AGENDA

7:30 AM – 8:30 AM | Networking Breakfast
Kickstart your day with a warm buffet and connect with your peers. 

8:30 AM – 8:50 AM | Event Kickoff and Welcome
Welcome, land acknowledgement and opening remarks.

Host: Laura Williams, President & CEO, Williams HR Law

Performers: Red Sky Performance

Opening Remarks: Jodi Kovitz, CEO, HRPA

Performance by

 

8:50 AM - 9:10 AM | Opening Keynote: The Future of Business: New World, New Rules (Livestream from Toronto)

In the dynamic landscape of 2024, where businesses confront new challenges at every turn, the need for innovative strategies and forward-thinking leadership has never been more critical.

Step into a world of possibilities with Lital Marom, a visionary and innovation strategist, as she reveals the keys to future-proofing your organization in such an unpredictable time.

In her keynote, “The Future of Business: New World, New Rules,” Lital embarks on an enlightening journey, revealing the blueprint for success in this transformed world, where exponential thinking is not just an advantage but a necessity.

Drawing from her groundbreaking framework, Lital shows how businesses can create high-performing teams, scale faster, and increase their profit by improving their employee’s and customers' lives.

Her approach is not just about adopting new technologies but embedding a culture of continuous learning and innovation. 

Speaker: Lital Marom, Innovation Strategist & Visionary

 

9:10 AM – 10:00 AM | Session: The Future of Work is Energy Management (Live in Kitchener) 
As HR leaders, your wellness and energy management in this work are crucial to navigating continued change. Understand the skills of embodied leadership, inclusive communication, and how to reframe self-care as a means to optimal performance. Expect an engaging discussion with levity and real talk that centers the human in HR.

Speaker: Nova Nicole, Director of People & Culture, BaAm Productions

 

10:00 AM – 10:20 AM | Networking Break
Take this time to expand your HR network! Visit the exhibitors and chat with fellow HR professionals.  

 

10:20 AM – 11:00 AM | Session: Future of Work Trends: Career Development as Your Talent Management Secret Weapon (Live in Kitchener)
Today's workplaces are experiencing multiple revolutions. Industries are in transition, workforce demographics are shifting, new technologies are challenging traditional thinking about roles, jobs, skills, and careers. It can all feel a bit chaotic. 

But, revolutions follow highly predictable patterns that once decoded, enable us to shape the workplaces we want to pass on to future generations. In this dynamic session, you will learn how to leverage career development as a secret weapon in today's most complex workforce conundrums. Drawing from the highly practical Retain and Gain playbook series, be inspired to think differently about your approach to talent strategy while walking away with practical activities and actions you can immediately implement.

Be prepared to challenge outdated thinking and explore new ways of supporting managers and their teams as we shape a better future of work for everyone.

 Speaker: Lisa Taylor, Founder & CEO, Challenge Factory

11:05 AM – 12:05 PM | Keynote: Over the Boards: Lessons from the Ice (Livestream from Toronto)
Hayley Wickenheiser is unparalleled in her achievements: with 13 World Championships, 6 Olympic Games, and a Hockey Hall of Fame career, she has excelled while juggling motherhood, multiple degrees, and the financial disparities faced by female athletes. In her new work, Hayley shares the lessons she’s learned from her record-breaking hockey career and beyond, covering her journey from playing in makeshift settings to becoming an Olympic MVP twice. She reveals how parenthood improved her athletic performance, how she thrived under pressure, and the growth she experienced from her failures. Through personal stories filled with humor and optimism, Hayley offers practical advice and inspiration, urging readers to challenge norms and forge their own paths rather than merely follow in her footsteps.

Speaker: Hayley Wickenheiser

 

12:05 PM – 1:00 PM | Networking Lunch
Time to power up to keep you going for the rest of the day. 

