Conférence d’ouverture : jeudi 15 juillet
Building Stronger Teams Through Connection
Jennifer Botterill
Drawing on her experience as a three-time Olympic gold medallist with Canada’s National Women’s Hockey Team, Jennifer Botterill shares how trust, encouragement and a shared sense of purpose help individuals and teams thrive. Through powerful lessons from elite sport, she explores the importance of building meaningful connections, learning from others and creating a culture where people feel supported and valued. For payroll professionals who carry significant responsibility, Jennifer’s message reinforces that success doesn’t have to be a solo effort—strong relationships and a supportive community can make all the difference.
Biographie
Jennifer Botterill is one of Canada’s most successful athletes. A member of the Canadian Women’s Hockey Team for 14 years, she is a three-time Olympic champion. Jennifer is an NHL broadcasting analyst. When she is not sharing her knowledge and expertise of sport on air, she is empowering others to pursue excellence as an engaging keynote speaker and peak performance coach.
An honours graduate of Harvard University, Botterill is the only two-time winner of the Patty Kazmaier award, which honours the top player in women’s college hockey. Botterill debuted for the national team in 1997 and was named to the first-ever Canadian Olympic women’s hockey roster in 1998. Throughout her collegiate career and beyond, Botterill amassed 17 gold medals for Canada. She is a four-time Olympic medalist (with three gold medals), a five-time World Champion, and a twice-named MVP of the World Championships.
Botterill is a professional hockey analyst and has appeared on national networks in both Canada and the US. She kicked off her broadcast career in 2011 covering the Women’s World Championships for TSN. Since then, she has also worked with MSG Network, providing analysis for the New York Islanders, and with CBC on Hockey Night in Canada and as part of their Olympic broadcast team. Jennifer has done extensive coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Botterill works with Warner Bros. Discovery’s NHL on TNT coverage and is very excited for this 2026–2027 NHL season. She was also part of NBC’s first-ever all-women NHL broadcast team, and covered the 2026 Olympic Games with NBC.
Jennifer was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2025. Jennifer’s remarkable contributions to the sport of hockey were further recognized with her induction. This honour celebrates her exceptional career as one of Canada’s most accomplished athletes, highlighting her outstanding achievements on the international stage and her lasting impact on the game both on and off the ice.
Jennifer is also the author of Why Not You, a new book focused on pursuing excellence and reaching your potential. The book has already been recognized as a Canadian nonfiction bestseller, further extending Jennifer’s impact beyond the world of hockey and into the areas of leadership, performance and personal development.
In addition, Botterill is the CEO of Excel in Life Inc. and Journey to Excel Inc., where she continues her pursuit of excellence while inspiring and coaching others.
Botterill was awarded the Order of Manitoba in recognition of her commitment to giving back to her community. Jennifer is the mom of three kids and has supported charity organizations, including the Special Olympics, KidSport, Children’s Wish Foundation, SickKids Hospital, Can Fund, and the Canadian Cancer Society.
Conférence principale : vendredi 16 juillet
AI Now, Next, Never: What Payroll Professionals Should Act On
Ramy Nassar
AI is reshaping how organizations operate, and payroll is no exception. In this keynote, Ramy Nassar cuts through the hype to show what payroll professionals should embrace now, prepare for next, and leave untouched, with practical ways to apply AI in their roles and a clear view of the risks around accuracy, privacy and responsible use. Examples and tools will be updated closer to the event to reflect the latest developments.
Biographie
Ramy Nassar helps leaders stop reacting to disruption and start designing the future.
As the former Head of Innovation for Mattel, he harnessed emerging technologies to reinvent one of the world’s most iconic brands, including contributing to the production team for the Barbie movie, which grossed $1.5B worldwide. Today, he brings that same builder’s mindset to leaders, helping them Navigate What’s Next in AI and emerging technology with clarity and confidence.
Ramy doesn’t watch the future unfold from the sidelines. He’s on the court, shaping it.
With 25+ years of experience and trusted by more than 250 organizations including Apple, TD Bank, TELUS, Verizon, New Balance, and the Government of Canada, he combines hands-on technical depth, strategic foresight, and powerful storytelling to turn complexity into clarity and disruption into opportunity.
Author of The World After AI and a faculty member at universities in Canada and Europe, Ramy equips leaders with practical frameworks to reimagine business models, rewire risk, and accelerate innovation. His work includes building enterprise AI agents, advising AI governance teams, and launching innovation labs focused on real-world implementation. Cutting through the hype, he helps leaders navigate responsible use, emerging risks, and governance implications.