Speakers



KEYNOTE SPEAKERS 

 






Pablos Holman 

Pablos is a hacker, inventor and technology futurist with a unique ability to distill complex technology into practical tools. Always building the future, his projects include cryptocurrency in the 1990s; AI for stock market trading; building spaceships at Blue Origin for Jeff Bezos; the world’s smallest PC and 3D printers at Makerbot. Pablos helped start the Intellectual Ventures Lab for Nathan Myhrvold to support a wide range of invention projects, including a brain surgery tool; a machine to suppress hurricanes; a nuclear reactor powered by nuclear waste; and a machine that can shoot mosquitoes out of the sky with lasers – part of an impact invention effort to eradicate malaria with Bill Gates. A member of the most prolific team of inventors in the United States, Pablos has over 70 patents.

A world-renowned expert in 3D Printing, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Robotics, Automated Manufacturing, & Cryptocurrency, Pablos has contributed to visions for the future of urban transportation, entertainment, education, energy, manufacturing, health care, food delivery, sensor networks, payment systems & cloud computing.

Currently, Pablos is working to rearchitect industries with the superpowers of automation, robotics & machine learning. He is on the faculty of Singularity University, founder of Bombsheller and an advisor to data.world & Glowforge.

 


  



















Carlos J. Leitão
Member for Robert-Baldwin, Quebec Liberal Party, Chair of the Committee on Public Administration, Official Opposition Critic for Infrastructure, Official Opposition Critic for Integrity in Public Procurement, Official Opposition Critic for Public Finance, Official Opposition Critic for the Fight Against Climate Change

Biography
• Born in Peniche (Portugal) on March 3, 1956
• Married to Marie-Hélène Thomas
• Father of three children

Education
• Bachelor’s degree in economics, McGill University (1979)

Professional Experience
• Chief economist at Laurentian Bank Securities (2003)
• Economist in the Economics Department of the Royal Bank of Canada (1983-2003)

Political, Parliamentary and Ministerial Offices

Reelected as Member for Robert-Baldwin in the general election held on October 1, 2018

Current Offices
• Official Opposition Critic for Infrastructure since October 30, 2021
• Official Opposition Critic for Integrity in Public Procurement since October 30, 2021
• Official Opposition Critic for Public Finance since August 18, 2021
• Official Opposition Critic for the Fight Against Climate Change since June 16, 2020
• Vice-Chair of the National Assembly Delegation for Relations with the United States (DANREU) since October 22, 2019
• Representing the National Assembly of Québec on the International Committee, CSG since October 22, 2019
• Representing the National Assembly of Québec on the International Committee, Council of State Governments (CSG) since October 22, 2019
• Representing the National Assembly of Québec on the Executive Committee, The Eastern Regional Conference du Council of State Governments (CSG/ERC) since October 22, 2019
• Representing the National Assembly of Québec on the Transportation Committee, Eastern Regional Conference of the Council of State Governments (CSG/ERC) since October 22, 2019
• Representing the National Assembly on the Legislative Agriculture Chairs Summit since October 22, 2019
• Chair of the Committee on Public Administration since December 4, 2018
• Member of the Committee on the National Assembly since December 4, 2018
• Member of the Committee on Public Finance since November 30, 2018

Previous Offices
• Official Opposition Critic for Government Administration and the Conseil du trésor from October 30, 2021 to January 11, 2022
• Official Opposition Critic for Ethics from October 30, 2021 to January 11, 2022
• Official Opposition Critic for Digital Transformation from October 30, 2021 to January 11, 2022
• Member of the Committee on Labour and the Economy from June 17, 2020 to January 14, 2022
• Official Opposition Critic for the Economy from June 16, 2020 to August 18, 2021
• Official Opposition Critic for Finance from October 22, 2018 to June 16, 2020

Elected as Member for Robert-Baldwin in the general election held on April 7, 2014
• Minister responsible for Government Administration and Ongoing Program Review from April 13, 2016 to January 16, 2017
• Chair of the Conseil du trésor from April 13, 2016 to January 16, 2017
• Acting Minister responsible for Government Administration and Ongoing Program Review from April 2, 2016 to April 13, 2016
• Acting Chair of the Conseil du trésor from April 2, 2016 to April 13, 2016
• Member of the Comité ministériel de l’économie, de la création d’emplois et du développement durable from May 7, 2014 to October 18,   2018
• Minister of Finance from April 23, 2014 to October 18, 2018

