Speakers
Click on your sector hub or workshop of interest to view the panelists:
Keynote Speakers:
Morning Keynote speaker: Dr. Alvin Curling
Dr. Curling gained notoriety over his response to the Government of the day's attempt to pass an Omnibus Bill, designed to reformat over 40 laws without allowing for public debate. He initiated, what turned out to be an 18 hour protest which sparked fresh enthusiasm for tackling controversial issues. His dedication to the Canadian democratic process is unquestionable and his commitment to inclusiveness and the protection of rights for all Ontarians are his hallmark. Throughout his career, he has displayed a strong commitment to public service, race relations, youth, and adult literacy.
Read more about Dr. Alvin Curling
Afternoon Keynote speaker: Dr. JP Hatala
Dr. John-Paul Hatala is currently an Assistant Professor at Louisiana State University in the School of Human Resource Education and Workforce Development, Baton Rouge. Additionally, Dr. Hatala is a Director at the Social Capital Development firm Flowork International. His academic research focuses on social networking behaviors, social capital, human resource development, career development and the transition to the labour market.
Sector hubs
Business, Finance & Accounting
Carmen Jacques, Certified General Accountant (CGA)
Carmen Jacques, CGA is a Business Development Manager with CGA Ontario. She has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from University of Mumbai and received her CGA designation in 2007. She held key positions in various industries, both internationally and Canada, specializing in accounting and finance. Carmen, an IEP herself brings a wealth of knowledge, expertise and experiences to share with newcomer professionals to Canada.
Jean A. MacKinnon, MBA, CMA
Jean MacKinnon currently holds the position of Regional Director of Marketing for the Certified Management Accountants of Ontario. She is responsible for all marketing and communication activities in Midwest Ontario & Niagara including six universities. Previously Jean worked for 10 years at a Burlington industrial distribution firm as the financial controller and director of operations. She is currently the Chair for the Environmental Committee with the Burlington Chamber of Commerce and also is a member of the Board of Advisory for Volunteer Hamilton program Bay Area Leadership. Jean has been a Certified Management Accountant for ten years and just completed her Masters of Business Administration in the fall of 2010.
Harbhajan Dhillon
Harbhajan Dhillon currently semi-retired worked in a management position at a global supplier and manufacturer of automotive parts in Kitchener as well as other well known companies within the Auto Sector. He educated at the Khalsa College in Punjab, India in the Business Administration Program before immigrating to Canada. Harbhajan subsequently attended George Brown College where he studied various trade, health & safety and supervisory courses; Humber College, where he completed his studies in Industrial Engineering; Sheridan College, where he completed his studies in Quality Control Engineering and York University, where he completed a two-year program in Voluntary Sector Management. Harbhajan is a community volunteer and has served on Boards of various community organizations and raises the importance of getting involved to build contacts and networks. Having immigrated to Canada in 1972, Harbhajan is well aware of the challenges newcomers face. With the many services offered to new immigrants today, he promotes the use of these programs to advance yourselves and your goals.
Ian Healy
Ian Healy, licensed by the Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario (RIBO), is a Broker with Regal Insurance in Kitchener. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the Nagpur University in India. He worked as an accountant in Gammon, India before coming to Canada in 1990. Upon arrival in Canada, he took the Canadian Securities Course (CSC) offered by the Canadian Securities Institute (CSI) amongst other related courses and successfully worked as an Investment Advisor and a Stock Broker for several banks before discovering the related field of insurance.
Health Care, Wellness & Related Professions
Stuart McAslan
As the International Educated Health Professional (IEHP) Team Lead at Health Force Ontario's Access Centre, Stuart brings over 15 years of extensive experience working directly with International Medical Graduates. Prior to joining the Access Centre, he worked at the Centre for the Evaluation of Health Professionals Educated Abroad (CEHPEA) as Manger of Eligibility and Counseling. In his role at CEHPEA, formerly known as IMG-Ontario, Stuart was involved directly in the assessment and counselling process as well as the delivery of information in terms of eligibility, selection, and licensing.
Rachel Vanden Berg
Rachel Vanden Berg, BSc. ND. is a naturopathic doctor, doula, wife and mother of two young children. She completed her pre-medical studies in Honours Biology at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo and earned her diploma of Naturopathic Medicine at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in North York, Ontario. She has extensive work history with women and children and has spent much time in cross-cultural work, both locally and abroad. Rachel practices naturopathic medicine at Healing Path Centre for Natural Medicine in uptown Waterloo. With a focus on homeopathy and womens' and childrens' health, her practice is eclectic and open to all.
