People Leadership

Natasha loves the art and science of facilitation. She has more than 20 years of instructional design, training, presentation, facilitation and interactive workshop experience. She covers a broad range of topics from leadership and emotional intelligence, to change management and post implementation process redesign. She is a certified life coach (CCP), a project management professional (PMP), and has obtained a Masters Certificate in Adult Training & Development (MCATD) from the Schulich ExecEd. She has worked with fortune 500 companies such as Coca Cola, Unilever and RR Donnelley. Natasha utilizes her knowledge to ensure that for-profit and not-for-profit organizations experience sustainable business transformation.

Sales, Strategic Leadership

Nick Foster is an experienced executive who spent 30 years practising the craft of sales and marketing in North America's high-tech industry. Today, Nick is consulting with companies who are looking to create more conscious alignment between their culture and their brand recognizing that transforming either requires a willingness by leaders to search within themselves for authenticity.

Marketing

Specializing in the food & beverage and packaged goods industries, Nick is managing director of the Price-Owen Group and helps clients to identify growth opportunities and translate strategic vision into branded reality. He also teaches Integrated Marketing Communications at the Schulich School of Business.

Nicola has extensive experience in human resources strategy within the dental industry and has lead teams focused on the attraction, retention and development of dental industry talent. Nicola’s career in People has included leading teams in Human Resources, Recruitment, Talent Management, HR Technology and Learning. Nicola is a proven business leader with experience in start up, high-growth and large-scale businesses across banking, financial services and media sectors. She holds a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology Sydney.

CHRO | Chief Branding & Communications Officer | Corporate Director Nicole Boivin is a Strategic Adviser powering up boards and executives to tackle their biggest people challenges. She has a proven track record of leading change and driving value in multiple sectors dealing with growth and planning for the future of work. Her key areas of expertise include: HR, Branding and Communications, and ESG. From an HR and Branding and Communications perspective, Nicole has led teams across 14 countries and has over 30 years of experience managing everything from employee retention to executive compensation to organizational design to HR Due diligences. Nicole was an early mover in the Corporate Responsibility space, overseeing the area globally in her Chief Branding and Communications Officer role for Manulife Financial. She is the Creator and Program Director for the ESG Exec Ed Program with Schulich School of Business at York University. More recently, Nicole has been a key panelist and speaker on ESG topics, including themes like “The role of the Board in ESG”, “What is ESG” and “How to introduce ESG in my organization”. Nicole is also passionate about the role of leadership and has created a podcast series, “Leaders Unplugged”, profiling female leadership. Nicole currently serves on the private board Res Publica Capital Inc and the public board Supremex. She is a former board member of Ontario Power Generation, Brampton Distribution Holdco, Pathways to Education and Harbourfront Centre. Nicole is originally from Sudbury, fully bilingual (FR/EN) and an MBA graduate from Laurentian University where she received an honorary Doctorate of Laws. Nicole is an ICD.D graduate of the Corporate Directors Program.

Nikolas is a world-renowned futurist that helps leaders create more connected, curious, and creative teams that embrace futures design to imagine desirable futures, anticipate unforeseen risks, and strengthen strategic planning.   He has spent 30+ years working with leadership at over 300 leading organizations at the frontline of foresight, strategy, and disruption - including NASA, United Nations, Google, Microsoft, Intel, WM, United Way, Bayer, Bank of Canada, George Weston Ltd., Rolls Royce, Procter & Gamble, IDEO, UK Home Office and many more.    In his new book ‘Facing Our Futures’ - released internationally on Bloomsbury Business - showcases foresight methods and thinking that shift organizational mindsets from what is to what if… and aims to increase organizational vigilance, profitability and market capitalization.  Nikolas’ essential research has been featured by the BBC, VICE, The Atlantic, Fast Company, Business Insider, Forbes, Sunday Telegraph and many others.  He appears on SIRIUSXM and CTV regularly, was a key advisor to the ‘Age of AI’ series with Robert Downey Jr, and appears in the Franklin Institute's series ‘2050’. 

Niloofer [Niloo] Balsara is a senior Human Resources Professional with experience across roles in Canada, Asia Pacific, and London, UK. She excels at designing and deploying talent and people strategies, optimizing people's potential. Expertise across HR includes talent management, succession planning, performance management, learning and development, recruitment, HR systems, leadership development and equity diversity and inclusion [EDI]. Niloofer integrates progressive and innovative people practices across people and cultures. A talent architect and a change agent, she is passionate about leading and modernizing HR through a data-led approach. She employs a skills-based framework and a future-focus lens to organizational change, structure and design. A certified executive coach (CEC, PCC], she is an accredited member of the International Coaching Federation (ICS). She has her CPHR and is also certified in various leadership and team assessments and psychometric instruments. Niloofer is a long-standing thought- partner and a member of the employer working group at the immigration employment Council of BC [IEC-BC], where she works with provincial and federal colleagues to support the integration of skilled immigrants into Canada. She has led roles across various industries, including healthcare, finance and insurance, in unionized and non-unionized environments. Her lived experiences across various continents and countries have provided her with a human and culture-sensitive approach that enables her to build people and grow relationships. Niloofer has a passion for corporate and environmental sustainability. She has volunteered for environmental projects worldwide including the Amazon, Oxford UK and at the Smithsonian in Maryland, US. Contributing to the wider HR community, she has participated in and contributed to Canada’s global pluralism project.

