Jaime Watt

Jaime Watt is Chair and a Senior Partner of Navigator serving the corporate, not-for-profit and government sectors. He is recognized as Canada’s leading qualitative public affairs researcher.

Jaime is a past chair of Casey House, Canada’s pioneer AIDS hospice, and is deeply involved in efforts to promote equality and human rights issues. He has served on the boards of numerous charitable, and community service organizations including the Woodrow Wilson Centre for Scholars in Washington and St. Michael’s Hospital Foundation in Toronto.

In 2003, he was awarded the Queen’s Jubilee medal for service to the community.

Most recently, he was awarded the EGALE leadership award, for his work on human rights.

A highly regarded speaker, Jaime is a regular panelist on Canada’s premier political affairs television programme, Politics with Don Newman. He also appears on CBC, Global, CTV, and TVO and in the National Post and The Globe and Mail as a commentator on public affairs issues.

Paul C. Douglas,

Executive Vice President TD Business Banking

Paul Douglas is Executive Vice President, TD Business Banking. In his current assignment, he is responsible for products, services and service delivery to TD’s Business Banking clients in Canada. Paul is also the senior executive responsible for TD’s relationship with the First Nations Bank of Canada, a federally-chartered Schedule 2 bank serving aboriginal and non-aboriginal people throughout Canada.

Paul rejoined TD in 1978 after completing an MBA at McMaster University and has held positions of increasing responsibility in a number of areas of TD Bank Financial Group including Retail Banking, Commercial Banking, Corporate Banking, Investment Banking and Risk Management. He has held his current position as EVP, TD Business Banking since May 2004.

In addition to being the Executive Vice President of TD’s Business Banking, Paul is also the chair for TD’s Diversity Leadership Council subcommittee on promoting and enhancing a supportive environment for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender customers and employees.

Facilitator: Michael Bach

Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion KPMG

Michael Bach is the National Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for KPMG in Canada and is also the founding chair of pride@kpmg – the network for KPMG LGBT members.

Under his leadership, KPMG has received multiple prestigious diversity related awards including one of Canada’s Top Employers for Diversity (2008 and 2009), and one of the Top 40 Places Gen Y Wants to Work (2009).

Mr. Bach has an extensive background in the area of LGBT inclusion, and is a board member of exeQutive and is the founding co-chair of Pride at Work Canada – a workplace advocacy organization.

Janice Rubin

Rubin Thomlinson LLP

Janice Rubin, co-founder and Managing Partner of Rubin Thomlinson LLP, is considered one of Canada’s Best Employment Lawyers, according to annual surveys of her peers in each of the last four years. Recognized for her depth of expertise in all areas of workplace law, Janice is considered a leading authority in the area of workplace harassment. Certified as a workplace investigator, Janice acts as a neutral third party when conducting investigations into allegations of harassment, bullying and other employee misconduct. Janice is the author of Law of Termination in Ontario, co-author of Human Resources Guide to Workplace Investigations, and is a former adjunct professor of employment law at Osgoode Hall Law School. In addition to holding degrees from University of Toronto and Osgoode Hall Law School, Janice is also a graduate of Harvard University’s Basic and Advanced Negotiation Skills program.

Amy Hanen, Manager

Community Relations TD Bank Financial Group

Amy Hanen is the Senior Manager, Community Relations for TD Bank Financial Group. In that role, she is responsible for developing and executing and TDBFG’s community relations strategy, strengthening relationships with major community partners and overseeing TDBFG’s donations
and community sponsorship budget. Amy also has extensive experience in Human Resources at the executive level. As Vice President Employee Relations, Policy and Governance at another Financial Institution, she led the charge to revitalize that company’s diversity strategy, which among other things resulted in the first Pride Network and the first CEO hosted Pride reception in the Financial Services Industry. Amy currently sits on the board of the Canadian Abilities Foundation and is a trustee of the HALO Foundation.

Joy MacPhail

Chairwoman, OUTtv

Joy MacPhail is Chairwoman of the world’s oldest and most successful Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender television network. She and her husband, James Shavick, are majority owners of the network.

Ms. MacPhail is the former Deputy Premier and Finance Minister of British Columbia. She was elected to the BC Legislature for 14 years before retiring in 2005. During her last four years of holding elected office, she was Leader of the Opposition.

Ms. MacPhail is trained as an economist, graduating from University of Western Ontario and from the London School of Economics. She lives in Vancouver, Toronto and California.