INDUSTRY EXPERTS

 

 

David Alloune, ASA, CFA
Senior Director, Asset Allocation

As Senior Director, Asset Allocation, David is a member of TCC’s Strategic and Tactical Asset Allocation Team, and a member of the External Managers Investment Committee. He brings nearly 15 years of experience in asset-liability management for pension funds, including the establishment of investment policies, risk budget framework and quantitative research. Prior to joining TCC in 2010, David worked at a large consulting firm, providing actuarial consulting services to institutional clients. In addition to being an Associate of the Society of Actuaries (ASA) and a CFA charterholder, David holds a Bachelor degree in Mathematics from the Université de Montréal.

 

 


Aaron Bennett
Chief Pension Officer
UPP

Aaron Bennett is UPP’s Chief Investment Officer and leads all aspects of UPP’s global investment strategy and operations. A seasoned portfolio manager, Aaron brings over 16 years of investment experience, with expertise in strategic asset allocation and responsible investing. Across his roles at Jarislowsky Fraser Global Investment Management, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, and mid-sized Canadian investment banks, Aaron has supported systemic and robust investment analysis, policy formulation and strategic implementation across portfolios and asset classes. Aaron holds a B.Sc Honours (Biology) from Queen’s University, an MBA from the Ivey School of Business Western University, and is a CFA Charterholder.





Caroline Blouin
Executive Vice President
Financial Services Regulatory Authority (Ontario)

Caroline Blouin is a strategic and highly respected senior executive who is responsible for leading FSRA’s pensions function. Through sound decision-making and oversight, she will support FSRA to promote a strong and sustainable pension system and protect the interests of pension plan beneficiaries.

Known for developing high performing teams of pension experts, Caroline brings a wealth of global expertise and experience to this critical function having led several transformational initiatives within multi-stakeholder environments from advising multinationals on global pension plans to managing one of Canada’s largest private sector pension plans. She came to FSRA from RBC Insurance where she most recently held the position of Vice President, Pension and Longevity Solutions. Prior to joining RBC, she was a Principal with Mercer in New York City where she provided advice on non-US pensions and benefit arrangements.

Caroline holds an Honors degree in Actuarial Sciences and is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and Canadian Institute of Actuaries.

Caroline is Vice Chair of the Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities (CAPSA)

 




Chris Bonnett
Principal Consultant
H3 Consulting. Research & Strategy / Communicated.

Chris Bonnett established H3 Consulting in 1999, after 18 years of progressive experience in employee benefits. He provides practical prescription drug policy research for private and public drug plan leaders and advises on strategies to improve health in the workplace. He writes and speaks frequently on these topics.

Dr. Bonnett has been a director on the Boards of four health service organizations. He is a member of the Humber College BHSW Program Advisory Committee, and was the longest-serving member of the Sanofi Canada Healthcare Survey Advisory Board until the survey’s transition to Benefits Canada in 2021.

Dr. Bonnett holds a Master's degree in Health Science from the University of Toronto, and a PhD in drug policy from the University of Waterloo.

 




Douglas Chiu
Founding Partner 
Hammerco Lawyers LLP

Doug is a Founding Partner of Hammerco Lawyers LLP, a 70-person law firm in Vancouver, BC. He is the head of the firm’s Commercial Litigation practice group and has over 17 years of experience helping clients resolve their disputes. His primary focus is representing businesses and individuals in their insurance dispute. This includes commercial interruption insurance, disability insurance, professional liability insurance and fire insurance.

Since July 2020, Doug has led the firm’s Diversity Equality and Inclusivity Committee whose group has implemented key policies and procedures that have positively impacted the firm internally and externally.

Doug has appeared as counsel in dozens of trials and other proceedings in the Supreme Court of British Columbia. He is a Governor of the Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia and was appointed to the Law Society of British Columbia’s Discipline and Credentials Tribunal. Doug is fluent in English and Cantonese and can communicate in Mandarin. He regularly appears in Chinese media including television, radio, and print.

