The Women in Leadership Conference brings together professional women to explore today’s leadership challenges, exchange perspectives, and learn from peers and industry leaders.

The event provides an invaluable opportunity for women in leadership roles to gain insights and strategies that will help them become more effective leaders and thrive in today’s evolving workplace.

Join us at this in-person event. Learn, connect and reconnect – and have fun!

SHARON CASTELINO (Keynote Speaker)
Chief Executive Officer
Windmill Microlending

Integrity in leadership: How leadership builds and sustains trust when the stakes are highest

In an era marked by geopolitical uncertainty, misinformation, economic disruption, and AI-driven decisions, integrity is not simply the soft side of leadership; it is the infrastructure of trust. Leaders today answer to a broader and more discerning range of stakeholders: multigenerational employees, customers, investors, boards, regulators, communities, and the public. Integrity is proven not in moments of easy consensus, but when leaders face competing pressures – from growth and performance to speed, technology, and human dignity — and must make choices that endure scrutiny long after the crisis has passed.

• • Redefine integrity as a rigorous organizational discipline embedded in decisions, incentives, governance, culture, and technology, not a values statement
• • Explore how leaders navigate the consequential trade-offs: growth versus stewardship, speed versus accountability, innovation versus responsibility, efficiency versus dignity, and AI-enabled scale versus human judgment
• • Access a practical framework for earning lasting stakeholder trust and decision-making processes that invite challenge, withstand scrutiny, and adapt when new evidence, risks or impacts emerge

JENNIFER QUAGLIETTA
CEO & Registrar
Professional Engineers Ontario

Advancing women leaders: A human-centric journey to better leadership

Jennifer Quaglietta recounts a journey to leadership in the male-dominated field of engineering, one shaped by mentorship, empathy, and workplaces that made space for her voice rather than forcing her to conform to outdated norms. Within this journey she shares how leaders develop when people are supported, and given the dignity and confidence to contribute fully.  By removing barriers, cultivating equity, and modeling leadership rooted in listening and fairness, organizations — and society — can only become stronger. Jennifer’s presentation will touch on:

• • Mentorship as a pathway to leadership
• • Barriers faced by women in engineering
• • Equity, diversity and inclusion as vital aspects of organizational health and effectiveness

EDONA VILA
Partner
BLG LLP

Using AI to enhance judgment, accelerate growth, and shape the future

Artificial intelligence is reshaping business at an unprecedented pace, creating both opportunity and uncertainty for leaders across every industry. The organizations that will thrive will not necessarily be those with the most advanced technology, but those whose leaders know how to use AI to make better decisions, improve performance, and focus on what matters most.

• • Leadership opportunities presented by AI
• • Driving productivity and organizational performance through AI-enabled workflows
• • Balance speed, innovation and governance in an AI-ready culture

JOANNE ST. BERNARD-HONEGAN
Vice President, Talent Management
Sun Life

Identifying high-potential talent

As organizations navigate rapid change, identifying and developing high-potential talent is critical to building the next generation of leaders and ensuring long-term success. In this session, we’ll explore approaches to:

• • Identifying and developing future leaders
• • Building diverse pipelines of talent

KELLY MARTIN
Former VP Financial Planning & Analysis
Apotex Inc.

Responsible decision-making

Effective leadership requires making thoughtful decisions, often in situations where the path forward is not clear. By combining sound judgment with careful analysis, leaders can make decisions that build trust. This session will explore practical approaches to making responsible decisions, particularly when navigating complexity and competing priorities.

• • Balancing organizational priorities with ethical considerations
• • Evaluating risks and consequences
• • Communicating decisions with clarity

RIESHDAH GABIER
Director, Business Development
Crosbie & Company Inc.

Creating a culture of accountability

Accountability is often framed as something we owe to others, but the most powerful accountability starts with how we see our own contribution. This talk explores the gap between doing the work and owning the credit for it — and why that gap quietly costs women their confidence and the proof they need later. Attendees will leave with a clearer sense of their own value, and a challenge: to name that same recognition in the women coming up behind them.

• • Own it: The difference between taking accountability for the work and taking accountability for the credit
• • See it clearly: How this gap often goes unnoticed, and what it looks like to catch it sooner
• • Teach it: Why senior leaders have a responsibility to name accountability for future female leaders

CAROLYN CALWELL
Chief Executive Officer
Ontario Energy Board

Building influence in the boardroom

Influence in the boardroom goes beyond having a seat at the table — it is about having the confidence and credibility to contribute meaningfully to decisions. Effective leaders understand how to communicate their perspectives clearly while listening to and engaging with diverse points of view. This session will explore practical approaches for strengthening your presence and increasing your impact in the boardroom.

• • Build credibility and strengthen your executive presence
• • Navigate boardroom dynamics and differing perspectives effectively
• • Turn your expertise and insights into greater influence on decision-making

QUINNIE KWOK
Executive Financial Consultant
IG Wealth Management

Measuring leadership impact

Leadership impact extends far beyond business results. The most influential leaders build successful businesses, create opportunities for others to thrive, and leave a lasting mark on their communities. In this session, Quinnie Kwok will share how women leaders can measure their impact through the growth they inspire — in their organizations, in the women they mentor and champion, and in the communities they serve. Attendees will gain practical strategies to evaluate their leadership effectiveness while building a meaningful legacy of influence and empowerment.

• • Build and grow a successful business through leadership
• • Lift and empower other women
• • Extend leadership beyond the workplace

“The true measure of leadership is not only what you achieve, but how many people succeed because of your influence

DEBORAH BOTTINEAU
Managing Director
Robert Half

Securing tomorrow’s leaders by succession planning

Are you confident your organization’s internal talent pipeline is ready for evolving skills and leadership demands? Join Deborah Bottineau for a practical, insight-driven session on how leading organizations can take a more structured approach to succession planning — starting with identifying skills gaps, strengthening internal capability, and intentionally developing future leaders. You’ll gain actionable strategies to:

• • Uplevel your existing team
• • Improve succession readiness
• • Build a more resilient, future-ready workforce

MARIA WINSLOW (Chair – Morning Session)
Interim CEO
RBC Insurance

JESSICA KEARSEY (Chair – Afternoon Session)
Partner
KPMG Law LLP