EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Chair
Brent Cameron
Brent is currently Chair of the Board of Boyden Canada, one of the largest and leading executive search firms in Canada, with five offices and over 120 professionals across the country conducting critical executive placements from coast to coast. Globally, Boyden includes 70 offices in 40 countries, with Canada among the top three largest countries within the Boyden network.
Since 2014, Brent has served as Managing Partner of Boyden's Vancouver office. With a team of 30, the Vancouver office has been servicing clients in Western Canada for 47 years, conducting CEO and executive level recruitments for public sector, private sector, and not for profit clients.
In addition to his role as Chair of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, Brent is also a Board Member of the Take a Hike Foundation, an alternative education program that engages at-risk youth in BC. He is a past Board member and Chair of the Governance Committee of the UBC Alumni Association and a member of the United Way’s Campaign Cabinet.
Senior Vice-Chair
Kirsten Sutton, ICD.D
Kirsten Sutton is an unconventional tech leader. From a professionally trained chef, Kirsten Sutton navigated a significant career pivot to become one of Vancouver’s most celebrated tech execs. As Chief Technology & Information Officer at Vancity, Kirsten oversees all of Vancity’s technology operations as well as drives the organization’s digital strategy linking technology, members and community.
Before her appointment at Vancity, Kirsten spent 25 years at SAP across a variety of roles, most recently as Managing Director for SAP Labs Canada, the 3000-strong development organization across the country.
Her experience in the tech sector spans 25 years. But that only tells part of Kirsten’s story.
Apart from being regarded as an energetic, inspiring and authentic leader, Kirsten is a highly engaged community leader: member of the Government of BC’s Presidents Group which champions accessible and inclusive workplaces, Senior Vice-Chair of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, and director of BC Tech and Science World.
A recipient of many awards, Kirsten has been recognized as a YWCA Woman of Distinction and received a Business in Vancouver Influential Women In Business award. She is also an in-demand speaker with more than 35 engagements a year in person and through the media.
An inquisitive thinker, Kirsten explored 24 different jobs early in her career before she set out on a technology path. The most interesting? You’ll have to ask her, but Private Investigator would be up there.
Kirsten holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in linguistics and creative writing from Western Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with honors from the University of California at Irvine.
Kirsten unleashes her creativity through cooking and writing. Thanks to her university education and training as a French chef she has created and served thousands of meals, published several short stories and theater productions as well as continues to plug away at a half-written novel.
Vice-Chair
Radha Curpen
Radha is the managing partner of Bennett Jones’ Vancouver office and co-head of the firm's Environmental Law practice and Aboriginal Law practice. She specializes in Environmental, Aboriginal, Environmental, Sustainability and Governance (ESG) and Regulatory matters, and the transportation of dangerous goods. Radha provides strategic counsel to clients with regards to regulatory compliance, the management of environmental risks, the defence of environmental litigation, the avoidance and defence of environmental related prosecutions, crisis prevention and management, Corporate Social Responsibility, mitigating business disruption and providing reputation management.
She was an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law for the Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility course. She is called in British Columbia, Ontario, and Manitoba and is admitted to the New York Bar. She practices in both English & French. Recognized as one of Canada's leading environmental lawyers by The Best Lawyers in Canada, as a leading practitioner in environmental law by The Best Lawyers in America, in environmental law by Chambers Global and recognized among Canada's leading energy lawyers by Lexpert®.
Christopher Lythgo
Christopher is Vice President, Western Canada & the North at Business Development Bank of Canada. He has acquired a deep expertise in the SME space, having personally provided 350+ Canadian private companies with management consulting solutions to help them grow, become more efficient and enhance their management capabilities. Christopher now oversees marketplace operations and business development teams for BDC Advisory in the region, transforming it into one of the largest and fastest growing management consulting firms in Greater Vancouver.
Christopher is privileged to have served his country as an Officer in the Canadian Army (Reserve) and was a recipient of the "Top 40 Under 40" award from Business In Vancouver in 2017. He holds an Executive MBA (Corporate Finance) from Queen's University and attained the Certified Management Accounting designation (now Chartered Professional Accountants), receiving the organization's "Strategic Excellence Award" in 2010.
