Mr. Ariganello is currently the President and CEO of the Chartered Professionals of Human Resources (CPHR) of BC, and the Yukon, and CPHR Canada.
Prior to this, he was the President and CEO of CGA (Certified General Accountant’s) Canada. Mr. Ariganello was a key leader in the merger of the 3 accounting bodies into CPA. Prior to CGA Canada, Mr. Ariganello was also the President of Avon Canada, the world’s largest direct seller.

An Order of Canada recipient, and holding the ICD director designation, Mr. Ariganello serves as Chair of the Board of Re:Sound, a Canadian music licensing company, that obtains fair compensation for artists and record labels. He is also a board director of Spinal Cord Injury B.C., and is also an audit, and governance committee member. Mr. Ariganello also sits on the World Federation of People Management Association as President, and has served as Chair of the Audit Council for Local Government supporting the Auditor General for Local Government for the province of B.C. In addition, Mr. Ariganello completed his term on the board of the BC Real Estate Association as a director and member of the audit committee.

While at Avon, Mr. Ariganello was chair of the Direct Sellers Association of Canada and a member of the board of the Canadian Cosmetic Toiletries and Fragrance Association; and Nonprescription Drug Manufacturers Association of Canada. Additionally, he served on Canada’s National Council of Financial Executives. He also sat on the advisory panel to the Comptroller General of Canada. Mr. Ariganello has significant experience in people management having led large organizations, like Avon ( + 1000 personnel), with full operations responsibility, pursuing re-structuring plans, mergers, and ensuring the human capital aspect of all these exercises was always front and center, a priority.

Mr. Ariganello also consults on good governance practices, particularly with not for profit boards, and on a wide array of operational issues.

Mr. Ariganello is a graduate of McGill University and holds the following designations: Fellow CPA (Canada), Fellow CGA, Fellow CCA (UK), CPA (Delaware), FCPHR, SHRM (SCP) and ICD.D

Sydney Elaine Butler is the founder of Accessible Creates, where they also remotely speak and consult about Accessibility, Neurodiversity primarily with other areas of Diversity and Inclusion for companies in various industries so that companies know how to be more accessible and inclusive in the workplace and to their employees.

Lauren Canzius (she/her) is a seasoned HR professional dedicated to advancing psychological safety in the workplace. With a deep commitment to education, she has played a key role in educating HR professionals and executives nationwide, including designing and delivering HR curriculum for various universities. 

An experienced professional speaker, Lauren engages audiences on HR best practices, psychological safety, DEI, and leadership development, delivering impactful presentations at conferences, universities, and industry events.   

Throughout her career, Lauren has held leadership roles spanning consulting, change management, labour and employee relations, DEI, HR management, mediation, and collective bargaining.  

She holds a Master of Industrial Relations from Queen’s University, an Honours B.A. from the University of Toronto, and is a Prosci Certified Change Practitioner. Beyond her professional endeavors, Lauren enjoys volunteering in her community, and mentoring youth and emerging professionals. 

Katharine is the National Associate Director, Workplace Mental Health at the Canadian Mental Health Association. She holds an M.Sc. in Occupational Psychology and currently leads CMHA National’s workplace mental health department. She oversees the organization’s national social enterprise, which includes Not Myself Today, Psychological Health and Safety training, and custom workplace mental health offerings. A recognized subject matter leader in workplace mental health, Katharine authors an expert column in Benefits Canada and is frequently featured in media and publications on a range of mental health topics in the workplace. 

Timothy Lang is President & CEO of YES – Canada’s leading youth employment service provider, who annually counsel, trains, empower and inspire tens of thousands of youth to become contributing members of society through employment placement. YES has a close to 90% success rate and focuses on our most vulnerable youth, helping create safer, stronger communities and change lives.

