Speakers

Jean-François Bertholet is an internationally recognized workplace specialist, keynote speaker, and leadership expert dedicated to helping organizations build healthier, more engaging, and higher-performing workplaces.

For more than 15 years, he has taught leadership and human resource management at HEC Montréal. A Chartered Human Resources Professional, consultant, author, and executive educator, he specializes in leadership development, employee engagement, organizational culture, and the science of workplace performance.

Jean-François has delivered keynote presentations, executive education programs, and organizational interventions in more than 20 countries, partnering with executives and leadership teams to advance evidence-based management practices. His work bridges rigorous academic research with practical business realities, translating the latest findings in organizational psychology and management science into concrete strategies that leaders can immediately apply.

Known for combining intellectual rigor with engaging storytelling and practical insights, his presentations challenge conventional management wisdom while equipping audiences with actionable tools to create lasting organizational impact.

Beyond the classroom and the boardroom, Jean-François is a respected public voice on the future of work and leadership. He hosts Travailler mieux, Radio-Canada's podcast on the world of work, and writes a monthly column for La Presse, where he brings scientific research to a broad audience of leaders and professionals.

Rose Arsenault was born and raised in Fredericton, New Brunswick. She spent 20 years working as a television personality and as a Communications Officer with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. One of her most popular TV segments featured Rose as an on‑air tour guide, showing viewers some of New Brunswick’s “must‑see” tourist attractions.

This experience inspired her to make a career change. For 21 years, Rose worked with the Government of New Brunswick’s Department of Tourism. She continued doing on‑air work, including a TV series about New Brunswick’s parks and top attractions.

Since 2023, she has been the Regional Tourism Coordinator for Fredericton Capital Region Tourism.

Rose is often invited to serve as an M.C.. She hosted these very awards for seven years in a row—starting in Saint John, NB.

When she is not working or volunteering, Rose can usually be found on a tennis court, enjoying one of her favourite pastimes.

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.

Rob Chambers is currently the Vice-President of the Travellers Branch at the Canada Border Services Agency where he is responsible for all agency functions related to the processing of people at the border. He has been a federal civil servant for almost 30 years, dividing his time between central agencies such as the Privy Council Office, Treasury Board and the Department of Finance, and line departments such as the Department of National Defence, Employment and Social Development Canada and Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. He studied political science at Acadia University in Nova Scotia, is a graduate of the National Security Programme at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto, and served in the Canadian Armed Forces’ Primary Reserve with the 30th Field Regiment of the Royal Canadian Artillery. Rob and his wife, Nancy, have two children, Adrian and Keira.

With over 30 years of experience in the retail, hospitality and tourism sectors, Royce has focused the last 18 years of his career in senior leadership roles at the national, provincial, and now civic level of destination management organizations.

As the President and CEO of Destination Vancouver, Royce is a Team Member and leader of the city’s official destination promotion and management organization. Joining the team in 2020, Royce and team have transformed Destination Vancouver into a more agile and innovative organization that collaborates with partners to build a powerful visitor economy for Vancouver. Notable wins for Vancouver through partnership have been Grey Cup, Juno’s, Invictus Games, Web Summit and FIFA World Cup.

Before that Royce developed extensive experience working in corporate, franchise and a start-up business in operations, sales, and marketing in various leadership roles.

Royce volunteers and is on the board of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade and DownTownVan BIA, Destination British Columbia’s Tourism Marketing Committee, the Canadian Destination Leadership Council, Skift Live Advisory Council, the Mayor’s Vancouver Business Growth Task Force, and is Chair of the Vancouver Hotel Development Task Force.

As Director, Travel Trade at Ottawa Tourism, Kelly Dean directs a team which connects with Packaged Travel, Group Tour and FIT Operators, throughout Canada, the United States and Internationally. She has been at Ottawa Tourism for 26 years.

Kelly has sat on many Committees, Councils and Boards in her time in the industry, for many associations including serving on the NTA Board for 5 years, with two terms on the executive, and Chair of the Conference Committee when Ottawa hosted NTA Travel Exchange in 2025. She is currently on the SYTA Conference Committee as Ottawa prepares to host the SYTA 2027 Annual Conference. Kelly also led the charge for the successful bid to bring Rendez-vous Canada to Ottawa in 2030. She currently serves on the OMCA Board, and was past Chair of their Conference Committee, hosting the 2019 & 2014 OMCA Conventions. Additionally, she has volunteered for Working Groups and Boards with industry associations such as Team Canada, Bienvenue Quebec and ABA.

Kelly has been volunteering and deeply involved in the industry for the entirety of her Tourism career, and her love of the industry has always shown through.

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.

Susie Grynol is a transformative leader known for driving growth, influence, and meaningful organizational change. As Market Vice President, Eastern Canada for Marriott International, she leads 26 managed hotels representing over $1B in revenue and 10,000 employees.

With a career spanning government relations, industry advocacy, and hospitality, Susie has built a reputation for elevating organizations and redefining what’s possible. From leading the industry response to COVID as CEO of the Hotel Association of Canada, to shaping federal policy as a top advisor and spokesperson for multiple industries, her work has driven significant organizational, industry and economic change.

A passionate champion of female advancement and an accomplished public speaker, she has represented her industries on major international stages and through extensive national media engagement and smart strategy.

Recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Lobbyists and a multiple award-winning leader, she brings strategic clarity, bold leadership, and a relentless focus on people and performance.

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).

Pierre Santoni is the Director, Business Development and Partnerships for VIA Rail Canada, where he has been employed for over 39 years. In addition to extensive work in tourism, marketing, and sales, he also has 10 years of experience in advertising and media. He is a graduate of both Algonquin College (broadcasting) and McGill University (Master’s degree, Management). He is a Board Member of the St. Lawrence Parks Commission, CUTA and Developmental Services of Leeds and Grenville. His previous volunteer work includes Ontario Special Olympics, Blue Jays Foundation, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, Destination Canada’s Emerging Markets Committee, Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto Argonauts Foundation and four Grey Cup Committees.

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.

Andrew Weir is President and CEO of Destination Toronto, leading efforts to grow the visitor economy in Canada’s most-visited destination. Prior to his appointment as CEO in 2024, Andrew served for 18 years in other leadership roles within the organization, including Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. Andrew has also served as Chair of the Board of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario as well as roles on other Canadian and international boards and committees, largely connected to destination sales and marketing and the meetings industry.

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.