Darby Allen

Fort McMurray’s Fire Chief (Ret), Motivational and Crisis Leadership Speaker

During the catastrophic Alberta wildfires, fire chief Darby Allen shot to global acclaim for guiding the 88,000 residents of Fort McMurray to safety with no loss of life—the largest evacuation in Canadian history. Now, he offers guidance on how to be a stoic, quick-thinking leader in tough situations. We all face emergencies and crises—Allen shows us how to overcome them.

Known as the face of the Alberta wildfires—and widely celebrated as a national hero—Darby Allen is an exemplar of selfless courage and level-headedness under pressure. Currently teaching a program in Transformational and Charismatic Leadership for the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University, Allen was Regional Fire Chief of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, an area that encompasses the community of Fort McMurray. In spring 2016, he spearheaded the evacuation of the city’s entire population while the rest of the world watched. Throughout the ensuing weeks of operations, he worked tirelessly with first responders and volunteers, who came from across the nation (and globe) to assist. His updates to the media were not only a means of reliable information, but a source of optimism—Allen provided calm reassurance as the lead spokesperson throughout the rescue efforts.

A native of Birmingham, England, where he worked as a firefighter for the Hampshire Fire Brigade, Allen emigrated to Canada in 1990. He began work as a firefighter with the Calgary Fire Department in 1992, moving up in rank from Training Officer to Assistant Deputy Chief of Operations, before moving on to Fort McMurray Fire Service in 2009, where he became Regional Fire Chief in 2013.

Jennifer Arends

Executive Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations, 3sHealth

Jennifer Arends is the Executive Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations at 3sHealth, where she leads a team of skilled and creative communications professionals. In her role, she supports 3sHealth’s health system goals by ensuring important information flows to patients and families, health-care workers, and other key stakeholders. Jennifer is passionate about collaboration and teamwork, and she works to build strong relationships across the health system.

Since childhood, Jennifer Arends has had a deep love for reading and writing. She holds a Master of Arts in English, a Master’s Certificate of Administration in leadership, and an Accredited Business Communicator (ABC) designation from the International Association of Business Communicators. After honing her writing and communications skills in the education sector for over 10 years, Jennifer shifted her focus to the health sector, joining 3sHealth in 2013.

Jennifer is a proud parent of two small and energetic children. Outside of work, you will most likely find her in a canoe, on a ski trail, or at a hockey game with her partner.

Travis Arychuk

President, Lumeca Health, and Group President & Co-Founder, Avier Group of Companies

Travis Arychuk was born into an entrepreneur driven family in Canada’s North where he spent his early teens learning business from his parents, including witnessing negotiations with global companies, running a successful airline business, and understanding the importance of honest business.

At the age of 20, Travis had worked his way up to the executive level at one of Western Canada’s largest charter airlines. From there, he oversaw and managed multi-million dollar contracts including air ambulance programs, with over 1500 medevac flights per year.

In 2006, Travis broke out on his own and founded and operated several multi-million dollar businesses including private aviation charter, logistics, and supply companies. He also consulted at the same time to a large publicly listed airline group. Today, several of these companies are still under Travis' ownership, with his brother, Ryan, managing operations as a partner.

In 2015, an acquaintance introduced Travis and Shawn Hazen. The two clicked immediately and it was only a year later that the idea of Lumeca, not yet named, was introduced.

Under Shawn’s vision, Travis joined as a co-founder and Lumeca Health was born. Although not involved directly in healthcare at the time, Travis’ prior history with the health industry stemmed from the air ambulance world. His passion for health and helping others came from becoming the first successful stem cell transplant patient in Canada, when he ran out of options during treatment for Leukemia at the age of 13. Beating the 10-20% odds, Travis is 100% cured today.

Today, Travis is an ambassador to the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada and gives back to many children’s based charities. Together, within his group, that amount has surpassed the $1,000,000 mark.

Travis lives in Kelowna, British Columbia, with his wife Bonnie, son Asher, and dog Piper.

Timothy Beke

Director of Total Rewards, University of Saskatchewan

Timothy Beke joined the University of Saskatchewan in January 2016 as Director of Total Rewards, and currently gives leadership to the pension, benefits, compensation, wellness, recruitment, and safety functions at the university. Prior to joining the University of Saskatchewan, Timothy served in a variety of accounting and total rewards roles over an 18-year career in the oil and gas sector. Timothy is a Chartered Professional  Accountant, a Certified Management Accountant, and a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist. He holds degrees from McGill University and the University of Regina. Pretending to be a farmer, Timothy lives with his wife, Nancy, and five children on an acreage somewhere east of Saskatoon.

