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SPEAKERS |
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Lauren Freedman, President, the e-tailing group inc.
With 15-plus years of experience in e-commerce, Lauren has been integral as President and founder of the e-tailing group in guiding the company to become the premier e-commerce consultancy. Her extensive knowledge of e-commerce has made her a sought after speaker at e-retail conferences like Shop.org, eTail and Internet Retailer in the US and abroad, and is a go-to-resource for many media outlets including The New York Times, USA Today, CNN and others. She’s been involved with Shop.org since its inception and currently serves on the Content Committee while also working with the Direct Marketing Association and NAWBO’s Small Business Mentoring program.
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John Furlong, Chief Executive Officer, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
As CEO of VANOC, John Furlong led the team that organized ans staged the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. From the inception of the project, Furlong envisioned that the Games could be a true nation builder, helping to improve the fabric of Canadian society. In 2003, he was named Executive of the Year by Sports Media Canada and the Vancouver Executive Association for his contributions to the Vancouver 2010 bid and in 2010 was elected a Fellow of the BC Chamber of Commerce.
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Mitch Joel, President, Twist Image, and author of Six Pixels of Separation - a business bestseller
Mitch is President of Twist Image — an award-winning Digital Marketing and Communications agency. In 2008, Mitch was named Canada's Most Influential Male in Social Media, one of the top 100 online marketers in the world, and was awarded the highly-prestigious Canada's Top 40 Under 40. His newspaper business column, New Business — Six Pixels of Separation, runs bi-monthly in both The Montreal Gazette and Vancouver Sun, and his monthly column, Ultraportable, is featured in enRoute Magazine. His first book, Six Pixels of Separation (published by Grand Central Publishing — Hachette Book Group), named after his successful Blog and Podcast is a business and marketing best-seller.
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Amanda Lang, Senior Business Correspondent, CBC News
Amanda Lang is CBC’s senior business correspondent, reporting for its flagship nightly news program, The National. She is also co-host of The Lang & O’Leary Exchange, a daily business program airing on Newsworld. She is the former co-anchor of BNN’s SqueezePlay and The Commodities Report, national programs covering business and politics, and a former contributor for Canada’s premier business magazine, Report on Business. Lang has also plied her journalism skills at Globe and Mail, the Financial Post, and as a reporter at CNN as a reporter and anchor. As the New York Stock Exchange correspondent for CNN, she interviewed everyone from Fortune 500 CEOs to heads of state and rock stars.
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Allan Leighton, President and Deputy Chairman, Loblaw Companies Ltd.
Allan Leighton is the Deputy Chairman of Selfridges & Co, George Weston Ltd. and Loblaw Companies Ltd.; and Non Executive Director of BSkyB Group plc. As CEO of Asda Stores Ltd., Allan was instrumental in the company’s success and sale to US retail giant Wal-Mart in 1999. That same year, Allan became President and CEO of Wal-Mart Europe. He left Asda in 2000, taking on non-executive positions at a number of different companies before joining the Royal Mail as company Chairman in 2002. He is the author of On Leadership: Practical Wisdom from the People Who Know, published in 2007.
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Anna Martini, President, Groupe Dynamite Inc.
As President of Groupe Dynamite, Anna has been responsible for the rapid growth that the company has experienced over the past few years, seeing sales figures more than double. With 19 years of experience as an associate specializing in retail at Deloitte & Touche, Anna took over Groupe Dynamite in 2004. The rapid growth of the company and of its Garage and Dynamite banners is all the more apparent with the increasing number of stores opening up across Canada. In November 2007, the company officially opened its very first Garage store in the state of Maryland, followed by the opening of four others just a few weeks later. |
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Steve Matyas, President, Staples Canada Inc.