Christopher is the first and only student participant from our Leaders of Tomorrow (LOT) Signature Program to have advanced through the organization to a position on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors.
Secretary-Treasurer
Craig Richmond
Craig Richmond is the former President & CEO of the award winning Vancouver Airport Authority. His diverse background includes a decade as a pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force, pivotal roles at YVR and CEO positions with Vantage Airport Group at six airports in three countries.
Rejoining YVR as President & CEO in 2013, Craig oversaw the airport's vision to become a world-class, sustainable hub. Under his leadership, YVR experienced rapid growth and continued to gain recognition. In 2016, YVR received CAPA Centre for Aviation's prestigious Airport of the Year Award for its strategic leadership in the global aviation industry. In 2018, YVR became the first airport in the world to receive gold accessibility certification from the Rick Hansen Foundation. In 2020, YVR was voted the Best Airport in North America for a record eleven consecutive years at the Skytrax World Airport Awards. In addition, Vancouver Airport Authority has been named one of BC's Top Employers and one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers.
Craig is the 2016 recipient of Airports Council International – North America's Excellence in Visionary Leadership Award. Airport Revenue News recognized him as 2017 Director of the Year in the large airports category. And in 2019 he was awarded BC CEO of the Year (not-for-profit category) in Business in Vancouver's annual BC CEO Awards. Craig announced his retirement from YVR in 2019, leaving in June 2020. He sits on the Board of Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame and acts in other advisory roles.
Finance and Audit Committee Chair
Todd Shewfelt
Todd Shewfelt is Regional Vice-President, Commercial Financial Services with RBC Royal Bank. He is responsible for leadership and direction of B.C.'s team of Commercial Bankers serving business clients from 16 centres across the region. Clients include mid-sized private and public companies from all industries that are based in B.C.
Todd has been with RBC for 14 years, and during his banking career, has held a number of leadership positions covering a broad range of customer markets. Throughout his career he has been actively involved in many local community organizations and boards.
Policy Council Committee Chair
Brad Eshleman
Brad Eshleman
Brad Eshleman is the President of Western Stevedoring Company Limited, a diversified transportation and logistics company. During his career at Western, Brad has been active in growing and diversifying the Company and sits as a Director on a number of subsidiary companies including Coast 2000 Terminals, CVS Cruise Victoria, Squamish Terminals, Tidal Transport, Tymac Launch Services, BC Vehicle Processing Center, Associated Stevedoring and British Yukon Railway Co.
Educated at the University of British Columbia, Brad received his Chartered Accountant designation while articling with KPMG prior to joining Western and holds the Institute of Corporate Directors designation (ICD.D).
He is also active in numerous industry and government initiatives including serving as a Director and Past Chair of the BC Maritime Employers Association, Vice Chair of the Greater Vancouver Gateway Council, Chair of the BC Marine Terminal Operators Association, Chair of the BC Ports Competitiveness Committee and past Director of the Western Transportation Advisory Committee. Brad also served as a Director and Treasurer for the Mission to Seafarers and is on the Cabinet Committee for the Business Laureates of BC Hall of Fame.
World Trade Centre Committee Chair
Robin Dhir
Robin Dhir is a seasoned sales, marketing and communications executive who has a passion for challenge and community service. He is president of Twin Brook Developments Ltd. which focuses on the development, construction and management of real estate. Simultaneously, Robin is a strategic advisor with Fasken.
Robin plays an active role in both the Metro Vancouver's business community and South Asian Community. One key role is as BC Co-Chair of the Canada-India Business Council. He is the founding chair of 'A Night of Miracles' gala benefitting BC Children's Hospital which has raised $6.2M to date. He is also a founding cabinet member for the Business Laureates of BC Hall of Fame Cabinet which has raised over $15M for Junior Achievement of BC. He is a director with the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation and the United Way of the Lower Mainland. Also, serves as a Director of the Abbotsford International Airport Authority.
Robin was named as one of BC's 100 Most Influential Indo–Canadians by the Vancouver Sun. He was selected amongst an accomplished group of young professionals by Business in Vancouver as one of BC's Top 40 Under Forty.
