Keynote Speakers
Mike Lipkin
President and founder of Environics/Lipkin | Bestselling author | International strategic coach
Bonus Keynote session: Lead the Recovery
Mike Lipkin is president and founder of Environics/Lipkin, a global research and motivation company based in Toronto. He is also a seven-time bestselling author on leadership, an international strategic coach, a facilitator, and a catalyst for high performance.
Mike was raised in South Africa and graduated from the University of Johannesburg with a Bachelor of Commerce. He began his career with Colgate Palmolive as a brand manager before migrating to the advertising industry.
In line with his philosophy that life is theatre with consequences, Mike entertains his audience while he inspires them.
Dan Gardner
Risk management and forecasting | Award-winning journalist | Bestselling author
November 3: 11:00–12:00: Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction
A former journalist and national affairs commentator, Dan’s work has won or been nominated for every major award in Canadian newspaper journalism, including the National Newspaper Award, the Michener Award, and the Canadian Association of Journalists
Award. He is also the New York Times bestselling author of three books – Risk: The Science and Politics of Fear, Future Babble, and, most recently, Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction, which
was named one of the best books of 2015 by The Economist, Bloomberg, and Amazon. His books have been published in 24 countries and 19 languages.
Currently a senior fellow at the University of Ottawa’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, Dan has spoken to and consulted for organizations worldwide, including Google, Goldman Sachs, Siemens, Zurich Insurance, Khosla Ventures,
and a variety of hedge funds and governments.
Anthony McLean
Leadership and mental health speaker
November 12: 11:15–12:45: Inclusivity: Better Than Diversity
Leadership and mental health speaker, Anthony McLean has delivered hundreds of inspiring talks across Canada, the US, and Australia, and, as a respected voice in his field, has appeared on CBC News, Global
Toronto’s Morning Show, and Breakfast Television. Delivering research-backed tools and actionable strategies, McLean leaves audiences inspired to bring their best every day.
McLean, who is also an actor, is currently writing his first book, Mental Health for High Performers.
Alex Benay
Partner, Digital and Government Solutions at KPMG
November 18: 13:00–14:00: The new digital reality – Megatrends and your future outlook
Canada’s former CIO and an avid user of technology, Alex voices the importance of taking risks, failing fast and challenging the status quo when it comes to technological innovation, especially in government. Alex believes in the strength of social
media channels to communicate with Canadians and engage them in shaping the way forward.
At KPMG he helps the firm’s public sector clients effectively implement key digital technologies and solutions, such as artificial intelligence (including ethical AI), Blockchain, cloud computing, data security and privacy, digital identification,
digital integrity, and assurance.
In his book, Canadian Failures: Stories of Building toward Success, Alex brought together successful Canadians such as astronauts and gold medal athletes to explore how failure got them to where they are today in an effort to remove the national
stigma surrounding the term “to fail.” He has also released Government Digital: The Quest to Regain Public Trust, a blueprint for digital change for governments and organizations.