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 Keynote
Address
Revitalizing
the Toronto Economy with a Diverse Workforce |
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Toronto
is home to one of the most diverse populations in the world. For
job seekers and employers, this presents tremendous opportunity-as
well as major challenges. Join Mark Swartz for a promising look
at the benefits to all from the changing face of our city.
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| Keynote
Speaker |
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Toronto-based speaker, author and career coach, Mark Swartz specializes
in helping people stand up for their rights to get the most out of
their work life. The result is greater security and increased satisfaction.
The author
of the best-selling Get Wired, You're Hired, Mark has hosted
Swartz's Resources, a career feature on www.sympatico.ca. He currently
has a bi-weekly column in the Toronto Star and is working
on a new book called The Empowered Employee.
Mark has delivered
keynotes and workshops since the mid-1990s and has consulted with
corporations across Canada such as Bell Canada and IBM, as well
as with Human Resources Development Canada and assorted associations.
The varied professional positions he has held include marketing
manager for RBC Royal Bank and Kodak, university instructor, and
HR practitioner. He holds an MBA from York University and an MEd
from University of Toronto's Ontario Institute of Studies in Education.
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Panel Discussion
Business Success
Depends on Our Diverse Workforce
Prominent
community and corporate leaders explain why Toronto's diverse workforce
is the key to Toronto's economic success.
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Panel
Members
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Tim
Owen Director of WES-Canada
Cynthia Reyes Co-founder of Innoversity and vice-president
of ProMedia International Inc.
Susan Brown Senior Policy Advisor, Labour Force Development,
City of Toronto
Clint Davis Co-Director of Diversity and Workplace Equity at
BMO Financial Group
Barbara Nowers Director of the Career Bridge program |
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Panel
Moderator
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| Carol
Charles Video Journalist, CFTO |
| Tim
Owen is
the Director of WES-Canada, an international not for profit organization
that provides credential evaluation services for internationally educated
individuals. Prior to joining WES, he was the Associate Executive
Director of COSTI, one of Canada's leading multi service agencies
serving immigrants. He has been working in the area of immigrant settlement
and international development for more than 25 years. He began his
career in the field of international development, working with the
London Cross Cultural Learner Centre, the Canadian Organization for
Development through Education and the International Council for Adult
Education.
Tim serves
on the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council, the Partnership
Advisory Council of Toronto's Centre for Excellence in Research
on Immigration and Settlement, the City of Toronto's Working Group
on Immigrant and Refugee Issues, the Advisory Committee for the
University of Toronto's Modern Language Centre, and the Advisory
Committee for Ryerson University's Arts and Contemporary Studies
program. He holds a Master's degree in Adult Education from the
University of Toronto.
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Cynthia
Reyes is co-founder of Innoversity and vice-president
of ProMedia International Inc. She started her career as a television
journalist, then became a producer-director and executive producer
at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. In 1990, Reyes began training
other journalists, then producers and their managers. In the mid-1990s,
she turned to organizational development and worked as a consultant
on several large-scale projects. As a consultant and trainer, Reyes
has worked across Canada and in Asia, Africa, the U.S., Latin America
and Europe.
Reyes has developed television programs, trained whole teams and individuals,
facilitated senior managers on vision-setting and strategy and helped
organizations to change and grow. Her clients have included TV networks,
cultural organizations, not-for-profit groups and companies of all
sizes. In 2000, Reyes launched ProMedia International Inc., a full-service
consulting and training company with a special interest in diversity.
She is the recipient of numerous awards, including Broadcaster of
the Future, CBC President's Award, African Canadian Achievement Award
and the Children's Broadcast Institute Award and has received three
Gemini Award nominations. She is also the Secretary General, INPUT
and serves on the Ryerson University Advisory Board (Journalism) and
the board of the WTN Foundation. |
| Susan
Brown is Senior Policy Advisor, Labour Force Development
with the Economic Research and Business Information Unit in the Economic
Development Division of the City of Toronto. Prior to her work at
Toronto Economic Development, Susan held the position of Executive
Director at the Toronto Training Board, a non-profit volunteer multi-stakeholder
research and advisory board mandated by the provincial and federal
governments to address labour force development issues in Toronto.
The City's Economic Development Division hired Susan in 2002 to manage
their innovative labour force development initiative, and in 2003
the division released the Toronto Labour Force Readiness Plan, a groundbreaking
analysis of labour force issues in the local city-region.
Susan holds a doctorate in Education from the University of Toronto.
Among other activities, she currently sits on the Intergovernmental
Committee for Economic and Labour Force Development (ICE Committee)
as well as the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council's Occupation
and Licensing Bridge Working Group.
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| Clint
Davis is the Co-Director of Diversity and Workplace Equity
at BMO Financial Group. He is accountable for developing and implementing
the enterprise strategic framework for Diversity and Workplace Equity
for operations both in Canada and the United States. Clint provides
direction and corporate governance for corporate standards and policies
regarding enterprise compliance with employment equity (Canada) and
affirmative action (U.S.) legislative requirements with a focus on
the design, development and measurement of success of policies and
programs. |
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Barbara Nowers is Director of the Career Bridge program,
a paid internship program administered by Career Edge and designed
to overcome the workplace barriers often faced by internationally
qualified professionals seeking to build their careers in Canada.
Partial funding for Career Bridge is provided by the Ontario Ministry
of Training, Colleges and Universities. A former management consultant,
Barbara joined Career Edge to direct the eCorps pilot project, an
Industry Canada funded internship program helping small and medium
business enterprises increase their ebusiness capabilities with the
skills of recent ICT graduates from Canadian colleges and universities.
She holds an MBA from the University of Western Ontario. |
| Panel
Moderator |
Carol
Charles
recently joined the CFTO family as a Video/Journalist. Having gained
valuable experience with CHEX Television and Rogers Cable Systems
in Durham Region, she brings with her a wide variety of experience
and has developed that personal touch reporting on local issues. She
is an active member of the Canadian Association of Black Journalists
serving on the membership and events committee, as well as playing
an active role in their speaker's Bureau. In addition, she is a volunteer
reader for Voice Print of Canada, a unique service provided to 5.1
million sighted and blind cable listeners across Canada.
Carol has planned and coordinated special events in the community
such as the Junior Caribana Parade, Harry Jerome Awards, and has participated
in the Toronto Raptors Fundraiser drives for numerous charities and
organizations. For her community involvement and contribution Carol
was recognized by the Toronto Sun, receiving a "Woman on the
Move" Award.
In 1974, Carol immigrated to Canada, where she pursued her education.
Carol embarked on a joint communication program, which encompassed
a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from York University and
a certificate in Radio and Television Arts from Seneca College. |
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