Marketing

Jane-Michèle Clark, an MBA program instructor at the Schulich School of Business and 10-time nominee for Canadian Woman Entrepreneur of the Year. Jane-Michèle has more than 30 years’ experience on both client and agency sides, developing highly effective business strategies, integrated marketing campaigns, customer retention and employee engagement programs for B2B and B2C companies in multiple sectors, in dozens of industries, in Canada, the US, Caribbean and Middle East. As part of this tenure, she has helped start-ups grow into multi-nationals and worked extensively with blue chip clients in the automotive, banking, grocery, hotel, manufacturing, tech, travel and telecoms industries. One of her passions: Communicating her experience and knowledge. Jane-Michèle was the keynote speaker at the 2016 World Congress on Marketing and has appeared in multiple TV programs, including a January 2019 episode of The Agenda. For more than 20 years, Jane-Michèle has been teaching marketing-related subjects at Schulich School of Business (SSB) and her students benefit from her highly-interactive teaching approach and her use of real-life case examples. As a result, she has been nominated multiple times for the SSB Teaching Excellence Award. In addition, she is a Strategy Field Study Chair, the i/BBA Case Competition Program Director and Program Director for the Schulich ExecEd’s Master Certificate in Marketing Communications Leadership.

Explorer, award-winning downhill skier, best-selling author and entrepreneur, Jeff MacInnis achieved a four-hundred-year-old impossible challenge when he led the first team to sail the Northwest Passage. This epic journey covered 4,000 kilometres over 100 days in an 18-foot boat–using only the wind and a dream as the sources of power. The expedition survived one of the harshest environments on the face of this planet, through an ice-choked passage that has claimed more lives than Mount Everest. Jeff has been involved in numerous grueling challenges including the Eco-Challenge, the World Championships of Expedition Racing, watched by over a billion people. He led his team through 500 km over nine days through dense rainforest, ancient caves and some of the most beautiful coral reefs on the planet. Using extraordinary footage, Jeff illustrates what it takes to go to the extreme and succeed. As a world-class speaker on teamwork, leadership and excellence, he has inspired, coached and motivated over 500 audiences in nine countries.

Lean Six Sigma

Jeff is a highly accomplished Lean and Six Sigma professional with significant experience leading continuous process/product improvement and excellence initiatives. He has trained and coached individuals and senior leaders on Lean Six Sigma methodologies and process improvement projects, as well as educated and directed teams of employees to achieve successful business transformation and cultural change.

Coaching and Collaboration, Communication, Diversity and Inclusion

Chief Executive Officer, Diversity Advantage International Director/Coach/Facilitator A seasoned communications strategist and facilitator, credentialed executive and leadership coach, and diversity and inclusion specialist, Jennifer works with executives, senior teams and business units in defining, developing and delivering integrated business strategies and solutions. She helps leaders effectively build business capacity and best practices, fully engage talent and diverse stakeholders, and optimize key relationships. Her diverse body of work encompasses the private, public and non-profit sectors from Fortune 500 companies, large international organizations and major Canadian corporations to entrepreneurial enterprises. Her distinguished career, of more than 25 years, spans the nexus of business, communications, education, training, broadcasting, media, and public relations, with clients in the automotive, retail, financial, insurance, entertainment, healthcare, pharmaceutical, hospitality, government and professional services fields. Jennifer is at the forefront of significant initiatives to effect transformational change and create new leadership paradigms that elevate individual, organizational and socio-economic outcomes and impact. A thought leader and engaging keynote speaker, Jennifer also is the creator and champion of the unique, award-winning B.O.L.D. program (Broadening Opportunity Through Leadership Diversity & Inclusion).

Jenny do Forno has over 20 years of experience creating talent strategies and programs that build award-winning cultures. She is currently the Chief People Officer at TouchBistro, a startup that has raised $319.6M in total. Jenny brings a depth and breadth of experience, which covers both large enterprise organizations and startups – supporting throughout multiple funding rounds, debt financings, mergers and acquisitions, and beyond. Prior to joining TouchBistro, Jenny worked in several HR leadership roles at top executive search firms, as well as companies like Moneris Solutions and Info-Tech Research Group. Previously, Jenny spent the last several years as part of the founding team at Canadian fintech startup Nest Wealth and continues to work with startups to build their people, practices, and strategies to accelerate business.