IT & Communications
Randall Kozak
Randall Kozak has Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Mechanical Engineering - the subject of his Master's thesis was robotics. He has worked as a Mechanical Engineer for Ontario Hydro, and as an Automation Systems Engineer for Honeywell Canada. He has taught at the post secondary level, at several post-secondary institutions, since 1988, and has been with Conestoga College, teaching computer studies in the School of Engineering and IT, since 2001. Of particular interest to him are the major "capstone" projects that Conestoga IT students are required to prepare in their last semester prior to graduation.
Leon Miao
Leon Laisheng Miao, Data Network Architect with Research in Motion (RIM). He has a Bachelor of Engineer, Mechanical Engineering from Tsinghua University and a Master of Engineering in Applied Computer Science from the University of Science & Technology of China. He gained IT experience in China and maximized on this knowledge when searching for employment opportunities. Leon, a recent IEP to Canada himself brings his personal experiences to share with newcomer professionals to Canada.
Karen Hiltz
Karen Hiltz is the Manager of Human Resources at Christie Digital Systems Canada, Inc. She is a member of the steering committee of WRIEN (Waterloo Region Immigrant Employment Network) and contributes as an advocate for employer engagement and in community involvement. She is the Director of Community Relations at Hrnet (a peer to peer group sponsored by Communitech) and a member of the recruitment council at Communitech as well. Communitech is an organization of over 550 network members in the global technology industry in the Waterloo Region.
Karen Gallant
Karen is the Director of Networks at Communitech. She joins Communitech after 16 years at the University of Waterloo, most recently with the Centre for Business, Entrepreneurship & Technology where she was highly involved in the start-up of the Centre. She believes strongly in the power of building strong relationships within the community.
Karen holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University and has completed her Certificate in Human Resources Management.
Science, Engineering & Related Professions
Terry Kingsmill, P.Ag.
Terry brings a strategic approach and process orientation to the Ontario Institute of Agrologists (OIA). His over 15 years of experience in municipal and provincial government and in private consulting positioned him to assume the management responsibilities of the OIA. Complementing his experience is a solid background in policy and procedure development, compliance, an effective communication skill set and proven ability to provide valuable process insights. Terry has an Honours Undergraduate degree from Trent University in Environmental and Resource Studies and a Master of Arts in Public Administration and Policy from the University of Guelph.
Kim Allen, P.Eng., MBA
Kim Allen, P.Eng., is the Chief Executive Officer and Registrar of Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO), the organization that administers the Professional Engineers Act by licensing Ontario's 74,000 professional engineers, granting temporary, limited and provisional licences to practise professional engineering, and authorizing businesses to provide engineering services to the public. PEO sets standards for and regulates engineering practice to serve and protect the public interest where engineering is concerned. A strategic leader, Mr. Allen is committed to finding creative solutions and implementing winning strategies for the long term success of PEO and the engineering profession.
Mr. Allen's extensive management background includes: CEO of a publicly traded telecommunications company, founding President of a joint venture with a major US utility, CEO of a $400-million public utility, and management positions with a large, integrated utility that included retail, engineering, operations, safety and information systems functions.
Mr. Allen was a member of the Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Immigration's Roundtable and sits on the boards of the Certified Management Accountants, Ontario Energy Network and the Yves Laundry Foundation. He chairs the Licensing and Occupations Bridging Working Group of the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council.
Mr. Allen obtained a Master of Business Administration from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Ottawa.
Diane L. Freeman, FEC, P.Eng., President-Elect Professional Engineers, Ontario
Diane Freeman is a Professional Engineer and Fellow of Engineers Canada. Diane works as an Associate with Conestoga-Rovers & Associates Limited. She has over 18 years of engineering experience with more than 15 years of experience specifically in the Air Quality. Diane is also an expert in ambient air monitoring and air dispersion modelling.
In 2009 Diane was elected President-Elect of Professional Engineers Ontario. PEO is the Provincial licensing body with over 75,000 license holders. In May of 2009 Diane accepted the office of President and is only the fifth woman President in the over 80 year history of the Association.
Diane graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering, Civil Engineering from the University of Waterloo. Diane is the Ward 4 Councillor for the City of Waterloo.
Dr. Ahmed Zaghlol, P.Eng
Dr. Ahmed Zaghlol is the Vice President of Engineering and Business Development with Ferraz Shawmut Inc. located in Mississauga; a global company specializing in Electric and Thermal protection for Electric and Electronic circuits. Dr. Zaghlol received his Bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alexandria, Egypt where he also obtained his Master degree. After immigrating to Canada in 1990, he received his Ph.D. in Engineering Science from the University of Western Ontario and later joined the Microelectronic Heat Transfer Laboratory (MHTL) at the University of Waterloo as postdoctoral Fellow.
At Ferraz Shawmut (Formerly R-Theta Thermal Solutions), Dr. Zaghlol is leading R&D efforts for new products, development and implementation of R-Tools, on-Line thermal modeling of heatsinks software. He has published and presented technical papers on new product development at technical professional conferences. He has authored and coauthored several articles in technical trade show magazines.