Robin earned his BBA from Simon Fraser University where he continues to serve on the Beedie School Advisory Board and the President’s India Advisory Council. He enjoys spending time with his three children, wife and extended family. In his spare time, Robin coaches his son's soccer team and takes an active role in public affairs.
Immediate Past Chair
Kari Yuers
Kari Yuers, FACI, is the 2019-20 Chair of Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. She was elected to the Board of Directors of the GVBOT in 2015. Kari is the President and CEO of Kryton International Inc., a concrete waterproofing manufacturer headquartered in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Best known for her ability to build organizations and effect change, Kari has led the charge in legitimizing the category of integral crystalline technology and the use of admixtures for concrete waterproofing and durability. Under Kari's leadership, Kryton has flourished from a family-run business to a company with offices and distribution in over 50 countries. Kari is also a Director for Export Development Canada (EDC), a Crown corporation dedicated to helping Canadian companies on the world stage as Canada’s risk experts.
Kari received the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Pacific Region, Business to Business Category in 2003. She went on to receive Awards of Merit and Professional Achievement from Construction Specifications Canada in 2002 and 2004, and the American Concrete Institute in 2005. Kari was appointed a Fellow of the American Concrete Institute (FACI) in 2010. In 2012 Kari received the Influential Woman in Business Award. Kryton was named one of the Best Companies to Work for in British Columbia for four consecutive years.
Member at Large
Jennifer Foster
Ms. Foster is currently the Sr. Vice President, Human Resources & Corporate Affairs of Western Forest Products Inc., a publicly-traded, high-value, specialty forest products Company. Western operates primarily on the coast of British Columbia and Washington State, with lumber capacity in excess of 1.1 billion board feet and sources timber from its private lands, long-term licenses, First Nations arrangements, and market purchases. Jennifer moved to British Columbia in 2015 to join the executive team at Western.
Prior to moving to B.C., Ms. Foster worked in a global leadership capacity in the automotive industry. She currently sits on the Board of Trustees for the IWA-Forest Industry Pension Plan and has previous board experience as a Board member for AUTO21 (a national research initiative supported by the Government of Canada through the Networks of Centres of Excellence Secretariat) as well as for a number of charitable organizations.
Ms. Foster hold an Honours Bachelor of Psychology from the University of Waterloo and an MBA from the Schulich School of Business, York University.
Juggy Sihota-Chahil
A telecom executive with more than 25 years of leadership experience, Juggy has enjoyed a fulfilling and rewarding career with TELUS leading many emerging technology businesses and operations. She has a well-established reputation for building and leading high performing teams with some of the highest engagement scores and engagement transformations across the company. Juggy is known for her unrelenting focus on quality and efficiency combined with a genuine concern and commitment for all who work with her. Juggy has led ground-breaking service development initiatives and diverse portfolios, and gained invaluable experience in strategy, marketing and operations management at TELUS overseeing many different portfolios throughout her tenure.
Currently, as the Vice President of Consumer Health, Juggy is responsible for the national strategy, execution and operation of the Consumer Health business unit for TELUS Health. Juggy believes in empowering Canadians with the right tools, information and support so they can live happier and healthier lives. She is revolutionising access to healthcare in Canada with important products she has launched virtual care (Babylon by TELUS Health), curated health content in the TELUS Healthy Living Network, personal emergency response systems (largest Canadian-owned provider in Canada), personal health records and more. She was the executive producer for the critical documentary "PainKiller" on the opioid crisis ravaging our country.
TELUS Health transforms information into better health outcomes by ensuring valuable medical information is in the right hands at the right time. TELUS Health is also the largest healthcare IT company in Canada. TELUS is the leading provider of electronic medical records, pharmacy management software, remote patient monitoring and health benefits claims management in Canada.
Community leadership is a critical component of Juggy's leadership story. Juggy is the Vice Chair for the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation Board, she is a Director for the Vancouver International Airport Authority (YVR), the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, and the Canadian Men's Health Foundation. She previously served as a director on the Justice Institute of British Columbia, the Vancouver Community Board, and the Vancouver Board of Trade's Women's Leadership Council. Juggy also serves as an advisor to the City of Vancouver on racial and social justice issues.