Steve is President of Staples Canada. He joined The Business Depot Ltd. as their first employee in March 1991. During his 19 years with the company, Steve has served as Vice President, Operations, Human Resources and Store Planning, and Vice President, Sales and Operations. Steve’s expertise in store operations has been instrumental in growing the company to more than 300 stores throughout Canada. Before joining The Business Depot Ltd., Steve worked for several subsidiaries of Koffler Associates, including Superpharm Ltd., and Shoppers Drug Mart Ltd. Steve is also a Director and past Chairman of the Retail Council of Canada, and was inducted into RCC’s Retail Hall of Fame in 2007.
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Daniel W. O'Connor, President & CEO of the RetailNet Group
Dan serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Retail Network Group (RNG), and is also the Founder of Management Ventures, Inc. (MVI), a WPP Group company. He’s a widely known and active industry speaker and thought leader in the retail industry, and has over 25 years experience working with major brands in the retail and consumer products. He served as National Director of Consumer Products and Retail Consulting at Touche Ross & Co (now known as Deloitte & Touche), and is currently a Board Member of Aqualine Resources, Inc, Demandware and EMAK Worldwide and Advisory Board member for Premier Retail Networks (div. of Thomson NYSE: TMS), OnForce and Signal Demand.
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Chris O'Neill, Director, Retail, Google Canada
Chris leads Google's digital media sales and operations in the Retail vertical, partnering with Fortune 500 retailers to establish high-performing, accountable digital and multi-channel marketing programs. Chris joined Google in 2005 bringing over ten years of marketing, strategy, media and partnership development experience. During his tenure at Google, he has assumed a variety of sales and operations leadership roles within consumer-oriented verticals. Prior to Google, Chris was a Product Marketing Director at HSBC with P&L responsibility for a consumer finance line of business. Prior to HSBC, Chris was an engagement manager at Mercer Management Consulting, focused on retail and financial services companies.
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Erik Penno, Director of Ecommerce and New Business, The Shopping Channel
Erik is a veteran internet retailer with 12 years in the industry. He cut his teeth opening Club Monaco’s first ecommerce venture and then moved to Rogers in 2000. There he found his match with the fast paced multichannel retailer, The Shopping Channel. Since then Erik has managed 3 site platform rebases, countless site redesigns and consistent year over year double digit growth.
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Bob Sartor, Chief Executive Officer, The Forzani Group Ltd.
Bob Sartor is the Chief Executive Officer of the Forzani Group and has served as a member of the Board since February, 2003. Most recently, Bob held the position of President, Business Support and Chief Financial Officer of The Forzani Group Ltd. from February, 1997 to January, 2003. He is a Chartered Accountant and graduate of McGill University. Bob's background is primarily in the food business, having held positions in treasury, financial planning and mergers and acquisitions in addition to core finance functions with Kraft General Foods of Glenview Illinois and The Oshawa Group Limited of Toronto. |
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Louise Wendling, Senior Vice-President & Country Manager, Costco Wholesale Canada Limited
As Senior Vice-President and County Manager of Costco Wholesale Canada Limited, Louise oversees a Canadian success story, with 77 stores in nine provinces employing more than 19,000 people. She began her retailing career with the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1975 where she spent her first year in Human Resources and went on to become a buyer, a department manager in non-foods, a division manager, and a store manager. Louise left HBC in 1986 to join two other entrepreneurs in developing Price Club, a membership-based, warehouse-style retailer. In 2001, Louise was named Entrepreneur of the Year by FGA (Regroupement des gens d”affaires) d’Ottawa.
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Paul Wilson, President, Mark’s Work Wearhouse Ltd.
