CP Women’s Leadership Summit

August 20, 2019   •   Sheraton Parkway North Hotel & Suites   •   10:00am – 4:00pm

The CP Women’s Leadership Summit is geared towards empowering women in the workplace, providing a platform for networking, and giving back to the community. Golf Canada is proud to host our CP Women’s Leadership Summit as a celebration of women as business leaders, influencers and community champions. Our goal is to facilitate social and business relationships by providing opportunities to interact with like-minded professional women. Gather your colleagues and friends and purchase your table of eight for $2,200 today!

What’s Included:

• Q&A Power Panel Featuring Prominent Canadian Female Athletes
• Q&A Power Panel Featuring Female Business Leaders
• Keynote Speaker
• Three Course Lunch
• Networking & Photo Opportunities with Business Leaders
• Charity Activity
• CP Women’s Open Gift Package including Tournament Access
• Women Inspiring Women …& cocktails!

Host

Evanka Osmak
Co-Anchor, Sportsnet Central

Evanka Osmak, co-anchor of the weekday prime time slot of Sportsnet Central, joined the Sportsnet team on April Fool’s Day 2007.

Evanka initially pursued a career in civil engineering after earning a Bachelor of Applied Science in Civil Engineering Degree from Queens University. Once she earned her civil engineering degree, she did what most engineers do…she switched careers to become a television broadcaster! Returning to school, Evanka attended Seneca College at York University where she earned a Radio and Television Broadcasting diploma and later landed a position with JACK-FM in Orillia, ON as a news announcer. Moving onto KYMA-TV (NBC) in Yuma, Arizona a year later, Evanka worked for two years as a Morning Show host before returning to Ontario in 2007 when she stepped in front of the sports television camera and signed on with Sportsnet.

Evanka’s career highlights with Sportsnet include covering the 2016 and 2011 Rogers Cup and the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. When not covering the latest sports stories on-air, she is a member on the Special Olympics Ontario board, acts as an ambassador for Golf Fore the Cure alongside Golf Canada and is a committee member of the Sports Media Canada Luncheon.

Evanka lives in Toronto with her husband, Adam and son, George.

Athlete Panel

Anastasia Bucsis
Olympian, Speed Skating 

Anastasia Bucsis was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta and started speed skating at the age of 4. In her 24 years as a competitive speed skater, she competed in 46 World Cups, 6 World Championships, and 2 Olympic Games. She now lives in Toronto and works for CBC Sports as their Athlete Management Lead, speed skating analyst, and host of the “Players Own Voice” podcast- which debuted at #3 on iTunes. When she isn’t working, Anastasia is a passionate advocate for mental health issues and working towards ending homophobia in sport.

Karina Leblanc
Olympian, Women’s Soccer

Goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc has represented Canada at two consecutive Olympic Games. After making her debut at Beijing 2008, LeBlanc was a member of the squad that captured a historic bronze medal at London 2012.

In Beijing, LeBlanc appeared in one game, coming into the quarterfinal against the United States in the 19th minute. Canada dropped that game to finish eighth in the first-ever Olympic appearance for the women’s soccer team. In London, LeBlanc started one game, a 3-0 victory over South Africa in the preliminary round. The women would go on to win Canada’s first Olympic medal in a traditional team summer sport since Berlin 1936.

LeBlanc has represented Canada at four FIFA Women’s World Cups and three Pan American Games. At the 2011 Pan American Games, LeBlanc stopped two penalty shots in the final to help give Canada the gold medal.

Leblanc’s passion for purposeful living and inspiring the next generation has led her to become an ambassador for UNICEF, TECK, CONCACAF, FIFA and AFDP. Today, Karina’s career path takes her around the globe where she participates in global leadership initiatives and delivers motivational keynote addresses.

Georgia Simmerling
3x Multi-Sport Olympian in Alpine Skiing, Skicross & Cycling

Simmerling  made history at Rio 2016 by becoming the first Canadian athlete to compete in a different sport at each of three different Olympic Games. Competing in track cycling’s team pursuit, she helped Canada win its second straight Olympic bronze medal in the event for her first Olympic podium finish.

Simmerling made her Olympic debut in alpine skiing at Vancouver 2010 before switching over to ski cross in 2011. In February 2012, she caught an edge during a race and fell, breaking three vertebrae in her neck and back. She returned to competition in December 2012 and earned the first World Cup podium of her career later in the month.

In late January 2015, she decided to start her summer Olympic journey. She made her UCI World Cup debut as a track cyclist in Hong Kong in January 2016, winning team pursuit gold. She went on to win team pursuit silver at the 2016 UCI World Championships.

Immediately after Rio 2016, Simmerling resumed her ski cross training and returned to the FIS World Cup circuit. She earned two more World Cup podium finishes in December 2017, bringing her career ski cross total to nine.

Weeks before the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang Simmerling suffered another devastating injury, breaking both of her legs and tearing nearly every ligament in her left knee during a ski cross competition. No stranger to perseverance, Simmerling returned to training 14 months after the injury, and is working towards yet another Olympic appearance in cycling at the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

Natalie Spooner
Olympian, Women’s Hockey 

A member of the national team program since 2007, Natalie Spooner is the first player to compete for the National Women’s Team, the National Women’s Under-22 Team and the National Women’s Under-18 Team. She competed in her first Olympic Games at Sochi 2014 where she scored the first two goals in Canada’s 3-1 semifinal victory over Switzerland en route to the gold medal. She was also a member of Canada’s silver medal-winning squad at PyeongChang 2018.

