PAST SPEAKERS
2017 WORKSHOP SPEAKERS
BTM
Margaret Remelo Alsop
Global Products & Innovations Strategy Expert, SAP
Margaret Demelo Alsop is currently a Global Products & Innovations Strategy Expert at SAP. Her and her team, Business Insights & Operations team, focus on a variety of global projects that happen throughout the development organization with a goal to provide efficient and simple governance for the P&I Board Area. Margaret joined SAP from Business Objects in 2008 where she worked as an escalation manager and senior development manager. Margaret also led the product lifecycle integration of Business Objects into SAP after the acquisition. Aside from her senior roles at SAP, Margaret is active in a few volunteer organizations including Bringing Women Together, focused on diversity within the workplace, Autism at Work, and internal Developers Workshop (D-Shop), focused on getting everyone engaged with different technology and gadgets.
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SOCIAL ENTERPRISE
John Bromley, founder of multiple innovative businesses in the charitable sector, has dedicated his career to creating cultures of giving and facilitating benevolence. John grew up with charity at the core of his family’s values. After completing a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McGill University and gaining experience in corporate finance with RBC Capital Markets and PricewaterhouseCoopers, he steered his entrepreneurial inclinations toward the charitable sector, partnering with his father, charity lawyer Blake Bromley, to co-found Benefic Group. This internationally recognized firm provides expert counsel in charity-related law, finance, strategy and policy in Canada and beyond. John then focused his attention to working on a solution that makes it easier for people and corporations to be charitable. He founded Chimp (charitable + impact). Chimp acts like a charitable bank; people and companies can start their own giving accounts full of tools to securely and cost-effectively give money to or fundraise for any registered charity of the donor’s choice.
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John Bromley
Founder & CEO, Chimp
REAL ESTATE
Calvin Yan has a critical role leading the real estate portfolio management team at Public Services and Procurement Canada. He is responsible for real estate portfolio management, investment analysis, budgeting, change management, and collaboration. Mr. Yan attended the British Columbia Institute of Technology and earned a BBA in Finance/Accounting. He proceeded to complete a Certified Management Accountant designation. He is an experienced financial leader specializing in budget management, people management, and change management. Leveraging his skill sets to an operation setting to further develop his strategic and negotiation skills. He manages a real estate portfolio of 5 million square feet and a $150 million budget. This allows him to analyze options to lease, acquire, redevelop, or dispose of Crown buildings. In addition to his work with Public Services and Procurement Canada, Mr. Yan lends his expertise to the students through the co-op program.
Calvin Yan
Portfolio Manager,
Public Service and Procurement Canada
SELF BRANDING
Andrea Southcott
Partner, Southcott Strategy
As Partner at Southcott Strategy, Andrea works with senior leadership teams to drive brand and market growth and to shape customer experience and digital strategy. She was previously President (2001-2011) of TBWA\Vancouver - one of Canada’s Top Ten Creative Agencies in both 2009 and 2010. Andrea acts as a mentor to senior marketers in Vancouver, for two years wrote on brand strategy for the Globe and Mail, and was named in Vancouver’s Power 50 in 2006. Andrea is currently a Board Member & Chair of the Marketing/Communications Committee for BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, Chapter Chair of YPO Gold (BC) and a founding member of the West Vancouver 2010 Legacy Foundation.
Beng Lai joined Haywood in October 2016. Beng has broad investment banking experience advising and financing growth-oriented companies in diverse non-resource sectors, including manufacturing, technology, healthcare, cleantech and service sectors. Beng began his corporate finance career in the UK in 1987 at BZW and, subsequently, N M Rothschild. In Canada, Beng was at Jennings Capital for 13 years followed by over 7 years at Intrynsyc Capital, an exempt market dealer he founded. Beng has a MBA and was a dentist prior to his finance career.
FINANCE
Beng Lai
Investment Banker, Haywood
Tom Rattray
Shift Manager, Amazon
OPERATIONS & LOGISTICS
Tom Rattray is a Shift Manager at Amazon. Since graduating in 2013, Tom has amassed many experiences while working in multiple aspects of transportation. In his new role with Amazon, Tom oversees the Sort and Final Delivery process. In January 2017, Tom left Purolator after nearly four years to join Amazon’s recently launched Logistics division. At Amazon Tom focuses motivating and engaging associates to drive customer obsession and deliver results. Tom also spends a great deal of his time analyzing data to ensure the operation is striving to maintain the highest standard.
Jenine Ellefson
Director of Talent Management, Goldcorp Inc.
Jenine Ellefson is an HR professional with nearly 15 years’ experience in the mining industry spanning all facets of HR including strategic resourcing, HR system implementation, project management, workforce analytics, people development, union negotiation, total rewards policy and talent management. Her career has taken her all over the globe and she has worked in Canada, Australia and Chile. Jenine currently holds the position of Director, Talent Management at Goldcorp Inc. and is responsible for a diverse portfolio including talent acquisition, global mobility, performance management, succession planning, and employee engagement.
HUMAN RESOURCES
MARKETING
Becky Alseth joined Ritchie Bros. as its Chief Marketing Officer in January 2016. Before Ritchie Bros., Alseth led the U.S. marketing team at Avis Budget Group. In that role, Alseth oversaw all marketing efforts including brand strategy and insights, advertising and media, partnerships, CRM and e-commerce.
Becky Alseth
Chief Marketing Officer, Ritchie Bros.
REDEFINING FAILURE
Mo Amir is the General Manager of SPF Precut Lumber, an award-winning leader of BC lumber exports to non-traditional markets. Family-founded and family-owned, SPF Precut Lumber annually exports over 200-million boardfeet of lumber to 20 countries across the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, by promoting BC softwood lumber in non-traditional markets while supporting the environment, industry peers, and the local community. As the second generation (Mo’s parents founded the company), Mo assumes several marketing, logistics, and management roles under his broad title. Through work experience and a diverse education, including an Honours BBA (Marketing, International Business) and MA (Political Science – International Trade Policy) both from Simon Fraser University, Mo specializes in logistics management, business communications and branding, and export market development.
Mo Amir
General Manager, SPF Precut Lumber