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For six years Report on Business magazine’s Women Lead Here program has tracked gender diversity in the executive ranks of Canada’s largest public companies. Each year, leaders from organizations on the list gather to share strategies to build on current progress. In 2025 Report on Business magazine will launch another key metric of gender diversity – the Top Growing Women-Led Companies list, celebrating women entrepreneurs and trail blazers.
Join The Globe and Mail on April 8 for a full day of networking, learning and community-building among executives and founders who are breaking gender barriers. Women Lead Here honourees, together with leaders of Top-Growing Women-Led Companies, will discuss proven solutions to cultivate, support and drive gender diversity in business.
Fiona Collie
Program Manager, Business and Financial Products, The Globe and Mail
Dawn Calleja
Editor, Report on Business magazine
Now in its sixth year, the Women Lead Here program charts gender diversity at Canada’s largest public companies. This presentation will explore how corporate Canada is progressing. It will also cover data on the trajectory of women-owned businesses, based on the first annual Top-Growing Women-Led Companies list.
Helena Pagano
Executive Vice-President, Chief People and Culture Officer, Sun Life
Katie McCullam
Chief Strategy Officer, Strategy & Corporate Development, George Weston Limited
Tracey Bochner
Partner, Paradigm PR
Mitzie Hunter
President and CEO, Canadian Women's Foundation
Moderator: Deanne Gage Reporter, Globe Advisor, The Globe and Mail
Linda Dang
CEO, Sukoshi Mart
Victoria Sicilia
Director, Consultation and Engagement, Corporate and Public Affairs, Environics Research
Moderator: Mariya Postelnyak
Staff Reporter, The Globe and Mail
Gen Z women have faced a bumpy start to their careers owing in part to the pandemic and abrupt shift to remote work. This generation is also experiencing rampant anxiety, high youth unemployment and housing unaffordability. What strategies are business leaders using to attract, retain and empower younger women at work?
Concurrent Breakout Sessions – Top Growing Women-Led Companies | Breakout Session A: Building a Network – Finding the right support for you and your business
Hannah Wells
Vice President, Client Strategy & Consulting, White & Gale
Kadie Philp
Commissioner and Chief Administrative Officer, Pay Equity Commission, Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development
Moderator: Fiona Collie
Program Manager, Business and Financial Products, The Globe and Mail
Concurrent Breakout Sessions – Women Lead Here | Breakout Session C: Benefits and Policies – Better approaches for women at work
Chantal Gagné
Senior Vice-President, Life and Health Insurance Division, Desjardins
Laura Williams
Lawyer, Workplace Strategist, Educator
Shirvani Mudaly
Chief People Officer, Lightspeed
Moderator: Dawn Calleja
Editor, Report on Business magazine
As social stigma around women’s health continues to abate employers are launching new and innovative benefits and policies to support employees at all stages of life. They are also making strides on women’s mental health and burnout prevention. This workshop will bring HR leaders and other executives together to share new and evolving approaches to women’s health at work.
Sun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing asset management, wealth, insurance and health solutions to individual and institutional Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the U.S., the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of December 31, 2024, Sun Life had total assets under management of $1.54 trillion. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.ca.
Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.
Desjardins Insurance offers a wide range of life insurance, health insurance and retirement savings products and services. It has been providing innovative services to individuals, groups and businesses for over a century. Desjardins Insurance ensures the financial security of over five million Canadians. It is one of the top life insurance companies in Canada and a member of Desjardins Group, the leading cooperative financial group in Canada.
illumin is evolving the digital advertising landscape by empowering marketers to achieve transformative results through its customer-centric approach. Featuring a unified canvas built around the open web, illumin lets brands and agencies seamlessly plan, build, and execute campaigns across the entire marketing funnel—connecting programmatic channels, email, and social media within a single platform. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, illumin serves clients across North America, Latin America, and Europe.
Element Fleet Management (TSX: EFN) is the largest publicly traded pure-play automotive fleet manager in the world. As a Purpose-driven company, we provide a full range of sustainable and intelligent mobility solutions to optimize and enhance fleet performance for our clients across North America, Australia, and New Zealand. Our services address every aspect of our clients’ fleet requirements, from vehicle acquisition, maintenance, route optimization, risk management, and remarketing, to advising on decarbonization efforts, integration of electric vehicles and managing the complexity of gradual fleet electrification. Clients benefit from Element's expertise as one of the largest fleet solutions providers in its markets, offering economies of scale and insight used to reduce operating costs and enhance efficiency and performance. At Element, we maximize our clients’ fleet so they can focus on growing their business.