Julius Brown

Veteran, Director of OSI-CAN Support Initiative

Julius is a military veteran. He is also the son of a veteran, the brother of veterans, and the father of veterans. He was employed with the Canadian Mental Health Association of Saskatchewan (CMHA SK) in the Justice Community Support Program before being selected as the Director for the OSI-CAN Support Initiative.

OSI-CAN is a support initiative for veterans and first responders (all public safety personnel) dealing with Occupational Stress Injury (OSI), also known as Post Traumatic Stress Injury (PTSI). OSI-CAN is a program of the Canadian Mental Health Association of Saskatchewan (CMHA SK) and was created through a partnership of the CMHA SK and the Royal Canadian Legion Saskatchewan Command.

Stryker Calvez, PhD

Manager, Indigenous Education Initiatives, University of Saskatchewan

Stryker Calvez is the Manager of Indigenous Education Initiatives at the University of Saskatchewan. In this position, Stryker leads and supports numerous institutional indigenization priorities, builds reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, develops cultural professional development initiatives, and consults with colleges and schools to develop and implement indigenization strategies.

Stryker is a Metis/Michif researcher and educator from the Red River territory around Winnipeg. Over the last 20 years, he has worked extensively with provincial governments, post-secondary institutions, organizations, and communities to better understand how to implement and/or improve education, social support, and health programming for Indigenous peoples, newcomers to Canada, and vulnerable populations. He has been recognized for his contributions to these communities, building better understandings of Indigenous Peoples, supporting diversity and inclusion management, and facilitating effective intergroup relations.

Murray Campbell

Partner, Lawson Lundell LLP

Murray Campbell is a partner with the Vancouver office of Lawson Lundell LLP. He practices exclusively in the pension and employee benefits area, and is head of the firm’s Pension and Employee Benefits Group. Murray acts for boards of trustees and other sponsors of pension and benefits plans in the private and public sectors in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. He regularly advises boards of trustees and other plan sponsors on all legal and regulatory issues which arise in the administration of a pension or benefits plans. Murray regularly chairs and speaks at conferences for boards of trustees and other plan sponsors.  

Simon Deschênes

Principal and Pension Consulting Actuary, Eckler

Simon Deschênes is a Principal and Pension Consulting Actuary at Eckler in Winnipeg. Simon routinely assists a wide range of clients in managing their pension plans, including risk management, funding, financial reporting, design, and sustainability initiatives in multiple jurisdictions. Prior to his role at Eckler, Simon held the role of Principal and Winnipeg Office Leader at a major international consulting firm. Simon is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries, and a Chartered Financial Analyst.

Elizabeth Duret

Diversity and Inclusion Consultant, University of Saskatchewan

Elizabeth (Liz) Duret joined the University of Saskatchewan in April 2015 as the Diversity and Inclusion Consultant. Previously, Liz was a Probation Officer with the Department of Corrections and Public Safety for 10 years before moving into the education sector in 2005 as a consultant. From 2005 to 2007, she worked with both the University of Saskatchewan’s and Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Aboriginal Student Centers as the Life Skills/Job Coach.

In September 2007, bringing her knowledge and insight of Aboriginal student recruitment and retention challenges, Liz moved into the Saskatchewan Polytechnic Human Resources Division as the Diversity and Representative Workforce Consultant. Liz has a wealth of experience designing and delivering training workshops and presentations, and is passionate about diversity and inclusion. A certified life skills coach and group facilitator, she holds a designation as a Chartered Human Resources Professional. On a more personal note, Liz is a Métis woman born and raised in Saskatoon, and has two sons.

Linda Edgecombe

Award-Winning Celebrity Humorist, Motivational Speaker, and Change Resilience Strategist

Linda Edgecombe is an award-winning celebrity humorist, motivational speaker, and change resilience strategist. Her mission? To get people ‘Fired up and Ready to Shift or Get off the Pot!’ Linda’s ‘non-BS’ approach is funny, refreshing, engaging, and relevant. A bestselling author, she promises to help her audiences create powerful shifts, become more accountable, and build on momentum. Change has never been this sexy! Linda energizes every room as she leads people to loosen up, lighten the load, and laugh. She motivates her audiences by showing them how they can shift their perspectives on life, work, and themselves.

Linda states: “I believe a laugh is worth more than a thousand words and it has the power to change the way people feel, think and take action!”

Linda has been featured in the Wall Street Journal as an expert in “Shifting Perspectives”. Currently, she is filming her reality show “Re-Set TV”, where she gives advice to busy families and out-of-control work teams. Her message is as welcome as a deep belly laugh and as profound as an honest look in the mirror.