 

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Session: Navigating the AI-Driven Workplace: Strategies for a Future-Ready Workforce (Live in Kitchener)
Join us for an insightful fireside chat with Dr. Peter Carr, Digital Transformation Advisor for WatSPEED at the University of Waterloo, and Andrea Kerswill, AVP Innovation and Digital Enablement at Farm Mutual Re, where they will explore the transformative impact of digital transformation (DX) and artificial intelligence (AI) on organizational dynamics and workforce development. This conversation will consider the need for organizations to adapt to meet the demands of this digital era, why HR involvement is critical in shaping these changes, and the unique skills HR professionals can leverage to thrive in this shifting landscape.

They will discuss the key competencies that are valuable in the digital age and the areas where HR leaders can focus their development efforts to stay ahead. A central theme of the chat will be the concept of a "digital mindset" — a mindset that embraces agility, continuous learning, and adaptability. Attendees will have the unique opportunity to assess their own DX mindset and to reflect on how their organizations can cultivate a culture that encourages digital growth and agility.

Whether you’re an HR leader, a business strategist, or simply interested in the intersection of technology and talent, this session will provide actionable insights into navigating the future of work.

Speaker: Dr. Peter Carr, PhD, P.L.Eng, Continuing Lecturer, Department of Management Sciences, Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo; Andrea Kerswill, AVP, Innovation and Digital Enablement, Farm Mutual Re

2:00 PM – 2:20 PM | Networking Break
Hydrate and stretch those legs before our awe-inspiring closing keynote. 

 

2:20 PM – 3:05 PM | Session: Big Strategy Issues Impacting HR: The Impact of Current Legal Trends on Decision Making for HR Professionals (Live in Kitchener)
Join us to have your burning HR legal questions answered by industry expert and workplace lawyer, Ruben Goulart. This session will include a review of topics which have a direct impact on key strategic decisions for employers, including:
1.    Termination Clauses in Employment Agreements: should you even bother?
2.    The long-term legal implications of Remote or Hybrid Work: flexibility vs. functionality.
3.    Changing Demographics and our work force: age, multi-culturalism, and disability.
4.    Artificial Intelligence and HR management: the future is here, and we can’t hide.

Speaker: Ruben Goulart, Founding Partner at Goulart Workplace Lawyers

3:05 PM – 3:15 PM | Performance (Livestream from Toronto)
Slam poetry, spoken word performance.

Performer: Wali Shah

 

3:15 PM – 4:15 PM | Closing Keynote: The Impact of AI on Humanity (Livestream from Toronto)
Dr. Chopra will deliver a visionary and unprecedented exploration of how artificial intelligence can revolutionize well-being and open new horizons for personal development. Together we will explore how our understanding of consciousness as pure potentiality can enhance our capacity for intuition, creativity, conscious choice making, healing, and the awakening of dormant potentials. Dr. Chopra will masterfully help us understand how to harness AI, not merely as a technological tool, but as a partner in crafting a future where human potential solves the urgent problems facing the planet and each of us as individuals. 

Speaker: Deepak Chopra

 

4:15 PM – 4:20 PM | Event Wrap up & Closing Remarks (Livestream from Toronto)
Let’s wrap up the day with lessons learned from our event host. 

Host: Laura Williams, President & CEO, Williams HR Consulting Inc.

7:30 AM – 8:30 AM | Networking Breakfast
Kickstart your day with a warm buffet and connect with your peers. 

 

8:30 AM – 8:50 AM | Event Kickoff and Welcome (Livestream from Toronto)
Welcome, land acknowledgement and opening remarks.

Host: Laura Williams, President & CEO, Williams HR Law

Performers: Red Sky Performance

Opening Remarks: Jodi Kovitz, CEO, HRPA

Performance by

8:50 AM - 9:10 AM | Opening Keynote: The Future of Business: New World, New Rules (Livestream from Toronto)

In the dynamic landscape of 2024, where businesses confront new challenges at every turn, the need for innovative strategies and forward-thinking leadership has never been more critical.

Step into a world of possibilities with Lital Marom, a visionary and innovation strategist, as she reveals the keys to future-proofing your organization in such an unpredictable time.

