Speakers

Stuart Back is a longtime resident of Banff National Park and is the Chief Operating Officer for Banff Jasper Collection by Pursuit. Banff Jasper Collection has deep roots in the Canadian Rockies and operates many of the most iconic mountain-based attractions, lodging and culinary experiences in the region, welcoming well over two million visitors annually. Additionally, continuing the legacy of its founders, Banff Jasper Collection guides guests on spectacular motor coach sightseeing experiences under their Brewster brand. In his role, Stuart combines his diverse global operational experience with strong business leadership to oversee this large and geographically dispersed team.

Stuart is an active leader in the tourism industry working on numerous boards including Tourism Jasper, Banff Lake Louise Tourism and the Tourism Industry Association of Alberta. Further afield he applies his expertise to work proactively with Provincial and Federal stakeholders to elevate tourism priorities.

Stuart holds a degree in Civil Engineering from Cardiff University in Wales. He entered the tourism industry following an extensive career as a British Army Officer serving in a multitude of global theatres in a broad spectrum of roles from unit command to media relations and leading NGO-assisted nation building. Prior to joining Banff Jasper Collection Stuart led Banff National Park’s member-based marketing organization, Banff Lake Louise Tourism, as CEO.

Joanne Dobson is Senior Director of Government Relations responsible for the Federal and Ontario governments. Joanne joined Air Canada at the beginning of 2021.

Prior to joining Air Canada, she was Senior Advisor at Summa Strategies, one of the leading public affairs firms in Canada. Joanne spent a few years as the Senior Strategic Advisor, Government Affairs at the Port of Vancouver, and eight years at Hill & Knowlton in various roles including Vice President and Deputy Group Leader, Public Affairs. Joanne started her career on Parliament Hill as an advisor to Senior Cabinet Ministers. Joanne sits on several boards and committees related to the transportation industry along with those focused on community relations and the not-for-profit sector.

Lindsey Gartner is the Project Director of the Outdoor Council of Canada, where she leads national policy, workforce development, and coalition-building efforts across the outdoor sector. She oversees projects focused on increasing the professionalism, attraction, and retention of outdoor workers, including a national initiative updating the Occupational Standards for outdoor guides and a first-of-its-kind labour market data project on outdoor workers in Alberta. Lindsey works closely with government partners, industry associations, and outdoor businesses across the country to build stronger, more visible career pathways in the outdoor sector.

Ms. Nancy Healey was reappointed as the EI Commissioner for Employers at the Canada Employment Insurance Commission (CEIC) for an 18-month term, effective July 26, 2026.

Ms. Nancy Healey was first appointed to the CEIC as Commissioner for Employers in July 2021 and was previously appointed for a three-year term beginning July 26, 2023.

Ms. Healey is an award-winning chamber executive with 20 years of strategic and innovative leadership as a champion for business. From 2008 to 2020, she was the chief executive officer of the St. John’s Board of Trade, where she helped businesses succeed through advocacy work at the municipal, provincial and federal levels. Prior to that, Ms. Healey served as the executive director of an industry sector association dedicated to growing the hospitality and tourism industry.

Ms. Healey has served on the Board of Directors of the Newfoundland and Labrador Credit Union, was a past president of the Chamber of Commerce Executives of Canada, where she was named Executive of the Year in 2018 and past director of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Healey completed the Director’s Education Program from the Rotman School of Management and has achieved the designation of ICD.D.

Clark Hoskin is a Senior Manager with Deloitte and a destination development and tourism specialist with more than 30 years of experience. He has led tourism, economic development, investment attraction, and placemaking initiatives across Canada and the Caribbean. Clark works collaboratively with governments, industry leaders, and businesses to create forward-looking strategies that strengthen communities for residents and visitors. His recent contributions include work for Tourism Nova Scotia and Destination Canada, as well as projects for economic development offices and destination managers across the country. He also helps his wife operate their farm market in rural Norfolk County, Ontario.

Yves Lalumière has been President and CEO of Tourisme Montréal since 2013. Under his leadership, the organization has strengthened Montréal’s position among leading international urban destinations for leisure travel, business, and major events. It has also made sustainable development a core pillar of its strategy and helped enhance the city’s international accessibility. In 2025, Montréal welcomed 12 million visitors who generated more than $6 billion in tourism spending.