With mortgages under administration of over $150 billion, First National Financial is one of Canada’s largest non-bank originators and underwriters. Founded in 1988, the company provides insured and conventional mortgages to owners of single-family, multi-unit and commercial properties across the country. Innovative use of securitization and private placements to fund mortgages, and the decision decades ago to develop proprietary technology to serve mortgage brokers have contributed to long-term success. However, it is First National’s inclusive culture of engagement, empowerment and responsiveness and our workforce of almost 1,800 team members that set us apart as a service provider and market leader.
Fortis is a well-diversified leader in the North American regulated electric and gas utility industry with 2024 revenue of $12 billion and total assets of $73 billion as at December 31, 2024. The Corporation's 9,800 employees serve utility customers in five Canadian provinces, ten U.S. states and three Caribbean countries. Fortis shares are listed on the TSX and NYSE and trade under the symbol FTS.
Richardson Wealth is one of Canada’s pre-eminent wealth advisory firms — and we are growing. Our entrepreneurial culture liberates us to deliver unbiased wealth management advice, partner with our advisors to ensure operational excellence and integrity, and do what’s right. With a deep understanding of their clients' needs and expectations, our advisors have the freedom to work in a way that upholds the highest standards. Proudly Canadian, we operate under the Richardson Wealth brand, part of RF Capital Group Inc., a TSX-listed (TSX: RCG) company focused on wealth management.
Wesdome Gold Mines is a Canadian-focused gold producer with two high-grade underground assets, the Eagle River mine in Ontario and the Kiena mine in Quebec. The Company’s primary goal is to responsibly leverage this operating platform and high-quality brownfield and greenfield exploration pipeline to build a growing value-driven Canadian gold producer. Wesdome Gold Mines trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “WDO,” with a secondary listing on the OTCQX under the symbol “WDOFF.”
Rachel Baptiste is a Human-First Culture Strategist and the Founder & CEO of Lumen Consulting Group Inc. She partners with organizations to reimagine leadership and build global workplace cultures rooted in trust, inclusion, and human connection. It’s where business strategy meets the human experience—unlocking innovation, performance, and sustainable success.
With over 25 years of corporate leadership experience in Fortune 100 organizations, Rachel has led enterprise-wide transformation in talent strategy, leadership development, and workplace culture. As a former Vice President of Organizational
Development & Corporate Social Responsibility, she oversaw corporate talent management and diversity and inclusion, while spearheading national CSR initiatives across sustainability, equity, and governance.
Rachel is an ICF-certified executive coach (PCC, CPCC) and a trusted advisor to Boards, C-suite leaders, and senior executives navigating today’s complex leadership landscape. As a thought leader, her work has been featured in Forbes as an Official Member of Forbes Coaches Council. Rachel challenges leaders to embrace "humanfirst leadership"—a bold, people-centered approach that fuels trust, innovation, and
impact. She was recognized by CEO Today Magazine with the Leadership Consultant of the Year award.
She is also the creator of Brilliant Colours™, a coaching ecosystem designed to empower Black women at every stage of their leadership journey. She believes that when we break free from outdated constraints and step fully into our brilliance, weunlock our full potential to drive meaningful change—personally and professionally.
Kia Nurse has risen to the top of the basketball world in short order. After four incredibly successful seasons with the University of Connecticut Huskies, Hamilton, Ontario’s Kia Nurse was selected 10th overall in the WNBA 2018 draft, Kia's young career has already seen her named as a WNBA All-Star starter in only her second season. She's played valuable roles across the WNBA for the New York Liberty, Phoenix Mercury, Seattle Storm, the LA Sparks, and recently has signed with the Chicago Sky. She also won the 2019 and 2020 WNBL Championships with the University of Canberra Capitals in Australia and was named the league's MVP in the 2020 season.
Kia remains a staple of the Canadian National Women's program having made her first appearance at age 16. She has represented Canada at the 2016, 2020, and 2024 Olympics. She is also a Pan American Games Gold Medalist and a two-time FIBA Women's AmeriCup Gold Medalist. Kia has also taken her passion for basketball into the broadcast studio signing on with TSN as a basketball analyst covering the NBA, WNBA and NCAA. She's had a tremendous impact on the next generation of Canadian basketball founding the Kia Nurse Elite as well as the Kia Nurse Academy providing basketball opportunities to young women at both the grassroots and high-performance levels.