David Grisim

David Grisim is a P&G Marketing Manager, with responsibility for the Canadian Oral Care business. David joined P&G 13 years ago after completing his MBA at Rotman School of Business. His roles have included managing various beauty care categories, as well as an assignment as Global Design Marketing Manager based in NYC. David leads P&G coaching development for Canada. He was a founding member and served as president of the Fraternity gay men’s business group for 2 years, and has been an active member of P&G GABLE for 10 years. David and his partner have been together 19 fantastic years.

Paul Skippen

Senior Manager Accenture

• Over 13 years of experience at Accenture with responsibility for F&PM within Canada Financial Services
• Deep skills in Finance strategic planning, operating model design, organizational & process design, IT effectiveness, journey & program management, training and systems implementation
• National executive sponsor of the Accenture Canada Pride Network;
• Management Consulting and Integrated Markets Canada Diversity & Inclusion Lead
• Richard Ivey School of Business MBA graduate, Ivey Scholar

Having presented at previous Out on Bay St Workshops, Paul looks forward to again participating in this year’s session. Paul and his husband live in Port Credit and are the proud fathers of Ronan – who will be 11 months old by the time of the conference. He looks forward to conducting the workshop – and sharing how to have a family and balance of life while still having a challenging and rewarding career at Accenture.

Michael Nguyen

Proprietor: Fifth on King Sprezzatura

As the owner of Fifth on King, Michael Nguyen helps clients exude confidence and success with his sharply tailored bespoke suits and shirts. While working with some of North America’s most prestigious retailers and bespoke clothiers Michael noticed a demand for well-made suits with a dapper, modern fit. Unlike traditional conservative bespoke tailors, Fifth on King offers a sharp modern cut that appeal to image conscious professionals who lead active lifestyles and believe that how they dress helps to give them a competitive edge.

Paul Skippen

Senior Manager Accenture

• Over 13 years of experience at Accenture with responsibility for F&PM within Canada Financial Services
• Deep skills in Finance strategic planning, operating model design, organizational & process design, IT effectiveness, journey & program management, training and systems implementation
• National executive sponsor of the Accenture Canada Pride Network;
• Management Consulting and Integrated Markets Canada Diversity & Inclusion Lead
• Richard Ivey School of Business MBA graduate, Ivey Scholar

Having presented at previous Out on Bay St Workshops, Paul looks forward to again participating in this year’s session. Paul and his husband live in Port Credit and are the proud fathers of Ronan – who will be 11 months old by the time of the conference. He looks forward to conducting the workshop – and sharing how to have a family and balance of life while still having a challenging and rewarding career at Accenture.

Ashley Anderson-Buick

Manager Accenture

• Canadian Strategy Recruiting Lead
• Accenture Canada Pride Network International Lead, former National Lead.
• Member of the Canadian Sustainability practice, the global Retail Utilities practice, and the North American Operational Strategy team.
• Ashley has experience in strategic planning, marketing strategy, business case development, communications and offering development.
• Deep skills and industry experience in Retail Utilities and Smart Grid initiatives specializing in market entry, senior stakeholder and regulator alignment, meter-to-cash, customer care, and outsourcing to define market strategies and models to measure and optimize sales and performance.
• MBA in Strategy, Marketing, and International Business from McGill University
• B.Comm (Marketing) from the University of Calgary
• Communications and Advertising Accredited Professional (CAAP) with the Institute of Communications and Advertising (Toronto)

Doug Rienzo

Partner, Pensions and Benefits Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

Doug is a partner in Osler’s Toronto office where he practises in the Pensions and Benefits Law Department. Doug is actively involved in student and associate recruitment and professional development, as a member of the Firm’s Legal Professionals Committee and an alumnus of the Students Committee.

Trung Lam

Associate, Intellectual Property Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

Trung is an associate in the Intellectual Property Department in the Firm’s Toronto office. Trung was a summer and articling student with the Firm and has been actively involved in student recruitment and our mentorship program.

Brad Berg

Partner – litigation group Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

Brad Berg is a partner in the litigation group and has appeared as lead counsel before all levels of court of Canada on both complex commercial cases and precedent-setting public interest litigation. Brad has been actively involved in equity and diversity initiatives at Blakes and is currently the Co-Chair of the Legal Personnel Committee at Blakes, which oversees all associate and student matters in the Toronto office.

