LEAD 2023

LEAD 2023 is over – thanks to everyone who attended!

Stay tuned for details on LEAD 2024, taking place September 4 to 6, 2024 in Edmonton, coming soon. To be added to the conference mailing list, email communications@albertacentral.com.

Conference speaker presentations and handouts, available to LEAD 2023 delegates only, can be found at the link below. Please use the password provided via email.

Conference presentations can be found here.

Speakers

Peter Sheahan

Expert on leveraging business trends and new opportunities

Biography

Peter Sheahan is internationally known for his innovative business thinking and thought leadership. A highly successful entrepreneur, he is the founder and CEO of Karrikins Group, a multi-million-dollar consulting practice that attracts clients such as Apple, DeBeers, and AT&T. After decades of standing in the fire with leaders of high-performing organizations, Sheahan knows first hand the challenges of growing and leading a business in the rapidly changing marketplace.

Sheahan’s insights into business trends, and the changing needs of customers and staff, have made him a regular guest expert in the media, including ABC and the BBC. He has also had profiles in The Washington Post and Fast Company and been a featured expert in a five-part CNBC series on innovation. Today, he and his team are focused exclusively on inspiring leaders to do the hard work required to accelerate growth and transformation.

Sheahan is the bestselling author of seven books, including the international bestsellers Fl!p, Generation Y, Making it Happen, and MATTER: Move Beyond the Competition, Create More Value and Become the Obvious Choice, which shows readers that their edge of disruption is where their opportunity to matter is found.

A world-renowned speaker, Sheahan has delivered more than 2,500 presentations in 40+ countries, and was named one of the “25 Most Influential Speakers in the World” by the National Speakers Association. He is also the youngest person ever to be inducted into their industry Hall of Fame.

Eric Termuende

Author and expert on the future of work and leadership

Biography

A globally recognized thought leader, bestselling author, and keynote speaker, Eric Termuende brings a fresh perspective to the future of work, leadership, workplace culture, and talent management. He has spent years studying the world’s greatest places to work to learn what sets amazing leaders apart and how to build resilient, innovative, and future-ready teams. Eric’s refreshing, down-to-earth messaging not only leaves audiences excited about the future, but also equips them with the practical tools and know-how to thrive in it.
Eric has delivered hundreds of keynotes around the world, with clients from category-leading companies like Amazon, Coca-Cola, Nationwide, IBM, Zoom, Nokia, John Deere, and Toyota, to name a few. His research and insights have also been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, Inc., and many other prominent publications. Eric has been named one of the world’s Top 100 Emerging Innovators by American Express and is a former World Economic Forum Global Shaper.
In addition, Eric is the co-founder of NoW of Work, where he advises industry-leading organizations, institutions, and associations on future-proofing their teams, talent management, and rehumanizing the workplace. His bestselling book, Rethink Work, has become a must-read for today’s leaders. From the stages of TEDx to BUILDEX to the Milken Global Conference, Eric inspires, challenges, and opens minds to opportunities for growth.
Melissa Agnes

Founder and CEO of the Crisis Ready Institute

Biography

Founder and CEO of the Crisis Ready Institute, Melissa Agnes is a recognized leading authority on crisis preparedness, reputation management, and brand protection. Melissa is the creator of the Crisis Ready® Model and author of Crisis Ready: Building an Invincible Brand in an Uncertain World. She is a coveted speaker, commentator, and advisor to some of today’s leading organizations faced with the greatest risks.
As a strategic advisor and keynote speaker, Melissa has worked with NATO, Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense, financial firms, technology companies, healthcare organizations, cities and municipalities, law enforcement agencies, global non-profits and many others, helping them understand risk and build invincible brands that can withstand even the most devastating of events.
A university guest lecturer, Melissa teaches crisis management in university courses around the world, including at NYU, Columbia and McGill. Her book and Crisis Ready® Model are globally recognized as having elevated industry best practice and are currently taught in dozens of higher education courses around the world, including at Harvard University.
Melissa is proud to sit on the Police Professional Standards, Ethics and Image Committee for the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP); she sat on the panel tasked with developing the International Standard for Crisis Management— Guidelines for developing a strategic capability, ISO 22361; and she is a member of the Global Advisory Council for The Institute for Strategic Risk Management (ISRM), an entity established to help world leaders understand, evaluate and strategically prepare for rising global risks.
In 2015, Melissa gave a TEDx talk in Los Angeles where she discussed the secret to successful crisis management in the 21st century. She is also the editor of the Crisis Ready Blog, the host of the Invincible Brand Podcast, a contributor to Forbes and a go-to source for the press, with recent coverage including the Wall Street Journal, VIBE Magazine, USA Today, and many others.
Tina Varughese