Kia has sat on multiple boards including the U of T's Tanenbaum Institute for Science in Sport, HerMark, and the Canadian Women & Sport Commercial Advisory Group. She's a vocal advocate for women's sports and marginalized communities and her tremendous attitude on and off the court has made her a fan favourite and a global superstar.
Chantal joined Desjardins in 2007 and is known for her curiosity and adaptability, as well as her analytical and communication skills. Chantal has a degree in actuarial science and is a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society.
She started her career in the Property and Casualty Insurance Division, where she held various management roles within the actuarial, underwriting and claims teams. In 2020, she joined the Life and Health Insurance sector as Vice-President, Individual Insurance. She paved the way for the teams to maximize their potential and increase their deliveries. In 2023, she was appointed Senior Vice-President, Life and Health Insurance Division, where she oversees the Individual Insurance Division, the Group Benefits and Savings Division, the Independent Network Sales and Distribution Division, and the Claims and Client Care Support Division.
Chantal is a woman of action with an ambitious vision. She never hesitates to think outside the box to help her teams excel and reach new heights.
Helena Pagano is Executive Vice-President, Chief People and Culture Officer, of Sun Life. In this role, she is responsible for leading Sun Life’s global People and Culture strategy including employee experience and Future of Work. She is committed to supporting a diverse and inclusive culture that advances the talent, capabilities, and career development of Sun Life’s workforce, and ensuring our office work space is designed to meet our Future of Work needs, center the Employee experience and enable moments of togetherness.
Helena joined Sun Life in 2017, bringing with her global human resources expertise. She has over 30 years of experience in the natural resources and financial services industry, supporting retail and institutional businesses. Helena has held a variety of human resources generalist and specialist functions in senior and leadership roles.
Helena holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Toronto Metropolitan University and has served the Board of the Artist’s Health Alliance and the United Way Major Individual Giving Cabinet.
Laura has built two highly respected firms, Williams HR Law LLP and Williams HR Consulting Inc., which respectively provide proactive Human Resources law and consulting advice designed to minimize workplace challenges, maximize employee engagement and achieve team and organizational objectives. As an established business leader, proactive HR lawyer, strategic HR and EDI consultant, workplace investigator, educator and keynote speaker, Laura is a leading voice and highly sought after expert helping organizations and equipping leaders to recalibrate in our new era of work. Her mission is to help leaders recognize that human-centric people-management strategies will produce game-changing results.
Laura is a media contributor who is regularly featured as a workplace expert in various national broadcast and print media to provide insights on current employment related issues. In addition to her work, Laura has also been appointed as an equity advisor to numerous institutions and corporations across industries and sectors, and has many years of service on various Boards of Directors.
Dr. Rumeet Billan is an award-winning, internationally recognized entrepreneur, learning architect, speaker, author and humanitarian. Her mission is to transform workplace cultures through research, training, and experiences that enable trust, foster belonging, and build resilience. Dr. Billan is the CEO of Viewpoint Leadership and she completed her PhD at the University of Toronto. She has designed and facilitated programs, courses, and training sessions across industries and sectors and led the groundbreaking international research study on Tall Poppy Syndrome which reveals the impact of the silent systemic syndrome on women in the workplace. In 2024, she led the Exploring the Impact of Ageism on Women in the Workplace survey, and in 2020 she co-led the Canadian Happiness at Work study, in partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association. Dr. Billan serves on the Board of Directors of First Book Canada. Learn more at www.rumeet.com
As program manager, Fiona is responsible for the research and project management of Report on Business magazine’s ranking programs, including Canada’s Top Growing Companies, Women Lead Here and CEO of the Year. Fiona has more than a decade of experience in journalism and reporting on the wealth management industry.
Hannah is the Vice President, Client Strategy & Consulting at White & Gale, a leading compensation consulting firm specializing in building equitable and progressive total rewards strategies. White & Gale partners with organizations across sectors to develop compensation structures, incentive plans, pay equity and pay transparency strategies that support both business objectives and employee engagement and retention.
With over a decade of experience in compensation design, human resources, and pay strategy development, Hannah has a proven track record of guiding organizations to design and implement compensation processes and programs. Her expertise includes compensation philosophy, job evaluation, pay analysis, pay equity, executive compensation, sales incentive design and the assessment of total rewards programs.
