Spaceflight is an unforgiving business, with industry success riding on every launch and event. Being a commander of a spaceship means facing the highest of stakes — human lives, irreplaceable and expensive equipment, and worldwide scrutiny. Having commanded the International Space Station for months off planet, Colonel Chris Hadfield is experienced in managing people, complexity, and change under extreme circumstances. Surrounded by life-threatening risk, his daily routine was to prepare for and solve worse-case scenarios, from both a team and leadership perspective. Hadfield draws from his experiences and lessons learned during his 21 years in the astronaut corps to share the best strategies and tactics to help individuals, teams, and leaders prepare for and meet the challenges of our rapidly changing world. Key topics include managing stress, leading under pressure, encouraging collaboration amongst diverse teams, redefining norms, and more. Using multiple examples from his tremendous career, he illuminates the necessity for both preparation and reaction to complex change.

Formerly NASA’s director of operations, Hadfield is a heavily decorated astronaut, engineer, and military fighter/test pilot whose many awards include the Order of Canada, the Meritorious Service Cross, and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal. He was named the Top Test Pilot in both the US Air Force and the US Navy, and was inducted into Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame.

Cat Coode is on a mission to help protect your data. Backed by two decades of experience in mobile development and software architecture (BlackBerry), as well as a certification in data privacy law, Cat helps individuals and corporations better understand cybersecurity and data privacy.

She specializes in global privacy regulation compliance and delivering privacy education seminars. She is a member of the Canadian Standards Council for GDPR. She has worked with tech start-ups through to large organizations in a breadth of industries including healthcare, education, and social media.

Named one of Canada’s Top 20 Women in Cybersecurity 2021, Cat leverages her aptitude for teaching and her engineering background, in both her speaking and consulting engagements, to break down technical concepts in ways everyone can understand. Putting privacy at the foundation of everything you do

Celina currently serves as the Sr. Advisor of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Initiatives and Adjunct Lecturer at Queen’s University. Her national bestselling book, Can You Hear Me Now? was released in February 2021, and published by Penguin Random House Canada.

Celina was the former Member of Parliament for Whitby, Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Parliamentary Secretary for International Development. During her term as a Member of Parliament, Celina was awarded several distinctions including a feature in the April 2018 edition of O (Oprah Winfrey) Magazine entitled, “What would you stand up for and named Chatelaine Magazine’s Woman of the Year (2019). She has a Bachelor of Science, an MBA in Healthcare Management and an Executive MBA from the Rotman School of Management.

We have entered a new phase of business. Transformative technologies are disrupting every single industry on the planet, and whether you know it or not, your business will not only have to adapt—it will have to fundamentally change.

In this eye-opening talk, venture capitalist and founder of Kijiji.ca Janet Bannister takes a look at three key things that are reshaping business right now: AI and transformative technologies, platform businesses, and the democratization of creative production. In the midst of all this change, two types of companies will emerge, says Janet: enablers (the ones building the transformative tech stack) and disruptors (companies that will use the transformative tech stack to redesign or create new markets, processes, models, products, and services). Where will your organization fall on this scale? What implications will it have on your line of business? And what are the new requirements, opportunities, and challenges you will face?

An authentic and down-to-earth speaker, Janet shares case studies and insights that illustrate the importance of the innovation economy. In a time when everything in business is changing, this direct keynote is absolutely essential. Janet reveals what your company needs to hear, right now.

Janet is the Managing Partner at Real Ventures, Canada’s preeminent earlystage venture capital firm. Real funds and supports the development of Canadian entrepreneurs who are building the next generation of globally leading tech companies. Janet has led investments in over a dozen companies and works actively with companies in healthcare, advanced manufacturing, ecommerce, fintech, and AI. As Managing Partner, Janet also sets the strategy for the firm, leads investor relationships, and oversees all firm operations.

In addition, Janet is very active in the Canadian tech ecosystem; she is the Co- Chair of C100 and on the Boards of Communitech in Waterloo and Vector Institute in Toronto. She is also an active advisor at OneEleven, Creative Destruction Lab, and the Research Board of the University Health Network.

Janet has won numerous awards and recognition including Venture Capital Journal’s 2021 “Women of Influence in Private Markets”, Pitchbooks’ 2021

“Female Founders & Investors to Know”, and American Bankers’ 2019 “Most

Influential Women in Payments”.

In 2004, Janet launched Kijiji.ca and grew it to become one of the most visited websites in Canada. Subsequently, she led the Kijiji Global business, launching the website in new countries and accelerating growth in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Janet also spent four years at eBay in Silicon Valley where she helped transform eBay from a Collectibles to a mainstream marketplace. She started her career as a Brand Manager at Procter & Gamble and then joined McKinsey & Co. where she was an Engagement Manager. She also founded and built a successful consulting business and was CEO at a venture-backed start-up prior to joining Real Ventures.

This session will dive into the insights from the Google Canada team on the status of the automotive industry and the consumers updated journey.

Mathew Growden is the Head of the Google Canada Auto Retail Team. He spent the first 18 years of his life in Wiarton, Ontario, the home of the famous Canadian groundhog prognosticator Wiarton Willie. Prior to Google, Mathew accumulated over 20 years of digital experience at some well known companies including Indigo Books and Music, Freedom Mobile and Hot or Not. Now he spends his time helping dealers better understand digital and collaborates across OEMs, agencies and Google partners to help dealers sell more vehicles with digital tools.

Tim will lend his unique perspective and expertise on a range of key issues within the automotive industry from lobbying efforts to the future role of dealer councils. Tim will share insights into the industry’s progress and path forward on a national level. 

Tim A. Reuss is an international director with extensive executive experience in sales, marketing and retail. Tim currently is the President & CEO of the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association ( representing over 3200 franchised new car and truck dealers in Canada, acting as their voice and advocating for them on a national level with government, industry and the public. Before joining CADA, Tim was the Managing Partner of TAR Consulting and a Senior Advisor for McKinsey & Co., focusing on automotive trends (electrification, connected vehicles, shared mobility, autonomous driving) and their impact on the industry. He also provides strategic advice and operational support to automotive dealerships, including brand portfolio analysis, footprint optimization as well as generational transition guidance. He has served as President of the Dilawri Group of Companies. The Dilawri Group is Canada’s largest automotive retail group with 61 franchised dealerships representing 30 automotive brands throughout Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. Prior to joining the Dilawri Group, Tim worked for Daimler AG in several countries for 28 years, serving as President & CEO of Mercedes Benz Canada from 2011 to 2015. During that time, he was an outspoken supporter of the Canadian EU Free Trade Agreement (CETA) and the harmonization of standards and regulations. His previous postings with Daimler AG included President & CEO of Mercedes Benz Rome, worldwide Sales Director for the Business Unit Vans and President & CEO of DaimlerChrysler Vans LLC. Tim holds a B.A. degree in Economics from Stanford University.

Get up to speed on TikTok and how to utilize it for your dealership, straight from the source. Jeremy will share case studies and best practices on utilizing one of the most popular entertainment platforms in the world.

Jeremy Reisler oversees Automotive and Financial Services for TikTok in Canada, focused on helping brands and business leaders discover how TikTok can help ignite growth and exceed business goals. Prior to TikTok, Jeremy spent 3 years at Flipp building business strategies for key decision-makers across the largest retail brands and agencies in North America. With 10 years of experience in digital media and advertising, Jeremy has supported tech platforms and advertising agencies in accelerating their digital adoption, driving forward campaign excellence in Canada.