 




Martin Chung
Assistant Vice-President of Strategic Health Management
Equitable Life of Canada

Martin Chung is Assistant Vice-President of Strategic Health Management at Equitable Life of Canada.

His journey has included practical experience within many stakeholders in the healthcare environment. This includes being a pharmacist, business management of a chain of pharmacies, leading national private payer strategy at Pfizer Canada, and vice-president of group benefits at Aon-Hewitt Consulting.

His over-arching passion is bridging healthcare solutions and stakeholders in order to generate both patient and business value.

 



Tim Cottee

Director, Sales Enablement, Group Retirement, Savings, and Investments
Canada Life

Tim has a true passion for financial advice, and the impact it can have for sponsors, active members, and retirees. He has been featured on CBC and BNN as an expert on retirement, and in multiple national advisor and client publications. Tim has worked as a marketing assistant, advisor, wholesaler and head office leader in individual and group retirement sales since 1999. His blend of deep retirement market expertise and his practical 'from the ground up’ experience gives him a unique perspective on the group retirement business.

  
 

Amy Deacon
Founder and CEO of Toronto Wellness Counselling

Amy Deacon is the proud Founder and CEO of Toronto Wellness Counselling. Beyond running this inclusive and full-service therapy clinic, Amy is also a Registered Social Worker and Clinical Traumatologist, dedicated to equipping her clients with the necessary skills to create meaningful change in their lives. She earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Toronto and is certified in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Complex Disorders, EMDR Training, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, Life Skills Coaching, and Harm Reduction.

Amy has appeared on CBC, Global News, and has conducted many speaking engagements with top tier organizations.

For more information, visit: https://www.torontowellnesscounselling.com/about-amy

 

 


Anar Dossa

Director, Pharmacy ServicesDirector, Pharmacy Services
Pacific Blue Cross

Anar Dossa is the Director of Pharmacy Services at Pacific Blue Cross. She has over 30 years of experience in providing evidence based care.  She is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UBC, Past Chair of the Board, College of Pharmacists of BC and Chair of the Prescription Drug Committee, CLHIA.

  

 



Julie Gaudry
Head of Group Insurance
RBC Insurance

Julie Gaudry leads a team with overall responsibility for the product development and strategic direction for RBC Insurance’s Group Benefit Solutions (GBS). With a focus on innovation and thought-leadership, the team is committed to differentiating RBC Insurance through product and service enhancements that make it easier for clients to lead a healthy lifestyle, manage their benefits programs, and return to health if faced with a serious medical condition. Julie has appeared on:

  • Corus Radio Network, CTV and Global National News (2021)
  • Canada’s Podcast (2021)
  • Talent Canada Podcast (2021)
  • Benefits Canada’s Return to Work panelist discussion with Microsoft and 3M (2021)
  • Benefits Canada’s Mental Health Summit (2020 & 2021)
  • Benefits and Pension Monitor’s Future of Work event (2021)
 

 

Addie Greco-Sanchez
President
AGS Rehab 

Addie Greco-Sanchez  is the founder and president of AGS Rehab, a leader in disability management and assessment services since 1999 that has grown into a successful company with a head office in Mississauga and a large network of professionals across Canada. Selected as one of PROFIT/Chatelaine’s Top 100 Female Entrepreneurs, Addie is a passionate and expert advocate for mental health in the workplace and frequent national speaker on the topic of how companies can safeguard employees’ psychological health.She is co-author of the newly released book,The 5-Minute Recharge, 31 Proven Strategies to Refresh, Reset and Become the Boss of Your Day.

  

Asif Haque
CAAT Pension Plan

Asif Haque is Chief Investment Officer at the CAAT Pension Plan. Originally created to support the Ontario college system, the CAAT Plan now proudly serves more than 200 participating employers in 11 industries including the for-profit, non-profit, and broader public sectors. It currently has more than 75,000 active and retired members. At January 1, 2022, the Plan was 124% funded on a going-concern basis.

