John Baker

President and CEO
D2L Corporation

John founded D2L in 1999 at the age of twenty-two while attending the University of Waterloo. He saw that online digital tools could open the door to entirely new and more effective models of education and create learning experiences that are personal, engaging, and inspiring. John’s vision for D2L is to transform the way the world learns, improving outcomes for learners everywhere.
He was recognized in 2013 as an EY Entrepreneur of the Year within Ontario, received the Young Alumni Achievement Medal from the University of Waterloo in 2010, and was inducted into the Waterloo Region Hall of Fame as an Intrepid Entrepreneur in 2009.
A strong believer in community involvement, John devotes both his personal and business efforts to supporting young entrepreneurs who are developing and applying technology to improve society worldwide. John was appointed to the Governing Council of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, is Chair of the Board of Communitech and is a board member of Canada’s National Ballet School, among other organizations.
John graduated from the University of Waterloo with an Honours B.A.Sc. in Systems Design Engineering, with First Class Honours and an option in Management Sciences.

Brian G. Belski

Chief Investment Strategist
BMO Capital Markets

As Chief Investment Strategist, Brian provides strategic investment and portfolio management advice to both institutional and private clients. In his more than 25 years in the investment industry, Brian has held various positions, most recently as the Chief Investment Strategist at Oppenheimer & Co. He has also spent time as the Chief US Sector Strategist at Merrill Lynch and the fundamental market strategist at Piper Jaffray.

Brian is frequently quoted in the financial press, and was named the most accurate strategist on Wall Street according to a 2004 poll conducted by USA Today. Most recently, his forecast for the US stock market in 2012 was within one point while his 2014 forecast missed by less than 9 points. Brian holds a B.S degree from St. Cloud State University and is located in both New York and Toronto.

André Bourbonnais

President and Chief Executive Officer
Public Sector Pension Investment Board

André Bourbonnais is President and CEO of the Public Sector Pension Investment Board
(PSP Investments). Prior to joining PSP Investments in March 2015, he was Senior Managing Director & Global Head of Private Investments at Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB). Before joining CPPIB in 2006, he oversaw the 2005 IPO of Addenda Capital Inc., a leading fixed income manager, and managed private equity portfolios for the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec from 2001 to 2004.

A lawyer by training, Mr. Bourbonnais began his career in 1986 with Stikeman Elliott LLP. After three years in Europe for a merger and acquisition consulting firm, he joined Teleglobe, a leading international telecommunications company, where he became Chief Legal Officer in 1995 until its acquisition by BCE in 2000. He earned degrees from the University of Ottawa and the London School of Economics.

Russell T. Granik

Vice Chairman, Galatioto Sports Partners LLC
Former Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer, National Basketball Association (NBA)

Russ Granik, former Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer of the National Basketball Association, joined Galatioto Sports Partners, one of the leading firms in the sports finance and advisory business, as Vice Chairman in October 2006. He was a guiding force in helping to establish the National Basketball Association as the most popular sports league in the world. Mr. Granik represented the league in a wide range of successful projects, such as collective bargaining agreements, television contracts and the NBA’s involvement in international competition, including four Olympic teams as a member of USA Basketball. In September 2013, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Mr. Granik joined the NBA in 1976 as a staff attorney. He became Assistant General Counsel in 1978 and General Counsel in 1980. When David J. Stern was elected NBA Commissioner in 1984, he named Mr. Granik to succeed him as Executive Vice President. In 1990, Mr. Granik was elected Deputy Commissioner by the NBA Board of Governors.

During his tenure, Mr. Granik participated in every major business negotiation on behalf of the NBA and was also the chief negotiator for the league in collective bargaining that resulted in agreements with the
National Basketball Players Association in 1988, 1995, 1999 and 2005.

From 1996-2000, he served as the President of USA Basketball, the United States’ national governing body for international basketball competition. From 1989-96, he was a Vice President of USA Basketball and, in that role, was instrumental in working out the details of the participation of NBA players beginning with the 1992 Olympics. In November 2005, Mr. Granik received USA Basketball’s Edward S. Steitz Award, which recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions to international basketball.

Mr. Granik served two terms (2003-2007) as Chairman of the Board of the Basketball Hall of Fame, where he has been a Trustee and member of the Executive Committee since 1984.
In 2011, Mr. Granik served as ESPN’s Labor Analyst, providing on-air commentary on collective bargaining issues during the National Basketball Association and National Football League work stoppages.
Mr. Granik graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1969 from Dartmouth College, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and Cum Laude from Harvard Law School in 1973. He was associated with the law firm of Breed, Abbott & Morgan in New York before joining the NBA.