Marianne Smith

Associate – corporate group Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

Marianne Smith is an associate in the corporate group and has worked on a broad range of transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganizations, partnership and shareholder matters and providing ongoing corporate advice. Marianne has also worked on a number of public-private partnerships and is actively involved in the student program at Blakes as a mentor to summer and articling students.

Bryn Gray

Associate – litigation and media law groups Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

Bryn Gray is an associate in the litigation and media law groups and has appeared as counsel before various courts and administrative tribunals in Ontario. Prior to joining Blakes, Bryn was a communications advisor to the former Ontario Minister of Public Safety and Security and coordinated strategic communications on two political leadership campaigns at the provincial and national level.

Janice Rubin

Rubin Thomlinson LLP

Janice Rubin is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Rubin Thomlinson LLP, an employment law firm that provides optimal legal solutions to its clients’ challenging workplace issues. The firm represents both employers and employees in all legal matters relating to the workplace. Rubin Thomlinson’s lawyers are frequently called upon to investigate harassment and discrimination complaints, including those involving LGBT employees. The firm also works with employers to implement Respect at Work and Human Rights policies. In addition to sponsoring Out on Bay Street, Rubin Thomlinson also supports the Canadian Women’s Foundation, Frontier College and Free the Children.

Karen Kuzmowich

McMillan LLP

As National Associate Director of Professional Growth & Management, Karen is responsible for managing McMillan’s law school liaison activities and student recruitment process. Karen also assists with the firm’s associate programs. Before joining the Professional Growth & Management team, Karen practiced in the firm’s litigation group for four years, until 2006 when she joined the Ontario Human Rights Commission. She holds a B.A. (Hons) in Psychology and a LL.B. from Queen’s University.

Karen brings her previous experience as a practicing lawyer, together with her knowledge of equity and diversity issues to this role, to ensure a very supportive and inclusive environment for students and associates.

Daria Kowalyk

BMO

Daria Kowalyk’s career in the diversity field spans over 16 years. Since joining BMO Financial Group in 2000, she has been providing advice and guidance on building an inclusive work environment in various business groups, as well as supporting the design and implementation of strategies on the advancement of women and visible minorities across the enterprise. While working with the Technology Division, both in Canada and the U.S., this business group was identified as an internal best practice organization for diversity and managing for inclusion. Daria holds an honours BA from the University of Toronto and is a Certified Human Resources Professional.

Itai Leibowitz

Associate, McKinsey

Itai Leibowitz is an associate with McKinsey & Company’s Business Technology Office in Toronto. He has worked on consulting engagements in retail, banking, and energy, and is an active member of GLAM (Gays and Lesbians at McKinsey). Itai holds a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the Tel-Aviv University and a Bachelor’s degree in Physics and Mathematics from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

David Wong

Associate, McKinsey

David Wong is a senior associate in the Toronto office of McKinsey & Company. He has worked on a wide range of consulting engagements in banking, basic materials, retail, and media throughout North America and Southeast Asia. David also leads GLAM (Gays and Lesbians at McKinsey) for the Canadian offices. He holds a degree in Engineering Physics from the University of Toronto.

Yezdi Pavri

Managing Partner, Deloitte

Yezdi Pavri is the Managing Partner for Deloitte in Toronto, with overall responsibility for delivering on the Strategic Priorities of the firm in the Region. He is also a member of the Firm’s Marketplace Leadership Team. Prior to this appointment in June 2004, Yezdi was the National Leader of Deloitte’s Enterprise Risk Services (ERS) Practice, a group that he was instrumental in building to over 500 professionals over a 20 year period.

Scott Griffiths

Manager, Deloitte

Scott is a Manager in Deloitte’s Corporate Strategy practice and has an industry focus in financial services. Scott’s client work has included the development of strategy and operating model for the Canadian Centre for Financial Literacy as a pro-bono project with SEDI (Social and Enterprise Development Innovations), a Canadian non-profit organization that assists people struggling economically. Scott is part of the leadership of LEAD (LGBT Employees at Deloitte), and has played an active role in growing the organization in Canada. Prior to joining Deloitte, Scott worked in a variety of private and non-profit organizations globally. Scott holds degrees from the University of Waterloo and Harvard University.