Cross-cultural communication and diversity expert

Biography

An Indo-Canadian daughter of first generation East Indian parents, Tina says her cultural background allows her to find “the best of both worlds” and shed light, knowledge, and, most importantly, universal humour into the changing workplace. Her highly entertaining, interactive and practical keynotes leave attendees inspired to think, behave, act, and communicate with intention.
For fifteen years Tina worked with immigrants in her roles with the Province of Alberta’s immigration office. She also ran her own successful relocation and settlement firm. Tina draws from her experiences as an entrepreneur, mother, daughter, wife, sister and friend when delivering keynotes on diversity and inclusion — topics that resonate with her both professionally and personally.
Tina has been named one of “Canada’s Top 10 Notable Speakers” by Ignite Magazine for her ability to break down barriers and create a comfortable, inclusive, and fun space for attendees. She was the face of diversity, literally, having been chosen to participate in Dove’s campaign for Real Beauty, representing beauty in diversity.
The past-president of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers (Calgary), Tina is a contributing writer for the Human Resource Institute of Alberta’s Network magazine, Calgary Real Estate News and Home to Home magazine. She was also profiled in Alberta’s Venture Magazine.
Ian Burns

President & CEO, Servus Credit Union

Biography

Ian Burns has served as Servus’s President and CEO since April 2021.

Prior to joining Servus, Ian was Chief Executive Officer of Alberta Central where he gained a deep understanding of credit unions and their role within the financial sector. He also has leadership experience in a variety of areas connected to the financial services industry including retail, real estate and insurance. Past roles include CEO of the Alberta Real Estate Association and Vice President of Financial Services for The Brick Group Ltd.

Ian sits on a number of boards within the Canadian credit union and financial industry systems including Interac, Everlink and the Prairie Payments Joint Venture Initiative.

Don Coulter

CEO, connectFirst Credit Union

Biography

For over 25 years, Don Coulter has been a noteworthy leader in the financial services industry. As Chief Executive Officer for connectFirst Credit Union since February 2023, Don believes in harnessing the power of cooperative banking to build sustainable economies while driving positive social and environmental value for members.
A community-centered leader with a global mindset, Don’s roots within the Canadian Credit Union system span far and wide. Under his leadership, Don led one of Canada’s largest credit unions to achieve industry-leading results, earning recognition as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies and Most Admired Cultures. He also played a pivotal role in growing some of Canada’s most successful fintech companies.
Don is an alumnus of Harvard Business School, NYU, and the University of Toronto. He is a Chartered Public Accountant and is an accredited director by the Institute of Corporate Directors.
Perry Dooley

Board Chair, Servus Credit Union

Biography

Perry Dooley joined the Servus board in 2009 and is currently serving as Board Chair. Perry is an entrepreneur and governance professional with over 30 years’ experience in business, financial services, and board governance. He believes in organizational purpose, culture and diversity and has a passion for corporate strategy, leadership, and organizational sustainability.

In addition to serving members on the Servus board, Perry is a Director for the Medicine Hat and District Health Foundation and serves on the National Advisory Council for M & M Food Market Canada.  He is the former Chair of Alberta Central and previously served on the boards for the Calgary Opera Association and the Learning Disabilities Association of Alberta.