Timothy Lang is an accomplished leader in the private and not-for-profit sector with a record of inspiring organizations to achieve record results and growth. Previously Tim held senior management and executive positions with Xerox, Bell, Energy Savings Income Fund, and St. Francis Xavier University. As Vice President at Energy Savings Income fund, Tim drove its growth and expansion across Canada and into the U.S. and increased the customer base by hundreds of thousands and up 300%, leading to a $2 billion market cap. As VP External at StFX University, he helped raise $120 million for the Brian Mulroney Institute for Government and the Frank McKenna Leadership Centre and developed innovative branding and communications to enhance the reputation of the university. Tim has a B.A. from StFX University and a Master’s degree from the University of Manitoba. Tim was born in Saskatoon, is bilingual, and has lived and worked across Canada, the U.S., and Great Britain. He sits on several not-for-profit Boards and received the Queen’s Jubilee Medal for outstanding contributions to the community in 2012.

Jamelle Lindo is an emotional intelligence executive coach and international keynote speaker with over 12 years of diverse learning and development experience. He is driven by his mission to empower leaders and professionals within organizations to realize their highest ideals, leading to healthy and diverse cultures, happy employees, and thriving businesses that make the world a better place.

Jamelle has worked with thousands of professionals across Canada to help them level up through the practical application of emotional intelligence and mindfulness strategies. Certified in the world’s leading assessment tool for measuring emotional intelligence (EQ-i 2.0), Jamelle uses this powerful tool to establish a scientific benchmark to begin his clients’ development journey.

He is an official member of the Forbes Coaches Council, an invite-only organization for successful business coaches, and an associate certified coach (ACC) through the International Coach Federation (ICF), which represents the gold standard for professional coaching worldwide. Jamelle’s thought leadership has been frequently published on Forbes.com.

As an in-demand speaker, he focuses on teaching his audiences the importance of emotionally intelligent leadership amid today’s rapidly evolving digital environment (otherwise known as industry 4.0). He is a charismatic, dynamic, and powerful presence on stage who compels his audience to critically look at how they can use emotional intelligence and mindfulness to enhance their abilities and create winning cultures within their organizations.

Jamelle is committed to giving back to his community in the greater Toronto area. Locally, he serves on the executive council for United Way and provides professional development workshops for Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Canada and the Mississauga Board of Trade.

Ayo Owodunni is a management consultant and facilitator who brings over 10 years of experience in coaching, training and strategic direction to the table. Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, Ayo aims to help enterprise-level clients achieve big-picture goals while focusing on diversity, inclusion and cultural understanding in the workplace. His approach combines subject matter expertise, personal stories and just the right amount of humor all intended to break barriers and facilitate better communication between people at all levels of an organization.

Ayo’s passion and natural talent for connecting with audiences shine through in everything he does. His impressive client list spans a variety of industries and includes renowned companies such as Spotify, Canada Life, Microsoft, Thomson Reuters, CIBC, TMX Group and Hydro One to name a few. He is the author of the book, “Values, Culture, Period” – Redefining the Value of Values to Drive Business Results and “Inclusive Leadership”: The Immigrant View – Helping immigrants thrive and soar in your organization. He is also the co-creator of The Ring: 4 Steps to transforming your organization through the power of your values & culture.

Upon immigrating to Canada in 2016, Ayo overcame many challenges before finding his stride-challenges he today helps others avoid. He learned something new every step along his path to success and would later incorporate these pearls into his innovative training programs. Ayo holds an MBA in entrepreneurship and a Life Coach certification. He serves on several organization boards, including immigrantnetworks.com, expedier.co, and Emergency Response Africa. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Management Consultants. 

Sharon Robinson is the Director of Human Resources with Nova Scotia Pension Services Corporation. In this role, she provides strategic leadership for talent management, total rewards, labour relations, learning & development, employee engagement and health, safety and wellness. Everyday Sharon is inspired to contribute to the financial well-being of Nova Scotians by strengthening their retirement futures.

She is a graduate of Dalhousie University and holds an Advanced Diploma in Human Resources Management and a certificate in Strategic Human Resources Management. Sharon is a long-time volunteer and a past Board Chair with CPHR-NS, the professional and credentialing association for Human Resources Professionals in Nova Scotia.