Todd Hirsch

Chief Economist
ATB Financial

Todd Hirsch is ATB Financial’s Chief Economist. He holds a BA Honours in Economics from the University of Alberta and an MA in Economics from the University of Calgary. For over 20 years he’s worked as an economist at Canadian Pacific Railway, the Canada West Foundation and the Bank of Canada. For almost a decade, Todd taught economics at the University of Calgary. He released his first book, The Boiling Frog Dilemma: Saving Canada from Economic Decline in 2012.

Todd provides economic commentary for several Canadian media outlets and is a regular columnist for the Globe and Mail. He currently serves on the Alberta Economic Development Authority, the University of Calgary Board of Governors and is the chair of the Premier’s Council on Culture. The federal government honoured Todd for his contribution to the community with the Diamond Jubilee Medal.

He also writes an economic update that is sent to thousands of subscribers around the world everyday. Its called The Owl and you can subscribe at atb.com/economics.

Jennifer Keesmaat

Chief Planner
City of Toronto

As Chief Planner for the City of Toronto, Jennifer is committed to creating places where people flourish. Over the past decade Jennifer has been repeatedly recognized by the Canadian Institute of Planners and OPPI for her innovative work in Canadian municipalities. Most recently, Jennifer was named as one of the most influential people in Toronto by Toronto Life magazine and one of the most powerful people in Canada by MacLeans Magazine.

Her planning practice is characterized by an emphasis on collaborations across sectors, and broad engagement with municipal staff, councils, developers, business leaders, NGO’s and residents associations. Her priorities include implementing a divisional strategic plan, leading an Official Plan review process, refining public consultation to provide more access to city building conversations, transit planning, midrise development on the City of Toronto’s many avenues, and overseeing development review for over 4000 applications annually.

Jennifer is the founder of Project Walk, which premiered its first short film in 2011, as an official selection at the TIFF. In 2012 Jennifer debuted her first TED talk, Walk to School and in 2013 she delivered her second, Own Your City. Jennifer is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario (combined honours English and Philosophy) and has a Master in Environmental Studies (Politics and Planning) from York University.

The Honourable Dr. K. Kellie Leitch, P.C., O.Ont., M.P.

Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women

Dr. K. Kellie Leitch was elected to the House of Commons in May 2011 to represent the Ontario riding of Simcoe-Grey. She served as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour until July 2013, when she was appointed Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women.

Dr. Leitch was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and grew up in Fort McMurray, Alberta and is a paediatric orthopaedic surgeon. She earned her Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Toronto (1994) and her MBA from Dalhousie University (1998). She completed a fellowship at the University of Southern California / Los Angeles Children’s Hospital and was Canada’s youngest Chief of Paediatric Surgery at the age of 34.

Dr. Leitch is the former Chair of the Ivey Centre for Health Innovation and Leadership and has served on various councils and boards, including the YMCA and Community Living. As a volunteer, Dr. Leitch has served as council member of the National Research Council of Canada, board member of Genome Canada, director on the YMCA of Greater Toronto board of directors, and Vice-President of the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research. She is also the founder of the Sandbox Project.

Dr. Leitch was recognized with the Order of Ontario for her advocacy work on behalf of Canadian children and, in 2005, she was selected as one of Canada’s “Top 40 Under 40″ for her work in both medicine and business.

Dr. Leitch resides in Creemore, Ontario.

Tom Liston

Managing Partner
Difference Capital

Mr. Liston has over 14 years of experience in technology research. Prior to joining Difference Capital, he worked at Yorkton Securities as a Research Analyst covering Software and IT Services companies. In early 2003, he joined Versant Partners in the same role and was promoted to Director of Research while maintaining his coverage of technology companies. In late August of 2012, Versant Partners’ team was acquired by Cantor Fitzgerald. At Cantor, Mr. Liston served as Director of Canadian Research and covered the technology sector.

As a technology analyst, Mr. Liston has been consistently ranked among the top technology analysts in several surveys, including: StarMine, Brendan Wood, Greenwich Associates and Reuters. He has received more StarMine stock picking awards than any other technology analyst. Mr. Liston is a CFA charterholder, completed a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance from the University of New Brunswick in 1996 and a Master of Arts in Economics and Finance from Queen’s University in 1998.