Perry has a Bachelor of Management from the University of Lethbridge, is a Fellow of the Institute of Canadian Bankers and a holds the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D) Designation.

Perry is the current owner of two successful businesses in southern Alberta. He actively supports his community through fundraising, sponsorship, and mentoring.

Andrew Eberl

Board Chair, connectFirst Credit Union

Biography

Born and raised on a mixed farm near Claresholm, Andrew and his family are proud to oversee the welfare of the largest Braunvieh cattle herd in Canada. A passionate credit union member for 39 years, Andrew credits the longevity and success of his family business from the support of his local credit union.

Andrew’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Science Degree (with distinction) in Agriculture from the University of Alberta and numerous industry and credit union certifications.

In his spare time, Andrew enjoys spending time with his wife and adult daughters, working on the farm or hiking, and biking in K-Country.

Jeff Guthrie

President & CEO, Canadian Credit Union Association

Biography

Jeff Guthrie joined the Canadian Credit Union Association (CCUA) as President and CEO on July 1, 2022. He is an accomplished financial services executive with a wide range of experience in financial services and leading organization-wide transformations.

Jeff began his career in retail banking at RBC Royal Bank (RBC) as a teller. During his tenure with RBC, he held a wide variety of roles of increasing responsibilities, eventually becoming a member of the executive team as Vice-President, Card Services.

Inspired by taking on a new challenge, in late 2000, he left RBC and became one of the founding executives of Moneris Solutions (Moneris). Today Moneris is Canada’s number one payment processor and one of North America’s largest. Over his 19-year tenure at Moneris, he held a wide-range of senior roles, including Senior Vice-President Operations and Integrations, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Sales and Marketing Officer.

During his time with Moneris, he served on the MasterCard Canada, Visa International, and Discover North American Advisory Boards. He also served as an advisor to the Canadian Professional Sales Association (CPSA) on developing the competencies and curriculum to establish sales as a graduate degree program.

Most recently, Jeff served as President and COO of Hank Payments, a Canadian start-up focused on providing tools to help consumers improve their financial well-being.

He is currently an advisor to Payment Source Inc., a payments company focused on financial inclusion in Canada.

Jeff holds a Master of Management from McGill University, specializing in international business. An avid traveller, he has visited over 40 countries and plans to continue to explore the world with the lifting of restrictions. Over the past two years, he has filled the travel void by publishing over 20 essays on various subjects, such as economic recovery, mental health, and cryptocurrencies.

Never shy of a challenge, Jeff is an accomplished ultra-marathon runner, having completed races in the most extreme conditions, including the Egyptian Sahara, Amazon Basin, Northern Iceland, and Fijian mountains.

When not indulging his passion for travel and adventure, Jeff resides in Toronto, Canada.

Kendra Holland

Chief Merger Officer, connectFirst Credit Union

Biography

Kendra brings 25 years of experience in financial services and leadership to her role as Chief Merger Officer with connectFirst Credit Union. She draws from her extensive experience in strategy, commercial and agriculture business development and credit, operational controls, and compliance to challenge existing processes and translate leading-edge conceptual thinking into practical actions to serve the interests of members.

A self-confessed risk enthusiast, Kendra is especially passionate about transforming risk management into risk optimization by taking a prospective – instead of retrospective – view of risk and opportunity. She holds a Certified Chief Executive designation, as well as a Masters Certificate in Risk Management.

Kendra is a true collaborator with expertise in business refinement on every level; she leads with confidence while demonstrating humility as an innovator. Through mentorship, she helps people draw on their innate talents to perform, collaborate and lead better. Nothing brings her more pride than an empowered, proactive, and cohesive team.

Parul Kalve

VP Data Governance, Technology & Strategy, Servus Credit Union

Biography

Parul is the VP of Data Governance, Technology & Strategy at Servus Credit Union; where she is leading Servus’s data-driven journey through Innovation, Data Technology, Governance and AI Strategy towards building a better member experience and stronger member financial fitness.

