KEYNOTE

Alexandra Cutean, Director, Research & Policy, Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC)

Sean Murphy, Regional Managing Partner, Consulting, MNP LLP

Title of Presentation: Digital Transformation is Business Strategy

Presentation Abstract

Digital technologies are changing key aspects of business strategy, including how we connect and engage with our customers; how we need to think about competition; how we manage, use and leverage data; how we innovate through continuous testing and experimentation; and how we understand and create value for the customer. During this session, Sean will articulate the business case and opportunity for digital transformation, highlight the latest trends and share some case studies of organizations who are shifting their business strategy through digital transformation. 

Biography

Sean Murphy is the Regional Managing Partner, Consulting, for Ontario and Quebec. Based in Ottawa, Sean leads our Digital  Services team at MNP. Sean brings over 25 years of consulting experience working with public and private sector clients – focused in the delivery of advisory, consulting and digital services and solutions. Sean has assisted organizations like the Canadian Department of National Defence, RBC, Rogers, Foresters Financial and WestJet in defining their digital plans and with the implementation of digital platforms and solutions.

Travis Asmundson, EVP & CIO , Farm Credit Canada (FCC)

 Title of Presentation: Delivering the Business Strategy

Presentation Abstract

Travis will share FCC’s IT division’s journey from cost centre to strategic partner and how they are connected to the business strategy. He’ll chat about how IT isn’t only about technology, and the importance of building trusted partnership across the organization. Their approach is focused on delivering value to the business continuously vs “big bang”.  You’ll learn about some of the foundational elements they have put in place to allow them to be successful and he’ll share some learnings and challenges along the way as well some of the innovative & fun stuff on the horizon.

Biography

As Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO), Travis is responsible for all aspects of Information Technology at FCC. Travis has been with FCC since 2006 and has held several positions within the technology team including Vice-President of Solution Delivery and Vice-President of Development and Operations. Travis holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Regina and has held technology leadership positions for over 20 years, serving a variety of industries such as Oil and Gas, Financial Services, Transportation and Agriculture. In his role as CIO, Travis is passionate about advancing FCC’s business strategy and providing solutions that empower both employees and customers.

Doug Junor, Innovation Lead – Complex Solutions (Business Sales)

 Title of Presentation: Digital Transformation from the Inside Out

Presentation Abstract

Digital technologies are disrupting every industry on the planet, some faster than others.

While leveraging technology is an important part of any Digital Transformation Strategy, without a corresponding and just as disruptive culture change, organizations of all sizes will succumb to the competitive environment.

Doug will present the importance of transforming the culture of an organization from the inside out, discussing strategies that allow every employee in an organization to play an important role that will assist in that company’s transformation to the new digital world.

Biography

Doug has been working in the Telecom, IT, IoT, and Mobile Application Development sectors for over 30 years. Throughout his career, he has held a number of roles in the areas of Technical Support, Channel Development, and Sales and Marketing. In his previous role as Chief Business Officer, Doug helped Robots and Pencils achieve a spot on the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 growth list, placing 12th in Canada and 34th in North America.

Doug’s focus is helping organizations navigate the scary world of digital disruption and solving business problems through leveraging the latest technology and evolving corporate culture.

Nathan Elliott – Founder, Frontrunner Technologies

Title of Presentation: Industry Disruption

Presentation Abstract

It has been 20 years since scholar Clayton Christensen popularized the term “disruptive innovation” in his iconic book, The Innovator’s Dilemma. The phrase has been used to describe the specific way that smaller companies outcompeted, and eventually destroyed, their bigger rivals in a David vs. Goliath-type scenario. At the time of the book, Christensen could not have possibly dreamed of the exponential growth of disruptive innovations across the globe over the past two decades. In turn, his approach falls short for explaining the rise of Uber, Amazon, Tesla, Airbnb, Netflix and more.