Winston Ma

Managing Director
China Investment Corporation

Winston Wenyan Ma, CFA, Esq. is a managing director of China Investment Corporation (CIC), the sovereign wealth fund of China, with a focus on long-term investments in large-scale concentrated positions. Since joining CIC in 2008, he has held leadership roles in major direct transactions involving mining, energy, agriculture, and financial services.

He was a founding member of CIC’s Private Equity Department and later the Special Investment Department for direct investing. Currently he is the Head of CIC’s North America office in Toronto, the only overseas office out of China, and is a standing director for the Canada China Chamber of Commerce.

Prior to joining CIC, Ma served as the deputy head of equity capital markets at Barclays Capital. Previously, he was a vice president at J.P. Morgan investment banking, and a corporate lawyer at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP and Freshfields. He is one of a small number of native Chinese who have worked as investment professionals and practicing capital markets attornies in both the United States and China.

Ma is author of the best-selling book Investing in China: New Opportunities in a Transforming Stock Market (Risk Books, 2006) and has been widely quoted in global financial media. He has served as adjunct professor at NYU’s Pollack Center for Law and Business, and as an international visiting professor at the University of Richmond School of Law. He was selected a 2013 Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum.

Ma earned his MBA from the University of Michigan Ross Business School (Beta Gamma Sigma) and his master of comparative jurisprudence from the New York University School of Law (Alumni Award, 2014), where he was a Hauser Global Scholar. He earned bachelor of science and bachelor of law degrees from Fudan University in Shanghai, China. In 2014 he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from NYU.

Robert Mark

Rob Mark is Chairman of Investment Policy and Associate Director of Research at MacDougall, MacDougall & MacTier (3Macs) Canada’s oldest wealth management firm. 3Macs which was founded in Montreal in 1849, services many of Canada’s most affluent investors. In this role, Rob oversees the investment and portfolio strategy helping guide the firm’s $6.0 billion of assets under administration. He is co-manager of the 3Macs Canadian, North American Enhanced Yield and International GARP model portfolios.

Rob is regularly quoted in the financial press including BNN, CTV, CBC, Globe and Mail, National Post, Calgary Herald and key trade publications. As a research analyst and portfolio manager since 1998, Rob’s specializes on matters of the North American oil & gas and energy sectors. Rob holds a B.A. (Honours) degree from Queen’s University and is a CFA charterholder.

John Baker

President and CEO
D2L Corporation

John founded D2L in 1999 at the age of twenty-two while attending the University of Waterloo. He saw that online digital tools could open the door to entirely new and more effective models of education and create learning experiences that are personal, engaging, and inspiring. John’s vision for D2L is to transform the way the world learns, improving outcomes for learners everywhere.
He was recognized in 2013 as an EY Entrepreneur of the Year within Ontario, received the Young Alumni Achievement Medal from the University of Waterloo in 2010, and was inducted into the Waterloo Region Hall of Fame as an Intrepid Entrepreneur in 2009.
A strong believer in community involvement, John devotes both his personal and business efforts to supporting young entrepreneurs who are developing and applying technology to improve society worldwide. John was appointed to the Governing Council of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, is Chair of the Board of Communitech and is a board member of Canada’s National Ballet School, among other organizations.
John graduated from the University of Waterloo with an Honours B.A.Sc. in Systems Design Engineering, with First Class Honours and an option in Management Sciences.

Brian G. Belski

Chief Investment Strategist
BMO Capital Markets

As Chief Investment Strategist, Brian provides strategic investment and portfolio management advice to both institutional and private clients. In his more than 25 years in the investment industry, Brian has held various positions, most recently as the Chief Investment Strategist at Oppenheimer & Co. He has also spent time as the Chief US Sector Strategist at Merrill Lynch and the fundamental market strategist at Piper Jaffray.

Brian is frequently quoted in the financial press, and was named the most accurate strategist on Wall Street according to a 2004 poll conducted by USA Today. Most recently, his forecast for the US stock market in 2012 was within one point while his 2014 forecast missed by less than 9 points. Brian holds a B.S degree from St. Cloud State University and is located in both New York and Toronto.

André Bourbonnais

President and Chief Executive Officer
Public Sector Pension Investment Board

André Bourbonnais is President and CEO of the Public Sector Pension Investment Board
(PSP Investments). Prior to joining PSP Investments in March 2015, he was Senior Managing Director & Global Head of Private Investments at Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB). Before joining CPPIB in 2006, he oversaw the 2005 IPO of Addenda Capital Inc., a leading fixed income manager, and managed private equity portfolios for the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec from 2001 to 2004.