In her keynote, “The Future of Business: New World, New Rules,” Lital embarks on an enlightening journey, revealing the blueprint for success in this transformed world, where exponential thinking is not just an advantage but a necessity.

Drawing from her groundbreaking framework, Lital shows how businesses can create high-performing teams, scale faster, and increase their profit by improving their employee’s and customers' lives.

Her approach is not just about adopting new technologies but embedding a culture of continuous learning and innovation. 

Speaker: Lital Marom, Innovation Strategist & Visionary

 

9:10 AM – 10:00 AM | Conscious Equality: A Roadmap for HR leaders Who Want to do DEI-DIR Work Right (Live in Sudbury)

In this interactive session Karen will provide participants with an overview of her signature Conscious Equality Framework. Participants will leave the session with easy-to-use roadmap to guide their DEI-DIR work and answers to the following 3 questions:

• What does it take to do diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) work RIGHT?
• What does it look like when we apply principles of decolonization, indigenization and reconciliation (DIR) in our work?
• What is ONE thing that all HR practitioners should be aware of as they lead or support DEI-DIR efforts in their organizations?

Speaker: Karen Craggs-Milne, CEO & Founder, Conscious Equality Incorporated

10:00 AM – 10:20 AM | Networking Break
Take this time to expand your HR network! Visit the exhibitors and chat with fellow HR professionals.  

10:20 AM – 11:00 AM | Leading with Ease: Creating a Solid Foundation for Your Leadership Role (Live in Sudbury)

How is a leader supposed to succeed, especially if they’ve never had the support to shift from a “doer” to a “leader”? Lisa is here to provide a roadmap for success.

There IS a path forward to career and team harmony. She’ll address common barriers to success and provide real-world strategies, tools and coaching.

Lisa will articulate how to build a foundation that will keep leaders grounded in their mission, vision and values, but allow them and their team to bend and shift with changing technologies and world views.
She has decades of success coaching others who have moved from “doing” to “leading”. She will demonstrate how to access strength, power and confidence as a leader, how to perpetuate team success, and how to communicate with those more difficult staff members, so the team can reach their goals. She will also provide guidance for managing ‘Difficult Conversations’ and leveraging individual strengths for personal growth. 
Attendees will leave with the confidence of knowing what, when and how to say the right things at the right time, and which tools to use in various scenarios.

These things don’t have to be difficult. She will get everyone Leading with Ease.

Speaker: Lisa Wilson, Executive Leadership Coach, L.M.W. Consultation

11:05 AM – 12:05 PM | Keynote: Over the Boards: Lessons from the Ice (Livestream from Toronto)
Hayley Wickenheiser is unparalleled in her achievements: with 13 World Championships, 6 Olympic Games, and a Hockey Hall of Fame career, she has excelled while juggling motherhood, multiple degrees, and the financial disparities faced by female athletes. In her new work, Hayley shares the lessons she’s learned from her record-breaking hockey career and beyond, covering her journey from playing in makeshift settings to becoming an Olympic MVP twice. She reveals how parenthood improved her athletic performance, how she thrived under pressure, and the growth she experienced from her failures. Through personal stories filled with humor and optimism, Hayley offers practical advice and inspiration, urging readers to challenge norms and forge their own paths rather than merely follow in her footsteps.

Speaker: Hayley Wickenheiser

12:05 PM – 1:00 PM | Networking Lunch
Time to power up to keep you going for the rest of the day. 

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Cause or No Cause: The Gameshow (Live in Sudbury)
Employment lawyer and wannabe gameshow host Jordan Lester brings us the latest version of his gameshow series: Cause or No Cause!

In year’s past, Jordan has brought HRPA such wildly popular employment law-themed games as Discrimination or No Discrimination? and Guess the Notice!.
This year, Jordan will be testing HRPA members on their ability to guess the whether an employee's misconduct amounted to cause.
 
Not only will Cause or No Cause get the attendees thinking about the minefield that is establishing just cause, but there will also be lavish and fabulous prizes!