Big Data and Analytics

Nishika is a manager for the AI Strategy team at Omnia, Deloitte Canada’s Artificial Intelligence practice. She currently focuses on AI literacy, adoption and change management across different industries. She leads design, delivery and program management for the AI & Analytics Academy offering, for executive and practitioner level learning programs. The Academy supports clients in upskilling their data, analytics and AI skill set. She also has experience in delivering AI & Analytics strategy and delivery solutions for clients. Prior to consulting, Nishika has industry experience in data and analytics, working in the Financial Services for a leading bank, as well as with the public sector. Nishika holds a Master of Management Analytics degree from Queen’s University, Kingston.

General Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Oleg is a program director, business adviser and instructor at the York Entrepreneurship Development Institute (YEDI) and the founder/owner of a management consulting business - AOCS. He has a background and wide experience in senior management within the high-tech industry (computer hardware and software), management consulting, teaching and mentoring. His personal mission is to make entrepreneurs and managers of start-up and early-stage companies knowledgeable about the most efficient processes for turning an idea into a successful business; be it development of the commercialization strategy, corporate structure creation, or raising venture capital. He is a part-time instructor and facilitator at the Schulich ExecEd focusing on entrepreneurship, corporate governance, business modelling, financial planning and technology commercialization. Oleg is a welcomed speaker at a number of international forums and conferences, as well as an author or co-author of eight books and more than 100 articles.

Communication, General Management

Oliver Martin is director of training for the Stitt Feld Handy Group, a division of ADR Chambers, and is also a facilitator, mediator, workplace consultant and coach. He provides conflict resolution, negotiation, mediation and difficult conversation training to organizations and the general public throughout Canada, the Caribbean and the United States. He also works with organizations to provide workplace restorations and with leaders to address challenges within their workplace. Oliver is a past director at the ADR Institute of Ontario. He received Alternative Dispute Resolution training from the University of Windsor Law School and York University. He also has a Master of Arts in Leadership from Royal Roads University. He began practising mediation in 2003. Oliver has worked with diverse groups and a wide range of clients across many industries and sectors. He combines his experiences dealing with conflict in communities and corporations to train and coach others on managing conflict, resolving disputes, and communicating more effectively to achieve their goals.

Change Management, General Management

Ori is the high-energy owner of pmKonnectors.com, a consulting, training and placement practice. With 23 years’ experience in driving organizational change, operational improvements, software implementations, Agile adaptations, project recoveries and PMO’s, his scope of expertise includes value creation, outstanding results and high customer satisfaction. Ori brings an international, diverse and cross-industry experience, delivering specialized engagements to organizations, including the UN, US and Canadian financial institutions, Government branches, and leading IT, Telecoms, Energy, Food Manufacturers and Pharmaceuticals.

Public Sector

Patrice Dutil is a professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration, and a member of the Yeates School of Graduate Studies, at Ryerson University. He holds a PhD from York University, an M es Arts from the Université de Montréal and a BA (Hon.) from York University. Dutil joined Ryerson in 2006 following 13 years in various parts of the public service and seven years in the non-profit sector, so he brings a combination of practical experience and scholarly expertise to his teaching. He is a frequent commentator on public affairs on radio and television in Toronto and in the national media. His opinion pieces have appeared in the Toronto Star, National Post, The Globe and Mail, CBC.ca, Inside Policy. In 2013-2014 he was a visiting scholar at Massey College (University of Toronto) and visiting professor in the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. Dutil’s main research interests are political- and public-sector leadership, the process of political development and the study of elections. He writes about a wide range of issues in the policy development process both from a historical and contemporary standpoint.

Business Analysis, Project Management

Patrick has more than 25 years of progressive accomplishments as a senior management consultant in Information Management (IM), Information Technology (IT), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Organizational Change Management (OCM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Enterprise Content Management (ECM) and Bimodal IT solutions. Patrick is the senior management consultant for AltNexus Corp. and provides consulting expertise on enterprise service strategies for various public- and private-sector clients across the USA, Canada and Europe. He is responsible for analyzing the business needs of his clients. He acts as a liaison among stakeholders to elicit, analyze, communicate and validate requirements for changes to business processes, policies and information systems. He recommends solutions that enable organizations to achieve their business goals. Patrick has over 25 years of experience as an instructor and facilitator and has won several awards for his teaching excellence. Patrick is also known in the industry for his innovative approaches to solving common project management problems. He focuses on two project management specialty areas: agile project management and troubled project recovery. Patrick is a Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP®), Certified Scrum Professional (CSP), and Certified Project Management Professional (PMP®). Patrick has a Bachelor of Arts and a Masters Certificate in Business Analysis from the Sprott School of Business, Carleton University. Patrick's experience and credentials allow him to bring the unique skills and knowledge areas required for both PM and BA disciplines to the table - ensuring that the product will be on time, on budget and most importantly, on requirements.