Parul has 18+ years of experience working in various roles in data and analytics across diverse industries and countries. Her strong passion for data and people has motivated her to focus her career on Data Management and Data Governance for over a decade. Parul has trained several Data Governance professionals, teaches Data Governance at NAIT and has a passion to build talent in the data space. She has been leading organizations through their Data Analytics and AI journey by helping them build strong Data Culture, Data & AI Strategies and a sustainable Operating Model. She has been a mentor, a coach and a thought leader in how to build trusted & reliable data assets and to effectively leverage those to make an impact to the customers and organization’s goals & objectives.

Robyn King

Dir., Industry Relations, Payments Canada

Biography

Robyn King is the Director of Industry Relations at Payments Canada, which oversees all external outreach with members and stakeholders of the Canadian Payments Ecosystem, as well as oversight on all committee structures and content within the organization. She has over 15 years of experience in payments, transactional banking, banking innovation and card payments in both the Southern African and Canadian markets. Robyn graduated from the University of Johannesburg with an Honours Bachelor of Science degree before later completing her MBA through Henley Business School (University of Reading, U.K.). Robyn is also a Certified Treasury Professional, gaining her CTP accreditation in 2020. Before joining Payments Canada, she worked in the modernization team within one of the big 5 Canadian banks. Prior moving to Canada, Robyn was at FirstRand Bank for 10 years, holding roles in Branch Banking, Innovation, Payments, and Merchant Acquiring.

Naen Lamarche

Partner, Banking Technology, EY

Biography

Naen is a technology and business transformation leader who has been with EY since 2021 in positions of increasing responsibility. Previously she was a Management Consultant with CAPCO and worked with the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan focused on the IT Strategy and Portfolio Management space. She has also held roles with Foresters focused on Portfolio Governance and Project Management. She has her Biochemistry degree from the University of Ottawa and

Cormac Leddy

Open Banking practice leader, EY

Biography

Cormac leads EY Canada’s Open Banking practice and is a leader in the Banking & Capital Markets FinTech sector. His work has contributed to the development of EY Canada’s market perspectives on Open Banking, Open Finance and Open Data in Canada. He strives to bring deep, meaningful, and specific insights to Canadian Credit Union and Banking clients supported by learnings from EYs global experience and Canadian thought leadership and market studies.

As a consultant in EY’s Banking and Technology team Cormac supports clients in addressing business challenges through a business led approach supported by innovation and technology. Cormac’s experience spans a wide range of functional areas in financial services, including risk, technology, and data across multiple business lines including retail banking, commercial banking, and wealth.

Matt McGuire

Principal/Practice Leader, The AML Shop

Biography

Matt is an internationally recognized expert in anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing and sanctions compliance, and leads the advisory practice team at The AML Shop. He has been assisting governments and financial services companies to assess and reduce financial crime and related regulatory risks for fifteen years.
Matt is a Chartered Professional Accountant and has been inducted as a Fellow of CPA Ontario, is certified as an Anti-Money Laundering Specialist and Certified Cryptocurrency Investigator, and accredited as an Anti-Money Laundering Professional, and Certified in Financial Forensics.
Matthew has been qualified as an expert witness in forensic accounting and money laundering, has testified before Senate committees, Parliamentary Committees and the Cullen Commission of Inquiry into money laundering.
Nate Schneemann

Fraud Strat. Lead, NICE Actimize

Biography

Nate Schneemann is the Fraud Strategy Lead for NICE Actimize and is an expert in fraud prevention and identity verification technologies.  He works globally across the product management team and strategic customers to understand their fraud prevention challenges to design tactical and strategic prevention approaches that improve business performance.  Nate has 15 years of experience working for banks, investment firms and financial crime prevention tech companies that cover fraud, identity, AML and financial markets risk.