Tanya Sinclair serves as the Vice President, People & Culture for Save The Children in Tkaronto/Toronto Canada where she oversees the People & Culture strategy including the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism strategy for all employees. Tanya is a community-focused people & culture leader who has worked in healthcare, public libraries, not-for-profit, and in academia providing strategy, policy, and advocacy with a focus on well-being, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Tanya holds the Certified Human Resources Executive (CHRE) designation along with the Distinguished HR Professional (DHRP) lifetime award of distinction and is a 2020 Harry Jerome Leadership Awardee. She has served on several boards and diversity advisory committees. Tanya is the founder of a not-for-profit network called Black Human Resources Professionals of Canada www.blackhrpc.org. As a former college HR professor, holds a Master of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Royal Roads University in B.C. and has a post-secondary certificate in Workplace Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging including courses on Indigenous Inclusion. When Tanya isn’t at work, she can be found volunteering or playing volleyball. Tanya’s leadership philosophy is lead, learn, laugh.

Andi Shi is the Executive Director of CPAC, a Toronto-based organization that serves as a professional association with over 30,000 members, a career and skills development provider for immigrant professionals and youth, and an emerging think tank offering research-based insights and solutions to address systemic barriers to equity and inclusion.

A recognized civic leader, Andi brings a broad range of leadership experience across public service, private enterprise, and the non-profit sector. His expertise spans intercultural relations, human behaviour, community-based research, and administrative law. He is a thought leader and speaker on anti-Asian racism and equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), and has served on several non-profit boards including People for Education, Across Boundaries, and the National Council of Asian Canadians. He has also advised both current and former mayors of Toronto on community engagement and social equity.

Timothy is passionate about the intersection of organizational culture and coaching. With vast experience in marketing, sales and HR at large organizations such as Procter & Gamble, Intel and Index Group, he has coached C-level leaders and taught at Bogazici University Lifelong Learning Center, Global Knowledge Canada, and Simon Fraser University. He holds five coaching certificates, is trained in multiple coaching styles and is a PhD. candidate on building a culture of coaching for 21st century organizations. Timothy has four nationally published books in Turkish, including one on coaching, and he has worked with clients such as MEC, Telus, Aviso Wealth, Doctors of BC, and Suncor.

As President and CEO of the National Payroll Institute (the Institute), Peter Tzanetakis champions the principle that timely and accurate payroll is fundamental to the health of every business in Canada and the right of every working Canadian.

Working in partnership with members, stakeholders, subject matter experts and policymakers, he leverages research, specialized expertise, and strategic vision to consistently demonstrate the value payroll delivers to employers, employees, governments and the economy.

Under his leadership, the organization rebranded from the Canadian Payroll Association to the National Payroll Institute in 2022, and he established Payroll Standards Canada in 2023 to oversee professional requirements and maintain ethical standards for payroll designations. The Institute and Peter have also become a leading advocates for the financial wellness of Canadians, with Institute research demonstrating that financial stress costs Canada $53.9 billion annually in lost productivity.

Peter brings over 30 years of experience in public policy and business development across government, private and not-for-profit sectors to his role. Prior to joining the National Payroll Institute in 2018, he served as Vice-President of Government and Corporate Relations at The Financial Advisors Association of Canada (Advocis); Director, Economics and Statistics with PricewaterhouseCoopers; Senior Manager, Tax Policy Services at EY; and Senior Economist and Director of Policy at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

Dr. Robin Yap is a textbook author, researcher, and professor with over 30 years of interdisciplinary experience in human learning journeys, performance management, social data analytics, ethics of augmented intelligence systems, and applied technology in business and entrepreneurial practices. Robin is the Canadian Head and Chair of Delegation for the International Standards Organisation (ISO) Learning Services standards in Switzerland. He is on the Ontario Research Ethics expert panel, have been an invited expert with the Canadian Press, been a featured guest on CNN-Asia and Toronto/Kitchener/Waterloo’s Metro-Morning shows, and been an invited lecturer and speaker at Columbia University (USA), New York University (USA), Oxford Brookes University (UK), Aalborg University (Netherlands), Christian University (Japan) and University of Navarra (Spain). You can find Robin’s work on YouTube @Yap with Dr. Yap, Instagram @robinyap and at robinyap.ca.