A lawyer by training, Mr. Bourbonnais began his career in 1986 with Stikeman Elliott LLP. After three years in Europe for a merger and acquisition consulting firm, he joined Teleglobe, a leading international telecommunications company, where he became Chief Legal Officer in 1995 until its acquisition by BCE in 2000. He earned degrees from the University of Ottawa and the London School of Economics.

Russell T. Granik

Vice Chairman, Galatioto Sports Partners LLC
Former Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer, National Basketball Association (NBA)

Russ Granik, former Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer of the National Basketball Association, joined Galatioto Sports Partners, one of the leading firms in the sports finance and advisory business, as Vice Chairman in October 2006. He was a guiding force in helping to establish the National Basketball Association as the most popular sports league in the world. Mr. Granik represented the league in a wide range of successful projects, such as collective bargaining agreements, television contracts and the NBA’s involvement in international competition, including four Olympic teams as a member of USA Basketball. In September 2013, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Mr. Granik joined the NBA in 1976 as a staff attorney. He became Assistant General Counsel in 1978 and General Counsel in 1980. When David J. Stern was elected NBA Commissioner in 1984, he named Mr. Granik to succeed him as Executive Vice President. In 1990, Mr. Granik was elected Deputy Commissioner by the NBA Board of Governors.

During his tenure, Mr. Granik participated in every major business negotiation on behalf of the NBA and was also the chief negotiator for the league in collective bargaining that resulted in agreements with the
National Basketball Players Association in 1988, 1995, 1999 and 2005.

From 1996-2000, he served as the President of USA Basketball, the United States’ national governing body for international basketball competition. From 1989-96, he was a Vice President of USA Basketball and, in that role, was instrumental in working out the details of the participation of NBA players beginning with the 1992 Olympics. In November 2005, Mr. Granik received USA Basketball’s Edward S. Steitz Award, which recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions to international basketball.

Mr. Granik served two terms (2003-2007) as Chairman of the Board of the Basketball Hall of Fame, where he has been a Trustee and member of the Executive Committee since 1984.
In 2011, Mr. Granik served as ESPN’s Labor Analyst, providing on-air commentary on collective bargaining issues during the National Basketball Association and National Football League work stoppages.
Mr. Granik graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1969 from Dartmouth College, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and Cum Laude from Harvard Law School in 1973. He was associated with the law firm of Breed, Abbott & Morgan in New York before joining the NBA.

Todd Hirsch

Chief Economist
ATB Financial

Todd Hirsch is ATB Financial’s Chief Economist. He holds a BA Honours in Economics from the University of Alberta and an MA in Economics from the University of Calgary. For over 20 years he’s worked as an economist at Canadian Pacific Railway, the Canada West Foundation and the Bank of Canada. For almost a decade, Todd taught economics at the University of Calgary. He released his first book, The Boiling Frog Dilemma: Saving Canada from Economic Decline in 2012.

Todd provides economic commentary for several Canadian media outlets and is a regular columnist for the Globe and Mail. He currently serves on the Alberta Economic Development Authority, the University of Calgary Board of Governors and is the chair of the Premier’s Council on Culture. The federal government honoured Todd for his contribution to the community with the Diamond Jubilee Medal.

He also writes an economic update that is sent to thousands of subscribers around the world everyday. Its called The Owl and you can subscribe at atb.com/economics.

Jennifer Keesmaat

Chief Planner
City of Toronto

As Chief Planner for the City of Toronto, Jennifer is committed to creating places where people flourish. Over the past decade Jennifer has been repeatedly recognized by the Canadian Institute of Planners and OPPI for her innovative work in Canadian municipalities. Most recently, Jennifer was named as one of the most influential people in Toronto by Toronto Life magazine and one of the most powerful people in Canada by MacLeans Magazine.

Her planning practice is characterized by an emphasis on collaborations across sectors, and broad engagement with municipal staff, councils, developers, business leaders, NGO’s and residents associations. Her priorities include implementing a divisional strategic plan, leading an Official Plan review process, refining public consultation to provide more access to city building conversations, transit planning, midrise development on the City of Toronto’s many avenues, and overseeing development review for over 4000 applications annually.

Jennifer is the founder of Project Walk, which premiered its first short film in 2011, as an official selection at the TIFF. In 2012 Jennifer debuted her first TED talk, Walk to School and in 2013 she delivered her second, Own Your City. Jennifer is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario (combined honours English and Philosophy) and has a Master in Environmental Studies (Politics and Planning) from York University.

The Honourable Dr. K. Kellie Leitch, P.C., O.Ont., M.P.

Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women

Dr. K. Kellie Leitch was elected to the House of Commons in May 2011 to represent the Ontario riding of Simcoe-Grey. She served as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour until July 2013, when she was appointed Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women.

Dr. Leitch was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and grew up in Fort McMurray, Alberta and is a paediatric orthopaedic surgeon. She earned her Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Toronto (1994) and her MBA from Dalhousie University (1998). She completed a fellowship at the University of Southern California / Los Angeles Children’s Hospital and was Canada’s youngest Chief of Paediatric Surgery at the age of 34.

Dr. Leitch is the former Chair of the Ivey Centre for Health Innovation and Leadership and has served on various councils and boards, including the YMCA and Community Living. As a volunteer, Dr. Leitch has served as council member of the National Research Council of Canada, board member of Genome Canada, director on the YMCA of Greater Toronto board of directors, and Vice-President of the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research. She is also the founder of the Sandbox Project.

Dr. Leitch was recognized with the Order of Ontario for her advocacy work on behalf of Canadian children and, in 2005, she was selected as one of Canada’s “Top 40 Under 40″ for her work in both medicine and business.

Dr. Leitch resides in Creemore, Ontario.

Tom Liston

Managing Partner
Difference Capital

Mr. Liston has over 14 years of experience in technology research. Prior to joining Difference Capital, he worked at Yorkton Securities as a Research Analyst covering Software and IT Services companies. In early 2003, he joined Versant Partners in the same role and was promoted to Director of Research while maintaining his coverage of technology companies. In late August of 2012, Versant Partners’ team was acquired by Cantor Fitzgerald. At Cantor, Mr. Liston served as Director of Canadian Research and covered the technology sector.

As a technology analyst, Mr. Liston has been consistently ranked among the top technology analysts in several surveys, including: StarMine, Brendan Wood, Greenwich Associates and Reuters. He has received more StarMine stock picking awards than any other technology analyst. Mr. Liston is a CFA charterholder, completed a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance from the University of New Brunswick in 1996 and a Master of Arts in Economics and Finance from Queen’s University in 1998.

Winston Ma

Managing Director
China Investment Corporation

Winston Wenyan Ma, CFA, Esq. is a managing director of China Investment Corporation (CIC), the sovereign wealth fund of China, with a focus on long-term investments in large-scale concentrated positions. Since joining CIC in 2008, he has held leadership roles in major direct transactions involving mining, energy, agriculture, and financial services.

He was a founding member of CIC’s Private Equity Department and later the Special Investment Department for direct investing. Currently he is the Head of CIC’s North America office in Toronto, the only overseas office out of China, and is a standing director for the Canada China Chamber of Commerce.

Prior to joining CIC, Ma served as the deputy head of equity capital markets at Barclays Capital. Previously, he was a vice president at J.P. Morgan investment banking, and a corporate lawyer at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP and Freshfields. He is one of a small number of native Chinese who have worked as investment professionals and practicing capital markets attornies in both the United States and China.

Ma is author of the best-selling book Investing in China: New Opportunities in a Transforming Stock Market (Risk Books, 2006) and has been widely quoted in global financial media. He has served as adjunct professor at NYU’s Pollack Center for Law and Business, and as an international visiting professor at the University of Richmond School of Law. He was selected a 2013 Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum.

Ma earned his MBA from the University of Michigan Ross Business School (Beta Gamma Sigma) and his master of comparative jurisprudence from the New York University School of Law (Alumni Award, 2014), where he was a Hauser Global Scholar. He earned bachelor of science and bachelor of law degrees from Fudan University in Shanghai, China. In 2014 he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from NYU.

Robert Mark

Rob Mark is Chairman of Investment Policy and Associate Director of Research at MacDougall, MacDougall & MacTier (3Macs) Canada’s oldest wealth management firm. 3Macs which was founded in Montreal in 1849, services many of Canada’s most affluent investors. In this role, Rob oversees the investment and portfolio strategy helping guide the firm’s $6.0 billion of assets under administration. He is co-manager of the 3Macs Canadian, North American Enhanced Yield and International GARP model portfolios.

Rob is regularly quoted in the financial press including BNN, CTV, CBC, Globe and Mail, National Post, Calgary Herald and key trade publications. As a research analyst and portfolio manager since 1998, Rob’s specializes on matters of the North American oil & gas and energy sectors. Rob holds a B.A. (Honours) degree from Queen’s University and is a CFA charterholder.

