SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Susi Hately is a registered Kinesiologist, ergonomics consultant and yoga teacher (not necessarily in that order!) In her career as an ergonomics consultant to multi-national corporations and businesses, she recognized that the applied principles and best practices of ergonomics in the workplace only represented a portion of an overall employee wellness solution. Susi began to design programs for ‘desk jockeys’ to teach them how to stretch, breathe, and move in order to promote long-term, lasting health and healing. She brings to her sessions an unparalleled wealth of experience and understanding of the unique challenges facing employees today. Susi has delivered presentations, workshops, and training all across North America, and is a sought after presenter at international conferences such as The Yoga Show (Toronto), International Association of Yoga Therapists, and the Mechanical Contractors Association. Susie is the author of the Anatomy and Asana: Preventing Yoga Injuries series, Yoga for the Desk Jockey™ (a book, audio CD, and video series) and Finding Quiet, a meditation CD.

Heather Beaudoin is an HR Consultant, Health and Wellness, for Nova Scotia Power Inc. providing expertise in disability management, health management and promotion, occupational health, and workplace wellness. She develops disability management strategies, processes and programs in keeping with the organization's specific business goals and issues. She is also recognized for her expertise in coaching, change management and effective employee relations. Prior to Nova Scotia Power, Heather held various positions in occupational health, educational settings and the community environment. She has developed and implemented comprehensive integrated management programs encompassing disability, professional rehabilitation and occupational wellness. Heather holds a Bachelor of Nursing degree from Dalhousie University and a diploma specializing in Occupational Health Nursing from St. Lawrence College.

Rhona Berengut: Teaching is Rhona’s passion. An award-winning part-time faculty member of the Schulich School of Business (York University), Rhona has taught in the BBA and MBA programs since 1989. As Program Director for the Schulich Executive Education Centre’s two-week Executive Program, Rhona also helps senior executives who are looking to enhance their leadership and strategy skills. As a founding partner of SIGMA Strategic Solutions Inc., Rhona consults and conducts a variety of training and workshops for corporations. Her expertise focuses on Managing Strategic Change, Critical and Strategic Thinking Skills, Strategic Analysis, Executive Coaching, Organization Design and Analysis, Interpersonal Managerial Skills, and Emotional Intelligence. Rhona is a certified Strategic Coach and Facilitator, and a certified consultant for the BarOn EQi and EQi-360 assessments, which measure emotional intelligence. In her more than 20 years experience in the fields of organizational behaviour and business management, Rhona has taught at some of the top business schools in Canada including the Schulich School of Business, the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, Ryerson University and the University of Calgary.

Leanne Bilodeau is a registered Kinesiologist who blends over 10 years of leadership in promoting health and wellness into her passion and commitment to integrate personal and workplace health into sustainable corporate culture strategies. Her grounding in health promotion, human resources and clinical and rehabilitation management facilitates her current role at UBC Okanagan - to provide leadership in the development of a healthy, sustainable workplace. Joining the UBC Okanagan in September 2006, she has created and led the development of an integrated workplace health promotion and return to work system, two health symposia and a campus wide Healthy Workplace Culture Strategy. Leanne is currently a co-investigator on the research study "Student Voices - Creating a Healthy Campus Community at UBC Okanagan".

Sharon Bronstein: Sharon is a co-founder of Inner Odyssey Retreats. She guides individuals, couples and groups on personal and team retreats on Salt Spring Island and abroad. She is also director of Open Hand Teambuilding Solutions, which uses dynamic interactive activities to enhance work environments. Sharon has worked as a personal coach, therapist, and educator for 24 years. She has taught courses in anger management, mediation, counselling, theatre improv and Playback Theatre throughout North America. She was an EAP counsellor for staff of numerous companies, including Thrifty Foods, Regional School Districts, Vancouver Island Health Authority, and the Department of Oceans and Fisheries. She is also a co-founder of the Salt Spring Island Playback Company.