Killian Fuh Forbeteh

Cultural Bridging Facilitator, Saskatoon Open Door Society

Killian Fuh Forbeteh is Cultural Bridging Facilitator at the Saskatoon Open Door Society. He obtained his Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Buea (Cameroon) in 2005 then took his family to Denmark where he spent seven years working with the United Nations Environment Programme and the Aarhus Health Region. Killian immigrated to Canada (Montreal) in 2012 and then moved to Saskatoon, completing his Master's degree in Public Health from the University of Saskatchewan in 2015, and a Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety from Saskatchewan Polytechnic in 2018. Killian is passionate about Indigenous health issues, speaks more than five languages, has a strong commitment to safety and enjoys soccer.

Peter Gove

Innovation Leader of Health Management, Green Shield Canada

Peter Gove is Innovation Leader of Health Management with Green Shield Canada (GSC). He has oversight for initiatives under GSC’s Change4Life™ banner. Prior to joining GSC, Peter was responsible for the national disability management and life insurance claims program for a large Canadian life insurance company.

Mr. Gove has a master’s degree in social work and is a registered social worker. Continuing his education, he started a PhD program in Applied Health Science at the University of Waterloo. He has presented internationally in the areas of health management and disability management and was the recipient of the 2014 Vision and Values Award presented by the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association.

David Granirer

Counselor, Stand-Up Comic, Author, and Founder of Stand Up for Mental Health

David Granirer is a counselor, stand-up comic, author, and mental health keynote speaker. Founder of the award-winning Stand Up for Mental Health  program, which teaches stand-up comedy to people with mental health issues, David has also taught stand-up to recovering addicts and cancer patients. He gives laughter in the workplace presentations to hundreds of organizations across North America, helping them use humor to decrease stress, increase wellness, and cope with change.

David's own experience with depression began when he was 16. After an increasing downward spiral, he attempted suicide and was admitted to a psychiatric ward. He states, “Upon my release, I felt this crippling shame, this horrible sense of being flawed and bad. Unfortunately there was no education at the time and no one explained to me what I was going through.”

When he began teaching Stand-Up Comedy Clinics at Langara College in Vancouver, David saw the impact of performing stand-up. “I’ve had students overcome long standing depressions and phobias, not to mention increasing their confidence and self-esteem. There’s something incredibly healing about telling a roomful of people exactly who you are and having them laugh and cheer.” 

David is featured in the VOICE award-winning documentary entitled, Cracking Up. He also received a Life Unlimited Award from Depression Bipolar Support Alliance, an Award of Excellence from the National Council of Behavioral Health, a Champion of Mental Health Award, a Meritorious Service Medal from the Governor General of Canada, and was recognized as one of the 150 Canadian Difference Makers in mental health. A sought after keynote speaker, David works with mental health organizations in Canada, the United States, and Australia, to train and perform with Stand Up for Mental Health groups in dozens of cities.

Nicholas Hennink

Paramedic and Singer/Songwriter

Nicholas Hennink is a Paramedic and Singer/Songwriter by both passion and vocation, known for his inspirational music that gives hope to those who need it the most. He has served as an advanced care paramedic for over a decade. However, his love of music began during his childhood, playing in bands and creating songs with his acoustic guitar in Cape Town, South Africa, where he was born and raised.

During one of his darkness times, Nicholas’ avid interest transformed into his calling. The light out of that dark place was emotionally-charged hard rock. Slowly but surely, he started to heal and his mission was born: to spread mental health awareness through the power of music. In order to make this dream a reality, he joined forces with Jared Robinson, Founder of Nebulus Entertainment.

Nicholas Hennink’s debut singles, “Please Forgive Me”, “Home” and “Darkest Hour”, are now available on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and various other music platforms. His full album will drop in 2019, with numerous sneak peeks, releases, and a music video leading up to the release. Infinitely dedicated to giving back to his community, Nicholas also contributes to foundations that advocate for first responders and their loved ones, as well as their emotional wellbeing.

Bita Jenab

Director, Research & Analysis, B.C. Public Service Pension Plan

Bita Jenab is the Director of Research and Analysis at the B.C. Public Service Pension Plan. A seasoned pension actuary, Bita has over 30 years of experience providing strategic advice and guidance to public and private sector organizations on retirement and employee benefits programs. Bita is also the founder of RetirementWorks, a company that provides plan governors and members with independent, unbiased consulting services in the areas of governance and financial education. Bita is an advocate for member education in financial and retirement planning. In addition to holding a Master of Science degree in mathematics from the University of British Columbia, Bita is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries, a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, and a Certified Financial Planner.