Paul Wilson is President of Mark's Work Wearhouse Ltd. He joined Mark's in 1992 as General Manager, Western Canada and was promoted to Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing in 1997. In 2001 Paul became Mark's President & Chief Operating Office and in 2006 was named President, Mark's Work Wearhouse Ltd. and an Officer of Canadian Tire. At Mark's Paul has developed key phrases of their repositioning strategy resulting in record earnings performance. Prior to joining Mark's Work Wearhouse, Paul spent six years in store management and six years as Regional Manager in two major Canadian department store chains. |
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John Wright, Senior Vice-President and Managing Director, Ipsos-Reid
John Wright is Senior Vice President and Managing Director of the Ipsos North American Public Opinion Polling Division and has been their media polling partner architect and spokesperson since he arrived at the company in 1989. Prior to joining Ipsos, John was Vice President with an advertising and public relations firm and served in both the political and corporate worlds in government relations. In all, he's worked for almost 30 years on Public Affairs assignments for clients of every dimension. John has had his own radio show on CFRB for almost 15 years with one of the top political commentary panels in the country. |
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CONCURRENT SESSION
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SPEAKERS
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Thomas Bedford, Lead Retail and CRM Research Analyst, Industry Canada
Thomas Bedford is the lead retail and CRM research analyst at Industry Canada, where his current research focuses on the integration of e-based logistics and CRM systems into core business practices to drive competitiveness. Thomas’ knowledge of the retail sector extends to the retail supply chain, where he previously provided consumer product goods manufacturing firms technical expertise for process improvements while with H.B. Fuller. He holds a Master’s degree in engineering from the University of Toronto.
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Adwoa K. Buahene, Co-Founder/Managing Partner, n-gen People Performance Inc.
As a managing partner and co-founder, Adwoa K. Buahene works with C-suite leaders and HR teams to understand and build strategies and programs that target, motivate and engage all four generations. With over 13 years of training and performance consulting experience, Adwoa has devoted the last seven years to researching and creating solutions that measurably improve workplace productivity.
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Kimberly Clark, Vice President, Marketing, The Second Cup Ltd.
Kimberly Clark has spent 17 years in marketing and advertising, working on a variety of retail businesses such as: A&P/Dominion, LaZBoy Furniture Galleries, Burger King and Blockbuster. Currently, Kimberly is Vice President of Marketing for The Second Cup Ltd., leading strategic planning, product development and promotional programming for nearly 350 cafes across Canada. Kimberly joined Second Cup in September, 2009.
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James Connell, Senior Director, E-Commerce, Digital Marketing and New Media, Roots Canada Ltd.
As Senior Director, E-Commerce, Digital Marketing and New Media, James is responsible for overseeing e-commerce strategy and operations at Roots Canada. Additionally his other responsibilities include partnership, loyalty, non-traditional and all digital marketing and branding efforts at Roots. He joined Roots over ten years ago and has functioned in a number of roles within the organization primarily focused in the areas of marketing and direct to consumer sales. He has also participated on the MSN.ca Advisory Board, is often quoted in industry publications such as Internet Retailer and has provided advice and consulting on ecommerce initiatives to both Canadian and International brands. |
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Jonathan Dunn, Manager, Mobile Marketing Solutions, Digital Cement
Jonathan is the manager of Mobile Marketing Solutions at Digital Cement, a direct marketing agency that provides consulting, measurement and analytics technology, and creative services to leading organizations. His experience spans mobile messaging, internet, advertising, and application programs for the financial services, consumer packaged goods, technology, automotive and cultural sectors.
He was an architect in the development of the CMA’s industry whitepaper on mobile marketing, and has been an active member of the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s Emerging Platforms and Mobile Councils.
Prior to joining Digital Cement, Dunn was director of communications and a senior strategist at Vortex Mobile |
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Elizabeth Evans, Executive Director, Ryerson University
Elizabeth Evans joined Ryerson University in 2004 as Associate Professor and Director, Ted Rogers School of Retail Management. Prior to entering the world of academia her career in retail management and industry consulting included major chain store retailing, entrepreneurial endeavours and not-for-profit. Elizabeth has held positions as Executive Director of Marketing at Fairweather, Deputy Director of Retailing Enterprises at the Art Gallery of Ontario and as President of The Palate Inc. and E Evans Consulting. She was involved in the development of the Retail Learning Initiative through the Eaton Chair of Retailing at Ryerson University. Elizabeth’s current teaching and research is in the area of retail sustainability, innovation and internationalization.