Juggy is the recipient of the Diversity Champion award at TELUS. This award recognises leaders who are champions of all diversity and celebrates those who leverage diversity of thought to help advance business strategy. Juggy received the Leadership Excellence Trailblazer Award by Canadian Women in Communications and Technology (WCT) as well as the Forty Under 40 award in BC by Business in Vancouver for her business achievements, inspirational leadership and community contributions. In 2019, Vancouver Magazine recognized her as one of the most powerful 50 people in BC.
Juggy holds an MBA from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. She has also completed Executive Development programs at Harvard and INSEAD.
President and CEO
Bridgitte Anderson, ICD.D
Bridgitte Anderson is the President and CEO of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade - Western Canada's most active and influential business association. Her expertise spans a broad spectrum of disciplines including business, communications, government and public policy.
She is the first woman to lead GVBOT in its 133-year history and came to the organization from Edelman, a global public relations firm, where she led the Vancouver office, the city's largest communications agency.
Prior to that, Bridgitte was Press Secretary to former BC Premier Gordon Campbell and an award-winning journalist. As a core member of Premier Campbell's strategic advisory group, Bridgitte provided communications strategy during the 2009 BC election and the 2010 Winter Olympics. As a journalist, Bridgitte was a news anchor in Vancouver and Toronto.
Bridgitte is a graduate of the ICD-Rotman Directors Education Program and holds the ICD.D designation. She lives in North Vancouver with her two children.
2020-21 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Natali is a Vice President, Head of Operations, EA SPORTS overseeing the development of all EA SPORTS franchises.
Natali built her career at Electronic Arts (www.ea.com) over the last 17 years when she first joined as a junior project manager, after graduating from University of British Columbia (UBC) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science.
Electronic Arts (EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment, developing and delivering games, content and online services for Console, Mobile and PC platforms. In fiscal year 2020, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $5.5 billion.
EA SPORTS is one of the most iconic brands in entertainment with over 25 years of innovation, passion, and connecting millions of players across the globe to their favorite sports, teams, and players.
The EA SPORTS portfolio includes EA SPORTS FIFA, EA SPORTS MADDEN NFL, EA SPORTS NHL, EA SPORTS UFC, EA SPORTS NBA LIVE and other new IP products. The EA SPORTS organization is a global team of 1,200+ passionate developers, with development teams in Vancouver BC, Orlando Florida, Bucharest Romania & Madrid Spain. Natali's current responsibilities are partnering with the Executive Vice President to lead the EA SPORTS portfolio across all locations to bring both a strategic and operational focus in order to best support and optimize the EA SPORTS product development activities.
Natali is passionate about diversity, inclusion & equity and is a strong advocate for women in the workplace by helping support and promote women in tech & leadership roles. She is an active mentor in Leaders of Tomorrow program through the Vancouver Board of Trade as well as the UBC Computer Science Mentoring Program, mentoring those who are seeking advice & guidance for their career journey.
Natali is based in Vancouver and in her spare time enjoys spending time with her family appreciating the great outdoors of beautiful BC!
Kim is Chancellor for Kwantlen Polytechnic University and is the owner of Kim Baird Strategic Consulting and offers First Nation related and strategic advice to industry, government, and First Nations. While Chief of the Tsawwassen First Nation for over thirteen years, her most notable achievement was when she negotiated and implemented British Columbia's first urban treaty which is now culminating in expansive community development. She spent six years on the BC Hydro Board – providing her with in-depth knowledge on energy issues in BC. She is on several boards and has received numerous awards, including Indspire, the Order of Canada, and the Order of BC. Kim holds an Institute of Corporate Director's designation.
Colin Bosa
Colin Bosa joined in the management and operation of the Bosa Group of Companies in 1993 and is currently CEO of Bosa Properties. The company is family owned and is a fully integrated Development, Construction and Real Estate owner of Industrial, Office, Retail and Apartment buildings.
Prior to taking on his role as CEO, Mr. Bosa worked his way up through the business in progressively expanding roles touching on all aspects of the development business. Mr. Bosa is a CFA charter holder.