Dr. Zaghlol, a registered Professional Engineer in Ontario (PEO) and also a member of ASME and IEEE. Dr. Zaghlol recognizes the barriers Internationally Educated and Trained Professional face; to help overcome some of these challenges, he teaches professional engineering courses at the EPIC Institute in Mississauga. EPIC has an Internationally Educated Engineers (IEE) program to help immigrant, newcomer and foreign-trained engineers write and pass their professional engineering exams and earn their professional engineering license (P.Eng.) within Canada.
Other Professions & Disciplines
Mary Chivers-Harkins
Mary Chivers-Harkins has a B.A. in psychology and was in the first graduating class of the Career Development Practitioner Certificate from Conestoga College, and now on the Faculty for this program.
An Internationally Trained Immigrants Advisor at Guelph campus, Conestoga College since August 2008, she moved to the Doon Campus in Kitchener and is also in Waterloo in September 2009. With over 7 years of experience working with Internationally Trained Immigrants and over 15 years of experience in career advising, she has also worked with at risk youth
Having worked in K-W, Cambridge and Guelph, she has a knowledge of agencies, funding rules and regulations for both regulated and non-regulated professions.
Julie Zettel
Julie Zettel has worked with the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities for 25 years. Over this time she has gained a great deal of knowledge regarding the apprenticeship program and the licensing of certified trades in the Province of Ontario. Julie's role with the Ministry includes working with the public and providing information, advice, counselling and support services with respect to employment and training in Ontario. In her current role, Julie's main responsibility involves the assessment of work credentials for individuals who wish to challenge trade exams.
Workshop Speakers
Things I Wish I Knew : Available Resources
Ana-Luz Martinez
Ana Luz, LSP Coordinator and Settlement Counsellor at the K-W Multicultural Centre. Born and raised in Guatemala, she studied Dentistry at the San Carlos University in Guatemala. Ana Luz also lived in Mexico and graduated with a Bachelor of Education from the National Autonomous University of Mexico before immigrating to Canada in 1994.
Ana Luz serves clients in both English and Spanish. She has gained tremendous experience in the area of settlement and immigration throughout her 7 years with the KWMC. Ana Luz is a leader within the Latin American Community and is extensively involved demonstrated by her involvement in the Taking Culture Seriously in Community Mental Health by the CURA Project and her facilitation and delivery of parenting programs.
Marilena Benak
Marilena Benak has a postsecondary education in Economics and a Masters Degree in International Business Administration. She immigrated to Canada in 2001 and started working with the YMCA Cross Cultural and Immigrant Services in 2002. Since 2006 Marilena have joined the Host Program as a Mentorship/Partnership Coordinator. She is fully dedicated to helping immigrants in the transition process of settling into Canadian society.
Monica Montoya
Monica Montoya is an employment counsellor at The Working Centre. As part of her employment and career counselling activities she helps New Canadians with:
- Career path research
- Job search, job development and links to employers
- Resume, Cover Letter and interview
Also, she assists and supports New Canadians to connect with the Immigrant Loan Program, which is offered in cooperation with Waterloo Region Immigrant Employment Network (WRIEN), The Working Centre and Libro Financial. The program provides financial support assistance and access to loans of up to $5,000 for New Canadians to pay for training and certification costs to help find work in their profession or trade.
John Parrett
With over 30 years management experience in post secondary education, Mr. Parrett currently serves on the Management Board of the International Credential Assessment Service (ICAS) and is a policy consultant in the Ontario College System.
He is the founding Executive Director of the Ontario College Application Service. In addition he held the positions of Registrar at Niagara and Sheridan Colleges in Ontario and Capilano College in Vancouver, British Columbia.
How Do I Market Myself as a Professional?
Sohail Khan
Sohail Khan has over 20 years of IT and project management experience, and has led the Skills International since its inception in 2004. Sohail is responsible for the design, development and implementation of the Skills International application. In 2008, Skills International partnered with the JSW program on a pilot project to link all JSW service providers to Skills International and to highlight internationally educated and trained individuals to employers across Ontario.
Amy Wolf
Amy Wolf holds an Honors Bachelor Degree in Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University. Amy is the Coordinator of the Internationally Trained Professionals Internship Program with Conestoga College in partnership with the Waterloo Region Immigrant Employment Network. The Internship Program connects employers with foreign trained professionals to complete four month (or longer) paid internships in their profession or trade. Amy has also worked as an Employment Consultant, developing jobs for Ontario Works candidates as well as in the private sector as an Advertising Solutions Consultant with Bell Canada.