At White & Gale, the focus is on creating compensation strategies that align with an organization’s mission while fostering fairness, transparency, and long-term success. The firm’s approach is rooted in the values of impact, integrity, innovation, and intuition, ensuring clients receive strategic and thoughtful solutions to their compensation needs.
Fatima Zaidi is the Founder and CEO at Quill Inc., an award-winning production agency specializing in corporate audio, and CoHost, a podcast growth and analytics tool. As a member of the National Speakers Bureau, Fatima has spoken at various events around the world on media and tech trends leading her to keynote on world stages alongside speakers like Gary Vaynerchuk. In addition to being a commentator for BNN Bloomberg on the challenges that female and BIPOC founders face in entrepreneurship, she is a frequent contributor to publications including The Globe and Mail, and Huffington Post, and has also been featured in publications like Forbes and Entrepreneur. In the earlier days of her career Fatima won two Top 30 under 30 awards, and most recently she received DMZ’s Woman of the Year, the Young Professional of the Year by Notable Life, Veuve Clicquot’s Bold Future Award, The Women in Content Marketing Award, and one of Flare Magazine’s Top 100 Women. Quill was also listed in 2023 as one of the fastest growing companies by the Globe & Mail.
Outside of entrepreneurship Fatima teaches at the University of Toronto, is on the board of directors for Save the Children Canada, and is also Co-Chair of the #Tech4SickKids council for SickKids Hospital which is the second-largest pediatric research hospital in the world. She is on track to raise 25 million dollars to build a new emergency wing of the hospital, as well as fund some of the world's biggest data and AI projects.
Shelly Kalra is a Family Law specialist in Toronto with over 17 years of experience handling a wide range of legal issues, from intricate financial matters to parenting issues. After graduating from Queens Law School in 2007, Shelly honed her expertise at prominent law firms in Toronto.
Shelly founded Kalra Family Law in 2018 to help individuals going through the separation process. Shelly is a seasoned litigator and a fierce advocate for her clients. She does not shy away from the courtroom but also believes that every file is unique and requires a strategic approach to ensure the best outcome.
Shelly takes pride in working with diverse clients and helping them achieve fair resolutions and a brighter future. She is always eager to meet new clients and start working on the next chapter of their lives.
Lorraine Telesford is a visionary C-suite executive and financial strategist with over 30 years of experience as a corporate controller and CFO. As CEO & Chief Solutions Architect of On Track Accounting Solutions Inc., she provides fractional CFO services backed by her bookkeeping business, On Track Bookkeeping Services. Lorraine and her network offer comprehensive solutions to deliver what those building today's vibrant economy need: from strategic planning and cash flow optimization to capital raising and payroll integration. Beyond OTAS & OTBS, Lorraine elevates corporate performance as a Client Onboarding Specialist and Fractional CFO at Tandem Innovation Group, serves as a ProAdvisor Council Member at Intuit Canada, and consults with ProSapient. She also spearheads course development for programs such as CEED and Foodpreneur Lab x Coralus and imparts her expertise in course development at recognized community colleges in Ontario, while her volunteer leadership as President of the Afro-Caribbean Business Network, Treasurer at STAC Hamilton, and Perpetual Fund Committee Member at Coralus (formerly SheEO) underscores her commitment to building community and entrepreneurship. For fun, Lorraine loves playing golf and tennis, and is a former motorcycle racer!
Deborah Aarts is an award-winning writer, editor, and content strategist who has been telling the stories of entrepreneurs and business leaders for more than 20 years. She worked at some of Canada’s leading print and digital publications, including The Globe and Mail, Canadian Business, and PROFIT, before launching Apid Inc., a boutique content company, in 2021.
Mariya is a Ukrainian-Canadian journalist based in Toronto. She reports on national and business news. She’s previously written for Maclean’s, Toronto Life, Blog TO and the Houston Chronicle. Mariya earned her Master of Journalism degree from Toronto Metropolitan University, where she received the Dean’s Award of Excellence.
After completing an internship with Report on Business, Mariya has become a regular contributor to The Globe’s young money series. Most recently, she’s been working as an associate producer with CBC’s The National, where she co-ordinated panels and interviews around the day’s breaking news stories. You can chat with Mariya in English, Russian, French and Spanish.
Mitzie Hunter is a dynamic, community-grounded leader and President and CEO of the Canadian Women’s Foundation. Her 30 years of leadership spans the nonprofit sector, private sector, and government. Mitzie has a trailblazing track record and many successes championing infrastructure and community improvements. She was the first Black woman to serve as Ontario’s Minister of Education. She also served as Ontario’s Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development and Associate Minister of Finance.