John founded D2L in 1999 at the age of twenty-two while attending the University of Waterloo. He saw that online digital tools could open the door to entirely new and sponsors effective models of education and create learning experiences that are personal, engaging, and inspiring. John’s vision for D2L is to transform the way the world learns, improving outcomes for learners everywhere.
He was recognized in 2013 as an EY Entrepreneur of the Year within Ontario, received the Young Alumni Achievement Medal from the University of Waterloo in 2010, and was inducted into the Waterloo Region Hall of Fame as an Intrepid Entrepreneur in 2009.
A strong believer in community involvement, John devotes both his personal and business efforts to supporting young entrepreneurs who are developing and applying technology to improve society worldwide. John was appointed to the Governing Council of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, is Chair of the Board of Communitech and is a board member of Canada’s National Ballet School, among other organizations.
John graduated from the University of Waterloo with an Honours B.A.Sc. in Systems Design Engineering, with First Class Honours and an option in Management Sciences.

As Chief Investment Strategist, Brian provides strategic investment and portfolio management advice to both institutional and private clients. In his sponsors than 25 years in the investment industry, Brian has held various positions, most recently as the Chief Investment Strategist at Oppenheimer & Co. He has also spent time as the Chief US Sector Strategist at Merrill Lynch and the fundamental market strategist at Piper Jaffray.

Brian is frequently quoted in the financial press, and was named the most accurate strategist on Wall Street according to a 2004 poll conducted by USA Today. Most recently, his forecast for the US stock market in 2012 was within one point while his 2014 forecast missed by less than 9 points. Brian holds a B.S degree from St. Cloud State University and is located in both New York and Toronto.

André Bourbonnais is President and CEO of the Public Sector Pension Investment Board
(PSP Investments). Prior to joining PSP Investments in March 2015, he was Senior Managing Director & Global Head of Private Investments at Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB). Before joining CPPIB in 2006, he oversaw the 2005 IPO of Addenda Capital Inc., a leading fixed income manager, and managed private equity portfolios for the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec from 2001 to 2004.

A lawyer by training, Mr. Bourbonnais began his career in 1986 with Stikeman Elliott LLP. After three years in Europe for a merger and acquisition consulting firm, he joined Teleglobe, a leading international telecommunications company, where he became Chief Legal Officer in 1995 until its acquisition by BCE in 2000. He earned degrees from the University of Ottawa and the London School of Economics.

Russ Granik, former Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer of the National Basketball Association, joined Galatioto Sports Partners, one of the leading firms in the sports finance and advisory business, as Vice Chairman in October 2006. He was a guiding force in helping to establish the National Basketball Association as the most popular sports league in the world. Mr. Granik represented the league in a wide range of successful projects, such as collective bargaining agreements, television contracts and the NBA’s involvement in international competition, including four Olympic teams as a member of USA Basketball. In September 2013, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Mr. Granik joined the NBA in 1976 as a staff attorney. He became Assistant General Counsel in 1978 and General Counsel in 1980. When David J. Stern was elected NBA Commissioner in 1984, he named Mr. Granik to succeed him as Executive Vice President. In 1990, Mr. Granik was elected Deputy Commissioner by the NBA Board of Governors.

During his tenure, Mr. Granik participated in every major business negotiation on behalf of the NBA and was also the chief negotiator for the league in collective bargaining that resulted in agreements with the
National Basketball Players Association in 1988, 1995, 1999 and 2005.

From 1996-2000, he served as the President of USA Basketball, the United States’ national governing body for international basketball competition. From 1989-96, he was a Vice President of USA Basketball and, in that role, was instrumental in working out the details of the participation of NBA players beginning with the 1992 Olympics. In November 2005, Mr. Granik received USA Basketball’s Edward S. Steitz Award, which recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions to international basketball.

Mr. Granik served two terms (2003-2007) as Chairman of the Board of the Basketball Hall of Fame, where he has been a Trustee and member of the Executive Committee since 1984.
In 2011, Mr. Granik served as ESPN’s Labor Analyst, providing on-air commentary on collective bargaining issues during the National Basketball Association and National Football League work stoppages.
Mr. Granik graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1969 from Dartmouth College, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and Cum Laude from Harvard Law School in 1973. He was associated with the law firm of Breed, Abbott & Morgan in New York before joining the NBA.

Todd Hirsch is ATB Financial’s Chief Economist. He holds a BA Honours in Economics from the University of Alberta and an MA in Economics from the University of Calgary. For over 20 years he’s worked as an economist at Canadian Pacific Railway, the Canada West Foundation and the Bank of Canada. For almost a decade, Todd taught economics at the University of Calgary. He released his first book, The Boiling Frog Dilemma: Saving Canada from Economic Decline in 2012.