Nathan Elliott highlights some of the new tenets of disruptive innovation, grounded in a new way of thinking about and understanding what customers crave, how to create unexpected value for them, and improve their overall satisfaction.

Industry disruption has become an obsession for entrepreneurs and businesses, particularly in Silicon Valley. Industry disruption once took generations, and is now experienced exponentially, and in real time. Nathan looks at disruption through the emerging technology lens with the goal inspiring people to transcend the “been there and done that” mindset and to explore adjacent possibilities.

Biography

Nathan Elliott is CEO of FrontRunner Technologies Inc., a Saskatchewan-based tech start-up which has worked to create a first of its kind media delivery platform for window fronts across North America. He is the President of Insightwest Research, a consultancy focused on North America’s energy and resource sectors. Nathan also heads Insight Interactive (ii), a Regina-based marketing and communications agency dedicated to brand strategy, graphic and web design, film, AR/VR, e-learning and app development.  Along with CFL great Geroy Simon, Nathan founded the Huddle Up Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of kids across Saskatchewan through the power of professional sport. One of its programs – Bundle Up – has outfitted thousands of children with warm winter coats across the province since its inception.  Nathan was a CBC Future 40 winner in 2015. 

Cloudesley J. C. R. Hobbs, B.F.A., J.D.

Blockchain lawyer, General Counsel, and Chief Legal Officer, Dominion Bitcoin Mining Company Ltd. 

Title of Presentation: Blockchain and Bitcoin 101

Presentation Abstract

A lawyer’s explanation of cryptocurrency and the blockchain, using the Bitcoin blockchain as an example.  I’ll cover the key concepts of wallets (hot, cold, frozen), hashing, blocks, consensus mechanisms, proof or work and stake, soft and hard forks, mining, and how cryptocurrency and blockchian tokens can be used.

Biography

Cloudesley Hobbs, Chief Legal Officer, B.F.A., J.D., Cloudesley a lawyer in good standing, graduated from Queen’s University of Ontario with a Juris Doctorate in Law. Cloudesley practices law in Saskatchewan where he has worked in both private practice and with the Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Justice’s Civil Law Division, dealing primarily in litigation. Cloudesley has represented Bitcoin Industry clients before tribunals, the Court of Queen’s Bench, and the Court of Appeal. As an artist, Cloudesley’s courtroom sketches have been published internationally and he was a resident artist for the University of Regina, M.A.P. faculty in 2016. He has been involved with Dominion Bitcoin Mining Company Ltd. for four years

Panel Participants: 

Jeremy Trask – Chief Digital Officer, Conexus Credit Union

Jeremy’s organic approach to innovation and solutions has him as a trusted asset to guiding Conexus through the fast pace of the ever-changing technological trends. By being tuned into the rapidly moving IT market, Jeremy ensures that Conexus offers the most relevant solutions to our members.

Jeremy holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Regina as well as many certifications in the areas of Administration, Leadership, Project Management and Technology. He serves on the Board of Regents for Athol Murray College of Notre Dame is actively involved in the community.

Graham Holtslander, Engineering Manager

Graham has been a technology enthusiast for his whole life. He started out teaching CorelDraw to his Dad’s colleagues when he was still in Kindergarten, moved on to video games, and transitioned into developing for the web in the 2000s. Graham still loves video games and developing for the web but has moved more to the “People” side of things in the last while. He is now an Engineering Manager at Vendasta. Graham takes a lot of joy from helping people dig into areas they would like to improve both professionally and personally, and helping them find solutions.

Yvonne Harrison, Director, Consulting Services, CGI

Yvonne is a highly motivated individual with a commitment to service excellence. Yvonne has over 30 years’ experience, a combination of customer support, technical support and management in the Information Technology industry.

Her strong interpersonal, organizational skills and belief in being a team player enable her to be successful in managing projects, implementations and ongoing service delivery for her clients. She brings a unique combination of skills and personality that allow her to converse with the clients on business issues and with technical resources on the workings of technology.

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