Peter Dhillon
Mr. Dhillon graduated from the University of British Columbia (UBC) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and went on to complete an LL.B. with honours from the University of Leeds.
Mr. Dhillon is active in several business enterprises, most notably as President and CEO of the Richberry Group of Companies and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ocean Spray. Mr. Dhillon is also on the Board of Directors of the Bank of Canada.
Other board positions have included Vice Chairman, British Columbia Ferry Corporation; Vice Chairman, Agricultural Land Commission; Board Director, Canada Customs and Revenue Agency; Board Director, Vancouver Airport Authority; Board Governor, Simon Fraser University; Board Director, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation; Board Director, Seacor Environmental; and Board Director, CanWel Building Materials.
He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation and served as chairman of the audit committee for the Vancouver 2010 Organizing Committee Board. He is also a past chair of the Vancouver branch of the Right to Play, an international humanitarian organization for children in communities affected by war, poverty and disease.
Mr. Dhillon is widely known for his philanthropic work, particularly in the areas of health care, child humanitarian support, education and sport. He has made significant financial contributions to the Kwantlen Polytechnic University, the Canadian Red Cross, the Canadian Olympic Committee, Arts Umbrella and the Khalsa Diwan Society. In his father's memory, he established both the Rashpal Dhillon Fund in Idiopathic Pulmonary Research and the Rashpal Dhillon Fund in Cranberry Research at UBC, as well as the Rashpal Dhillon UBC Track and Field Oval. In 2015, he established the Peter P. Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics, in partnership with the Sauder School of Business at UBC.
Mr. Dhillon was appointed to the Order of British Columbia in 2009 and is a recipient of the Diamond Jubilee Medal.
Richard Eppich is the President and CEO of the Ebco Group of Companies. Ebco manufactures custom industrial machinery for international markets in the Aerospace, Energy, Mining and Healthcare industries. Notable past and present projects include building the tunnel boring machine for the English Channel, water turbines for Alaska, airplane production equipment for Boeing, and providing components for the Skytrain and Site C dam. Richard is also CEO of Advanced Cyclotron Systems which designs and manufactures cyclotrons which are used to produce medical isotopes for the diagnosis of various cancers and heart disease. These cyclotrons are sold around the world to hospitals with nuclear medicine capabilities. Our cyclotrons are installed locally at BC Cancer Agency and TRIUMF, and globally in locations such as Bolivia, China, Europe and the USA.
Privately owned and with 250,000 sf of manufacturing space, Ebco is BC's largest job shop with machining capability that can't be found anywhere else in Canada. Established in 1956, Richard is committed to the long term growth of the Ebco Group by remaining focused on "BC Made" manufactured products for international markets.
Prior to Ebco, Richard was founder and CEO of Enterra Systems, a provider of workforce management software for manufacturing companies including Raytheon and Hitachi. Additionally, Richard was VP Operations and Director of Epic Data, a provider of workforce data collection systems to Fortune 500 companies.
David Garofalo serves as Chairman & CEO of Gold Royalty Corp., Chairman & CEO of the Marshall Precious Metals Fund and Chair of the Board of Great Panther Mining Limited. David previously served as President & CEO and Director of Goldcorp (2016-2019), President & CEO and Director of Hudbay from 2010, Senior Vice President and CFO and Director of Agnico-Eagle from 1998 and Treasurer of Inmet Mining from 1990. David is CPA, CA and ICD.D and holds a B.Comm. from the University of Toronto. He also serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
Karen is a veteran of the travel industry with over twenty years of experience and a diverse and global background working in Sydney, New York, London, Hong Kong, Seoul, Honolulu, and Los Angeles.
In 2016, she was recognized as a WXN Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award Winner.
In her role as Vice President – Global Sales, Karen and her team are responsible for the strategic direction and worldwide sales initiatives of Armstrong Group and its entities.
Mark Hoag, is a Partner with MNP's Private Enterprise group in Vancouver with a focus on working with owner-operated businesses.
