Canada. He is an associate editor of the leading journal in the family business field—the Family Business Review—and of the pioneering knowledge-sharing platform—familybusiness.org. His research focuses on drivers of transgenerational entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial legacies. He trains family business professionals on succession planning and, in provides support to the development of responsible Next Gen owners and effective Next Gen teams through tailored executive education programs.
Sheena is the Vice - President of Corporate Affairs at Conros Corporation & LePage’s 2000, Inc., innovative, family-owned, consumer goods and services companies. She has a focus on the Companies’ corporate social responsibilities, PR, communications, and business development functions. Sheena has a passion for diving into the details and helps lead the operations of the businesses – reading through the fine print, analyzing the numbers, and using her attention to detail to drive business results. Sheena also leads the Human Resources department, which keeps her regularly connected with the team while helping to ensure their needs are heard.
Sheena's interests extend to initiatives around the Arts, Women in Leadership, Health, and Nature. In 2011, she was a founding board member of CreatiVenture Collective (CVC), a patron movement connecting small arts organizations with the support of businesses & young patrons in Canada. She is also a founding member of First Position Patrons in 2014, a board through the National Ballet School of Canada. She was a member of the Women Presidents Organization (WPO) from 2012 to 2019, she sat on the McGill Women, Leadership & Philanthropy Board from 2016 to 2018. In 2018 she also chaired one of Toronto’s leading hospital’s largest fundraisers with her sister Shernee. Sheena is presently a proud board member of the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) in Canada, where she is able to reconnect with her family’s roots in Kenya. Sheena and Shernee also work together with the Conros team to give back to their community through various initiatives including Junior Achievement of Central Ontario, Eva’s Place, the Daily Bread Food Bank, the University Health Network, and other global initiatives. Sheena was nominated by the WPO and was a recipient of the International Women’s Entrepreneurial Challenge (IWEC) Award in 2017. She was also the recipient of the BMO Women in Business: Innovation and Global Growth Award in 2017. Sheena graduated with a bilingual IB diploma from the Toronto French School in 2001 and then completed her Bachelor of Arts at McGill University in 2005. Sheena and her husband, Jay Vaghela, reside in Toronto, Canada and have three daughters together, Kiyana (5), Kaiya (3) and Kamiya (<1 year). Sheena has recently taken up golf and is working on this new skill set.