Abhishek Sinha

Partner, National Open Banking, EY

Biography

Abhishek Sinha is a Partner at EY leading a broad transformation agenda, including Future of Banking, Technology Strategy, Program & Portfolio Management, Payments, Cash Management, Open Banking, Commercial Banking, M&A Due Diligence, Post Merger Integration, Emerging Technologies and Blockchain.

Abhishek works with clients to develop & deliver compelling business-cases to support business agendas through- Agile Transformation, Digital Adoption, Innovation, Ecosystem Collaboration, Enterprise Architecture, Data Management, Analytics, Enterprise Technology Strategies. He has broad international experience with top-tier consulting firms and global banks in the areas of Strategy Development, Architecture and Technology Delivery.

Eyal Sivan

VP, Open Banking & Smart Data, Raidiam

Biography

Eyal Sivan is Vice President, Open Banking and Smart Data at Raidiam, providers of the world’s most trusted open banking, open finance and smart data ecosystems. In his role, Eyal is responsible for working with stakeholders across the firm to position Raidiam as the number one ecosystem solution provider in the open banking space. Together with the other members of Raidiam’s elite team, his unique expertise in banking API and integration technologies helps clients in the FSI sector accelerate their open banking readiness.

In his efforts to drive advancements in open banking around the world, Eyal has also created the unique personal brand Mr. Open Banking. Under this name, Eyal hosts the only podcast dedicated to the open banking community, where he interviews the key leaders, innovators and influencers who are driving and shaping the global emergence of open banking. Since its launch in 2020, the podcast has grown to over 30 thousand subscribers, leading to Eyal being selected as the number one Open Finance Influencer in the world for 2022 by Open Future World.

Matt Waynert

Dir. Strategic Data & Analytics, connectFirst Credit Union

Biography

Matt is the Director of Strategic Data and Analytics with connectFirst Credit Union. He has over 20 years of experience working in the financial institution space, 15 of which have been spent specializing in data and analytics. He has a proven track record of building out successful data and analytics practices and strategies for credit unions, as he most recently contributed significantly to the establishment of two of the largest CUs in Saskatchewan (Innovation and Conexus) as leaders in the credit union data and analytics space. With over 100 data, analytics, and technology projects under his belt, Matt has deep expertise in the data and analytics field and a passion for the credit union system.

He holds an MBA and a Bachelor of Business Administration, as well as the FCUIC credit union designation and certifications in both waterfall (Project Management Professional) and agile (Professional Scrum Master) project delivery. Recently relocating to Calgary, Matt is eager to bring his expertise to a new team and continue his data and analytics career within the credit union system.

Julie Winram

Managing Partner, The Sentis Group

Biography

Julie is an innovator, developing new models for customer experience management and ROI, economic impact measurement and employee engagement. She’s passionate about harnessing technology, revamping tracking programs and setting corporate metrics, benchmarks and targets.

Julie’s commitment to the success of her clients has attracted a loyal following. Clients turn to Julie for guidance when making critical decisions affecting business processes, marketing and communications, and brand strategy. She is a trusted advisor who makes the time to dig into the business problem and propose big picture “sea change” solutions right alongside more targeted recommendations.

Prior to Sentis, Julie led the Western Canadian businesses of Synovate and Ipsos and was a partner of MarkTrend Research. She served as an Expert Witness on Polling for the BC Supreme Court and the Board of Directors for Consumer Protection BC, chairing the Governance Committee. She currently serves on the BC Egg Marketing Board MarComm Committee.

Areas of expertise:

Brand positioning and value proposition, market segmentation and personas, customer journey and path to purchase, campaign effectiveness, Voice of the Customer program design, scorecard development and target setting, economic impact.

Sectors/Industry practice areas:

Financial services and insurance, automotive, heavy equipment, workplace safety, retail, transportation, convention centres, member associations, public sector agencies.

Julie was born and raised in BC. She is forever optimizing her garden and gets immense satisfaction from stuffing as many errands as possible into a single day.

Julie holds a B.Comm (Marketing) from UBC and is a Certified Marketing Research Professional.