 



Leyla Imanirad 
Chief Empowerment Officer
Pensionbar

Leyla is the founder & CEO of Pensionbar, a pension technology & communication company. Her vision is to demystify the pension maze and improve retirement outcomes for individuals through innovative and user-friendly tools. She is a tech professional with 15 years of experience delivering solutions across different verticals in the financial industry.

In her previous role at an investment manage firm, she worked on developing predictive models, investment strategy analysis and portfolio construction tools. As a practitioner, she believes in harnessing the power of artificial intelligence while being cognizant of its limitations. As a communicator, she enjoys raising awareness about the AI technology and its impact on our collective future. She has a master’s degree in computer & biomedical engineering from the University of Toronto.

 


 



Denise Kehler, MBA
Head of Delegated Portfolio Management, Canada
Willis Towers Watson

Relevant Experience/Specialization
Denise Kehler leads our Portfolio Management team for the WTW Canadian delegated business and is a member of the WTW Global Portfolio Management Group Executive. Denise is responsible for bringing WTW’s best global investment ideas and implementing them in Canadian delegated client portfolios.

Prior to joining Willis Towers Watson, Denise was the President and Chief Investment Officer of the Teachers’ Retirement Allowances Fund in Manitoba and the Director of Investment Services at the Public Employees Benefits Agency in Saskatchewan where she advised the boards of several defined benefit plans, an annuity fund, defined contribution plans including the largest DC plan in Canada.

Denise is based out of our Montreal and Toronto offices.

Education and Credentials
Denise has a bachelor’s degree in administration as well as an M.B.A. from the University of Regina. She is also registered with Integra Capital Limited, a Willis Towers Watson company, as an Advising Representative (Portfolio Manager) and Dealing Representative.

  
 

Alexandra LaFlamme-Sanders
Assistant Vice President, Products and Solutions, Group Benefits
Sun Life

Alexandra Laflamme-Sanders is Assistant Vice-President, Products and Solutions, Group Benefits. Alexandra is responsible for the creation and execution of the product development and solutions strategy for Group Benefits in Canada.

Prior to this role, Alexandra held many strategy-focused positions within Sun Life – including leading our Quebec growth strategy; and the creation and management of the client experience strategy for Group Choices.

Alexandra has a Bachelor of Mathematics in Scientific Computation and Applied Mathematics and a Master of Mathematics in Statistics and Computing from the University of Waterloo.

 


Philippe Lagacé
Conseiller principal, assurance collective
Mercer Marsh Avantages Sociaux

PHILIPPE LAGACÉ est conseiller principal en santé et avantages sociaux chez Mercer, où il pratique depuis près de 25 ans. Il est spécialisé dans la conception, le financement et l’administration de programmes d’avantages sociaux traditionnels et flexibles. Il est également spécialisé dans l’évaluation actuarielle des obligations liées aux avantages sociaux pendant la retraite et postérieurs à l’emploi. Monsieur Lagacé détient un baccalauréat en mathématique avec spécialisation en actuariat de l’Université de Montréal. Il détient également une licence en régimes d’assurance collective de l’Autorité des Marchés Financiers.

  


Emile Lavergne
Climate StrategistClimate Strategist
Manifest Climate

Emile Lavergne is a Climate Strategist at Manifest Climate, a climate SaaS platform helping organizations understand, manage, and improve climate-related strategy and accompanying disclosures. In his role, Emile helps financial sector clients improve their climate maturity.

Prior to joining Manifest Climate, Emile was a senior consultant at a boutique sustainability consultancy where he focused on climate strategy and disclosure for financial and energy and utilities clients. He has also worked for TD Bank’s Corporate Environmental Affairs team, and the International Institute for Development (IISD).

Emile holds a Master of Global Affairs (MGA) with a focus on environmental studies from the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and International Development Studies from McGill University.

 

 

 







Emily Lawrence
Directrice nord-américaine de l’investissement durable
Northern Trust Asset Management

Emily Lawrence est directrice nord-américaine de l'engagement des clients en investissement durable chez Northern Trust Asset Management, où elle est responsable de l'engagement des clients et du partenariat concernant les capacités d'investissement durable de Northern Trust. Elle est une experte en matière d'investissement durable et détient également le titre de Certified Climate Professional de l'Association of Climate Change Officers.

