Current Participants

CEOs & Presidents:

Mike DeGagné ​
President and CEO, Indspire

An Ojibway from the Animakee Wa Zhing 37 First Nation, Mike DeGagné comes to Indspire with a lifetime of work in Indigenous health and education. He was appointed Nipissing University President and Vice Chancellor in 2013, becoming one of the first Indigenous presidents of a Canadian public university. While President of Nipissing, Dr. DeGagné dedicated much of his work to Indigenous issues and ensuring that Nipissing University took a leading role in the Indigenization of the post-secondary education sector. Read more.

 

Judy Goldring
President & Head of Global Distribution, AGF

Judy G. Goldring is a renowned leader in the asset management industry and one of Canada’s most influential business women. As President and Head of Global Distribution at AGF Management Limited, she oversees the execution of strategic plans in support of business priorities, counsels the CEO on business planning and provides direction for corporate initiatives. Read more.

 

 

Nizar Ladak​
Chief Executive Officer, Digital Research Alliance of Canada

Nizar Ladak is the CEO of the Digital Research Alliance of Canada, a federally funded, not-for-profit organization that advances the integration and improvement of digital tools and services for Canadian researchers. A seasoned executive with more than 30 years’ experience, his passion is finding innovative solutions to operational problems and mentoring young professionals. He has a Master of Education degree from the University of Toronto and has completed executive leadership programs at Harvard Business School, Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business and the Rotman School of Management. Read more.

 

Carolyn Spriet​
President, Hallmark Canada

Carolyn Spriet is a consumer-packaged goods executive with 25+ years’ experience leading Private, Private Equity and Tier One Multinational organizations and championing the growth of many of Canada’s most recognized household and retailer brands. She is currently the President of Hallmark Canada, responsible for local strategy and operations, and driving sales in the Drug/Mass/Club/Grocery channels and the Hallmark Gold Crown independent retail stores. Read more.

 

 

Andrew Waitman ​
CEO, Assent Compliance Inc.

Andrew’s history of helping businesses succeed continues at Assent Compliance. Since becoming CEO, he has been integral to the company’s growth, and helped it earn a spot on the Narwhal List for high-potential companies. Previously, Andrew was CEO of Pythian, overseeing its rise from a small business to one of Canada’s largest and fastest-growing global professional services companies. He also served as Managing Partner at Celtic House Venture Partners during its highest-performing years to date, when one fund produced one of the world’s top ten best venture fund returns ever. Read more.

 

CHROs & Heads of People and Culture/Talent:

Niki da Silva​
Global Chief People Officer, ​Right to Play International 

Niki oversees human resources. Previously, she was the Managing Director for the MBA Program at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. Niki holds an undergraduate degree from the Ivey Business School and an MBA from the University of Toronto.

 

 

 

 

Nicki Sabapathy ​
Global Talent Executive, Shopify  

As the Global Human Resources Director at Shopify, Nicki Sabapathy leads a global team in reinforcing the company’s culture, creating and leading large-scale employee engagement and development programs, and implementing talent management strategies that support the achievement of business goals and objectives. In her role, Nicki partners with senior executives in Shopify’s Merchant Support, Finance, Legal and HR organizations globally, where she drives innovative leadership. Read more. 

 

Gordana Terkalas​
SVP, HR, Aecon 

Gordana Terkalas is Senior Vice President, Human Resources, leading people initiatives at Aecon, including the corporation’s Diversity & Inclusion Council, is a member of the Ethics & Compliance Committee, and leads the Organizational Change Management Community of Practice. Ms. Terkalas is a versatile HR leader, who has grown her career in fast-paced, entrepreneurial organizations calling for significant agility and progressive thinking. Read more.