Alan Caplan: Alan, co-founder of Inner Odyssey Retreats, guides individuals and groups on personal and team retreats at work or in idyllic settings on Salt Spring Island and abroad. He is also director of Open Hand Teambuilding Solutions. Alan has been involved in education for over 30 years as a college instructor with a specialty in Curriculum Development. He has had a private practice in Nanaimo as a counsellor, coach and consultant for over 20 years. He was coordinator of the Drug and Alcohol Counsellor Training at Tillicum Haus Native Friendship Centre, and designed and facilitated courses on healthy relationships and anger management at Nanaimo Correctional Centre. In addition to facilitating groups, Alan is also an EAP counsellor for Staples, BC Ferries as well as other major companies.

Lori Casselman is Vice President, Buffett & Company Worksite Wellness Ltd. Lori holds an Hons. B.A. in Kinesiology, an Hons. B.Sc. in Nutrition, and a Masters of Science in Exercise Physiology from the University of Western Ontario. Lori has extensive background in the areas of exercise physiology, nutrition and corporate health & wellness, which has allowed her to lecture and lead seminars on these topics at many conferences and meetings both locally and at the international level. During Lori’s graduate degree program studies, she held a position as a teaching assistant for the University of Western Ontario’s Introduction to Wellness course, in addition to working as a Nutrition and Physical Activity consultant for a number of corporate wellness programs, including the Ivey Executive Business School Development Program. Lori is a Certified Fitness Consultant, a qualifying member of the Ontario College of Dietitians, and an avid marathoner. In addition, Lori is a Certified Excellence Professional with the National Quality Institute (NQI). Lori has been with Buffett & Company for eight years and continues to lead the growth and development of the organization.

Rory Cohen is the President of Entelekey Inc. and the co-creator of the Take 10 Success System™, a simple step-by-step system guaranteed to help users get started, stay motivated and keep in action on any goal, no matter how potentially overwhelming. She is an expert in the psychology of success, and a specialist in taking ideas from concept to implementation. Before using the Take 10 Success System™ to recreate her career and start her own business, Rory ran a $32 million managed care company and spent 10 years consulting in the health care field. She is a frequent public speaker and repeat media guest on topics ranging from the psychology of success to physician well-being. Her personal and professional national media appearances include ABC’s the View and CNN’s Paula Zahn Show, People Magazine, and National Public Radio. Take 10™ has also been featured on the cover of Entrepreneur Magazine and StartingUp Magazine in Germany. Rory earned her B.A. in Community Health at Tufts University, her M.P.H. in Health Administration at Yale University and her MA in Spiritual Psychology at the University of Santa Monica.

In 1987, Dr. Elman founded Medisys Health Group, one of Canada's leading providers of preventive -health, corporate -medicine and medical -imaging services. His expertise in both medicine and business has allowed Dr. Elman to be a medical consultant to many of Canada’s leading corporations and executive management teams. He is a member of the board of directors of the C.D. Howe Institute (2007 – ) and is a member of Le Cercle des Présidents du Québec (2005 – ). He is also active in the YPO/WPO Healthcare Forum and was on the executive committee of the Montreal Chapter for five years. He has recently been a member of the board of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Research and Education Foundation of the Canadian College of Family Physicians of Canada Research Foundation.

Susan Flaherty: Susan is a highly skilled and enthusiastic organizational development and human resources consultant with over 25 years of experience working with executives, leaders and teams. She founded a thriving consulting practice based on developing collaborative relationships and delivering innovative and effective strategies and solutions to her clients. Susan’s passion for developing leadership and healthy teams has been her focus for the past 15 years, and she is thrilled to bring her passion into a whole new "arena" with Nancy and The Natural Leader.

(Information to Come)

Helen Gardiner: Helen Gardiner has a broad background in the field of Human Resources. She has worked in municipal government with the City of Calgary for 26 years, is a certified mediator and negotiator, trained in the area of change leadership, conflict management, organizational design, labour relations, and recruitment. She is an Emotional Fitness Coach and Emotional Fitness Instructor. Helen has worked with people at all levels of the organization and believes that being Emotional Fit is must for those who wish to live their lives to their fullest. People are organizations and the Emotionally Fit organization begins with the individual.