A graduate of the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Yves Lalumière began his career in the airline industry in 1986. After nearly 20 years with American Express, he joined Transat Distribution Canada in 2006, where he served first as Vice-President and later as President before taking the helm at Tourisme Montréal.

Named Grand Ambassador of UQAM’s School of Management Sciences in 2016, Yves Lalumière has also been an active contributor to several tourism organizations. Over the course of his career, he has served on numerous boards of directors, including C2 Montréal and the Alliance de l’industrie touristique du Québec, and is a member of the World Tourism Cities Federation.

Sheri Moore is Partner and Creative Director at Moore Carlyle Consulting & MCC Destination Management, a Global DMC Partner, which she has co-owned since 2008.

With almost three decades in business events and destination management, Sheri has built and led MCC's core and seasonal operational teams in the delivery of hundreds of live and online programs annually. Despite ongoing market instability and uncertainty, her organization has retained several staff members for a decade or longer, moving them from event support roles into leadership.

Sheri volunteers on the boards of Global DMC Partners DMC Advisory Board, Meetings Mean Business Canada (MMBC), and Visit Mississauga. She recently completed a two-year term on Destination Canada's Business Events Advisory Committee. She has also developed AI strategies and workflows for her own events and, over the past two years, has trained nearly 2,000 professionals on practical AI applications for business event teams, including for Global DMC Partners' in Lisbon and The Legal Summit in Boston. This year, she was awarded the 2026 Event Professional of the Year by Canadian Event Awards (CEA).

Mike Shoreman helps organizations understand what happens after people with disabilities get through the door.

A Keynote Speaker, Accessibility Educator, Corporate Consultant, Author, and Rick Hansen Foundation Inclusion & Accessibility Training Facilitator, Mike connects accessibility to customer experience and organizational performance.

His keynotes and workshops challenge organizations to think beyond compliance and consider how accessibility shapes the experiences of customers, guests, fans, clients, employees, and communities. He helps audiences recognize barriers, strengthen inclusive communication, rethink the customer experience, and understand how accessibility can influence participation, loyalty, reputation, and business performance.

After a life-altering neurological diagnosis affected his mobility, speech, vision, and hearing, Mike was told he may never paddle board again. He went on to become the first person to paddle board across all five Great Lakes, creating a nationally recognized campaign supporting youth mental health programs across Canada.

His work and story have been featured in People Magazine, CBC, CTV, Breakfast Television, FOX News, The Chicago Tribune, and the National Post.

Mike has been recognized with the King Charles III Coronation Medal, the National Mental Health Leadership Award from the Mood Disorders Society of Canada, and Changemaker of the Year from the Council of the Great Lakes Region. In 2024 and 2025, he was also named to the Diversability Disability Impact List as one of the most influential disabled people globally.

Wayne W. Smith, Ph.D., is a Hospitality and Tourism Management Professor at the Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.  He received his Ph.D. from Wilfrid Laurier University and has won the Explore Charleston Golden Pineapple Award and the Journal of Travel Research Charles R. Goeldner Article of Excellence Award.  He is frequently seen on Canadian media channels discussing on hospitality and tourism related issues.

Craig leads Pollara’s research divisions and the development of their research techniques and products. He provides actionable, insightful counsel to all clients, applying expertise gained over more than 27 years of conducting quantitative and qualitative research for an extensive array of private, public and not-for-profit sector clients. He is committed to providing creative, customized research solutions that provide clarity of understanding and direction to our clients.

Craig began his research career at Angus Reid Group/Ipsos-Reid and went on to found and manage public affairs practices at Leger and Angus Reid Public Opinion/Vision Critical before joining Pollara in 2008. He has appeared in print and broadcast media on hundreds of occasions, providing commentary on public opinion trends, elections, and research techniques. He holds a BA Honours in political science from Carleton University, and a MA in political science from Brock University. Craig grew up in Niagara Falls, where he enjoyed summer employment in the tourism industry throughout his youth.