An increasingly digital world influenced by complex economic conditions drives the need for critical conversations about the future of Canada’s economy and its impact on the labour market. This is why we organize an event every year that brings together leaders and innovators to advance new ideas and strategies to guide our path into the digital future.

 

Agenda

  • 9:00 AM – 9:45 AM - Registration & Complimentary Breakfast
  • 9:45 AM - 10:15 AM - Opening Remarks: Elder Josh Eshkawkogan
  • 10:15 AM - 11:45 AM - Panel 1: Digital Disruption in Global Economies: Unraveling Canada's Strategic Position Discussion
  • 11:45 AM - 12:30 PM - Keynote Presentation and Q&A: Steve Mossop
  • 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM - Lunch
  • 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM - Panel 2: Innovation and Inclusion: Strategies for Thriving in the Evolving Global Labor Landscape Discussion
  • 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM - Afternoon Refreshments
  • 3:00 PM - 3:45 PM - Keynote Presentation and Q&A: Brendon Bernard
  • 3:45 PM - 4:00 PM - Closing Remarks

Details
This dynamic one-day event will focus on the evolution of the global digital economy and its impact on the future of work. Under the banner of economic shifts, thought leaders will share their insights on topics including industrial strategy, sectoral diversification, investment attraction, sustainability, innovation, commercialization, and trade and market expansion. Important discussions on the future of work will explore educational pathways, lifelong learning, evolving labour and skills demand, workforce development, upskilling and reskilling, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).


You won't want to miss this conference featuring expert-led panels with innovators, government, and industry leaders. You’ll gain actionable insights from real-time and practical discussions about the future of our collective digital economy and expand your network.

Opening Remarks
Elder Josh Eshkawkogan is a Traditional Healer, Knowledge Keeper, Pipe Carrier, Sweat Lodge Conductor, Anishinaabe language speaker, orator, and cultural teachings provider. He is a member of the Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve, home of the Three Fires Confederacy. He specializes in providing spiritual guidance, emotional balance, grounding, and well-being in helping people learn from life experiences. He conducts talking, haring and healing sessions, opening and closing ceremonies for schools, organizations, conferences, events, gatherings, and workshops in both the Anishinaabe and English languages.

Elder Josh Eshkawkogan

Keynotes
Steve Mossop - Executive Vice President, Leger
Currently he is Executive Vice President of Western Canada for Leger and leads a team of 30+ researchers in BC and Alberta serving public and private sector clients with full-service market research solutions. Leger is Canada’s largest and best known public opinion polling firm. Before this, Steve was president of Insights West who Leger acquired in late 2021, that offered insights-driven solutions via leading-edge tools and normative databases and a large consumer panel. Insights West had 15+ employees and $3M+ in billings annually in the 10 years it operated. Prior to this, Steve was at Ipsos for 17 years managing 30+ client service staff in multiple cities after starting his career at the Angus Reid Group and TNS in earlier years.


His accomplishments include winning Leger’s office of the year award in 2022, launching Insights West to be the fastest growing BC market research company, winning Business in Vancouver’s “Top 40 Under 40” award in 2006, and winning BCAMA’s 2001 Marketer of the Year Award. Steve was chair of the BCAMA’s Senior Executive Program for 4 years and was an active member of Vancouver EO for 5 years.


Steve is a frequent public speaker and media personality in British Columbia making regular appearances on a wide variety of media outlets as the spokesperson for Leger and in the past for Insights West and Ipsos. Steve holds a BBA degree from Simon Fraser University with a concentration in Marketing.

Steve Mossop

 

Brendon Bernard - Senior Economist, Indeed.com
Brendon is a Senior Economist at Indeed.com, based in Toronto. He has been the Canadian lead of the Indeed Hiring Lab since 2018, combining publicly available data with the wealth of information internal to the Indeed hiring platform to make sense of the Canadian labour market.


Brendon was previously an economist with Finance Canada, analyzing the U.S. economy, and developing Canadian financial sector policy. He holds a Master’s in Economics from the Vancouver School of Economics at University of British Columbia

Brendon Bernard


Panel Discussions
Panel 1: Digital Disruption in Global Economies: Unraveling Canada's Strategic Position


This insightful and engaging discussion focuses on the changing landscape of the Canadian and global digital economies. It investigates macroeconomic trends, cross-sectoral digitization, changing consumer demand, and geopolitical considerations, while analyzing the impact on investment attraction, competition, prosperity, sustainability, and more.


This panel brings together global leaders and subject-matter experts to deliberate on the multifaceted challenges and opportunities of today's dynamic digital economy; speakers will collectively exchange on optimistically pragmatic solutions for resilient innovation amid turbulent economic tides.

Namir Anani, President & CEO - ICTC (Moderator)
D. Evan Van Hook, Chief Sustainability Officer - Viridi
Dianna Zhang, Vice President, Exposure and Capital Analytics(2016-2023) – Global Risk Management - Scotiabank
Patrick Leblond, CN-Paul M. Tellier Chair on Business and Public Policy - University of Ottawa
Ryan Jakubowski, Major Case Director - The Competition Bureau of Canada
Mirka Snyder Caron, AVP, Privacy & Compliance - Foresters Financial

Panel 1: Digital Disruption in Global Economies: Unraveling Canada's Strategic Position

 

Panel 2: Innovation and Inclusion: Strategies for Thriving in the Evolving Global Labor Landscape


As the global economy shifts and changes, so too does the modern labor market. This panel delves into the evolving employment landscape, including labor supply and demand, in-demand jobs and skills, upskilling and reskilling, labour productivity, lifelong learning, and equity, diversity, and inclusion.


Experts gather and exchange to provide valuable insights on navigating the changing workforce terrain, while proposing practical and impactful solutions for workforce resiliency.

Alexandra Cutean, Chief Research Officer - ICTC (Moderator)
Magdy Karam, Chief Learning Officer - Microsoft
Ingrid Wilson, Vice President, Founder & Principal – Global Risk Management - Gridffern Strategic HR
Matthias Oschinski, Senior Fellow - Centre for Sustainability and Emerging Technology at Georgetown University
Lindsey Walker, Former Head of Talent - Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
Diana Palmerin-Velasco, Senior Director - Future of Work at Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Panel 2: Innovation and Inclusion: Strategies for Thriving in the Evolving Global Labor Landscape

Acknowledgments
We respectfully acknowledge that Toronto is located on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples

Register on Eventbrite here.