Emily a 15 ans d'expérience de collaboration avec des clients pour soutenir le développement d'approches concrètes d'investissement durable. Elle collabore directement avec les clients pour organiser des formations et animer des discussions sur des concepts, des thèmes et des tendances par le biais de réunions, de publications et de webinars.

Avant de rejoindre Northern Trust, Emily a géré la production de recherche pour les équipes de recherche chez MSCI ESG Research. En rejoignant MSCI ESG Research via KLD en 2007, Emily était chargée de superviser la collecte de données clés, l'analyse et les initiatives de qualité, notamment en tant que membre du comité de méthodologie. Emily a également siégé aux comités directeurs de l'indice d'accès à la nutrition 2013 et de l'indice d'accès aux médicaments 2012.

Emily a reçu son M.Res. en résolution de conflits internationaux de l'Institut Catholique de Paris et titulaire d'un MSc. en politique européenne et gouvernance de la London School of Economics. De plus, Emily est titulaire d'un B.A. en langue et littérature françaises de l'Université du New Hampshire.

Elle est également un membre actif du Northern Trust Sustainable Investing Council, du Proxy Voting Committee, du Climate Risk Caucus et du Executive CSR Council. Emily siège au conseil d'administration de Surge for Water, une organisation non-governmental axée sur l'accès à l'eau potable pour l'hygiène, l'assainissement et la santé dans les zones à stress hydrique. Défenseur de la diversité, de l'équité et de l'inclusion dans le secteur de la gestion des investissements, Emily siège au conseil consultatif du programme Women in Leadership de la George Washington University Business School. Emily a servi de mentor pour les jeunes professionnels dans le cadre du programme de mentorat Women in ETFs à partir de 2017 et a coprésidé le comité des événements du Diversity Project North America depuis 2019. Elle siège aux sous-comités ESG de divers organismes de l'industrie. y compris DCIIA, ICI et ABA. Auparavant, Emily a été nommée au groupe de travail sur les principes d'investissement responsable axé sur la propriété active et les objectifs de développement durable et au groupe de travail sur le plan d'action et de résilience pour le climat pour le gouvernement d'Evanston, IL.

  

 

JM Lavoie
Regional Vice President, Business Development and Client Relationships – Group Retirement Services - Quebec

As Regional Vice-President Quebec Region, Group Retirement Services, Jean-Michel (JM) Lavoie leads, manages and coaches a team of high performing Business Development and Client Relationship Executives to execute on regional sales, persistency and profitability targets. JM Lavoie joined Sun Life and Group Benefits in February 2013 as Director, Pharmaceutical Benefits and was promoted to AVP, Product Development in 2016. As the leader of the GB Product team, JM was responsible for the creation and execution of the product strategy to differentiate Sun Life as the leading benefits provider in Canada. JM was nominated as one of 2017 LIMRA’s 25 Rising Stars in Innovation and in 2018, the Journal de l’assurance highlighted him as one of the Top 25 New Leaders in insurance for his work and involvement. He obtained his Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Montreal, followed by Post Graduate Studies at the University of Montpellier, France, and a MBA from McGill University.

 



Pat Leo

VP
Longevity Retirement Solutions

In Pat’s current role as VP, Longevity Retirement Solutions with Purpose Investments, he focuses on delivering innovative retirement solutions, thought leadership, and dedicated service to institutional clients across Canada. He has more than 20 years of experience in financial services, defined-contribution pension consulting, client management, and business development at Mercer, Sun Life Financial, and Sun Life Global Investments.

 

 

 

Suzanne Lepage
Private Health Plan Strategist
Suzanne Lepage Consulting

Suzanne is a private health plan strategist who bridges the pharmaceutical and group benefits industry.

Prior to beginning her consulting practice, Suzanne was National Manager Private Healthcare with the pharmaceutical company Hoffman La Roche Canada. During that time she developed and executed private healthcare strategies and managed a patient assistance program for biologic medications.

Prior to joining the pharmaceutical industry Suzanne worked in group benefits in a wide variety of roles for almost 20 years, which included managing the drug programs for a major Canadian insurer.