Julie Fleming Juárez

Team Lead, Community Engagement and Cultural Bridging, Saskatoon Open Door Society

A strong advocate of community development, Julie Fleming Juárez has been on staff at the Saskatoon Open Door Society since 1999 (and a volunteer for 16 years before that!). Julie has been instrumental in establishing many of the organization’s volunteer programs, working to provide newcomers with the tools they need to share their experiences within the community and to explore opportunities available to them. Editor of the Saskatoon Open Door’s Society newsletter, Connections, Julie has also produced several publications including Remembering Grandmother, Remembering Grandfather, Newcomer’s Guide to Saskatoon, Life Lessons, and Stories from the Garden. She is currently the Team Lead for the Saskatoon Open Door Society’s Community Engagement Activities and Cultural Bridging team, forging partnerships within the community that help newcomers to Canada settle in their new homes.

Tyson Liske

Vice-President, Sales and Marketing, Lumeca Health

Tyson Liske is Vice-President, Sales and Marketing, at Lumeca Health. Having worked in various fields, including non-profits, Emergency Medical Dispatch, and other private organizations, Tyson’s varied background has given him a keen insight into connecting with people and organizations. 

Sean Maxwell

Partner, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

Sean Maxwell is a partner with the national law firm, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, and is a member of its Pension, Benefits and Executive Compensation Group. Called to the bars of both Ontario and Alberta, his practice touches on all issues relating to pension and employee benefits plans including fiduciary duties, plan terminations, ongoing plan administration and compliance issues, disputes over the use of plan assets, development and documentation of plans, and issues arising from corporate transactions and commercial insolvencies. Sean also advises on the establishment and implementation of incentive compensation arrangements, including stock option, phantom stock, share appreciation rights, deferred share unit plans, and supplementary retirement plans. He is a frequent speaker at conferences and seminars across the country, and is past chair of the Alberta Regional Council for the Association of Canadian Pension Management. 

Troy Milnthorp

Senior Managing Director, Corporate Fund Services, Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation

Troy Milnthorp is the Senior Managing Director of Corporate Fund Services at the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) where he oversees their pension, benefits, and investment programs. Prior to joining the STF, he was a partner in the retirement practice at Aon Hewitt, where he provided pension and actuarial consulting services to clients locally and across the country. Troy is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries.

Philip Mullen

Vice President, Retirement Solutions Western Leader, Morneau Shepell

Philip Mullen is a Vice President with Morneau Shepell and is the firm's Retirement Solutions Leader for Western Canada. He is a consulting actuary who advises clients on all aspects of their employee retirement programs. Phil specializes in the area of pension risk management, helping organizations measure, mitigate, and monitor their pension risk exposure. In his career, Phil has worked with corporate, multi-employer, public and not-for-profit clients with pension obligations ranging from less than $50 million to several billion. He provides financial management and actuarial consulting services for all types of retirement programs. Philip previously spent 15 years with a global consulting firm where he held a number of senior leadership and innovation roles in Europe, the United States, and Canada. Phil is a graduate of University College Dublin and has a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Statistics and a Master’s degree in Statistics. He is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries in the United States, the Institute of Actuaries in the United Kingdom, and the Society of Actuaries in Ireland.

Dr. Elisabeth Scheepers, PhD

Elisabeth Scheepers is a clinical counsellor in private practice. Elisabeth is specialised in working with relationships and people with trauma. Elisabeth has a Bachelor’s, a Master and Doctoral degree (PhD) in psychology as well as advanced counselling and post-graduate diplomas focusing on practical and relevant training in grief, crisis, trauma, and addiction.

Dr. Scheepers has a busy practice and provides therapeutic services to many couples and individuals in the province. Elisabeth is also a clinical supervisor of counselling therapists in the province of Saskatchewan. She is a strong supporter of competency-based practice which means that therapists, in addition to being formally trained, certified, and registered as counselling therapists, are competent in the areas in which they provide a service. On a regular basis, Dr. Scheepers presents training to companies on topics of sensitivity, conflict, and mental health. She is a strong advocate for seamless and accessible mental health services to all in the province.

Elisabeth has a passion for research on all levels and, in particular, for client-focused research based on client feedback. In the end, what is most important is that every person seeking mental health services feels safe, respected, heard, and understood, and benefits from the services.