Speaker: Jordan Lester, Partner, Cheadles LLP

2:00 PM – 2:20 PM | Networking Break
Hydrate and stretch those legs before our awe-inspiring closing keynote. 

2:20 PM – 3:05 PM | Keeping the Human in HR: Performance Management vs Progressive Discipline (Live in Sudbury)

Employers and managers often understand the concept of progressive discipline, but how many take proactive steps to prevent the need for punitive measures? This session will explore the crucial actions leaders can take to support employees and foster improvement before resorting to disciplinary action. Participants will reflect on whether their first step was disciplinary or if they attempted to manage performance constructively beforehand.

Key Training Topics Include:

• Defining Performance Management and Progressive Discipline
• Pros and Cons of Each Approach
• When and How to Use Each Method
• Real Workplace Examples
• The Importance of Documentation
• Outcome Assessment
• Follow-Up Actions

Speaker: Jodie Desrochers, HR Consultant & Owner, HR Werx

3:05 PM – 3:15 PM | Performance (Livestream from Toronto)
Slam poetry, spoken word performance.

Performer: Wali Shah

3:15 PM – 4:15 PM | Closing Keynote: The Impact of AI on Humanity (Livestream from Toronto)
Dr. Chopra will deliver a visionary and unprecedented exploration of how artificial intelligence can revolutionize well-being and open new horizons for personal development. Together we will explore how our understanding of consciousness as pure potentiality can enhance our capacity for intuition, creativity, conscious choice making, healing, and the awakening of dormant potentials. Dr. Chopra will masterfully help us understand how to harness AI, not merely as a technological tool, but as a partner in crafting a future where human potential solves the urgent problems facing the planet and each of us as individuals. 

Speaker: Deepak Chopra

4:15 PM – 4:20 PM | Event Wrap up & Closing Remarks (Livestream from Toronto)
Let’s wrap up the day with lessons learned from our event host. 

Host: Laura Williams, President & CEO, Williams HR Consulting Inc.

7:30 AM – 8:30 AM | Networking Breakfast
Kickstart your day with a warm buffet and connect with your peers. 

8:30 AM – 8:50 AM | Event Kickoff and Welcome (Livestream from Toronto)
Welcome, land acknowledgement and opening remarks.

Host: Laura Williams, President & CEO, Williams HR Law

Performers: Red Sky Performance

Opening Remarks: Jodi Kovitz, CEO, HRPA

Performance by

 

8:50 AM - 9:10 AM | Opening Keynote: The Future of Business: New World, New Rules (Livestream from Toronto)

In the dynamic landscape of 2024, where businesses confront new challenges at every turn, the need for innovative strategies and forward-thinking leadership has never been more critical.

Step into a world of possibilities with Lital Marom, a visionary and innovation strategist, as she reveals the keys to future-proofing your organization in such an unpredictable time.

In her keynote, “The Future of Business: New World, New Rules,” Lital embarks on an enlightening journey, revealing the blueprint for success in this transformed world, where exponential thinking is not just an advantage but a necessity.

Drawing from her groundbreaking framework, Lital shows how businesses can create high-performing teams, scale faster, and increase their profit by improving their employee’s and customers' lives.

Her approach is not just about adopting new technologies but embedding a culture of continuous learning and innovation. 

Speaker: Lital Marom, Innovation Strategist & Visionary

 

9:10 AM – 10:00 AM | Innovation and Integration of I-IDEAS in the Workplace (Live in Ottawa)

Join us for an engaging fireside chat with Sheila James from CHEO, where she'll share invaluable insights on overcoming organizational challenges and fostering a culture of belonging. Discover how the Office of Indigeneity, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access, and Social Justice (I-IDEAS), established at CHEO in 2022, is making strides under Sheila's leadership. As the inaugural director, Sheila will dive into the creation, structure, and impactful initiatives of I-IDEAS, highlighting how CHEO is committed to providing accessible and equitable services for Indigenous and diverse children and youth, and building an inclusive environment where everyone feels they belong.