In 2008, Spooner was a member of the team that won silver at the IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship. She went on to make her debut at the IIHF Women’s World Championship in 2011 as part of another silver medal-winning squad. Spooner then helped the team capture gold in 2012 before another silver in 2013. Three more world championship silvers followed in 2015, 2016 and 2017. In 2015, she was Canada’s leading scorer with four goals and three assists.

Spooner began her collegiate career at Ohio State University in 2008-09. As a senior in 2011-12 she set an Ohio State single season record for goals scored, earning her a nomination as a top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award as the top female NCAA hockey player. She was also named as an NCAA First Team All-American. After graduation Spooner was drafted by the Toronto Furies of the CWHL and helped them reach the Clarkson Cup in 2012-13 and 2014-15. In 2015-16 she was a finalist for CWHL MVP.

 

Business Panel

Jennifer Tory
Chief Administrative Officer, RBC 

As RBC’s Chief Administrative Officer Jennifer Tory has responsibility for Brand, Marketing, Citizenship, Communications, Procurement and Real Estate functions globally. Additionally, she provides leadership and oversight of transformational initiatives, and along with other members of RBC Group Executive, Jennifer sets the overall strategic direction of RBC.

Jennifer has held successively senior roles during her 41-year career at RBC, including Group Head Personal & Commercial Banking, responsible for RBC’s banking businesses in Canada and the Caribbean, and Regional President, Greater Toronto.

Awarded the Queen’s Jubilee Medal in 2012, Jennifer has a long history of supporting community causes. She is Chair, Toronto International Film Festival Board and sits on the Sunnybrook Hospital Foundation Board.

A recipient of the 2011 Catalyst Canada Honour for championing women in business, Jennifer was inducted into the Women’s Executive Network’s Hall of Fame in 2017.   Acknowledged for her leadership in diversity Jennifer received a Harry Jerome Award in 2013 and the Leading Executive Ally Award by Start Proud in 2016.

An avid and life-long golfer, Jennifer plays year-round in tournaments, and recreationally with colleagues, friends and family – including her 87 year-old mother and two adult daughters.

Maeghan Albiston
Assistant Vice-President Investor Relations & Pensions, CP

Maeghan Albiston was appointed Assistant Vice-President Investor Relations in September 2016 and in September 2018 expanded her portfolio to include oversight of CP’s pension function.

Maeghan joined CP in January 2005 initially in the treasury department, as a capital markets analyst. In 2009, she joined the financial analysis department where she held successively more responsible roles before becoming Director of Investor Relations in late 2011.

As Assistant Vice-President Investor Relations & Pensions, Maeghan is responsible for the strategic management of CP’s pension plan while also acting as the primary liaison with the investment community ensuring the Company’s long-term strategic vision is clearly communicated. Maeghan’s strong financial background combined with her nearly 15 years at CP enables her to foster strong, lasting relationships with her stakeholders in the investment community.

Maeghan holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta and is an active member of the Canadian Investor Relations Institute.

Anne Simard
Chief Mission & Research Officer, Heart and Stroke Foundation

Anne Simard joined Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada as the Chief Mission and Research Officer on February 1st, 2018. In her role, she oversees the national mission programs and leads the implementation of the new strategic directions, including the research transformation and other strategic mission initiatives.

Anne came from Public Health Ontario, a provincial scientific and technical agency where she served in successively senior roles over the previous nine years, most recently as Chief of Knowledge Services. Within Knowledge Services, she oversaw the Informatics and Knowledge Exchange and Communications functions. Anne has worked at the local, provincial and national level for several not-for-profits and health organizations as well as at the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, supporting the government’s response to the 2003 SARS tragedy.

She has a Bachelor of Journalism from Carleton University and a Master of Health Science from the University of Toronto.

Keynote Speaker

Roberta Bowman
Chief Brand & Communications Officer, LPGA

Roberta Bowman is a longtime sustainability and communications executive who spent most of her business career at Duke Energy in Charlotte, NC. She joined the multinational energy company in 1986 and worked there for over 25 years before retiring in January 2012 as Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer. In that role, she served on the company’s Management Committee and led Duke Energy’s integrated response to environmental risks and opportunities.

She also represented the company at industry, national and global policy forums. Her career at Duke Energy included executive leadership roles in corporate communications, crisis management, public policy, government relations, and environmental health & safety functions. For the majority of her Duke Energy career, she served as the company’s Chief Communications Officer and President of the Duke Energy Foundation.

She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Blue Cross North Carolina, Echo Health Ventures and Healthcare Trust of America.

From 2012-2017, Bowman served on the LPGA Board of Directors (the final two as LPGA Board Chair). In November 2018, she returned to the LPGA in a full-time capacity as Chief Brand and Communications Officer. In this newly established position as a member of the LPGA’s executive leadership team, Bowman oversees communications, public relations, television, website/digital, social media, branding, marketing and the LPGA’s creative department.

For additional information, please contact Mary Beth McKenna at 1-800-263-0009 x 209 or mmckenna@golfcanada.ca.