Keynote Sessions and Speakers

Speaker Bio:

Managing Director, Eighty-Eight, Technology and Marketing Expert, Start-Up Fanatic

Named one of Marketing Magazine’s ‘Top 30 Under 30,’ Erin is a marketer, former technology journalist and startup enthusiast. A Financial Post monthly columnist and CTV News tech commentator, Erin shares the ins-and-outs of entrepreneurship, marketing to Millennials, creating a killer personal brand and how companies should keep tabs on the latest digital trends.

Speaker Bio:

President, Environics/Lipkin

Since 1993, Mike has helped more than 500 companies bring out the best in their people, so their people could bring out their best for their customers.

After graduating in 1980 with a business degree from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg South Africa, Mike served as a brand manager at Colgate Palmolive and a board member at Grey Advertising South Africa. He emigrated to Canada in 1987 becoming an Account Director at Ogilvy & Mather.

Following Nelson Mandela’s release from prison and the end of Apartheid in 1992, Mike returned to South Africa where he launched Touch The Sky Inc., a training and motivation company. He published seven books and helped transform the nation into one of the world’s most vibrant democracies.

Returning to Canada in 2002, Mike launched Environics/Lipkin, a global research and motivation company with the Environics Research Group. Since then, he has published seven bestselling books, which are a fusion of the Environics Social Values Research and his own experience with more than a million people in 43 countries during the past 16 years.

Speaker Bio:

CTV Sport Science Analyst and Human Physiologist

Dr. Greg Wells - Dr. Wells is a health and high performance expert who draws the parallels between elite athletes and top executives to help business leaders perform at the highest level, even when they are under the most extreme circumstances.

As an assistant professor in kinesiology at the University of Toronto, he studies elite sport performance. Dr. Wells is also an associate scientist of physiology and experimental medicine at The Hospital for Sick Children. There, he leads the Exercise Medicine Research Program that explores how to use exercise to prevent, diagnose and treat chronic illnesses in children.

Throughout his career, Dr. Wells has coached, trained and inspired dozens of elite athletes to win medals at the Commonwealth Games, World Championships and the Olympics.

As a high school student, he broke his neck in a freak accident while swimming in the ocean and was in a halo brace before undergoing neurosurgery. Told by his doctor that he would never perform as an athlete again, Dr. Wells went on to compete in swimming at the international level. He has competed in the Nanisivik Marathon 600 miles north of the Arctic Circle, Ironman Canada and the Tour D’Afrique, a grueling 11,000-kilometre event known as the longest bike race in the world.

A best selling author of Superbodies, he is known for making complex science accessible, interesting and fun.

Wednesday, May 16th

Full-day Workshop: THE CLEAR CUT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE 200K BILLER AND THE 400K BILLER: TECHNIQUE, PHILOSOPHY, STONES

Speaker Bio:

Founder and CEO, Morgan Consulting Group and Morgan 20/20 Search

Since 1996, 1,350 students per year have travelled from four continents, to a 75-acre ranch in the centre of America to spend three days in a log cabin. Once there, they are coached by Peter - the world’s most credible executive/contingency search trainer.

His client base reads like the ‘Who’s Who’ of the staffing industry and he has developed more top billing recruiters in their respective companies, than any other mentor. The vast majority of speaker/presenters that dominate the training landscape today are direct descendants of his Morgan Method training. Peter is considered the most dominate influence in setting both verbal and eSourcing recruiting technique standards within the staffing industry. 

Never afraid to embrace change, his current educational offerings include his unique training ‘Morginars,’ which are unlike any seminar you’ve ever experienced!

Wednesday, May 16th – 10:45 a.m.

Speaker Bio:

CEO, Advanced Group

CEO, Advanced Group - a staffing and outsourcing solutions provider with offices across the U.S.

In 1988, Leo founded Advanced Resources, and as the firm quickly expanded, he added additional businesses to create the Advanced Group. Today, the Advanced Group includes: Advanced Resources, Advanced Clinical, the WunderLand Group and Advanced RPO. 