Mitzie is a respected advocate for diverse women, girls, and Two Spirit, trans, and nonbinary people across Canada. She is known for her expertise in an array of issues, from women’s leadership to inclusive economies to sustainable neighbourhood and city building.
Mitzie is a founding visionary of the Prosperity Project. She served as Chief Administrative Officer of Toronto Community Housing Corporation, CEO of CivicAction, Vice President of External Relations and Corporate Secretary at Goodwill Industries, and President of SMART Toronto, a technology hub. She is a Senior Fellow with the C.D. Howe Institute and a Canadian Urban Leader at the University of Toronto’s School of Cities. Mitzie has also served in several board leadership positions in nonprofit and public service bodies, including United Way Greater Toronto and TVO. In 2023, Mitzie ran for mayor in the City of Toronto by-election.
Tracey is a partner and co-founder of Paradigm, an integrated communications agency in Toronto. Paradigm’s roots are in public relations and corporate communications but the team’s knack for great storytelling has taken the company in new directions. Today, Paradigm is an integrated communications agency seamlessly integrating digital marketing, advertising and experiential activations, while never losing sight of the power of PR to amplify and protect brand reputation.
Tracey has more than two decades of experience at communications agencies, leading teams in the development of creative, results-driven solutions for clients. With a background in consumer marketing, corporate communications and crisis management, she provides counsel to top Canadian and global companies.
Paradigm has been recognized with more than 125 communications awards - including being named IABC Mid-sized Agency of the Year in 2024 - and was on the Globe & Mail’s Top Growing Companies ranking in 2023 and 2024.
Deanne Gage is a reporter for Globe Advisor at The Globe and Mail. She has specialized in issues pertaining to financial advisors for more than two decades.
She is the former editor of FORUM and Advisor’s Edge magazines and has been the recipient of several business journalism awards during her tenure.
She was the Toronto Star's Money Makeover columnist for five years. Her articles have also appeared in Morningstar.ca, Chatelaine, MoneySense, and Today’s Parent.
Linda Dang is the CEO and Founder of Sukoshi Mart, Canada’s leading Asian beauty and lifestyle retailer. Since launching the company in 2018, she has grown it into a top destination for skincare, cosmetics, and lifestyle products, with a strong presence in both e-commerce and brick-and-mortar retail.
Her leadership has earned Sukoshi Mart national recognition for its growth and innovation, while she herself has been honored with multiple entrepreneurship awards. Passionate about female leadership and inclusivity, Linda continues to drive Sukoshi Mart’s expansion and influence across North America.
Kadie Philp was appointed Commissioner and CAO of Ontario’s Pay Equity Commission in 2020 following a global career working with over 100 cities and 30 countries to create equitable and inclusive local economies. Before joining the Ontario Pay Equity Commission, Commissioner Philp worked on implementing aspects of the Federal Government’s “Feminist International Assistance Policy” where she increased women’s participation in international trade, the labour market, and equitable participation of men and women in their local economy. Her expertise has taken her around the world working with legislators to establish programs and legislation that support women-led micro and small enterprises. She is a member of the Globe and Mail’s Women’s Collective, is a regular contributor to the OECD Forum, an active member of UN Women delegations and has been invited to World Economic Forum Davos two consecutive years to present on community-led economic growth. Commissioner Philp is a Queens’s Diamond Jubilee Medalist, recognized for her work contributing to significant economic improvement in various Canadian cities. Commissioner Philp firmly believes that equity and inclusion are the foundation for sustainable economic prosperity.
Michael Bach is an author, speaker and thought leader in inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility (IDEA). He has worked globally in the IDEA field, including as the Deputy Chief Diversity Officer for KPMG International. He is the founder of the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion and Pride at Work Canada.
He is the author of the best-selling and award-winning books Birds of All Feathers: Doing Diversity and Inclusion Right and Alphabet Soup: The Essential Guide to LGBTQ2+ Inclusion at Work.
In 2023, he was named as one of the 10 Most Influential DE&I Leaders Revamping The Future by CIO Views Magazine.
Shirvani Mudaly is Lightspeed's Chief People Officer, stepping into the role after being VP, People & Culture, APAC. With a significant background in change management, developing leadership capabilities and culture transformation, Shirvani's focus is on how Lightspeed attracts, engages and retains amazing people and fosters high-performing teams. Prior to her roles with Lightspeed, Shirvani was Chief People Officer at Vend and Yellow in New Zealand, and has 20 years' of HR experience in the tech, financial and media sectors. She gained a Bachelor of Education from the University of Auckland and a Diploma in Business Studies, Human Resources from Massey University.
