Speakers

Patrick Hill, Benefits & Health Consultant, Accompass

Patrick is a Benefits & Health Consultant at Accompass. He provides critical advice and support for a wide range of plan design, financial management, and administrative services; such as communications support, employee meetings, disability management and wellness plans for all sized organizations. Patrick has been working in the benefits industry for over 12 years on both the insurance carrier and the consulting side of business. Before joining Accompass, he was a Senior Group Underwriter at one of Canada’s major insurance providers. 

Peter Demangos , Managing Director 

Peter is the Co-Founder of Collage HR and Founder of PDF Financial Group, organizations that are actively reinventing the way Canadian businesses manage HR & Benefits.
Seen as a leader in the Employee Benefits industry, Peter is frequently quoted in Benefits Canada publications as well as a regular speaker for HR.com and the Human Resources Professional Association (HRPA).
Holding an MBA (from the Schulich School of Business), CFP and CLU designations, and a Bachelor of Commerce (from the Rotman School of Management), Peter is a strong believer in continued education.
He continues to share his experiences by also teaching the Pension & Benefits course at Humber College within the Human Resources Management Post-Graduate program.

Giorgio Follegati, Benefits Specialist 

Giorgio Follegati is a solution driven group benefit professional. Prior to joining Benchmark Benefit Solutions as an Account Executive in 2016, Giorgio worked as both a Technical Underwriter and Sales Representative in the Group Benefits department at one of Canada’s largest Third-Party Administrators. In 2015, Giorgio was recognized as a “Top Young Gun” under 35, by Insurance Business Canada magazine. Since entering the industry in 2010, he has made a high-level commitment to employee benefit education, having been mentored and coached by several of the most highly acclaimed employee benefit professionals in the country. Giorgio sits on the Ontario Council of the Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute and is also an organizer of DisruptHR Vaughan, an annual event bringing together HR professionals and business leaders in the Greater Toronto Area, to discuss innovation and advancements in the world of work.

Leila Mandlsohn, Product Specialist, PBM, Green Shield 

Leila is a Pharmacy Consultant in the GSC Pharmacy and Market Strategy Team. In this role, she is responsible for all facets of drug claims, including drug evaluations, formulary design and maintenance, pharmacy provider and stakeholder relations, drug pricing and policy.
Leila brings a valuable mix of pharmacy experience from key roles in Canada and the US, from eight years of community pharmacy experience at various independent and chain pharmacies, including Walgreens, to ten years in hospital pharmacy practice at Toronto General Hospital. While working in the US, Leila also developed pharmacy benefit management expertise at Medco.
A graduate of the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (BScPharm), Leila also completed a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree at the University of Kansas. She is a licensed pharmacist in Ontario (Part A) and Massachusetts, and a member of the Ontario Pharmacist Association and the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists.

Stephanie Lue-Kim, Organizational Health Consultant

Stephanie has over 20 years of experience in the group benefits industry, 9 of which are in her current role as an Organizational Health Consultant. Stephanie works closely with large Great-West Life customers and their advisors to develop and implement health, wellness and disability management.

Stephanie is a graduate of McMaster University and holds a number certifications in the health, wellness and fitness industry. She has attained industry designation from the International Foundation of Employee Benefits Plans, Group Benefits Associate.

George Vassos, Partner, Littler

George Vassos focuses his practice on advocacy before trial and appellate Courts, and before various labour boards, arbitrators, mediators, adjudicators, and other administrative tribunals, as well as strategic and proactive advice on a wide variety of labour and employment law issues. His work includes employment contracts, wrongful dismissal and employment litigation, fiduciary duties, restrictive covenants, injunctions, group benefits, employment standards, human rights, certification, collective bargaining, administration of collective agreements, grievances, arbitrations, labour board matters, alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

George earned the Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) designation from the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA), the professional regulatory body and the professional association for Human Resources professionals in Ontario, Canada.

Before joining Littler, George was a Senior Partner with Kuretzky Vassos Henderson, which was three times named one of Canada’s Top Ten Labour and Employment Law Boutique Firms by Canadian Lawyer Magazine, most recently 2014-2015. Littler is proud to continue this honour, recently named by Canadian Lawyer Magazine as one of Canada’s Top Ten Labour and Employment Law Boutique Firms, 2016-2017.)

Chris Downey, Senior Investigator, Fraud Risk Management

Chris Downey has been with Sun Life Financial for 5 years as a Senior Investigator within Fraud Risk Management. Chris and his team are responsible for investigating and preventing fraud, primarily across group benefits. They support all investigative teams within the business unit and provide expertise in the area of investigating organized crime, complex collusion schemes and complaints to various regulatory bodies. Chris brings superior interviewing skills and expert case preparation for presentation to police for prosecution.

Prior to joining Sun Life Financial, Chris was a former Staff Sergeant for 31 years with Waterloo Regional police, where he worked mainly in investigative areas including Homicide, Major Cases and Polygraph.

STEFANIE KIEFT

Communications Consultant

Stefanie is a firm believer in the power of conversation, and combines a natural sense of style with her passion for storytelling to deliver effective, outcome-focused communications.

Stefanie joined the team at Gallagher Canada, a global HR consulting firm, in 2019. There she works across investment, retirement, benefits, and compensation practice areas to authentically communicate value to clients.

Prior to her role at Gallagher, Stefanie had experience in corporate communications roles at the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada and The Hospital for Sick Children. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Applied Arts Diploma in Media Communications and Public Relations at the University of Guelph, and a diploma in public relations from Humber College.