Leo has provided leadership to a variety of professional organizations, including TechServe Alliance, the Young Presidents’ Organization, and the American Staffing Association (ASA), where he currently serves as Secretary. 

Wednesday, May 16th – 1:45 p.m.

Speaker Bio:

Sales Optimizer, Rooney, Earl & Partners

A high impact sales coach and consultant, Tim has worked as the CEO of several high-profile companies in Canada, Brazil and South Africa. His experience spans multiple industry sectors and organizations, including Polygram Music, Bromor Foods, Truworths Fashion, AAB Building systems and government.

Tim represents the highly acclaimed Sandler Sales System that helps his clients form lasting, productive relationships with their customers. For the past 15 years, his focus has been helping businesses accelerate their growth and build sustainable sales processes. Tim’s approach receives accolades from clients, their management, and teams, as he guides them through some of their biggest sales challenges. He is known as an engaging speaker who combines insight with a great sense of humour.

Thursday, May 17th – 11:15 a.m.

Speaker Bio:

CEO and Founding Partner, Abacus Data and Millennial Expert

David leads a team of research consultants and strategists who deliver strategic advice and research design expertise to some of Canada’s leading corporations, advocacy groups and political leaders. 

A leader in online research methodologies, public affairs research, corporate and organizational reputation studies, and youth research, he has led projects for top-tier companies in many sectors. Clients have included Nestle, Sysco, Google, Ernst & Young, the RCMP and Hudson’s Bay, among others.

Having earned a doctorate in 2010, David is an Adjunct Professor at the Arthur Kroeger College of Public Affairs at Carleton University and also an instructor for the university’s Clayton H. Riddell Graduate Program in Political Management.

An outspoken proponent of transparency in the polling industry, David is regularly called upon by media and organizations alike to provide expert analyses of public opinion and research methodologies.

Wednesday, May 16th – 1:45 p.m.

Speaker Bio:

VP of Product Marketing, Bullhorn

Bill Hobbib is VP of Product Marketing for Bullhorn, where he's responsible for bringing new staffing products and innovations to market and ensuring that the voice of the customer is an integral part of the product planning and delivery processes. He has been at Bullhorn since 2016, and has more than 20 years of experience in software marketing, most recently serving in a leadership role at Oracle in the Customer Experience group as VP Product Marketing for Commerce and Social products. He holds a B.S. degree from MIT and an MBA from the Univ. of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Thursday, May 17th – 11:15 a.m.

Speaker Bio:

President, Steve Jones Business Leadership Corp.

One of the most recognized names in Canadian staffing, Steve has helped Canadian companies succeed through performance management, leadership development, and selection of the right people for 34 years.

Steve is a professional speaker, executive coach, trainer and consultant. He is also a multiple franchise owner of Qualicare Home Care, owner of Socialite Internet Marketing and sits on several corporate and charity boards. He is a past national president of ACSESS and a member of the Association’s Circle of Excellence.

Tuesday, May 15th – 3:30 p.m.

Speaker Bio:

Principal, Engineering & Technical Division, David Aplin Group

Chris Roach – In his current role, Chris focuses on building exceptional technical teams for various industries across Canada. Chris has more than 25 years of leadership experience in the recruitment sector, including many years working with ACSESS.

He is currently a national director and has previously served as president.

Chris is a Registered Professional Recruiter (RPR) and a Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC). Well known and respected in the Canadian staffing industry, Chris prides himself on his extensive networks and strong customer relationships.

Tuesday, May 15th – 3:30 p.m.

Speaker Bio:

Lawyer, Hicks Morley

Shivani Chopra - An experienced lawyer in Hicks Morley's Toronto office, Shivari has spent a decade in courts tenaciously representing clients on labour and employment matters. Her approach has always been to fiercely advocate for her clients but take a cost-effective and collaborative approach when it's in their best interest.

In her employment law practice, Shivani frequently advises employers on a wide-variety of matters, including: accommodation issues, occupational health and safety, performance management, termination, human rights and wrongful dismissal claims. On the labour side, she assists clients with certification applications, unfair labour practice complaints, and grievance hearings.