Richard Gotfried is Vice President Corporate Communications for Trico Homes, which was #2 on the Best Workplaces in Canada 2008 list. Trico has shown exemplary leadership in giving back to the community, and is renowned for its dedication to charity and community-enrichment that is engrained in its culture and not usually seen in organizations even several times its size. Trico’s philanthropic program is about more than just writing a cheque, and includes building partnerships that support the development of strong, healthy and vibrant communities.

Fred Heese: Whether he’s leading Canada’s team to the world championships of dragon boating (in Shanghai, our country won the highest accolade, the Gold-Nations Cup), or driving himself to personal bests that made him a member of Canada’s National and Olympic canoe teams (he finished seventh in the 1964 Olympic finals), one thing’s for sure: he’s going to empower you so that you want to raise the bar of your performance. After successful years as a sprint canoe coach at two Toronto-area canoe clubs, Fred started dragon boating in the early 1990s as a member, and later coach, of the Toronto Men’s Dragon Boat Team. In 1997, he founded and became head coach of the Greater Toronto Dragon Boat Club, a team that went on to be the Canadian National Representative at the world championships in Hong Kong, Nottingham, Philadelphia, Poznan and Shanghai. Taking his expertise further afield, Fred served as a coaching consultant to the Singapore Dragon Boat Association in 2004. The book he wrote and published in the early 1980s, entitled Canoe Racing, has become one of the sport’s classic coaching manuals.

Robin Hornstein: Robin’s thousands of hours of dragon boat paddling, as both team leader and team member, led her to see how 20 very different people, from all walks of life and levels of wellness, could meld into a unified and positively engaged group of people which was much greater than the sum of its individual parts. Inspired by truly enlightened and successful companies that conduct business with integrity, she used her freshly minted MBA skills (after having abandoned an operatic singing career) to rigorously and creatively fuse these insights into the distinctive mission of Corporate Dragon: to turn groups within organizations into teams, to inspire teams to work more productively together by guiding them through the secret lessons learned about the workplace in the excitement and challenges of dragon boating. Robin has been recognized on numerous occasions for her role in founding the world’s 2nd breast cancer survivor dragon boat team, Two Abreast, notably as a Women's Federation CJA Honouree in 2000, a Women's Y Foundation Women of Distinction Award Winner (Sports and Well-Being) in 1999, and the host of the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation Annual Awareness Breakfast the same year.

Andrew Hume has managed a consulting practice since 1999 specializing in communications and marketing with a focus on individual and population health, health care systems and services and workplace health. He has over 30 years of professional experience – of which 20 years has been in the health sector.He has held a number of senior management positions with provincial governments and regional health authorities and received many awards for excellence and innovation. He has facilitated and managed a number of strategic collaborative initiatives involving multi-jurisdictional projects, multi-sector professional organizations and NGO partnership projects and has worked internationally on health reform initiatives.

Andrée Iffrig found herself immersed in a culture of storytelling while living and working in Indonesia in the 1980's. Originally trained as an architect, today Andrée builds friendlier workplace communities with storytelling. She designs and delivers leadership development programs and is an expert in peer learning techniques for professional development. Andrée’s book, Find Your Voice at Work: The Power of Storytelling in the Workplace, has been featured in business publications across Canada. She is co-author with Keith Seel, Ph.D., of BEING A Governor: A Process for Board Development. Her articles have been published in a variety of professional journals, including most recently, Canadian Manager, the professional journal for the Canadian Institute of Management. As part of her professional practice, Andrée speaks and facilitates for a wide variety of groups in the corporate and non-profit sectors. When she isn’t telling stories or listening to other people’s stories, Andrée is a volunteer for community organizations, working on issues of sustainability. An avid storyteller, she is sometimes accused of hyperbole.

