SPEAKERS

     
 

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS 

 
     
 
 

Pamela Barnum, M.P.A., J.D. 
Former Undercover Police Officer & Federal Prosecuting Attorney
Trust Strategist & Nonverbal Communication Expert

Pamela provides actionable strategies to help you negotiate, influence,and build trust through intentional communication and nonverbalcues

Imagine what it would be like to live as a different person with a different name, identity, andbackground. For months, you live with a false identity, and your success depends on building trustand detecting deception with some of the most dangerous people imaginable. That’s precisely whatPamela Barnum did for years working undercover in the Drug Enforcement Section. She learnedreal-world techniques for building trust and interpreting body language. 

When Pamela graduated from law school, she left policing and accepted a position as a federal prosecuting attorney. She spent countless hours in the courtroom, perfecting her proficiency as atrust strategist and body language expert. Following a successful 20-year career in the criminal justice system, Pamela studied corporatenegotiations in graduate school.

Now, she shares her expertise with others, teaching them how toimprove their communication skills to increase trust inside corporations, associations, and lawenforcement agencies. She learned quickly how to separate fact from fiction and truth from falsehood.  As a nonverbal communication expert and trust strategist, Pamela delivers techniques once thoughtof as a “secret second language” participants can begin using immediately.Take decades of experience in deep undercover work in narcotics and a successful legal career, andyou get real-world strategies that help attendees crack the code on trust, improve professionalrelationships and increase effectiveness using proven field-tested techniques.

 
 


 
       
 
 

Jeph Maystruck
Marketing Consultant, Speaker, and Strategist

Jeph doesn’t just challenge the status quo—he ignores it entirely. As a keynote speaker, Jeph has captivated audiences across Canada with his bold insights on marketing, social media, and storytelling. By day, he works at StratLab, a marketing company based in Regina, Saskatchewan, which he also co-founded 13 years ago. By night, you might find him handing out lottery tickets, cooking, baking, golfing or gardening. Jeph has always had an attitude about making a difference. He co-founded Big Idea Camp, which is celebrating its 10th year of inspiring young minds and has shared his expertise as a teaching marketing at Saskatchewan Polytechnic and social media at the University of Regina. But Jeph’s proudest achievement? Being a dad to two amazing kids, aged three and six. For him, fatherhood is the ultimate adventure—and his favourite story yet.

 
 


 
   
  

Michael Kerr
The Workplace Energizer. Humor at Work, The Way Work Ought to Be

Michael Kerr is one of Canada’s most in-demand motivational speakers ‘ combining safe, outrageous humor with relevant, practical workplace ideas. Michael is an award-winning Certified Speaking Professional, the author of six books and a member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers’ Hall of Fame. As the president of Humor at Work, Michael helps organizations become more successful by using humor in the workplace to manage stress, boost morale, inspire creativity, improve relationships and teamwork, enhance workplace communication and improve customer service. Michael also talks about the importance of creating truly inspiring workplaces where a positive attitude and a sense of humor are the end result, so Michael talks about those things organizations, leaders and teams need to do to be successful.

As a recovering senior manager, Michael has extensive first-hand experience dealing with the challenges and stresses of the workplace. So his programs are known not just for their great, clean humour, but for their inspiring ideas and relevant content that helps teams move to the next level.

 
 
   
  

Joan McCusker 
Olympic Gold Medalist, Motivational Speaker, Former Teacher B.Ed., CBC Curling Host

Joan McCusker helps organizations build extraordinary lives using their best resources of ordinary people. An Olympic Gold Medalist and CBC commentator, Joan uses sports examples and humour to get the point across that attitude and teamwork are important to success.

Joan and her six brothers and sisters were raised on the family farm near Saltcoats, Saskatchewan. It was a busy and active family that supported her first successes in school and sport. She graduated from the University of Saskatchewan in 1987 with a Bachelor of Education. Joan joined the CBC Sports Curling telecast as a commentator in 2001. She continued to curl competitively with Team Betker who placed fourth in Canada in 2003 and in the Canadian Olympic Curling Trials in December 2005.

She volunteers her time to charity and is an active member on the Board of Directors of the Sandra Schmirler Foundation. She resigned her teaching position in 1998 to dedicate more time to being a mom, curler, broadcaster and motivational speaker.

Joan has become a competitive curling coach, a promoter of young women in sport and volunteers her time to charity. She spent 5 years on the founding Board of Directors of the Sandra Schmirler Foundation and is now an Honourary Ambassador.

 
 


 
        
  

Sam Goodwin 
Inspirational Speaker | Author of Saving Sam

In 2019, Sam Goodwin was wrongfully accused of espionage and taken hostage in Syria while on a journey to travel to every country in the world. During months of captivity, he endured solitary confinement, blindfolded interrogations, and a sham trial, with both US government and intelligence officials doubting whether he’d ever be seen alive again. Today, Goodwin shares his incredible story to help audiences turn uncertainty into opportunity, equipping them with practical tools to cultivate resilience, embrace challenges, and lead with purpose in the face of the unknown.