Todd provides economic commentary for several Canadian media outlets and is a regular columnist for the Globe and Mail. He currently serves on the Alberta Economic Development Authority, the University of Calgary Board of Governors and is the chair of the Premier’s Council on Culture. The federal government honoured Todd for his contribution to the community with the Diamond Jubilee Medal.

He also writes an economic update that is sent to thousands of subscribers around the world everyday. Its called The Owl and you can subscribe at atb.com/economics.

John Baker

President and CEO
D2L Corporation

John founded D2L in 1999 at the age of twenty-two while attending the University of Waterloo. He saw that online digital tools could open the door to entirely new and more effective models of education and create learning experiences that are personal, engaging, and inspiring. John’s vision for D2L is to transform the way the world learns, improving outcomes for learners everywhere.
He was recognized in 2013 as an EY Entrepreneur of the Year within Ontario, received the Young Alumni Achievement Medal from the University of Waterloo in 2010, and was inducted into the Waterloo Region Hall of Fame as an Intrepid Entrepreneur in 2009.
A strong believer in community involvement, John devotes both his personal and business efforts to supporting young entrepreneurs who are developing and applying technology to improve society worldwide. John was appointed to the Governing Council of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, is Chair of the Board of Communitech and is a board member of Canada’s National Ballet School, among other organizations.
John graduated from the University of Waterloo with an Honours B.A.Sc. in Systems Design Engineering, with First Class Honours and an option in Management Sciences.

Brian G. Belski

Chief Investment Strategist
BMO Capital Markets

As Chief Investment Strategist, Brian provides strategic investment and portfolio management advice to both institutional and private clients. In his more than 25 years in the investment industry, Brian has held various positions, most recently as the Chief Investment Strategist at Oppenheimer & Co. He has also spent time as the Chief US Sector Strategist at Merrill Lynch and the fundamental market strategist at Piper Jaffray.

Brian is frequently quoted in the financial press, and was named the most accurate strategist on Wall Street according to a 2004 poll conducted by USA Today. Most recently, his forecast for the US stock market in 2012 was within one point while his 2014 forecast missed by less than 9 points. Brian holds a B.S degree from St. Cloud State University and is located in both New York and Toronto.

André Bourbonnais

President and Chief Executive Officer
Public Sector Pension Investment Board

André Bourbonnais is President and CEO of the Public Sector Pension Investment Board
(PSP Investments). Prior to joining PSP Investments in March 2015, he was Senior Managing Director & Global Head of Private Investments at Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB). Before joining CPPIB in 2006, he oversaw the 2005 IPO of Addenda Capital Inc., a leading fixed income manager, and managed private equity portfolios for the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec from 2001 to 2004.

A lawyer by training, Mr. Bourbonnais began his career in 1986 with Stikeman Elliott LLP. After three years in Europe for a merger and acquisition consulting firm, he joined Teleglobe, a leading international telecommunications company, where he became Chief Legal Officer in 1995 until its acquisition by BCE in 2000. He earned degrees from the University of Ottawa and the London School of Economics.

Russell T. Granik

Vice Chairman, Galatioto Sports Partners LLC
Former Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer, National Basketball Association (NBA)

Russ Granik, former Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer of the National Basketball Association, joined Galatioto Sports Partners, one of the leading firms in the sports finance and advisory business, as Vice Chairman in October 2006. He was a guiding force in helping to establish the National Basketball Association as the most popular sports league in the world. Mr. Granik represented the league in a wide range of successful projects, such as collective bargaining agreements, television contracts and the NBA’s involvement in international competition, including four Olympic teams as a member of USA Basketball. In September 2013, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Mr. Granik joined the NBA in 1976 as a staff attorney. He became Assistant General Counsel in 1978 and General Counsel in 1980. When David J. Stern was elected NBA Commissioner in 1984, he named Mr. Granik to succeed him as Executive Vice President. In 1990, Mr. Granik was elected Deputy Commissioner by the NBA Board of Governors.

During his tenure, Mr. Granik participated in every major business negotiation on behalf of the NBA and was also the chief negotiator for the league in collective bargaining that resulted in agreements with the
National Basketball Players Association in 1988, 1995, 1999 and 2005.