Amy Johnson is the Research Development Director for Towers Perrin-ISR. She conducts industrial and organizational research aimed at helping organizations maximize their employee engagement and business performance. In particular, Amy helps organizations build, implement, and monitor employee programs around engagement, wellbeing and health, and sustainability. She has worked with some of the world’s largest organizations in a wide variety of industries. Amy holds a Ph.D. from Indiana University in Social Psychology and has ten years of experience conducting scientific research and consulting in academic and non-academic environments. She has published extensively in the areas of organizational culture and group motivation and has taught several university-level courses on these topics.

Karen Kesteris is the Director of Marketing and Product Development at Green Shield Canada. She is committed to expanding on Green Shield Canada’s ongoing success in the health benefits sector, developing new initiatives in the area of product development, and providing key leadership in the marketing and communications area. Prior to joining Green Shield Canada, Karen has held several management roles within the insurance and consulting industry.

Michael Koscec is President of Entec Corporation, a company that specializes in measuring organizational health, employee engagement and emotional wellness. He is passionate about helping leaders create workplace environments where individuals can thrive and be fully engaged. Michael’s bestselling book, Energizing Organizations, recounts real life stories, rewritten as compelling fiction, that show the destructive nature of toxic working environments and provide strategies to bring them back to health. The second half of the book presents breakthrough research, based on a client-base of over 50,000 employees, about the organizational factors that promote employee engagement and employee health. Prior to establishing Entec, in 1996, Michael worked in large corporations in the energy and high technology business sectors, where he held various senior management positions including president, general manager and vice president. Michael holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Environmental Studies.

Graham Lowe: Graham Lowe is President of The Graham Lowe Group Inc., a workplace consulting and research firm and a Professor Emeritus at the University of Alberta. His numerous publications include The Quality of Work: A People-Centered Agenda (Oxford University Press). He has extensive consulting experience and has given hundreds of talks and workshops on creating higher quality and more productive workplaces. He received the 2004 Canadian Workplace Wellness Pioneer Award.

Nancy Lowery: "Much of what I learned about leadership, I learned from my horses." A perspective Nancy explored through 15 years of managing multi-disciplinary teams for clients such as Mercedes-Benz, Procter & Gamble, Nokia, Disney and Parks Canada. Based on that experience The Natural Leader was founded in 2004 and has grown to include clients such as The University of Calgary, Government of Alberta, Telus, Nexen, Enbridge and the Calgary Herald. A skilled rider, facilitator and riding coach Nancy recognizes it's not what we say but how we say it that leaves a lasting impression. Thinking creatively and strategically is something that comes naturally to Nancy, employing those skills in the programs she creates and delivers to the corporate sector or to the youths who frequent her farm. www.TheNaturalLeader.ca

Marie Mac Donald is a senior consultant who is passionate about her work with organizations and individuals to create workplace cultures that support a healthy, motivated and engaged workforce. Her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Masters of Social Work coupled with extensive ongoing learning, support her consulting work in complex workplace situations. Marie works with leaders to evolve their leadership capacity to create a culture of guiding both the operational and human sides. She brings a humorous, infectious and powerful presence to the processes of transformational change and organizational health and wellness. Marie’s extensive leadership coaching practice equips her to teach techniques of creating healthy life balance and to share stories that educate. She believes "Walking the Talk" of our own wellness provides the personal resilience needed to thrive in our fast paced world and works actively to create work-life balance. Her clients have described her as someone who brings heart to organizations.

Bruce MacLellan is the founding president and CEO of Environics Communications. Since 1994, the firm has provided communications consulting and marketing services to clients such as eBay, MasterCard, The Globe and Mail, Johnson and Johnson, Purina, Coca-Cola, 3M and Mackenzie Financial. Environics is firmly committed to a balanced and quality workplace and was in the top five on the list of Canada’s 50 Best Workplaces for 2007 and 2008. Bruce has a BA and an MA from the University of Toronto and is an active volunteer at his children’s school and as a communications advisor for The Nature Conservancy of Canada.

