About the event
GTACC's annual Women in Leadership Conference is back!
Come join us to celebrate International Women's Day! We will share, inspire, connect and learn from one another.
Proceeds from this event will go towards creating bursaries for female students at Tyndale University. You will receive a tax receipt for your ticket.
Event details
Date: March 6, 2024
Time: 8:30 am - 12:00 pm EST
Registration begins at 8:00am
Cost: (Eventbrite fee will be added to the ticket price)
$100 until December 15, 2023
$150 after December 15, 2023
Virtual $50
Location: Tyndale University
3377 Bayview Ave
North York, ON
M2M 3S4
Agenda: TBD
Keynote/Fireside Chat SPEAKER
TERI L. DENNIS-DAVIES, J.D.
Chief People & Inclusion Officer, MLSE
Teri L. Dennis-Davies is the Chief People & Inclusion Officer at Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (MLSE) joining the organization in October of 2020.
As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, Teri has principal oversight of the company’s human capital and equity, diversity and inclusion strategies which inform the organization’s approach to succession planning, talent management, organizational effectiveness, learning and development, and total rewards.
A seasoned executive with more than 20 years of global experience, Teri has held various leadership positions in human resources, diversity and inclusion, governance and compliance in the USA, Caribbean, Canada, Europe and Asia. She joined MLSE from Royal Bank of Canada where she worked for 14 years including global leadership roles as Vice President Human Resources, Investor & Treasury Services and Vice President Employee Relations. Prior to RBC, Teri worked at Merrill Corporation, Fortis Fund Services, and KPMG. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts from Rutgers University in New Jersey and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law. Teri is a licensed attorney in the states of New York and Connecticut.
Ms. Dennis-Davies serves as Director on the Board of WISE Toronto – Women in Sports & Events and on the Executive Committee of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir as Chair of the Governance and Nominations Committee.
Panel SPEAKERS
Chris StAGER
National Director & Program Lead, The Scotiabank Women Initiative
In April 2023, Chris was appointed National Director & Program Lead, The Scotiabank Women Initiative, Canadian Banking. Chris works with her team and colleagues to support the growth of women-owned and women-led businesses so they can pursue their best professional and financial futures by providing unbiased access to capital, tailored solutions, bespoke specialized education and holistic advisory services and mentorship.
Chris has been a proud Scotiabanker for over 30 years, having had a diverse and varied career across Canadian Banking, International Operations and most recently Small Business, where she has held the National Director, Small Business Distribution role for the past 5 years.
In her most recent role, Chris has been a key partner and advocate of The Scotiabank Women Initiative, supporting awareness and growth of women-owned and women-led businesses. Chris is also an active ally in the community being a member of the International Women’s Forum (IWF), a Board Member for the Centre of Entrepreneurship, Conestoga College, and Co-Chair for the Scotiabank Employee Giving Campaign.
Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. She has also completed her Personal Financial Planning (PFP) designation and has an MBA from Dalhousie University. Chris and her husband Steve enjoy hiking, golf and traveling in their spare time.
Cheryl Tjok-A-TAM
Vice President, Strategic Initiatives & Change Management, CFO Group | RBC
Cheryl Tjok-A-Tam is an accomplished business professional with 20+ years of experience at leading industry organizations including AT&T Canada, IBM Global Services and Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) with sector experience in Technology, Consulting, Telecom and Finance.
She is a dynamic leader and team builder with extensive successes pertaining to large strategic business transformation inclusive of delivery, technology integration and governance leveraging both Program Management and Agile Methodology. She is recognized as a change agent who can navigate an organization effectively and efficiently while building deep cross-functional relationships. Cheryl thrives in situations that require transformation by bringing strategic thinking and a pragmatic approach for execution and oversight.
During her career at RBC she has championed living legacy initiatives. Through these experiences she has demonstrated a natural aptitude for innovation and transformation exercising a balance of speed to market and the best interest of servicing clients. She has lead large matrixed teams across business and technology exemplifying the representation of one team and known for holding every team member accountable to an owner/operator model.