Mark works extensively with clients who have expanded internationally and has assisted on projects that include succession planning in multigenerational business operations. He has experience serving clients across Canada and internationally and has worked in Vancouver, Ottawa, and London, England.
In addition to the GVBOT, Mark is on the board of the Women's Enterprise Centre. He is also involved with youth soccer with the Vancouver Athletic Football.
Kevin Howlett is a recently retired executive from Air Canada, having held the position of Senior Vice President Regional Markets and Government Relations. During his 45 year career with the company, Kevin was the accountable executive for various departments, including Human Resources, Government Affairs, and Regional Operations, operating under the Air Canada Express brand.
Educated at the University of Prince Edward Island and Dalhousie, Kevin holds the CPHR (Chartered Professionals in Human Resources) designation. He is on the Board of Directors for the Vancouver Board of Trade, CPHR BC and Yukon, BC Women's Hospital and Health Care Foundation and the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association. Kevin is a member of CELD (Canadian Emerging Leaders Dialogue) and he holds the Institute of Corporate Directors designation (ICD.D) from the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University.
Kirk LaPointe is the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief at Business in Vancouver Media Group as its Editor-in-Chief and is responsible for the editorial standards of parent firm Glacier Media, western Canada's largest news organization, as its Vice President, Editorial. He also teaches ethics and leadership as an Adjunct Professor and Executive-in-Residence at the Graduate School of Journalism at University of British Columbia.
He has been a media executive for three decades in Canada, leading the editorial operations of CTV News, Southam News and the Hamilton Spectator. He was the founding Executive Editor of National Post, Managing Editor of the Vancouver Sun, a program host on CBC Newsworld, the ombudsman for the CBC, and the Ottawa Bureau Chief and General News Editor of The Canadian Press, among other roles. He ran for mayor of Vancouver in 2014 and has a BA in Journalism from Ryerson University.
Michael led the British Columbia sales organization for Commercial Accounts at Telus. His team focused on delivering technology based solutions to clients enabling them to grow through effective communication and collaboration.
In a competitive industry, Michael's priority is to build an advantage through the development of what he believes is TELUS' largest asset: its people and culture. Michael's passion for technology and innovation is superseded only by his passion for developing his team members. He believes in instilling an entrepreneurial spirit within his team, and measures his own success as a leader by how many team members he inspires to unlock their true potential and achieve success previously not thought possible.
Michael lives by TELUS' philosophy to Give Where You Live, and when he isn't cheering on his kids at a soccer game, hiking in the local mountains, or hitting the ski hills, he can be found helping others achieve their goals. Currently, Michael is an active supporter of BC Children's Hospital and the Langley Youth Soccer Association. He serves as a board member for the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs; the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade; and Junior Achievement British Columbia.
Jessica McDonald is an independent corporate director serving on the boards of publicly traded companies in Canada and the United States. She served as Chair of the Board for Canada Post from 2017 to 2020 as well serving as President and CEO of Canada Post on an interim basis for a year during that time.
From 2014 to 2017, Ms. McDonald held the role of President and CEO at BC Hydro. Her prior experience also includes Chair of Powertech Labs, and Board Director for Powerex. She serves on the Member Council of Sustainable Development Technology Canada, and was previously a Visiting Fellow at Stanford’s Center for Energy Policy and Finance. Ms. McDonald currently sits on the boards of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, as well as Coeur Mining. She has extensive experience in government, including Deputy Minister to the Premier and Head of the Public Service of British Columbia.
Ms. McDonald has been named to Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women Hall of Fame, Canada’s Diversity 50, and Canada’s Top 40 Under 40. She holds her ICD.D.
Gail C. Murphy is a Professor of Computer Science and Vice-President Research and Innovation at the University of British Columbia. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), as well as co-founder, board member and former Chief Scientist at Tasktop Technologies Incorporated.
After completing her B.Sc. at the University of Alberta in 1987, she worked for five years as a software engineer in the Lower Mainland. She later pursued graduate studies in computer science at the University of Washington, earning first a M.Sc. (1994) and then a Ph.D. (1996) before joining UBC.