Estelle Morrison joined Ceridian in 2000 as the Director of Clinical Services for Ceridian LifeWorks Canada. In this role, she was responsible for the clinical quality of the LifeWorks Service Delivery, including supervision, education, intake, trauma and the affiliate network. In 2007, Estelle moved into the role of Director, Health Management, where she is responsible for creating innovative programs to address the mental health and wellness needs of customer employees, as well as developing programs to supplement early interventions. Estelle’s experience in managing EAP services spans over 15 years. Before joining Ceridian, she was responsible for the clinical and functional operation of an internal EAP program for a Canada-wide business organization. Her career history includes private practice psychotherapy, treatment research and addictions counselling. Estelle is a member of the Board of Directors, Employee Assistance Professionals Association of Toronto (EAPAT) and the Ontario Association of Consultants, Counsellors, Psychometrists and Psychotherapists (OACCPP).

Barry Munro: Barry is the Managing Partner for the Calgary office of Ernst & Young, the Energy Industry Leader for Ernst & Young in Canada and is a Senior Vice President of Ernst & Young Orenda Corporate Finance based in Calgary. He specializes in all facets of corporate finance, including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, valuations and financings. Barry’s experience includes advising on deal sourcing, valuations, negotiations and financings, and in leading multi-disciplinary teams containing tax, legal, due diligence and accounting professionals. Barry provides overview advice on most of Ernst & Young Orenda’s corporate finance projects in Alberta. Barry serves on the Corporate Relations Committee of the Calgary Stampede and sits on the Board of the Calgary Stampede Foundation.

Dr. Larry Ohlhauser works with executives and CEOs worldwide. As a sought after speaker both nationally and internationally, Dr. Ohlhauser has influenced the transformation of lifestyles by empowering individuals to take responsibility for their own health. Dr. Ohlhauser is known internationally for his seminar and forthcoming book entitled The Healthy CEO, which uses his proven concepts of goal setting and outcome measurement to address the unique health challenges facing executives.

Bronwyn Ott is the Senior Manager, Global Wellness Strategy at Scotiabank. With over 50,000 employees in over 50 countries worldwide, Bronwyn is responsible for developing health and wellness programs to address the unique needs of Scotiabank employees around the globe. She oversees the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and works with other Health and Wellness Service Providers to ensure an integrated approach to health management. Bronwyn also represents Scotiabank as a member of the Canadian Healthy Workplace Council. Bronwyn started her career in Public Health, where she developed a newly created workplace health program, and had the opportunity to work with many local organizations to improve the health of their employees. Bronwyn later transitioned into Human Resources at the City of Hamilton, where she developed a health and wellness strategy for City staff. Bronwyn completed her Honours BSc in Nutritional Sciences from Guelph University. After her degree, she completed a post-graduate certificate in Workplace Wellness and Health Promotion from Centennial College. To complement her health background, Bronwyn is currently pursuing her CHRP designation.

Claude Ouimet is the Senior Vice President and General Manager for InterfaceFLOR in Canada and Latin America. InterfaceFLOR is the world’s leading manufacturer of modular carpet. Claude’s guidance in Canada and Latin America provides the strategic focus needed to continue to maximize every opportunity and help InterfaceFLOR meet the challenges for growth in these important markets. Claude’s 19-year career with the company includes roles in both manufacturing and sales. InterfaceFLOR is deeply immersed in a mission to become a sustainable corporation by leading a worldwide effort to design sustainable manufacturing and development processes by the year 2020. Claude’s mix of manufacturing, sales and marketing knowledge gives him a unique perspective for integrating sustainability throughout the InterfaceFLOR corporate culture. He brings his passion for environmentally-sound practices not only to manufacturing technology and practices, but also to sales strategies and marketing concepts that reflect the company’s eco mission. In April of 2007, Claude became certified as a ‘Climate Project’ presenter, which entitles him to share Mr. Al Gore’s powerful and inspirational message. A native of Montreal, Quebec, Claude now lives in Newnan, GA with his wife, Anne and two daughters, Shanie and Thalia.