Michelle Winsor

CEO & Founder, Accelera Ecosystem

Biography

As an innovative entrepreneur, visionary, thinking partner, and advisor, Michelle has been relentlessly pursuing my dream of breaking down barriers to employment, growth in business and the access to affordable technology. She is passionate about inclusivity and fair competition.

After consulting for some of the largest financial companies in North America, Michelle founded Accelera; a company that aims to revolutionize the financial world. Accelera is her embodied passion to make technology flexible and accessible to businesses of all sizes. Michelle believes in the power of creating an inclusive ecosystem of people, communities, and businesses through the collective will of organizations that have a desire to grow and build together for the future.

Agenda

Monday, May 29

12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Registration

Visit us in the foyer of the Imperial Ballroom to register for LEAD 2023 and collect your name badge and delegate gift.

6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Welcome Reception + Tradeshow

Join us in the Imperial Ballroom for a networking focused welcome reception and tradeshow event. New for 2023, sign-up in advance for an expert-led wine or whiskey tasting taking place during the reception! Advanced registration for a tasting timeslot is required and can be found as part of general conference delegate registration form.

Tuesday, May 30

8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Registration

Visit us in the foyer of the Imperial Ballroom to register for LEAD 2023 and collect your name badge and delegate gift.

8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Breakfast Buffet

The breakfast buffet will be available from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. in the foyer of the Imperial Ballroom.

9:00 a.m. – 9:10 a.m.

Welcome + Opening Remarks

Hear opening remarks and a welcome message.

9:10 a.m. – 10:10 a.m.

Peter Sheahan: Turn Challenge into Opportunity and Change into Competitive Advantage

Join Peter Sheahan, an international expert on leveraging business trends and new market opportunities as he discusses how to turn challenge into opportunity and change into competitive advantage. What you will learn: Supply chain constraints, talent and labour shortages and the continued onslaught of technological disruption are just the beginning of the challenges coming in 2023. Now more than ever, we need to build resilient leaders, agile organizations, and high performing teams — no matter the uncertainty. In this keynote, learn how to increase the agility of your teams and differentiate between temporary and permanent change (and respond accordingly). Discover how to turn a burning platform into a burning ambition that inspires people to give their all and what it looks like to accelerate change without causing burn out. Come away with the ability to embrace progress over perfection to avoid analysis paralysis and be better equipped to manage ambiguity.

10:10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Networking + Coffee Break

Enjoy a moment of networking over coffee and snacks in the Imperial Ballroom Foyer. New for 2023, a dedicated networking space will be available to take advantage of extended break times.
Morning coffee break sponsored by CCUA.
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Melissa Agnes: Becoming Crisis Ready - How To Rise as a Leader Amongst Credit Unions When It Matters Most

Join Melissa Agnes, Founder and CEO of the Crisis Ready Institute, as she explains how to build an invincible brand. What you will learn: When it comes to managing through change, challenge, and crisis, there are three components required for your success: implementing the right actions to manage and remedy the situation, communicating effectively with all relevant stakeholders and impacted parties, and doing all of this within the right timeframe. Action + Communication + Timeline = Crisis Response. How effective you are at each of these three components is what will make or break your success. Taking the right actions, while complex, is the easier aspect. Communicating and leading through high emotions, seemingly impossible expectations, and doing all of this within the right timeframe, are the parts of crisis response and issue management that are the most challenging. Fortunately, you can set yourself and your team up for exceptional success in these areas by being, what is referred to as, “Crisis Ready”. In her keynote presentation, Melissa Agnes will share the secrets to successful crisis communication and how to effectively lead through high-stakes situations and emotions. Rich with case studies and actionable takeaways, this session will explore: What it means to be Crisis Ready and why it’s critical to your business’s long-term success; How to lead with reassurance, hope, and courage when it matters most; How to get ahead of rising situations to quickly de-escalate them AND leverage them as an opportunity to strengthen trust and brand equity; and How to avoid suffering a “Crisis Response Penalty” (CRP).