Walter Pela is KPMG's Regional Managing Partner leading BC's largest and oldest professional services firm with over 1,450 team members in 12 offices across the Province. Walter also serves on KPMG's National Clients & Markets Committee overseeing client service and market development across Canada, is part of KPMG's National Digital Leadership Team responsible for internal and client-facing digital transformation, and leads KPMG's Vancouver Ignition Centre, a disruptive innovation and design thinking lab dedicated to exponential technologies and business transformation. With a 30 year career at KPMG, Walter enjoys leading conversations with clients, business leaders and organizations on the challenges and opportunities at the intersection of digital transformation, business model disruption, and changing environmental, social and economic dimensions affecting businesses and their broader stakeholders. Walter has been recognized as a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants (FCPA), as a Champion honouree by the Association of Women of Finance, is part of the President's Group representing BC's Accessible Employers, serves on the Executive Committees and Boards of the Business Council of British Columbia, the BC Achievement Foundation and the Pacific Autism Family Network, and is a past Governor of the Canadian Tax Foundation and past Finance Committee Chair of UNICEF Canada.
An award-winning entrepreneur and investor, Meredith is a Venture Partner with Voyager Capital, Cascadia's leading enterprise software fund invested across CA, OR, WA and BC with $500M USD AUM. Prior to working in tech VC, she successfully launched and scaled three companies the most recent of which - a B2B digital marketplace - was acquired by UBM Global in 2014.
Meredith is a sought-after expert on innovative leadership, emerging technology and early stage venture models as well as funding. She is featured regularly in the media and serves on various public and private boards. Her nonprofit commitments include increasing diversity at the executive level, championing youth entrepreneurship and STEAM, and supporting the performance arts.
Meredith serves on the Governor General's Innovation Awards committee and is Startup Canada's National award winner for promoting entrepreneurship, one of The Boardlist's Top Women in Tech, and a YWCA Women of Distinction winner for Entrepreneurship & Innovation.
Laurie Schultz is responsible for leading the transformation of Galvanize's global business by mobilizing talent toward category disruption and IPO.
With 30 years of experience, Laurie has led several multimillion-dollar software businesses where she has both doubled revenues and doubled profits by empowering change and relentlessly focusing on the "right critical few."
Since being appointed CEO of Galvanize in 2011, Laurie has successfully repositioned the company to one of Canada's top 100 and Best Managed employers; enjoying "top quad" analyst recognition on a build/buy/re-brand formula obsessed with disrupting its category while profitably delivering high double digit revenue growth.
Bruce is the Western Canada Tax leader for BDO. Bruce has been practicing for over 25 years and has considerable experience advising Boards and Senior Executives on a range of issues including succession planning, governance, estate and trust planning. Bruce works with a wide range of private businesses and has experience in proactive tax planning for companies in Canada and with foreign operations. In addition to bringing substantial technical and leadership skills to the overall direction of his mandates, Bruce is a trusted advisor to many of his family business and high net worth clients.
Driven by purpose to take the industrial sector mainstream and drive economy with heart, Lisa Tuningley is an inspired leader, industry advocate and entrepreneur specializing in RAIL. RAIL transports 70% of surface goods, producing only 3.4% of transportation greenhouse gas. RAIL has impact and creating sustainable rail solutions has become her team's passion. Proud to be a Canadian. She reminds us "Rail Connects Us", invites innovations to rail, which in turn promote our growth as a nation and our individual rights and freedoms.
Vivian Zalkow is actively involved in the leadership of the Zalkow Group of Companies. As CEO of Taymor Industries, where the principal ownership of the company by the Zalkow family dates back to 1948, she has played a pivotal role in positioning the company as a leader in the decorative hardware industry in North America. The founding values of continuous learning, collaboration, and innovation continue today, ensuring the sustainability and success of the company.
Vivian's additional involvement, in other integral entities in the Zalkow Group of Companies, includes Mason Investments, a diversified real estate management company, Norco Bicycles, a leading brand of high-performance bikes and accessories, and the Zalkow Foundation, established to support medical advancements and community. In alignment with the values of the Zalkow Group and grateful for the expertise obtained as an FCPA, Vivian is personally committed to contributing her time to several Boards and committees, currently including the GVBOT and YPO.