Shivani has a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from Dalhousie University, Halifax, and was called to the New Brunswick Bar in January 2008, and the Bar Council of India in 2003.

Tuesday, May 15th – 3:30 p.m.

Speaker Bio:

General Manager, Bodystream & Executive Director, Qualicare

Jeff Durish had a successful career, assembling and leading global engineering teams in delivering high quality software systems. In 2013 Jeff changed direction and, with a partner, started Qualicare, a medical services company. He then founded and helped build Bodystream Medical Marijuana Services into one of the largest Marijuana clinic networks in Canada. Jeff is currently the General Manager at Bodystream and an Executive Director at Qualicare. A strong believer in the importance of family and in actively giving back to the community, Jeff recently rode his bicycle across Canada in support of the Sear National Kids Cancer Ride (SNKCR) and paddles on the Canadian National Dragon Boat Team.

Tuesday, May 15th – 3:30 p.m.

Speaker Bio:

Legal Counsel, Canopy Growth Corporation

Cailey Greenberg is legal counsel for Canopy Growth Corporation, one of the world’s largest medical cannabis companies. Cailey works on a diverse range of legal matters, with an emphasis on regulatory compliance. She enjoys working in the cannabis industry and is excited to see what the future holds, starting with the upcoming legalization of cannabis in Canada.

Tuesday, May 15th – 3:30 p.m.

Speaker Bio:

Senior Director, Product & Operations, Employer Health Solutions, Shoppers Drug Mart and Loblaw

Jonathan Tafler – Jonathan has spent his career building, leading and advising high growth companies in the retail, pharmacy and digital media sectors.

In his current role, he is responsible for developing and executing strategic programs that leverage the unique assets of Canada's leading retail pharmacy chain, including the HealthWATCH for Business® drug plan. These programs are designed to help employers better manage their drug plans and the health & wellness of their employees.

Prior to joining the Loblaw group of companies, Jonathan was a member of the executive team at Flipp Corporation, a retail technology company. He also led Corporate Development and Strategy for Torstar Digital, the digital media arm of Torstar Corporation (the Toronto Star). Earlier in his career, he was Co-Founder & Managing Director of Valley Industries, a leading distribution and ecommerce company based in the United Kingdom. He also served as a consultant with the Monitor Group (now Monitor Deloitte).

Wednesday, May 16th – 3:30 p.m.

Speaker Bio:

Executive Director and Government Relations, ACSESS

Mary McIninch - Mary holds an LL.B. and Bachelor of Arts Degree (Honours in Political Science) from the Universities of Ottawa and McGill, respectively, and is a member of the Quebec Bar Association. Mary joined ACSESS in 2000, where she works closely with staff and elected leaders to develop ACSESS as an industry association, and provide comprehensive government relations services representing the industry across Canada.

Wednesday, May 16th – 3:30 p.m.

Speaker Bio:

Partner, Stringer LLP

Ryan Conlin  - Ryan practices primarily in the area of regulatory and employment law. He advises and acts for employers and individuals charged with contraventions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Environmental Protection Act. He assists employers with a range of workers’ compensation issues. His experience also includes litigation before the WSIB and WSIAT, claims management, independent operator issues and revenue matters, defending professional discipline cases and assisting employers with all facets of employment related immigration.

A frequent speaker and writer, Ryan has given presentations to a number of legal organizations, employers, and human resource groups on a wide range of regulatory and employment law issues.

Wednesday, May 16th – 3:30 p.m.

Speaker Bio:

Lawyer, Hicks Morley

David Foster – David is a labour and employment lawyer in Hicks Morley's London office. He practises in all areas of labour and employment law, where he provides advice and representation to employers in the public and private sectors on a wide range of issues. These issues include labour disputes, grievance arbitration, human rights and accommodation matters, and wrongful dismissal claims.

Building on his experience as a senior advisor with the Federal Government, David prides himself on being a strategic thinker who brings a results-oriented focus to his clients HR needs. Using his practical knowledge of the statutory, regulatory and public policy-making process, he helps his clients to navigate the complex and often changing world of employment and labour standards.

Wednesday, May 16th – 3:30 p.m.