In her current role, she leads a team of approximately 50 resources supporting the CFO Group business leaders to achieve their financial and strategic objectives to enable the future of finance through its own multi-year transformation.
Cheryl is widely recognized as a change agent & advocate through fostering meaningful dialogue of diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging. She is the executive co-chair of Beacon, a grass-roots, bank employee led initiative endeavoring to support the career progression of Black professionals and mentorship of youth. She is also an active board member for Springboard Services, helping at risk and vulnerable youth and adults through critical transitions in their lives with a focus on community justice, employment and developmental disability services.
She is an avid traveler, recently returning from Vietnam, with Dubai and Namibia planned for 2023. Her favourite role in life however is mother to her teenaged son.
Andrea Walters
Principal
Andrea Walters is an Elementary School principal who has been an educator in Toronto and Durham. Andrea’s strong leadership and visionary skills were evident in her teaching of the Principal’s Qualification Course for York University. Andrea’s passion for her school and all its stakeholders has had her nominated twice for Outstanding Principal of the year and awarded the Durham Black Educators Award.
Outside of work, Andrea is an International Yoga Instructor, a volunteer for those less fortunate and serves on the Board for the Olive Branch of Hope and on the Executive for the Durham Black Educators Network. She enjoys opportunities for public speaking where she motivates people on “Living Unstuck” and speaks to people about managing stresses and inspires people to find peace, joy and strength in challenging and painful times.
Natasha Singh
SVP, Operations, Bill Gosling Outsourcing
Natasha Singh AKA “ Nat” is a devoted mother of 2 boys and wife, and dog mom to 2 English Bulldogs, a passionate advocate against human trafficking. Her illustrious career spans 22 years in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry. Currently holding the role of SVP of Operations at Bill Gosling Outsourcing. This year marks another milestone in her career as she assumes the role of Senior Vice President of Americas Operations. In this capacity, Natasha manages operations across the entire Americas, while leading a global team operating in four countries and eight offices. Natasha is her relentless pursuit of knowledge. She is deeply committed to lifelong learning, as demonstrated by her ongoing studies at Queen's University and her determined quest to attain the CAM designation. Beyond her professional endeavors, Natasha's heart is dedicated to the cause of Rahab's Daughters, an organization fervently combating human trafficking. Natasha's recent appointment to their Board of Directors underscores her significant impact on their noble mission. Notably, at the last Super Bowl, Natasha led a team of Bill Gosling employees, providing crucial call center support to Rahab's Daughters. Their efforts resulted in 29,000 outbound calls, the handling of 660 incoming calls from victims and whistleblowers, facilitating 35 rescues, and donating essential items to those affected by human trafficking. Natasha's philanthropic spirit extends to various charitable initiatives; including the GTAAC- MCAP Backpack campaign, Breast Cancer, and the Barrie Food Bank.
Panel Facilitator
Penny St. Antoine
SVP, SF Operations at MCAP Service Corporation
An accomplished operations executive with a remarkable track record of over 30+ years in the service industry. Known for leading and mentoring highly skilled teams to achieve exceptional results within dynamic and performance-oriented environments.
Penny's unwavering commitment to service excellence has earned her consecutive Contact Centre Employer of Choice 'Gold' awards. Her primary focus lies in cultivating a sustainable culture of world-class people practices, fostering resilient teams that embrace change, drive profitability, and leverage reward and recognition tools to attain remarkable accomplishments.
Throughout her career, Penny has been consistently acknowledged for her exceptional leadership abilities. She has garnered widespread recognition, including being named CMP Magazine's "Woman of Influence" and co-authoring the Amazon #1 bestselling leadership book, "Called to Action." In addition to a Bachelor of Mathematics and Bachelor of Education, she has recently achieved her Professional Director designation.
platinum Sponsors
gold Sponsors
event partner