Doug Owram was appointed Deputy Vice Chancellor and Vice President Academic and Research for UBC Okanagan in July 2006. Born in Aurora, Ontario and Educated at Queen’s University (B.A. Hons; M.A.) and the University of Toronto (Ph.D.), he was a faculty member at the University of Alberta from 1976 until joining UBCO. During his time at the University of Alberta he served as Associate Dean of Arts, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, Acted as Department Chair and Associate Vice-President Academic. In 1995 he was appointed Vice-President (Academic) and in 1998 the title of Provost was added making him the Chief Operating Officer of the university. He completed his term as Provost and Vice-President (Academic) in 2003. In addition, Dr. Owram is a Canadian historian who has authored and co-authored some eight books as well as many articles. In recognition of his academic work he was made a member of the Royal Society of Canada in 1990 and awarded the Kaplin Award for Excellence in Research in 1995.

Annette Patterson is Director Health Management Solutions at Medavie Blue Cross. Since joining Medavie Blue Cross more than 20 years ago, Annette has held several management positions in the areas of Claims, Audit, Provider Affairs, Managed Health Care and Group Product Management. Currently, as Director of Health Management Solutions, she is responsible for leading a cross-functional team of professionals who engage stakeholders from various professional backgrounds in collaborative dialogue to develop and implement health promotion and prevention strategies resulting in healthy benefits programs that support organizational health strategies. Annette is a member if the South-East Regional Health Authority Steering Committee for Quality Work-Life, and the River Valley Health EFAP Joint Committee.

Peggie Pelosi has spent her career inspiring international business leaders through her speaking, coaching and writing – all based on 20 years of personal sales success. At the peak of her sales career, Peggie was brought in as VP of Network Development (Sales) for USANA Health Sciences. She immediately saw that while USANA’s products were solid and the people were great, the corporate culture was hampering bottom line results. Peggie created a partnership between USANA and the Children’s Hunger Fund that reinvigorated the company. Realizing that corporate philanthropy had made the difference, Peggie left USANA to establish Orenda Connections; a company solely dedicated to helping companies leverage the power of corporate philanthropy to create a meaningful connection between people and the places they work. Peggie’s recent book, Corporate Karma: How Business Can Move Forward by Giving Back, lays out the "why to" and "how to" for successful strategic corporate philanthropy. In her presentations on Corporate Karma, Peggie balances practical information with insights about how companies can enrich the human spirit and create inspirational workplaces.

Wendy Poirier is a Managing Principal of Towers Perrin located in the Calgary office and leads the firm’s Canadian Health and Welfare Practice. Wendy has over 16 years in human resource and benefits consulting experience with particular expertise in the area of organizational health. She assists organizations in defining and implementing health care strategies to maximize employee health and productivity while managing the costs of "ill-health". She has worked with a wide range of Canada’s largest organizations, including leaders in finance, transportation, energy, consumer products, high-tech, and the hospitality industry. Wendy has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Alberta, and earned the C.E.B.S. designation in 1995.

Warren Redman: Warren Redman is the President of the Emotional Fitness Institute in Calgary. He is a facilitator, trainer, coach and author of fifteen books including The 9 Steps to Emotional Fitness, winner of the 2004 Best Book Award from The Canadian Counselling Association and his latest book, Recipes for Inner Peace. Mr. Redman initially developed Emotional Fitness as a methodology designed to provide practical tools for people seeking greater fulfilment in their personal and professional lives. Originally, he spent 10 years in the manufacturing industry in the U.K., followed by another 10 years as National Director of Training and Development in the non-profit sector, and then 11 years running his own consulting business in England. During this time, his corporate clients included some of the largest in the U.K. as well as a wide range of not-for-profit organizations and government agencies at local, regional and national levels. In conjunction with the team of Emotional Fitness Coaches and Instructors he has trained in Canada, he now applies its use to bring new levels of leadership skills into the corporate world. For more information please visit www.EFitInstitute.com

Peter Robinson is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the David Suzuki Foundation, bringing over 30 years of diverse professional experience to Canada’s most trusted source for information about the environment. Peter began his career working as a Park Ranger in wilderness areas throughout British Columbia, where he was twice decorated for bravery by the Governor General of Canada. He was the CEO of Mountain Equipment Co-op from May 2000 until January 2007, prior to which he was CEO of BC Housing, a provincial crown corporation. Peter also does ongoing humanitarian work, including monitoring prison conditions with the International Red Cross in Rwanda in 1998 and leading a team that monitors detained asylum seekers in Canada. Peter holds a Master of Arts in Conflict Analysis and Management, a Bachelor of Arts in Geography, as well as diplomas in Community Economic Development and Fish & Wildlife Management.