Speaker: Sheila James, Director, Office of I-IDEAS | CHEO

 

10:00 AM – 10:20 AM | Networking Break
Take this time to expand your HR network! Visit the exhibitors and chat with fellow HR professionals.  

 

10:20 AM – 11:00 AM | Keynote: Find Your Leader Within: The 6 Steps to Embodying a Leaders' Mindset (Live in Ottawa)

Speaker: Fahd Alhattab, CEO, Unicorn Labs

 

11:05 AM – 12:05 PM | Keynote: Over the Boards: Lessons from the Ice (Livestream from Toronto)
Hayley Wickenheiser is unparalleled in her achievements: with 13 World Championships, 6 Olympic Games, and a Hockey Hall of Fame career, she has excelled while juggling motherhood, multiple degrees, and the financial disparities faced by female athletes. In her new work, Hayley shares the lessons she’s learned from her record-breaking hockey career and beyond, covering her journey from playing in makeshift settings to becoming an Olympic MVP twice. She reveals how parenthood improved her athletic performance, how she thrived under pressure, and the growth she experienced from her failures. Through personal stories filled with humor and optimism, Hayley offers practical advice and inspiration, urging readers to challenge norms and forge their own paths rather than merely follow in her footsteps.

Speaker: Hayley Wickenheiser

 

12:05 PM – 1:00 PM | Networking Lunch
Time to power up to keep you going for the rest of the day. 

 

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Keynote: Workforce Strategy 2025: Adapting to AI, Hybrid Work, and Next-Gen Talent (Live in Ottawa)
As we head toward 2025, the hangover of the pandemic has ended and organizations have an opportunity to make clear strategic choices about the direction of their workforce strategy. Will you offer hybrid work, and how will you manage it? Is GenAI core to the design of work for your organization’s future, or will you wait to see how others experiment? Will you bend the changing preferences of the workforce, or insist upon a more traditional value proposition? Join Stephen as he explores future trends in skills, changing worker preferences, and the pursuit of productivity in the emerging era of AI.

Speaker: Stephen Harrington, Partner, Human Capital Consulting, Deloitte

 

2:00 PM – 2:20 PM | Networking Break
Hydrate and stretch those legs before our awe-inspiring closing keynote. 

 

2:20 PM – 3:05 PM | 2024: Adapting to Emerging Issues and Precedents (Live in Ottawa)
Human resources law is constantly adapting to emerging issues, and decisions in this area often impact how your organization should conduct business and manage employee relations. As new precedents are set and expectations change, it’s critical to understand your legal obligations. In this session, Hicks Morley’s Nigel McKechnie and Shauna Bartlett will provide an update on recent labour and employment case law and share the key takeaways, insights and best practices you can implement in your workplace.

Speakers: Nigel McKechnie, Associate, Hicks Morley LLP; Chuck Hofley, Senior Partner, Hicks Morley LLP

3:05 PM – 3:15 PM | Performance (Livestream from Toronto)
Slam poetry, spoken word performance.

Performer: Wali Shah

3:15 PM – 4:15 PM | Closing Keynote: The Impact of AI on Humanity (Livestream from Toronto)
Dr. Chopra will deliver a visionary and unprecedented exploration of how artificial intelligence can revolutionize well-being and open new horizons for personal development. Together we will explore how our understanding of consciousness as pure potentiality can enhance our capacity for intuition, creativity, conscious choice making, healing, and the awakening of dormant potentials. Dr. Chopra will masterfully help us understand how to harness AI, not merely as a technological tool, but as a partner in crafting a future where human potential solves the urgent problems facing the planet and each of us as individuals. 

Speaker: Deepak Chopra

 

4:15 PM – 4:20 PM | Event Wrap up & Closing Remarks (Livestream from Toronto)
Let’s wrap up the day with lessons learned from our event host. 

Host: Laura Williams, President & CEO, Williams HR Consulting Inc.