Strategic Leadership

Dr. Jill Birch is a leadership advisor, keynote speaker, author, and researcher. She is CEO of BirchGrove Inc., where she helps organizations achieve their strategy by applying the practices of relational leadership. Jill has spoken to 1000s of leaders around the world. Her presentations reflect the leadership concerns we all have today – to achieve organizational goals through self-awareness, empowerment, and compassion. Her new book, “Leadership 4.0: Practice Makes Perfect” will be published in 2023. Jill holds a Ph.D. from Griffith University in Australia where she studied relational leadership. Her M.A. from the University of Toronto focused on how CEOs learn to lead and how they learn to learn. She is also a Certified Association Executive.

Change Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Strategic Leadership

Jim Harris is one of North America’s foremost authors, management consultants, thinkers and speakers on disruptive innovation, change and leadership. He has 25-plus years’ experience as a management consultant and facilitator of strategic planning sessions for executive teams. He speaks internationally at more than 50 conferences a year, on topics including disruptive innovation, engaging employees, innovation and creativity, customer relationship management (CRM), creating learning organizations, environmental leadership and creating common organizational mission and vision. His latest book Blindsided! Has been published in 80 countries worldwide and is a number-one international bestseller.

Communication, Marketing

John Dalla Costa specializes in ethics and integrity designed specifically to allow business in both the public and private sectors and also non-government groups to adopt the practices and plan for the future. John is the founder of the Centre for Ethical Orientation, a Toronto-based consultancy working with business, the public sector and non-government groups to foster ethical excellence in operations and outcomes. The author of four books published internationally, John has spoken at conferences around the world including the Bilbao Conference on "Business as Calling" in Spain, the Vienna Peace Summit in Austria, the London Form in the the Global Business Forum at the United Nations Millennial Summit in New York. John’s articles have appeared in the Financial Post Magazine, the Report on Business Magazine, Marketing Magazine (Canada and the UK), and the International Herald Tribune.

John Moscardelli is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) with 20 years’ experience in the healthcare industry. Having worked with some of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, he has led finance teams that successively enhanced organizational performance. John’s career stretches well beyond finance, with stints in information technology, sales & marketing as well as supply chain. He has consistently been recognized for exceptional performance throughout his career and uses his vast business experience to connect classroom theory with workplace realities. John currently lectures at one of Canada’s leading business schools in the field of finance and accounting. His focus is with post-grad international business students, helping to develop these young professionals to achieve their maximum potential. Along with his accounting designation, John holds an Honours BA in Economics from York University as well as an MBA from the Schulich School of Business.

General Management

John is a labour relations expert and has held the position of Vice-President Human Resources in companies including Weston Bakeries, Griffith Laboratories, Livingston International and Commonwealth Hospitality. He started his IR career with the Ontario Government and has both worked for and been a consultant to hospitals and not-for-profit organizations. He has negotiated in excess of 160 collective agreements as chief spokesperson.

Change Management, Communication, Leadership

Jordan Berman has helped play an instrumental role in leading change throughout his career. He has held executive leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca and Apotex, where he led profound organizational change as well as smaller-scale change. He also spent eight years as a consultant providing counsel to some of the world’s leading brands, including SC Johnson & Sons, Kraft and Pfizer. Jordan holds a joint EMBA from the Kellogg School of Management and the Schulich School of Business, is a lecturer at the Schulich School of Business and has been a highly-rated speaker on change management at the Schulich School of Business.