Nan Russell has spent over twenty years in management, most recently as a QVC Vice President. She’s held executive positions on both sides of the desk – in human resources, communication, marketing, and line management. In 2002, Nan left the corporate world to pursue a life-dream to work and write from the mountains of north-western Montana. Today she is a successful author, consultant, and motivational speaker. She is also the host of a weekly radio show. Nan is the current President of MountainWorks Communications LLC, a company she founded in 2006 to support her passion for helping organizations build winning work cultures, and helping people bring the best of who they are to the world, realize their dreams, and live their life’s potential. Nan’s new book, Hitting Your Stride: Your Work, Your Way, was released in January 2008 by Capital Books; her first book, Nibble Your Way to Success: 56 Winning Tips for Taking Charge of Your Career debuted last year.

Mike Ryan is the Occupational Physician for Nova Scotia Power. Mike is responsible for guiding occupational health and wellness services within the company and providing medical expertise to employees, supervisors and managers in designing and implementing a broad range of health and wellness initiatives. Mike's primary expertise is in assisting the corporation at all levels to analyze the effectiveness and efficiency of their health and wellness programs and practices from a holistic viewpoint, to determine the optimal strategy to achieve increased program effectiveness, increased productivity, and decreased costs. Mike's experience encompasses nearly 25 years in a variety of clinical settings including, family practice, emergency medicine and a variety of occupational health settings. Mike is a graduate of Dalhousie University with degrees in Medicine, Science and Education. Mike's background brings a unique perspective to occupational health - a first-hand understanding of the drivers that challenge organizations to find the balance between employee engagement, productivity, and shareholder value.

Donna Schendel, CHRP, works as the Vice President of Human Resources for Calgary Laboratory Services, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary within the Calgary Health Region. Part of the organization for over 11 years, Donna’s mandate is to deliver strategic HR services in all areas, including Labour relations, Environmental Health and Safety, Occupational Health and Wellness and Continuing Education. In her previous role as Manager of Human Resources, her primary responsibility was Labour and Employee Relations, mediation and conflict resolution as well as strategic planning. As lead for the labour relations function, Donna worked collaboratively with the union, in problem resolution and employee relations. The labour history at CLS has been, and continues to be very successful. During Donna’s tenure, there has been only one policy arbitration. With a company mandate of "do the right thing", the company has been able to create a culture of problem solving and discussion with employees and with the union, which has created ongoing success.

Karen Seward is Senior Vice-president of Business Development and Marketing at Shepell•fgi – North America’s leading provider of integrated employee health and wellness programs. In her capacity, Ms. Seward leads the development of innovative health and wellness solutions that address clients' critical business issues, and implements these strategies in some of North America's most progressive organizations. Ms. Seward holds the only Canadian seat on the U.S. Business Group on Health, is a member of the American Marketing Association, the International Association of Business Communicators and the Conference Board of Canada. Karen has been a featured speaker at numerous conferences and seminars, has published articles in periodicals including Benefits Canada and Benefits & Pensions Monitor, and is frequently called upon by the media to comment on health, wellness, organizational change and HR management issues.

Doug Smeall is Assistant Vice President Business Development, Health Management Services Group Benefits - Sun Life Financial. Doug spearheads the promotion of Sun Life Financial’s Health Management strategy with clients and advisors across Canada. This effort focuses on meeting Canadian Plan Sponsors’ needs for effective wellness initiatives, and for best practices in attendance support and disability management. Over his 25 year career with Sun Life Financial, Doug has held senior positions in the Group Underwriting, Group Sales, Group Life, Health and Disability Management and Retail Life Operations areas. Prior to rejoining Sun Life Doug worked as a Senior Benefits Consultant with Watson Wyatt, and as Vice-President, Sales and Marketing for a rehabilitation services company, ATF Canada.