Sheliza Jamal

Consultant, Deloitte

Sheliza Jamal is a Consultant within the Corporate Strategy Practice at Deloitte. She has worked on a wide range of large transformational consulting engagements covering the energy, financial services and TMT sectors. Sheliza has also been an active member of Deloitte’s pro-bono initiative, Advising the Community Together (ACT), since inception. She was part of the team on one of ACT’s first pro-bono engagements (Project C.A.N.O.E) and is now the Business Development lead for ACT. In this role, she is responsible for identifying, evaluating and initiating discussions with not for profits that align with ACT’s mission and vision and fulfill ACT’s criteria.

Dan Rowe

Principal, Monitor Group

Dan is a Principal of the Monitor Group. Dan is part of Monitor’s general strategy practice and advises clients across numerous industries. He has led corporate strategy, business unit strategy and post-merger integration strategy initiatives across a variety of industries including insurance, banking, publishing, media, information services, retail and security / intelligence.

Dan manages Canadian undergraduate and graduate recruiting. Prior to Monitor, Dan worked for the universities and colleges in Alberta, Canada managing education strategy projects with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the World Bank. Dan holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta and an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario.

Ryan Doornbos

Principal, Monitor Group

Ryan is the Director of New Products and Businesses for Grail Research, Monitor Group’s center of excellence for research and analytics. In this role, Ryan looks for new opportunities where Grail can grow beyond its current areas of focus and assists the CEO with important strategic decisions on the direction of the business. Ryan joined Grail in 2006/07 by spending 6 months working with Grail Research’s operations center in India where he put in places systems and processes that have helped bring world class standards of quality and productivity to the company’s research operations. Prior to joining Grail Research, Ryan spent several years as a consultant and project manager for Monitor Group, advising clients across a range of industries and geographies, including Angola, South Africa and Saudi Arabia. Ryan received his B.A. in Honors Business Administration from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario (with distinction).

Milé Komlen

Director of Human Rights & Equity Services, McMaster University

Milé Komlen is a Canadian lawyer specializing in human rights law, corporate social responsibility and diversity management. He has over 20 years of experience promoting human rights and implementing diversity strategies in a variety of business, community and institutional settings. He is also a founding member of Pride at Work Canada, an organization aimed at promoting LGBT rights in the Canadian workplace.
Milé is currently the Director of Human Rights & Equity Services at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. As a member of the University’s Senior Management Team, Milé advises the university on diversity and inclusive initiatives, and oversees human rights consultations and complaints.
He also currently serves as the Chairperson of the Equity Advisory Group at the Law Society of Upper Canada and as Chair of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Section of the Ontario Bar Association.

Jonathan Leebosh

Lawyer with Ernst & Young’s allied law firm, Egan LLP and leader of EY’s LGBTA network, Beyond.

Jonathan practices in the field of corporate immigration law for Ernst & Young’s allied law firm of Egan LLP, Business Immigration Lawyers. He leads the Canadian practice and focusses on visa, work permit, and related legal issues for businesses bringing people into Canada. He also leads EY’s LGBT employee resource group, known as Beyond, which plays a critical role in the firm’s commitment to an inclusive and “people first” culture.

Brooks Beaudoin

Brooks Beaudoin, Ernst & Young, Sr. Tax Staff, International Tax Services – Transfer Pricing

Brooks recently relocated to Canada from Ernst & Young’s Minneapolis office where he led EY’s LGBT employee resource group, Beyond, in that location. He is a consultant in EY’s International Tax Services group, specializing in transfer pricing. Brooks has an MBA from the University of Minnesota. Since moving to Canada, he has become an avid curler.

Esther Dryburgh

Partner, IBM’s Canadian FSS

Esther Dryburgh is a Partner in IBM’s Canadian FSS (Financial Services Sector) and she leads our Application Innovation Services practice for FSS. She has over 15 years in BPM (Business Process Management) consulting and application development and integration consulting. Esther is currently the GBS relationship partner for Royal Bank of Canada, mid-market financial services, and ING Direct Canada. In addition to her client responsibilities she leads the BPM / SOA (Business Process Management / Services Oriented Architecture) growth initiative for FSS.

Esther has a degree in Industrial Engineering and she completed her MBA in 2005.

Esther has also provided executive support for many Blue Q and external LGBT initiatives in Canada. Recently she participated on behalf of IBM in the Catalyst panel discussion regarding the release of their study “Building LGBT Inclusive workplaces”. The study received significant media focus and was profiled in two Canadian national newspapers. She has also presented to IBM Canada executives at a number of Blue Q events that were focused on improving the climate for LGBT employees in IBM Canada.