Jose is a senior executive with depth in data strategy, digital technology and marketing that spans numerous sectors including retail, commercial real estate, and financial services. As a founder and sponsor of both startups and technology venture funds, he has leveraged his enterprise experience to help companies transition through different stages of growth. In 2022, Jose established R5 Innovations - a consulting and advisory firm that focuses on digital transformation and helps companies implement AI capabilities. Before starting his own business, Jose served as EVP Digital & Innovation at Cadillac Fairview, a $30B commercial real estate firm. In this role, he built a new innovation practice, and led Technology, Marketing, Brand and Communications. Leveraging his experience in financial services, Jose led the creation of award-winning experiences by modernizing marketing technology and creating integrated customer journeys. Prior to Cadillac Fairview, Jose spent 18 years at CIBC where he launched Canada’s first Visa debit product, and pioneered the use of segmentation analytics in driving sales and marketing campaigns. As CIBC’s Chief Data Officer he was responsible for governance of retail customer information and analytics, and led the development of the bank’s first enterprise data and AI program. He holds an Honours B.Sc. degree from Wilfrid Laurier University, an M.Sc. from McMaster University, and an MBA from Queen’s University.

Healthcare

After serving as President and CEO of Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto for 14 years and then two more years as Founding President and CEO of Sinai Health, (a multi-organization, integrated healthcare system) – Joseph Mapa assumed the role of Executive Director of the Health Industry Management Program (MBA specialization) at the Schulich School of Business at York University. In 2021, he was also appointed as inaugural Krembil Chair in Health Management and Leadership. As an adjunct professor, he teaches high-performance leadership and strategic positioning in the healthcare sector. He holds an MBA from the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto and is a Fellow of both the Canadian College of Health Leaders and the American College of Healthcare Executives. Most recently, during the Covid-19 pandemic, he served as executive adviser to the board of Sienna Seniors Living Inc. (a publicly traded company of long-term care communities and retirement residences); he served on the advisory board of MyRemoteClinic (a start-up company providing digital platforms to health and wellness practitioners); and is a special adviser to the Board of Canadian Friends of Herzog Hospital in Jerusalem. He also served on numerous sector organizations including past chair of the Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario and Past Co-Chair of Toronto Academic Health Science Network. He also served as vice-chair of the Canadian College of Health Leaders. He has completed terms on the Governing Council of the University of Toronto; the Ontario Hospital Association Board; the Board of the Canadian Nurses Association; the advisory board of the Women’s Executive Network – Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100; and on the Board of Governors of Canada’s “10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures”. Joseph is co-author and/or co-editor of numerous articles and books focusing on healthcare management – including a publication on effective government relations in the health care industry. He has been honoured for his leadership and academic contributions with numerous recognitions including the Chairman’s Award for Distinguished Service and the Mentorship Award by the Canadian College of Health Leaders. A recipient of the Teaching Excellence Award at the Schulich School of Business, Joseph was also highlighted in a feature by Financial Post Magazine on “some of the notable graduates from internationally ranked MBA schools in Canada” in the health care sector.

Change Management, Municipal Sector, Public Sector

Dr. Gedeon is considered one of North America’s leading experts in the psychology of leadership, corporate transformation, leadership transformation, culture-change, transformative strategy, leadership function, and workforce mobilization. Dr. Gedeon bases all his work in scientifically-validated psychological principles of human interaction in combination with proven and advanced business strategy and operations principles that have evidenced astonishing results in raising workplace output in multiple sectors. Dr. Gedeon delivers award-winning and highly sought-after, multi-level leadership training and workshops in the principles, practices, and designs of innovative business function, strategy, implementation, transformation and culture. He is a sought-after keynote speaker and internationally published author. Dr. Gedeon has been named in the National Top-Ten Organizational Development Providers by HR Canada magazine for 5 years running, has received 2 national Dora nominations, and was a recent recipient (2024) of the prestigious Prism 2.0 International Award in Thought Leadership for Leadership Practice.

Big Data and Analytics, Technology

Karthik Kuber has fifteen years of academic research as well as industrial experience in Machine Learning and Data Science. He is currently an Engineering Manager at Yelp, leading a team of Applied Scientists and ML Engineers. He received his PhD in Computer Science from Syracuse University focusing on Evolutionary Computation and Network Science. He is a university ambassador for NVIDIA's Deep Learning Institute, a senior member of the IEEE and the ACM, has co-organized three editions of the International Workshop on Evolutionary Rule-based ML, and is an advocate for DEI in STEM.