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Joe Jackman, CEO & Principal Consultant, Joe Jackman Brand Inc.
Joe Jackman is a strategic and creative advisor to North American retailers and brand marketers. Joe’s unique mix of experience has proven valuable to business leaders intent on clarifying brand strategies and orchestrating substantial brand transformations. Hallmarks of his working style are his ability to collaborate with leadership teams to articulate actionable strategy and engage stakeholders, from Board members to the field, and successful partnering with internal and external resources to generate momentum.
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Giselle Kovary, M.A., Co-founder / Managing Partner, n-gen People Performance Inc.
As a managing partner and co-founder of n-gen People Performance Inc., Giselle Kovary helps clients to understand and build strategies and programs that target, motivate and engage all four generations. With over 13 years of experience in learning and development and performance consulting, Giselle has devoted the last 7 years to researching the impact that workforce demographics have on performance. Giselle was recently nominated for a RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Trailblazer award. She is a member of the Human Resource Professionals Association, Society for Human Resource Management, and chair of the Promotions & Events Taskforce of the Provincial Partnership Council.
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Darrell MacMullin, General Manager, PayPal Canada
Darrell was appointed as General Manager of PayPal Canada in 2008 having previously held the position of Head of Merchant Services for the company. As General Manager, Darrell is responsible for all of PayPal Canada's operations, including finance, product, business development, marketing, and building and supporting PayPal's millions of customers in Canada. Prior to his roles at PayPal, Darrell was Director of Marketing for eBay Canada, overseeing the launch of eBay.ca, its online marketing and customer acquisition operations, and the Director of Marketing for Chapters Online where he developed and managed the marketing strategy and launch of chapters.ca, one of the most successful Canadian online retail launches.
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Terrance Oakey, Vice-President, Federal Government Relations, Retail Council of Canada
Terrance Oakey joined Retail Council of Canada's Government Relations team in 2009. He leads the government relations efforts to ensure that the voice of retail is heard at the federal level. He is engaged in a variety of files including electronic payments, copyright reform, and product safety. Terrance has over nine years of experience in both the public and private sector, providing government relations and strategic communications council to a variety of national and international clients. He has developed successful government relations strategies for a host of clients in the financial, energy, environment, post-secondary education, security and manufacturing sectors.
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Lloyd A. Perlmutter, President, Veritas Investments Inc.
Lloyd is a passionate merchant and retailer who founded Beaver Canoe and led Gap Canada’s expansion and brand development program that took the business from $200m to over $1.2 billion across all brands of Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy. Over the past few years, Lloyd has worked at a prominent books and music retailer, a junior apparel vertical operation, has consulted on various projects across a range of products and functions including hair care, licensed products, shopping centre landlords and branding strategies. He is also the author of a retail merchandising focused blog at www.theretailtherapist.wordpress.com.
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Philippe Richer, Deputy Director, Industry Canada
Philippe Richer manages the distribution services collaborative research initiatives as Deputy Director at Industry Canada. In that function, he has been responsible for developing and coordinating research and policy related to e-business and supply chain innovation, key performance indicators, sustainability and global sourcing. Prior to joining Industry Canada, Philippe held different supply chain analytical functions at Michelin, Nortel Networks as well as at Plats du Chef in Canada, Europe and Asia. He holds a bachelors degree in operation and production management as well as an international MBA in information systems.
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Patrick Rodmell, President and CEO, Watt International
As principal business strategist for Watt International, Patrick supervises the development of brands for clients around the world, bringing an intuitive mix of creative insight and business acumen in support of the company’s international clientele. He has been published in numerous trade, business and academic publications, and has presented his ideas on branding, marketing and design to high profile organizations like the National Retail Federation, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, the American Retail Federation, the Association for Corporate Growth and the In-Store Marketing Institute.
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Craig Southwick, President, Clear Cell Canada Inc.