Goodwin’s life is a testament to growth through adversity. Between 2010 and 2019, he traveled to all 193 UN sovereign countries, sharing stories of positivity from overlooked and misunderstood places. His career has spanned playing and coaching hockey in India, North Korea, and Turkmenistan and leading humanitarian efforts across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Goodwin also launched a tech startup and NGO in Singapore, focusing on stakeholder engagement and non-profit partnerships.

Goodwin emerged from his extraordinary life experiences with a renewed perspective and powerful framework for Winning Through Uncertainty, which has made him an in-demand thought leader on resilience, leadership, and uncertainty. He credits the mental toughness, critical thinking, and resilience he developed as a former Division 1 athlete as crucial to his survival as a hostage and recounts his gripping story in his memoir, Saving Sam.

Goodwin holds a bachelor’s from Niagara University, a master’s from Washington University, and a Doctorate in International Affairs from Johns Hopkins University.

 
       
 

BREAKOUT SPEAKERS

 
     
  

Jenny Hart
Managing Director
HK Henderson Consulting

With over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, Jenny is a passionate and dedicated Group Benefit Consultant and proud Managing Director of HK Henderson Consulting. 

As a trusted expert, Jenny understands the importance of cost-effective and sustainable benefits programs, from group plans to retirement and wellness initiatives. By staying current with industry trends and regulations, she ensures that clients receive the most comprehensive programs, advice and education available. 

Known for building lasting relationships and offering exceptional customer service, Jenny is committed to helping employers create environments that attract and retain top talent, while also supporting the well-being of employees. 

 
     
 
 

Dustin Halvorson
Partner, Managing Director, Commercial Lines
HK Henderson Consulting

Dustin is a specialist in mid market business risk advisory to clients in construction, agriculture and other industries as well. Dustin enjoys partnering with clients by getting to know their business intimately and then custom tailoring a risk management plan that goes beyond ‘just’ placing insurance policies but also becoming a true advisor to his clients.

Dustin aligns with clients to help them achieve their growth goals as an organization and protect their profitability. Dustin is excited to have the opportunity to speak at the CPBI Saskatchewan conference and collaborate with attendees. 

 
     
  Shannan Corey

Executive Director
Saskatchewan Pension Plan 

Shannan is the Executive Director of the Saskatchewan Pension Plan, serving a member base of over 32,000 members with over 500 employer plans and an asset base of close to $800 million.  This work allows Shannan to align with her personal passion for enhancing retirement security for all Canadians by providing access to a professionally managed, pooled pension product with low fees.  Providing relevant, effective member experiences for a large, diverse membership base including everyone from ages 18 to 71 earning employment income is the unique value proposition that the SPP offers. Shannan’s prior experience serving on large pension boards allows her to bring innovation and best practices to improved member experiences and operational effectiveness while connecting to her community values.  She brings over 30 years both private and public sector experience along with a math degree from U of S, an Associate Actuary designation, and is a registered CPHR.

 
     
  

Troy Milnthorp
Senior Managing Director of Corporate Fund Services
Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation 

Troy Milnthorp is the Senior Managing Director of Corporate Fund Services at the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation, where he oversees all aspects of the pension, benefit and investment programs for the Federation.   Prior to joining the Federation, Troy was a partner for a global HR consulting firm, where he provided actuarial consulting services to clients across Canada.  He is also the owner and operator of 14 Llamas Woodworking Ltd.  

 
     
     
  

Christie Rall
Partner Workforce Transformation

Mercer 

Christie Rall is a Partner in Mercer’s Career practice with 20 years of experience in the areas of workforce strategy, Organizational Change Management & HR Transformation.  Her work focuses on designing and delivering innovative workforce programs to improve both team effectiveness and business performance.  She has led a variety of global future of work programs, including Enterprise Agility Transformations, Digital Upskilling, people integration and strategic workforce change -  with a focus on Financial Services, Telecommunications, Technology and Manufacturing clients.
 
     
 
 

Meghan Popp
Partner
Lawson Lundell LLP

Meghan is a partner in Lawson Lundell LLP’s Pension and Employee Benefits Group. She works with boards of trustees and other administrators and sponsors of pension and benefit plans in the private and public sectors across a wide range of industries in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

Meghan advises on issues that arise in the day-to-day administration of plans, as well as larger projects such as plan mergers and reorganizations. This includes the interpretation and amendment of plan texts, trust agreements and policies, negotiating plan related contracts and compliance with pension standards legislation, family property law, tax law, human rights law and privacy law.