Victoria is the Director of Consultation and Engagement in the Public Affairs department at Environics Research. Victoria started her journey as a researcher doing her Master’s and PhD fieldwork in Kerala, India; as such, she developed extensive experience working with underserved groups using anti-colonial and feminist methods, understanding how power dynamics play a big role in research processes.
Victoria designs projects for public, private, and non-for-profit sector clients, specializing in sensitive issues and inclusive approaches to consultation and engagement, strategic planning efforts and collaborative research. She specializes in working on projects that involve equity-deserving communities and carved out this space as a special area of focus in her practice. Victoria just recently returned from maternity leave after a year at home with her first child, Matteo
Idella Sturino is The Globe and Mail’s Advice and Service editor, responsible for developing and curating a roster of experts who can answer the burning questions readers have as they navigate their everyday lives – at home, at work, at play and online. Prior to joining The Globe, she worked at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre as part of the strategic communications department. Before that, Idella was a founding producer at CBC Radio’s The Current, where she worked in a variety of senior roles for more than two decades. She secured feature interviews with hundreds of people including top elected officials and thought leaders, including Raptors president Masai Ujiri and Nobel Laureate Donna Strickland.
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.
Jessica is widely recognized as a transformative leader and is passionate about the intersection of health and technology. 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.
Jessica is a highly accomplished executive with extensive global experience in the insurance and financial services industry. Before joining Sun Life, Jessica served as co-CEO of Ping An, one of Asia’s largest insurance companies. She also previously held the roles of COO and CIO. Prior to that Jessica was a partner at McKinsey where she worked in over 13 countries.
Jessica sits on several global boards and advisory committees including the World Bank, Singapore Monetary Authority, Oxford Blavtatnik School of Government and Edmond de Rothschild, International Advisory Board.
Jessica graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a Master in electrical engineering and computer science, and Bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering and economics.
Rachel Mansell is Director of Research & Policy at The Prosperity Project, a national charity focused on identifying and removing barriers that women face in corporate Canada. A people-focused strategist, Rachel truly believes in the power to positively change lives through creating better systems, and has impacted thousands through her work in Canada and the UK. In an increasingly polarized world where opinion is often seen as fact, Rachel provides data-driven, community grounded recommendations while still championing equity, diversity, and inclusion. Her passion for systems change and community care was instilled in her from an early age by her family, who taught her that we should always leave things better than we found them and that we are responsible for ourselves and for each other.
Katie is the Chief Strategy Officer at George Weston Ltd., and is responsible for group-level strategy, transactions, M&A, investments and strategic projects for the Weston Group of Companies. Katie has worked on several transactions for Loblaw, Shoppers Drug Mart, Choice Properties and Weston Foods (prior to sale), including the Choice Properties IPO, Shoppers Drug Mart acquisition, CREIT acquisition, Choice Properties spin-out and various Loblaw transactions and projects.
After attending Wilfrid Laurier University, Katie started her career in investment banking at RBC Capital markets as an Analyst. She supported several IPOs, equity offerings, M&A processes and leveraged buyouts for clients, particularly metals & mining, private sponsors, and industrial & consumer industries. After leaving RBC Katie joined ONCAP Partners, Onex Corp.’s mid-market private equity firm. There she worked on identifying, acquiring, and managing attractive portfolio companies on behalf of the fund. She split her time between executing on new investment opportunities and supporting the management of existing portfolio companies on their strategic and growth objectives and creating value for investors. Katie also currently sits on the LP Advisory Committee for Wittington Ventures and is involved in several charity committees and activities.
Dayo Kefentse is a content strategist with Globe Content Studio. She uses her journalism expertise, communications savvy and her creative flair to ideate, engage and execute on editorial campaigns. Having started her career as a journalist on CBC’s ‘Metro Morning’ and ‘Here and Now’ radio programs, she founded DAYO Media & Communications to support the creation of compelling, "news ready" content for businesses, brands, advocacy groups and artists across public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Some clients she's worked with include: the Toronto District School Board, Windsor Law, the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants, and SKETCH Working Arts. Dayo recently completed her Master of Arts in Communications and Culture at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly known as Ryerson University). Her Master's work is scheduled to be part of an exhibit with Mississauga Museums in 2023.