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Networking Lunch

Enjoy a buffet lunch and plenty of opportunities to network.

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Tina Varughese: 50 Shades of Beige: Communicate with the Cross-Cultural Advantage

Join Tina Varughese, cross-cultural communication and diversity expert, as she discusses how to communicate cross-culturally in the workplace to enhance productivity, performance, and employee engagement and why managing diversity drives profitability, leads to innovation, and promotes an inspiring workplace culture. What you will learn: the cultural differences in communication and indirect vs. direct speaking styles; individualistic and collective cultures and how values change the way we communicate; effective day-to-day communication when English is a second language, non-verbal communication and why the “unspoken” word is the most important of all; and wow global companies lose millions in revenue due to a lack of understanding of cultural differences.

1:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.

Emerging Leaders Presentations

Hear from the Emerging Leaders as they present new and innovative ideas to the audience for consideration.

2:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Jeff Guthrie: CCUA Update

Hear an update from Jeff Guthrie, CEO, Canadian Credit Union Association (CCUA).

2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Networking + Coffee Break

Enjoy a moment of networking over coffee and snacks in the Imperial Ballroom Foyer. New for 2023, a dedicated networking space will be available to take advantage of extended break times.
Afternoon coffee break sponsored by Celero.
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Breakout 1: Digital Transformation

Hear from Naen Lamarche, Partner and National Leader of Banking Technology with EY as she presents on what digital transformation looks like for credit unions.
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Breakout 2: Fraud and Cyber Crime Trends

Join Nate Schneemann, Fraud Strategy Lead from NICE Actimize as he presents on fraud and cyber crime trends.

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Breakout 3: Servus and connectFirst Merger Panel Discussion: Consolidation to Support a Stronger Provincial System

In this session, panelists will discuss the proposed Servus/connectFirst merger. Panelists will cover a variety of topics including: the drivers that led to the decision to propose merging; what the merger means for each credit union and for the credit union system as a whole; the challenges and risks associated with the merger; the advantages and disadvantages to the merger and what Alberta-based credit unions can expect from this merger.
Panelists will include: Perry Dooley, Board Chair, Servus Credit Union; Ian Burns, President & CEO, Servus Credit Union; Andrew Eberl, Board Chair, connectFirst Credit Union; Don Coulter, CEO, connectFirst Credit Union; and Moderator – Kendra Holland, Chief Merger Officer, connectFirst Credit Union.
6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Sponsors Social

Visit the Imperial Ballroom foyer for a social hour with cocktails and light snacks leading up to dinner.
Social hour sponsored by: CUES, Collabria and CUMIS.
7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Gala Dinner + Performance Excellence Awards

Join us in the Imperial Ballroom for the Gala Dinner and the presentation of the Performance Excellence Awards honouring credit union achievements. Following dinner there will be live entertainment.

Wednesday, May 31

8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Registration

Visit us in the foyer of the Imperial Ballroom to register for LEAD 2023 and collect your name badge and delegate gift.

8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Breakfast Buffet

The breakfast buffet will be available from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. in the foyer of the Imperial Ballroom.

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Eric Termuende: Blueprint to the Future - Leading in a New World of Work

Hear insights from Eric Termuende, author and expert on the future of work and leadership, on how to lead in a new world of work. What you will learn: trends, charts, graphs, and predictions about the future of work are interesting, but the rhetoric around the future of work is often stuck on what it might look like, not how we get there. Instead of wasting time trying to predict what’s next, leaders need to better understand the specific steps we need to take to focus on building incredible teams that thrive in the face of adversity and uncertainty; and have each other’s backs along the way. In this engaging, insight-filled, and actionable presentation, hear a research-backed blueprint for successful leadership in a world that has yet to be created. Attendees will receive a practical guide to building teams that are more productive, engaged, creative and innovative. They’ll learn from the experiences of the National Football League, category-leading companies and trailblazers from around the world about the importance of building trust, removing friction and creating a culture of experimentation. Walk away with actionable ideas to “future-proof” teams by making a series of one-degree shifts that result in an improved sense of belonging, psychological safety and engagement.