Billy Strean teaches courses on communication at the undergraduate and graduate level at the University of Alberta and he leads workshops that help people to be more engaged and have more fun, while producing extraordinary results in their work and play. Dr. Strean is an award-winning educator with a unique variety of experiences. He has been teaching, coaching, and leading workshops for over 25 years. With a background as a teacher and NCAA athlete and coach, he went on for a doctorate in sport and exercise psychology at the University of Illinois. Billy has worked with and learned from many world-class performers in sports, music, education, medicine/health-care, and business.

Corinne Tessier is President of Affirming Workplace Solutions Inc., a company specializing in innovative management practices and workplace systems. She helps organizations create affirming, productive workplaces that attract great employees, keep them, and keep them on track. As a leader and manager, Corinne has brought productivity and profitability to numerous organizations over the last three decades. Her innovative and effective practices led to her being nominated twice for Ernst and Young’s "Entrepreneur of the Year Award", and being featured in 1999 as one of ‘Alberta’s 50 Most Influential People’ by Alberta Venture Magazine. But her most treasured recognition is a silver cup from the first group of staff she ever managed, with ‘Boss of the Year’ engraved on it. She holds a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) designation and a Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Calgary. In 2003, she received the honorary designation of Fellow of the Society of Management Accountants of Canada (FCMA). She currently serves as a founding board member of the Immigrant Access Fund Society, and mentors young entrepreneurs. She has a long history of volunteering in the community.

Tessa Trasler: Drawing on her extensive career as a team leader in pharmaceutical research and health education, Tessa finds that whether she is leading in a lab coat, business suit or competitive paddler’s outfit, there is a clear parallel between dragon boating and the workplace. "Individual strengths should be in harmony so that the whole team moves forward. That’s what I love about it; the dragon boat leaves you no choice but to synchronize your efforts." Her role in Corporate Dragon is to facilitate the team’s development through discussion and analysis, and to guide people in understanding how the experiences in the boat teach the group how to be their best. She says, "I’m excited about dragon boating as a sport, and I’m also excited about its potential to develop a team. Corporate Dragon’s approach helps employees become teammates, to learn, to collaborate, and to discover how to become leaders themselves while collaborating as a team instead of working as an individual within the group. Everyone who tries it will be amazed by the experience."

Jen Wetherow is the Consultant for The Graham Lowe Group Inc. and Great Place to Work® Institute Canada. Jen is responsible for overseeing the Great Place to Work® Institute Canada, the Best Workplaces in Canada list, the media partner relationship, and consultancy services. Having worked in the public, private, and not-for-profit sector, she brings with her a broad understanding of organizational culture. Jen works with clients in a wide variety of organizations to assess workplace culture, discuss options for change, and support the transformation process. She brings a creative and positive approach to helping organizations become great places to work. Jen holds a Masters of Public Policy and Administration (MPA) from Carleton University.

John Yardley has developed and organized short training sessions and consulted with a wide range of private and public, professional, and volunteer organizations since 1982. Most recently (1999-2007) he directed the Brock University Workplace Health Research Laboratory (WHRL) operations, now transferred to Metrics@Work, This work has resulted, to date, in over 150 public and private organizations being surveyed with the an Employee Feedback System surveys using state-of-art web-delivered or scannable surveys. At Metrics@Work John oversees the primary competencies of the organization, which are survey work, human resource management assessments, data-mining, and consulting carried out by the 7 full-time staff, a number of Associates, and several part-time staff of the company. At WHRL, as the Managing Director, he directed the academic development, management, and use of a Strategic Human Resource Management database, which was continuously populated with data flowing from Metrics@Work. John’s extensive formal education includes a PhD & M.A. in Organizational/Social Psychology (SUNY at Buffalo); MA (Alberta); BA, BSc (Otago, New Zealand); Diploma of Teaching (Dunedin, New Zealand); NTL (National Training Laboratories) consultant training (GSPDP, 40 days over a two-year period).