Karen Shoemaker
Karen's background in adult education provides the foundation for her role as a Career Advisor, where she enjoys helping both current and prospective students in identifying, clarifying and achieving their career and academic goals. Accustomed to working with a diverse Canadian and immigrant student population, Karen's approach to career planning values self-determination and informed decision making. She assists students & clients by outlining career and educational pathways and assists in the development of action plans to attain goals.
Karen's employment background includes over 12 years teaching experience and 9 years of career counselling, including 4 years of working overseas. Her academic qualifications include a MEd in Counselling Pyschology from OISE/University of Toronto as well as undergraduate degrees in English (WLU) and Education (OTEC).
Networking: The Most Effective Way to Find a Job
Dr. John-Paul Hatala
Dr. John-Paul Hatala is currently an Assistant Professor at Louisiana State University in the School of Human Resource Education and Workforce Development, Baton Rouge. Additionally, Dr. Hatala is a director at the Social Capital Development firm Flowork International. His academic research focuses on social networking behaviors, social capital, human resource development, career development and the transition to the labour market.
John-Paul has a book, recently released entitled "The Strategic Networker: A Learner's Guide to Effective Networking" and has been featured in such media outlets as the Globe and Mail, CBC Radio and Global TV.
Communications 2010
Kerry Melville
Kerry Melville is a Career Counselor at Conestoga College. She works with various employment programs at the college including Summer Job Service, Job Connect, Perth Career Counselling and provides support for the Enhanced Language Training program for Internationally Trained Individuals. Prior to her career in Career Development, she taught English as a Second Language in Japan and Korea. Kerry holds a Double Honours Degree in English and Communication Studies from York University, Career Development Practitioner Diploma from Conestoga College and is currently working on her Masters of Education in Workplace and Adult Education from the University of Calgary.
Sabby Bains
Sabby Bains is a Career Counsellor/Job Developer and graduated from the Career Development Practioner Program at Conestoga College. She has specifically worked with new Canadians for the past 7 years. She was born in the United Kingdom and worked in the banking industry for more than 10 years. Having immigrated to Canada in 1999, Sabby quickly learned about the difficulties IEPs have in pursuing their career in Canada.
Entrepreneurship
Chris Farrell
Chris Farrell is the Manager of the Waterloo Region Small Business Centre (WRSBC). Chris has supported small business initiatives and community development as a program coordinator for over ten years spending most of her career with the Hamilton Small Businesess Enterprise Centre and the Brantford-Brant Community Futures Development Corporation.
Chris is a McMaster University alumni. Chris' insight into business, and ability to facilitate success sets her apart. Chris excels in leading the challenging world of the small entrepreneur and recently accepted the 2009 Canadian Youth Business Foundations Chairman's Award for National and Provincial Outstanding Community Partner for her role in enabling young entrepreneurs to start and grow their business.
WRSBC provides the information and tools that entrepreneurs need to start and grow their businesses. Operating from three locations in Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo, the Centres are a one-stop source for business information, guidance and professional advice on starting and running a successful business - for both start-up and growing businesses.
Andjelka Raic
Andjelka Raic arrived in Canada in 1997 with a background in Business Administration. Employed with the YMCA for almost 10 years and holding progressively more responsible positions beginning as a Receptionist, later joining Business Quest as an Administrative Assistant. With the launch of the Newcomer Employment Centre, she joined that program as the Administrative and Technical Assistant. Since July of 2008, Andjelka has been the Program Coordinator for the YMCA self-employment program Business Quest.
Andjelka is currently enrolled in two programs at Conestoga College: Ontario Management Development - Business Management Skills and Leadership Skills.
Prakash Venkataraman
Prakash Venkataraman is the President and CEO of Proteam International Associates Inc., Contra International Inc., & Redragon Oil & Gas systems International Inc. Prakash, a young entrepreneur and an international business man has proficiency in different languages and various business cultures. He has traveled to numerous countries equipped with an Electrical and Electronics Engineering Degree from India with post graduation diplomas in multiple disciplines from India and Singapore. An IEP himself, Prakash is considered a role model for many of the next generation.
Robert Shantz
Robert Shantz started his business career as a cost accountant with Electrohome and shortly thereafter he decided to join Shantz Coach Lines, the family business started by his father with one station wagon. The company was sold in 2003 and had grown to over 170 school vehicles and 185 employees.
Bob continues to be involved with small business. In 2006, Bob became the Project Co-ordinator for Waterloo Region ASSETS Project (WRAP), a partnership between Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) and The Working Centre. Bob, along with the organizing committee was responsible to implement the start-up of this new program in Waterloo Region.
WRAP started its 10th training cycle in January 2010. It is a comprehensive, 10-week business training program which teaches individuals how to write their business plan on a step-by-step basis. The course teaches basic business concepts and helps individuals to determine the feasibility of starting their own business.