Keynote sponsored by: EY

10:05 a.m. – 10:35 a.m.

Speed Session 1A: Stop Digging and Start Doing: How to Move from Data To Action

Do you have data without direction or insights that you can’t action? Julie Winram from The Sentis Group will explain why data only gets you so far, and why insights, even amazing insights, languish in PowerPoint decks. Attend this session to learn how to move past the “What” to “So What”, and most importantly, to “Now What”.

10:05 a.m. – 10:35 a.m.

Speed Session 2A: Trends in the Financial Services Industry - The Great Convergence

Hear from Abhishek Sinha, Partner and National Open Banking Leader with EY on what trends to watch out for in the financial services industry and what the “great convergence” means for credit unions.

10:35 a.m. – 11:05 a.m.

Speed Session 2A: Stop Digging and Start Doing: How to Move from Data To Action

Do you have data without direction or insights that you can’t action? Julie Winram from The Sentis Group will explain why data only gets you so far, and why insights, even amazing insights, languish in PowerPoint decks. Attend this session to learn how to move past the “What” to “So What”, and most importantly, to “Now What”.

10:35 a.m. – 11:05 a.m.

Speed Session 2B: Trends in the Financial Services Industry - The Great Convergence

Hear from Abhishek Sinha, Partner and National Open Banking Leader with EY on what trends to watch out for in the financial services industry and what the “great convergence” means for credit unions.

10:05 a.m. – 11:05 a.m.

Breakout: Data Analytics Strategies

In this conference session, you’ll hear from Matt Waynert, Director of Strategic Data and Analytics at connectFirst Credit Union, and Parul Kalve, Vice President of Data Governance, Technology and Strategy at Servus Credit Union, as they share their insights and best practices for developing effective data and analytics strategies, especially in the face of a continuously changing and challenging global environment. They’ll discuss the importance of data governance, highlight successful data and analytics use cases, and offer practical methods for maximizing the value of your data and analytics investments. Whether you’re a data professional or a business leader looking to leverage your organization’s data through analytics, this session is sure to provide valuable insights and actionable takeaways.

11:05 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Networking + Coffee Break

Enjoy a moment of networking over coffee and snacks in the Imperial Ballroom Foyer. New for 2023, a dedicated networking space will be available to take advantage of extended break times.

11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.

Panel: From Open Banking to Open Finance

Join our panel of industry experts, including Cormac Leddy, Senior Manager of Banking Technology at EY, Matt McGuire, Principal/Practice Leader with The AML Shop, Eyal Sivan, Vice President, Open Banking and Smart Data at Raidiam and known as Mr. Open Banking from his podcast, Michelle Winsor, Founder and CEO of Accelera Ecosystem and Member of the Open Finance Network, and panelist and moderator Robyn King, Director of Industry Relations for Payments Canada.

This discussion will explore the continuum from open banking to open finance, what open finance could mean for credit unions and some of the risks and opportunities that it presents for the system.

What you will learn:

Open banking has been around for some time, but to add to this complexity, many are now talking about open finance.

Open finance is the next step in the journey from open banking “read only” to “read and write” and will enable credit unions – with the consumer’s consent – to gain access to a customer’s entire financial footprint including data related to taxes, insurance, pensions and more.

Even though open banking has not been implemented in Canada, trends, technology and innovations move fast and the credit union system needs to be ready for what’s next. The opportunity that open finance presents for credit unions, should the sharing of consumer data for financial products and services move beyond banking, means credit unions need to start thinking about collaboration opportunities now.

Open finance could help increase transparency and financial inclusion for all Canadians and has the potential to drive system growth. Attend this session to learn what the future with open finance could look like, why credit unions are uniquely positioned to benefit and how to start getting ready for open finance now.

12:45 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Closing Remarks

Hear closing remarks.

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Registration is now closed!