She is frequent speaker and contributor to both private market and pharmaceutical industry conferences and publications.

 


Dan Licoppe
Director, Maximum Benefit
Johnston Group Inc.

Dan has over 25 years experience in absence and disability management, working with employers and benefits advisors to improve their programs for short-term disability, long-term disability, and workers compensation programs. He has a Master of Science, Vocational Rehabilitation, with a focus on mental health in the workplace; employee engagement;and modifiable employee absence risk factors. Dan has presented at human resource association conferences, Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute events, and various insurance, disability management and return to work conferences.

 


 

William Lindsay
Plan Sponsor Service Advisor for Disability Management and Prevention
Desjardins Insurance 

As Plan Sponsor Service Advisor for Disability Management and Prevention, William Lindsay serves as a support resource to your Account Executive and the team responsible for managing a proactive and flexible disability management program. His role is to create a true partnership that delivers the best in customer service and disability prevention and management. Drawing on his more than 10 years of experience in disability management, including his roles as a team leader, coach and claims specialist, William possesses all the expertise necessary to efficiently communicate your disability management needs to the department.

Fully bilingual and armed with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Athletic Therapy, William uses his knowledge and experience with various large, national-scale clients, large-scale provincial unions (both inside and outside of Quebec) as well as smaller groups to help assist you with your needs and bring a common sense approach to disability management.

 






Angela Mazerolle
Vice President, Regulatory Operations
Superintendent, Pensions and Insurance at FCNB (New Brunswick)

Angela is the Vice President, Regulatory Operations for the New Brunswick Financial and Consumer Services Commission, and in that role is responsible for the direction and oversight of all regulatory functions of the Commission. This includes direct oversight and responsibility for the Commission’s Financial Institutions Division, Consumer Affairs Division, Pensions and Insurance Division, and Securities Division. Angela serves as the statutory regulator in many of these areas, including as the Superintendent of Pensions and Superintendent of Insurance.

Angela has been involved for 20 years in both policy development and the regulation of financial and consumer services.

Angela is Vice Chair of the Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities (CAPSA) and of the General Insurance Statistical Agency (GISA). She is also a Steering Committee Member of the International Pension & Employee Benefits Lawyers Association (IPEBLA), and an active member of the Canadian Council of Insurance Regulators (CCIR), the Canadian Insurance Services Regulatory Organizations (CISRO), and the Joint Forum of Financial Market Regulators. Angela received her Bachelor of Commerce degree (Honours - Economics) from Mount Allison University and her Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Alberta.

 


 

David McGowan
Vice President, Strategic Asset Allocation
British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI)

Dave joined BCI in August 2017. With $200 billion of managed assets as of March 31, 2021, BCI is one of Canada’s largest institutional investors within the global capital markets.
In his current role, Dave leads BCI’s Strategic Asset Allocation team which is responsible for making recommendations to clients’ asset allocation through asset-liability studies, investment planning, executing allocation changes, and managing the product shelf.
Prior to joining BCI, Dave worked for over 16 years in as actuary at Willis Towers Watson, where he consulted to clients on a broad array of pension benefit issues, including risk management for defined benefit plans.
Dave received a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from UBC. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries and Society of Actuaries and a CFA Charterholder.

 

 






Siobhan M. O’Brien
Partner, Ottawa
Hicks Morley LLP

Siobhan O’Brien is an Ottawa employment, labour and human rights lawyer. She provides strategic, practical and cost-effective advice to employers from coast to coast on a variety of workplace issues. In addition to appearing before courts, human rights tribunals, arbitrators, and labour boards, Siobhan routinely provides advice on wrongful dismissal litigation, human rights law, grievance arbitration, labour relations, collective bargaining and strike
management.

This work has included advice and assistance to employers regarding notice terminations and dismissals for cause, policy development, restructuring, employment standards, accommodation, attendance management, collective agreement interpretation, discipline and dismissal, management rights, pregnancy/parental leave and restrictive covenants.

In addition to being exceptionally responsive and accessible, she is dedicated to understanding her clients’ particular business needs and is committed to recommending the best possible course of action.

