As teenagers prepare to enter a new work world with jobs that don’t exist and can’t yet be imagined, what kind of career advice do we give to prepare the next generation for the unknown? The answer is simple – skip a generation. Amy MacLeod is a seasoned tech executive, thought leader and trusted advisor to business and public leaders, with 25 years experience in Ottawa’s political and private sectors where she has served as the senior communications executive and spokesperson for multiple organizations. A member of the Mitel executive leadership team, in 2018 Amy was appointed to her current position as the company’s first Corporate Diversity Officer. An agile business leader, strategic communicator and messaging architect, Amy specializes in translating complex business, financial, and technical developments into global communications programs and messaging frameworks that support strategic priorities. Her expertise spans all aspects of stakeholder communications, both external and internal, from M&A, strategic issues management, corporate messaging, analyst, government and public relations, and executive and employee communications.

In Jim's video 'Bigger than hockey. Finding Contentment in Unexpected Places', he takes us on a short walk through the relationships he's had with numerous people facing tremendous challenges and will share what they have each taught him about contentment and gratitude. Jim Perkins is an ordinary guy with an extraordinary story. He’s a coach and a crisis counsellor, has consulted with law enforcement, served on the Governor’s Council on Drug and Alcohol Awareness, led mission teams to Mexico to help build orphanages, and organized support projects for local family shelters. The list goes on. Eleven years ago, Jim and his wife Shana witnessed something that would forever change their lives. On a winter weekend at a rink in Ontario, they watched special needs kids step on the ice and play hockey with their friends. Inspired by these kids and their families, Jim and Shana returned to Ottawa, rallied a small group of friends, rented some ice, and with three participants, started a team. That group of three has become the Capital City Condors, which now has a total of six teams in Ontario, providing adapted hockey programming for over 150 players and engaging more than 75 volunteers. Jim has been presented with the Senate of Canada Sesquicentennial Medal in recognition of his valuable service to our country in addition to numerous local awards.

Anna challenges our everyday actions – how they are making us less human and why we’ll pay for it. As a Director of Talent Acquisition at Shopify, Anna leads a team of more than 100 people, including recruiters, researchers, and coordinators across seven locations globally. Over the last seven years, Anna has contributed to Shopify’s growth by designing high impact teams who serve Shopify’s global merchant base. Anna is committed to ensuring diversity and inclusion are embedded into Shopify’s hiring practices. She has recruited top talent from all over the world across a variety of disciplines, helped to position Shopify as a top employer, and has grown Shopify from 150 to over 3,000 employees around the world.

As local tech company Martello made history with its debut on the TSX Venture Exchange in September of last year, CEO John Proctor became one of few military veterans to take a company public in Canada. Looking back at his journey, John shares what military culture has taught him about business and considers the impact on Canada’s economy if more businesses understood how to make the most of the untapped talent pool it has in Canada’s military veterans. As President and CEO of Martello Technologies, John oversees corporate direction and strategy to grow the business and ensure the company’s position as a global industry leader. A respected senior ICT executive, John brings more than eight years of experience driving strategic initiatives that build businesses. Prior to his work in the private sector, John served for more than twenty years in the Canadian and British Forces. On entering the private sector, John served in multiple roles, including Vice President, Global Cyber Security at CGI. John is also a very active member of the ICT community, including sitting on the ICT advisory board for Government Affairs Canada and the CATA Cyber Council.

Despite the reality of gender-based differences in leadership, women can unleash their full potential even in the face of fear and doubt. Imagine having an empowering tactic to push you through the paralysis of fear and give you the courage to make bolder moves and provide a greater impact as a woman in leadership. Katherine Cooligan, the Regional Managing Partner of the Borden Ladner Gervais LLP Ottawa office, is a specialist in family law certified by the Law Society of Ontario. In addition, and as an adjunct to her litigation practice, Katherine negotiates, drafts and reviews all forms of domestic contracts, including marriage contracts, cohabitation agreements and separation. She has extensive litigation experience in all aspects of family law that include custody, financial, and corporate and business issues arising out of separation, income determination, and child and spousal support. During the Bar Admission Course, Katherine was awarded the Abraham Lieff Scholarship Award for demonstrating excellence in the skills required in family law practice.

Accurately and rapidly predicting health or disease for patients is critical and is now the future of medicine. Dr. Wells’s predictive ‘“Wells Models” have been making a positive difference in medicine, but they took nine years from research to implementation in practice. Today, with the ability to manipulate data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, DNA sequencing, biomarkers, and wearable devices that can communicate with doctors, we have the capacity for rapid, individualized, precision care that can see into your future. Dr. Wells received his medical school education and specialty training in Internal Medicine at the University of Ottawa. He then studied Hematology and completed a Masters in Clinical Epidemiology at McMaster University, concentrating on the special problems of venous thrombosis (blood clots in the veins). He pioneered the concept of clinical prediction rules to assist in the diagnosis of patients with suspected deep vein thrombosis and/or pulmonary embolism. For each of these diseases he embodied these prediction rules in valuable algorithms now known as the “Wells Model for DVT” and the “Wells Model for PE”. They are currently used world-wide in the diagnostic process for these illnesses and are incorporated into many national and organizational guidelines. He established the Thrombosis Treatment and Assessment Unit at The Ottawa Hospital, now the largest thrombosis clinical practice in the world. In March 2009, after 10 years as Division Chief in Hematology, he assumed the position of Chief/Chair of the Department of Medicine at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa. The Department consists of 17 Divisions, almost 500 physicians and over 200 post graduate trainees. Dr. Wells has over $30 million granted in career research funding and has over 340 publications in a wide array of prestigious journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, Circulation, Blood, Nature Genetics and Lancet.

One of the most powerful tools our society has created is also the biggest distraction. Social media has become a fundamental part of our lives but is it being used correctly? In his talk, Connor discusses how our cellphones can help us either positively impact millions of people, or act as a detriment to our social development. Connor LaRocque is an expert at helping young adults and entrepreneurs become leaders, overcome fears, and distinguish themselves in a crowded marketplace. He is the President of a multinational direct sales company called LA Roqk Enterprises, and he is the Founder and CEO of SocialRise Revenue Marketing Agency. He published two books while completing his bachelor’s degree. The second book “Mindset is Everything” ranked 43 out of 100 on the Amazon Bestseller list.