Alana Shearer-Kleefeld

Director of Employee Benefits, Health Shared Services Saskatchewan (3sHealth)

Alana Shearer-Kleefeld is the Director of Employee Benefits at Health Shared Services Saskatchewan (3sHealth). Alana and her team are responsible for the management and investments of ten employee benefit health and welfare trusts representing over $500M in assets. Committed to providing a world class customer service experience to 44,000 active plan members and 10,000 retirees, Alana oversees all aspects of daily operations including governance, benefit administration, systems, and disability adjudication. Alana’s career in benefits spans over 25 years and in addition to her public sector experience, she worked for several insurance companies including Confederation Life, Crown Life, Canada Life, Great West Life, and The Co-operators. As a CPBI Member since 2006, Alana joined the Saskatchewan Regional Council the very same year; that’s dedication for you! Now retired from Council, during her tenure Alana filled a variety of roles including: Executive Secretary, Chairperson of several committees within Council including two terms as the Saskatchewan Regional Conference Chair, member of a variety of National Council committees, two terms as the Saskatchewan Regional Council Vice-Chair, and one term as Saskatchewan Regional Council Chair. Alana brings a unique perspective through her years of being involved in CPBI, both at the regional and national levels, and along with her desire to give back to the benefits community.

Kim Skeath

Principal, Total Health Management, Western Canada Team Lead, Mercer

Kim Skeath is a principal with the Vancouver office of Mercer and a member of the Total Health Management team. Kim has been passionately promoting health and wellbeing for more than 20 years. Prior to working for Mercer, Kim developed and implemented an Ability Management system, including software development, Fitness-for-Duty testing, strategic planning for occupational health & safety and wellness, program design, implementation and coordination of wellness programs for Seaspan ULC. Aside from the 15 years Kim worked at Seaspan, she has additional experience working with public and private sector organizations including: city and district municipalities, government health services, manufacturing, oil and gas, and emergency services.

Kim has extensive experience in managing addiction disorders in the workplace and was a key partner and project lead in the joint labour management steering committee that governed the communication strategy, leadership training sessions and roll out of the Courage to Care program for Seaspan ULC’s five companies. Kim has participated on various professional advisory committees and is known for her proactive approach and focus on health and function.

Kim has a Bachelor’s of Applied Science degree in Kinesiology from Simon Fraser University.

Mike Slater

Advanced Care Paramedic, Moose Jaw Paramedics Services

Mike Slater has been an Advanced Care Paramedic for Moose Jaw Paramedics Services for 25 years. He is trained in both peer-to-peer and group Critical Incident Stress Debriefing and has done this debriefing both internally for EMS as well as for allied services such as police and community first responders. He is a member of the EMS Mental Wellness Team which provides support for paramedics in ongoing and critical stress management and their ongoing mental wellness. For the past year, Mike has been part of an advisory committee consisting of paramedics and academics across the country to advise the Canadian Mental Health Association and Paramedic Association in the development of an online survey. The survey will be made available to paramedic organizations across the country in which their employees (through the survey) will have the ability to express how they feel their organization is doing in managing their psychological safety and well-being. He is also an instructor for the Canadian Mental Health courses Road to Mental Wellness and The Working Mind.

Kevin J. Vandolder

Partner, DC Client Practice Leader, Aon

Kevin Vandolder is a partner with Aon Hewitt Investment Consulting and serves as Aon's DC Client Practice Leader. He also serves as lead consultant for several of the firm’s mega projects and retainer clients. Prior to joining Aon Hewitt, Kevin was in the corporate finance group of the Westcoast Energy group of companies and previously served in the Canadian Navy (reserve) and Presbyterian World Service.  

Kevin holds a Master of Business Administration from NYU Stern in New York, a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance from the Odette Business School at the University of Windsor, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). He is a member of the CFA Society of Austin and previously served as President and Treasurer of the CFA Society of Chicago.  Kevin’s published research and blog entries includes pieces on innovative investment option structure, how to improve DC participant retirement outcome and wellness, and global DC opportunities and challenges.

Candace Wasacase-Lafferty

Director, Indigenous Initiatives,  University of Saskatchewan

A Cree/Saulteaux citizen of the Kahkewistahaw First Nation, Candace Wasacase-Lafferty is the Director of Indigenous Initiatives at the University of Saskatchewan. In her role, she provides oversight and leadership for the Gordon Oakes Red Bear Student Center. This centre is designed to be a place of ceremony, student success, reconciliation, and cross campus and community engagement. Ms. Wasacase-Lafferty is also the Chair of the Board of Wanuskewin Heritage Park, which works to advance understanding and appreciation of the Northern Plains Indigenous Peoples.