Outside of her practice, Siobhan enjoys spending time with family at Otter Lake and planning the next opportunity to eat a stack of pancakes at Mildred’s Temple Kitchen in Toronto.

 


 

Ned Pojskic
Vice President of Pharmacy Benefits Management
Green Shield Canada

Ned Pojskic is Green Shield Canada’s Vice President of Pharmacy Benefits Management. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing both the strategic and operational elements of GSC pharmacy benefits management function. On the strategic side, Ned leads a team of pharmacists and drug policy specialists responsible for setting GSC’s strategic direction with respect to pharmacy and drug benefits management, including product development and pharmaceutical industry partnerships. On the operational side, Ned’s scope of responsibility includes oversight of drug pricing, formulary management and drug prior authorization.
With an industry background that includes a role as Director of Health Policy for the Ontario Pharmacists Association, Ned is a key member of GSC’s Pharmacy Team. Ned holds Masters and PhD degrees from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Toronto and is currently appointed as an adjunct lecturer within the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy.

 

 

 

Nisha Singh, FSA, FCIA
Senior Consultant
PBI Actuarial 

Nisha is a Senior Consultant working in the Toronto office. She has over 18 years of consulting experience, advising clients on both single and multiemployer pension plans.

Nisha has broad experience in projects relating to all phases of pension plan operations, including plan design, plan costing, actuarial valuations (funding and solvency), accounting disclosures (CICA, FASB, and IAS), experience studies, and client administration. She is also experienced in conducting trustee education sessions for clients and at industry conferences and in providing plan member communications that meet the client and members’ needs. Nisha is currently the strategic communications actuary for PBI’s member communications services, providing a unique skill set to this critical area.

 


 

Daniella Vega CFA, FCIA, FSA
Vice President, Multi-Asset Class Solutions
Fiera Capital

Daniella Vega leads the Multi-Asset Cass Solutions team (MACS) and is responsible for assessing our clients’ needs and developing, implementing and monitoring their portfolios. She also ensures that our Multi-Asset Class Solutions group works closely with our Institutional and Private Wealth groups.

Daniella joined Fiera Capital in 2021 and has nearly 20 years of experience in the field of risk modelling and management. She previously worked at Eckler Ltd. where she began her career as an actuarial analyst. She then held various positions in the Pensions and Investments and Financial Modeling and Risk Management divisions, most recently as Principal.

Daniella holds a Bachelor of Mathematics in Actuarial Science from the University of Waterloo. She has the designations of Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), FCIA and FSA.

 



Frederick Vettese

Author and public speaker

Frederick Vettese is an actuary and retirement expert whose career has spanned four decades. From 1991 to 2018, he was Chief Actuary at Morneau Shepell. In recent years, he has turned his focus to helping dispel retirement myths through speaking at industry conferences as well as publishing numerous articles in the Globe and Mail and National Post. In addition, Fred has written four books on retirement. His third book, Retirement Income for Life, became the country’s best-selling book on retirement planning. Fred also serves on the advisory boards of Purpose Investments and mygoals. 

 


 


Rachel Volynsky
Chief Investment Officer, Delegated SolutionsChief Investment Officer, Delegated Solutions
Mercer · Permanent Full-time

Rachel Volynsky joined Mercer Canada as Chief Investment Officer in September 2019, focusing on leading the OCIO Investment Team in Canada. Rachel is based in the Toronto office. Rachel is the Global Chair Mercer Global Equities Portfolio Management and a member of the Global Liquid Alternative Committee member. She is currently responsible for overseeing portfolios of multiple and diverse institutional clients and Private Wealth, with the help of 20+ member team that she recruited and built.

With over 20 years of capital allocation experience, Rachel brings significant expertise in the management of public and private markets investment and growing assets for industry-leading global asset managers. Prior to joining Mercer, Rachel held several senior leadership roles with major investment firms in Canada and the United States, as well as with one of the largest pension funds in North America. Her most recent role was Head of Equities, SEI Canada, where she led the restructuring effort of the flagship funds. Prior to that Rachel was a Senior Global portfolio manager, Head of Research at a leading Sustainability asset manager in the US.