Speaker Bio:

Partner, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin

Rhéaume Perreault - Rhéaume focuses his practice on labour and employment law in Fasken Martineau DuMoulin’s Montréal office.

He acts as a strategic adviser for many employers in small, medium and large-sized enterprises, helping them with the planning and reorganization of their HR. Rhéaume also frequently acts as a negotiator in connection with collective bargaining agreements and represents clients, in particular, before the Superior Court, the Quebec Court of Appeal and various administrative tribunals.

Rhéaume works with employers from the private and public sectors, as well as with non-profit organizations. He has provided professional advice to ACSESS on a number of industry files. He frequently takes part in specialized conferences and provides substantial corporate training on various topics including: the workplace in the social media age; pre-employment traps; the duty to accommodate; drug and alcohol screening, privacy laws in the private and public sectors; and employment contracts.

Thursday, May 17th – 11:15 a.m.

Speaker Bio:

Country Manager, ManpowerGroup Canada, and ACSESS National Board member

Darlene Minatel - With ManpowerGroup since 1997, Darlene is responsible for overall Canadian operations across all brands. She provides executive level direction and leadership to the operations and is responsible for developing, expanding and executing strategies to achieve growth targets, market share goals and an unsurpassed level of customer satisfaction.

Darlene is a dynamic, progressive and results-driven senior operations and sales executive with more than 20 years of experience in the staffing and human resources industry. Her experience in senior operations, global account management and sales leadership allow her to set benchmarking standards in national and global sales, undertake successful strategic negotiations and maintain solid customer partnerships often across international boundaries.

Thursday, May 17th – 11:15 a.m.

Speaker Bio:

National Account Executive, CareerBuilder Canada

Dave Barrett - Dave leads the Staffing & Recruiting Group for CareerBuilder Canada working with Canada’s largest Staffing companies to grow and develop the CareerBuilder brand in providing end-to-end HCM human Capital Solutions combining Advertising, Software and Services.

With 18+ years experience within Staffing, leading teams in both Canada and the UK and having worked with small, medium and global staffing companies, Dave is able to leverage this experience on the different challenges organizations face in developing strategies to adopt, adapt and improve new technologies and innovations to help grow their business. 

Thursday, May 17th – 11:15 a.m.

Speaker Bio:

President and Founder, ClearView Executive Search

Mike Gooley – Mike provides retained executive search services in the financial services, technology, business, professional services and other industries. With more than 17 years of experience in this industry, he has built a reputation for placing various senior-level executives and technology professionals.  Prior to joining Clearview Executive Search, Mike was a Partner with a top 10 North American executive search firm. 

For more than a decade, Mike led the accounting and finance and financial services practices in Toronto for a large global recruiting company, where he began his search career.  Recognized consistently as one of their top search professionals, he was a multiple Chairman’s and President’s Club award recipient.

Thursday, May 17th – 11:15 a.m.

Speaker Bio:

Vice-President of IT & Engineering Staffing, Ian Martin

Michael Leacy - Michael has been responsible for the strategic direction and overall operations of public and privately held national, North American, and global IT staffing and consulting organizations.  With more than 24 years of technical staffing and consulting experience, he and his team at Ian Martin help high-level clients succeed by efficiently recruiting and hiring engineers, technical staff, and information technology professionals.  Currently, Michael is also President of the National Association of Canadian Consulting Businesses (NACCB), which consults on public policy issues and promotes ethical business practices across the IT Services industry.

Thursday, May 17th – 11:15 a.m.

Speaker Bio:

Country General Manager, Kelly Canada

Bryne Luft - Byrne oversees sales, operations, administration and finance for Kelly Canada. He brings more than 25 years of staffing industry experience and an entrepreneurial spirit to his role. He holds degrees in Business Commerce from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and in Executive Leadership from the University of Wisconsin. 

Byrne has led policy and governance initiatives for various organizations, such as the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, Canadian Immigration Society and the Talent Pool Society of Calgary. He received the Ian Anderson Committee Chair of the Year Award from the Calgary Chamber of Commerce for his community service.