As President of Clear Cell Canada, Craig is focused on helping clients use insight to transform their business by putting the customer at the heart of their operation. Craig brings 15 years of progressive experience with tier one consumer packaged goods companies, covering key account management, trade marketing, and shopper insight. This is coupled with his background in Retail, Business-to-Business, and the Pharmaceutical industry. His wide-ranging experience has led Craig to passionately believe that a continual focus on the customer is the only route to creating long term value in a business.
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Dale Sturges, National Director, Aboriginal & Multicultural Business Markets, Royal Bank of Canada
Dale Sturges is the National Director of Aboriginal & Multicultural Business Markets at RBC. He has ten years of professional experience designing business, marketing, media, and communications strategies for diverse companies including PricewaterhouseCoopers, Bell Globe Media Interactive, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
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Maurizio Vial, Assistant General Manager, Brooks Brothers Canada
Maurizio has over 20 years of experience within the retail industry. He started his career as a sales associate at the exclusive Gianni Versace boutique in Toronto, and then joined Versus by Gianni Versace as store manager playing an instrumental role in its opening. In 1998, he joined Toronto's leading made-to-measure house, Stavros Master Tailors, where he soon took assumed ownership and was named President of the company. He then moved to Holt Renfrew where he led his team, as Area Sales Manager. 20 years later, Maurizio is now Assistant General Manager at Brooks Brothers. |
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CIO ROUND TABLE
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SPEAKERS |
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Paul M. Bellack, Partner and National Practice Leader, Technology Strategy. IBM Canada Ltd.
Paul is a Partner and National Leader of the Technology Strategy Practice for IBM Global Business Services. With over 33 years in the IT business – most of which in CIO positions - he brings a pragmatic and holistic senior IT executive perspective to client situations. His background features diverse experience in strategy work, business transformations and major cost reduction initiatives, from the perspectives of both consultant and business executive. In his role, Paul primarily addresses IT/Business strategy, transformational roadmaps, IT organizational structure, governance and management processes, Enterprise Architecture, benchmarking and CIO coaching/advisory work. Recent clients include Walmart Canada, Sears, Canadian Tire, Shoppers Drug Mart and The Beer Store.
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Colin Haig, Solution Principal, SAP Retail North America
Colin Haig is the Solution Principal for store systems at SAP, the top-ranked enterprise software provider for the retail industry. Colin has worked with some of the world’s largest retailers, and is a domain expert for industry trends and store strategy. He has over 20 years of experience in high tech and store systems, and has been in the SAP family for over ten years. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and a Masters of Science in Computation from McMaster University. Colin is also a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.
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Vic Miles, Retail Technology Strategist, Microsoft Worldwide
Vic is an Industry Technology Strategist for Retail as part of the WorldWide Microsoft Industry solutions team, where he is responsible for technical strategies, guidance to the sales field and the integrated solution plan for Microsoft products in the retail industry. Vic joined Microsoft in April 2008 after over ten years in retail IT applications development, most recently as an Information Systems Director for Wal-Mart Stores. Vic has led the development of solutions for retail supply chain, merchandising effectiveness and store operational efficiency. Vic represents Microsoft as a technical committee member within ARTS, which is the standards body of the National Retail Federation (NRF).
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Sumit Oberai, Chief Information Officer, Indigo Books and Music
Sumit is the Chief Information Officer at Indigo Books & Music where he is responsible for all Information Technology functions. Since joining Indigo in 2006, Sumit has overseen a number of critical technology initiatives including innovative Kiosks, an Online Community for Booklovers, an upgrade to Indigo’s SAP system, Customer Loyalty, and industry Compliance efforts (ISBN, PCI, and Chip & Pin credit cards). Curinitiatives include the introduction of eBooks & eReading to Indigo, a new Warehouse Management system, and a new online site experience. Prior to joining Indigo, Sumit worked at McKinsey & Company, Critical Path, and Nortel Networks.
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