 
     
  

Jeffrey Boutilier 
President
Ascent Strategy

The founder and driving force behind Ascent’s rise as a leading customer experience design studio, Jeffrey is a passionate and creative leader trusted by trusted brands and market leaders.  He provides thoughtful advice and strategic insight across a wide range of industries and organizational challenges.  With a clientele spanning governments, non-profits, academia, and multinational companies, Jeffrey continues to be a sought-after partner to tackle particularly difficult challenges, build consensus and agreement in difficult circumstances, and – most importantly – drive strategic execution that generates real results.  Jeffrey’s reputation for consistent outcomes, building broad support, and his willingness to be a challenging partner, have established him as a trusted advisor to Western Canada’s business leaders. 

 
     
  

Suzanne Mason, CPA, CA
COO & Co-Founder
Sprout Family 

Suzanne Mason is the Co-Founder and COO of Sprout Family, Canada’s first comprehensive solution for fertility and family-building benefits. Sprout partners with employers to provide inclusive family-building benefits to employees, including fertility care, surrogacy, and adoption.

Sprout was started in 2023 and has quickly become the market leader for family-building benefits. They recently launched a national partnership with GreenShield Canada to offer fertility coverage for over 6M covered lives, and have another national Canadian carrier partnership that will be announced in 2025 (cannot yet disclose).

She has a strong track record of building, scaling and leading operations teams at Canadian tech companies. The Peak recognized her as a 2022 Emerging Leader for her contributions to the Canadian tech and startup ecosystem. She also holds a CPA, CA designation from her previous work in public accounting. She has spoken on multiple panels and webinars covering topics like the future of work and femtech trends. She is a regular guest on notable Canadian podcasts like Robin Bailey’s (Founder of Aria Benefits) Success Leaves Clues and Kelly Yefet’s How I Became Podcast.

 
     
  

Deron Waldock
Partner, Toronto
McCarthy Tetrault  

Deron Waldock is a partner in our National Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation Group in Toronto. His practice relates exclusively to pensions, benefits and compensation plans and their related investment arrangements. He advises both private and public sector clients on the legal and regulatory aspects of pension and employee benefits plans including: governance, fiduciary responsibilities, plan administration and compliance, pension fund investment, pension committees, plan wind up, surplus strategies, and the negotiation and drafting of plan and trust documents. His clients include universities, municipal bodies, governmental agencies, multinational corporations and jointly-trusteed and multi-employer pension plans.

Deron deals extensively with pension and benefits issues arising in corporate mergers, acquisitions and reorganizations, and has advised on many large Canadian and international transactions. Deron regularly advises on pension litigation matters, and has appeared before the Financial Services Tribunal in Ontario as well as made submissions to federal and provincial regulators on various pension compliance and surplus matters.

 
      
 
 

Julia D'Adamo, Pharm D.
Pharmacy Strategy Manager
Greenshield  

Julia D’Adamo is a manager on the Drug Plan Management team at GreenShield. A pharmacist by training, she leads pharmacy product development in Quebec and other special markets, with a focus on creating health solutions and innovations for plan sponsors and plan members. Julia holds a doctor of pharmacy degree from the University of Toronto and a bachelor of science degree from McGill University. She is an active member of the Ordre des pharmaciens du Québec. In addition to her vast clinical experience, Julia also has experience as a leader in pharma. Before pursuing her doctorate, she worked as a pharmaceutical sales representative to launch a new product in hundreds of pharmacies across Montréal. Outside of her role at GreenShield, Julia works part-time as a pharmacist at her local community pharmacy. In her free time, she volunteers in her community to promote the importance of education and independent thought in at-risk youth. Julia also volunteered for many years in the kitchen of a palliative care residence in the West Island of Montréal

 
     
  

Tricia Brown
Director, Governance and Executive Secretary
Plannera Pensions and Benefits

Tricia joined the organization in 2019 and is currently the Director, Governance and Executive Secretary at Plannera Pensions and Benefits.

Prior to joining, Tricia worked as a consultant and analyst for the Government of Saskatchewan and a manager for the Canadian Transportation Agency.

Tricia oversees governance and legislation services and is the executive secretary for Plannera for more than 27 pension and benefit plan boards and commissions.

Tricia has a graduate degree in Economics and an undergraduate degree in Arts from the University of Regina.

 
     
  

Johanan Schmuecker
Principal
Eckler

Johanan (Joe) is a Principal with Eckler in Saskatoon and a proud Saskatchewanian! He has 18 years of experience in the pension consulting field and is a fully qualified actuary.

Joe has worked with a variety of clients across the country, from small private sector plans to very large public sector plans, and has particular expertise in the Saskatchewan public sector arena. His professional background includes all aspects of defined benefit pension consulting, and he also has experience with defined contribution plan design and implementation, as well as long-term disability plans. He has also facilitated numerous education sessions for pension boards and plan members in various industries and has a desire to empower administrators and plan members to better understand and manage their plans.

Joe graduated from the University of Regina with a Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science with Great Distinction and is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and the Canadian Institute of Actuarie

 
     
      
     
     
     
 

PANELISTS

 
  coming soon   
 
 


 
      
   
 
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