Rachel has obtained an International Master of Business Administration from the Shulich School of Business, York University and is a CFA charterholder. She is also fluent and conversant in five languages.

 

 





George Vuicic
Associé
Hicks Morley LLP

George Vuicic est diplômé en droit de l’Université de Windsor (LL.B., 1995) et de l’Université de Détroit Mercy (J.D., 1995). Il a fait sa cléricature avec Hicks Morley, a été reçu au Barreau de l’Ontario et au Barreau du New York en 1997, et exerce au cabinet depuis lors.

George est basé au bureau d’Ottawa, où il pratique dans les deux langues officielles. Son expertise comprend toute la diversité de questions en droit du travail et de l’emploi, y compris le litige civil, les poursuites réglementaires, l’arbitrage de griefs et les instances devant les commissions des relations de travail. Il conseille régulièrement les conseils scolaires, tant sur les relations de travail que le droit scolaire, y compris l’éducation à l’enfance en difficulté. De plus, les conseils scolaires consultent George par rapport à leurs interactions avec les sociétés d’aide à l’enfance et les autorités policières. George assiste également d’autres agences de services sociales, et est un Conseiller juridique honoraire pour Centraide Ottawa. George a comparu devant tous les niveaux des tribunaux judiciaires de l’Ontario, de même que la Cour fédérale du Canada. Il se passionne à aider les employeurs à relever les défis qui se présentent dans le milieu de travail, et à atteindre leurs objectifs.

  


Jonathan Wypych

Associate
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

Jon is an associate in the Pensions & Benefits Group at Osler LLP. He advises on legal and regulatory matters for provincial and federal pension plans, including on ESG and climate-related investment and governance matters. Before joining Osler, Jon was legal counsel at an investment fund which managed over $2 billion in assets. He began his legal career working as a litigation associate at a national law firm

  
 

Mark S. Yamada
President & CEO
PÛR Investing

Mark Yamada is the President and CEO of PŮR Investing Inc.. He brings broad money management experience from institutional and multiemployer pensions to individual   high net worth, mutual and index funds the product of years as a portfolio manager and leader investment teams including founding managing director of the private client division of Guardian Capital, president and CIO of Sun Life Investment Management Company, president of BGH Central Investment Management, principal of risk-arbitrage hedge fund, Andrew Sarlos & Associates, and head of U.S. equities at Manulife Financial.

Mark writes and speaks regularly about pensions, investment management, and economics. Together with colleague Ms. Ioulia Tretiakova, he has published several peer-reviewed papers in Canada, the Rotman International Journal of Pension Management in Canada and the Journal of Retirement in the U.S.. Mark served on the inaugural Investment Fund Products Advisory Committee of the Ontario Securities Commission.

  





Philippe Lagacé
Conseiller principal, assurance collective
Mercer Marsh Avantages Sociaux

PHILIPPE LAGACÉ est conseiller principal en santé et avantages sociaux chez Mercer, où il pratique depuis près de 25 ans. Il est spécialisé dans la conception, le financement et l’administration de programmes d’avantages sociaux traditionnels et flexibles. Il est également spécialisé dans l’évaluation actuarielle des obligations liées aux avantages sociaux pendant la retraite et postérieurs à l’emploi. Monsieur Lagacé détient un baccalauréat en mathématique avec spécialisation en actuariat de l’Université de Montréal. Il détient également une licence en régimes d’assurance collective de l’Autorité des Marchés Financiers.

Philippe Lagacé
Conseiller principal, assurance collective
Mercer Marsh Avantages Sociaux

PHILIPPE LAGACÉ est conseiller principal en santé et avantages sociaux chez Mercer, où il pratique depuis près de 25 ans. Il est spécialisé dans la conception, le financement et l’administration de programmes d’avantages sociaux traditionnels et flexibles. Il est également spécialisé dans l’évaluation actuarielle des obligations liées aux avantages sociaux pendant la retraite et postérieurs à l’emploi. Monsieur Lagacé détient un baccalauréat en mathématique avec spécialisation en actuariat de l’Université de Montréal. Il détient également une licence en régimes d’assurance collective de l’Autorité des Marchés Financiers.

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