From 1996-2000, he served as the President of USA Basketball, the United States’ national governing body for international basketball competition. From 1989-96, he was a Vice President of USA Basketball and, in that role, was instrumental in working out the details of the participation of NBA players beginning with the 1992 Olympics. In November 2005, Mr. Granik received USA Basketball’s Edward S. Steitz Award, which recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions to international basketball.

Mr. Granik served two terms (2003-2007) as Chairman of the Board of the Basketball Hall of Fame, where he has been a Trustee and member of the Executive Committee since 1984.
In 2011, Mr. Granik served as ESPN’s Labor Analyst, providing on-air commentary on collective bargaining issues during the National Basketball Association and National Football League work stoppages.
Mr. Granik graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1969 from Dartmouth College, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and Cum Laude from Harvard Law School in 1973. He was associated with the law firm of Breed, Abbott & Morgan in New York before joining the NBA.

Todd Hirsch

Chief Economist
ATB Financial

Todd Hirsch is ATB Financial’s Chief Economist. He holds a BA Honours in Economics from the University of Alberta and an MA in Economics from the University of Calgary. For over 20 years he’s worked as an economist at Canadian Pacific Railway, the Canada West Foundation and the Bank of Canada. For almost a decade, Todd taught economics at the University of Calgary. He released his first book, The Boiling Frog Dilemma: Saving Canada from Economic Decline in 2012.

Todd provides economic commentary for several Canadian media outlets and is a regular columnist for the Globe and Mail. He currently serves on the Alberta Economic Development Authority, the University of Calgary Board of Governors and is the chair of the Premier’s Council on Culture. The federal government honoured Todd for his contribution to the community with the Diamond Jubilee Medal.

He also writes an economic update that is sent to thousands of subscribers around the world everyday. Its called The Owl and you can subscribe at atb.com/economics.

Jennifer Keesmaat

Chief Planner
City of Toronto

As Chief Planner for the City of Toronto, Jennifer is committed to creating places where people flourish. Over the past decade Jennifer has been repeatedly recognized by the Canadian Institute of Planners and OPPI for her innovative work in Canadian municipalities. Most recently, Jennifer was named as one of the most influential people in Toronto by Toronto Life magazine and one of the most powerful people in Canada by MacLeans Magazine.

Her planning practice is characterized by an emphasis on collaborations across sectors, and broad engagement with municipal staff, councils, developers, business leaders, NGO’s and residents associations. Her priorities include implementing a divisional strategic plan, leading an Official Plan review process, refining public consultation to provide more access to city building conversations, transit planning, midrise development on the City of Toronto’s many avenues, and overseeing development review for over 4000 applications annually.

Jennifer is the founder of Project Walk, which premiered its first short film in 2011, as an official selection at the TIFF. In 2012 Jennifer debuted her first TED talk, Walk to School and in 2013 she delivered her second, Own Your City. Jennifer is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario (combined honours English and Philosophy) and has a Master in Environmental Studies (Politics and Planning) from York University.

The Honourable Dr. K. Kellie Leitch, P.C., O.Ont., M.P.

Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women

Dr. K. Kellie Leitch was elected to the House of Commons in May 2011 to represent the Ontario riding of Simcoe-Grey. She served as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour until July 2013, when she was appointed Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women.

Dr. Leitch was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and grew up in Fort McMurray, Alberta and is a paediatric orthopaedic surgeon. She earned her Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Toronto (1994) and her MBA from Dalhousie University (1998). She completed a fellowship at the University of Southern California / Los Angeles Children’s Hospital and was Canada’s youngest Chief of Paediatric Surgery at the age of 34.

Dr. Leitch is the former Chair of the Ivey Centre for Health Innovation and Leadership and has served on various councils and boards, including the YMCA and Community Living. As a volunteer, Dr. Leitch has served as council member of the National Research Council of Canada, board member of Genome Canada, director on the YMCA of Greater Toronto board of directors, and Vice-President of the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research. She is also the founder of the Sandbox Project.

Dr. Leitch was recognized with the Order of Ontario for her advocacy work on behalf of Canadian children and, in 2005, she was selected as one of Canada’s “Top 40 Under 40″ for her work in both medicine and business.

Dr. Leitch resides in Creemore, Ontario.

Tom Liston

Managing Partner
Difference Capital

Mr. Liston has over 14 years of experience in technology research. Prior to joining Difference Capital, he worked at Yorkton Securities as a Research Analyst covering Software and IT Services companies. In early 2003, he joined Versant Partners in the same role and was promoted to Director of Research while maintaining his coverage of technology companies. In late August of 2012, Versant Partners’ team was acquired by Cantor Fitzgerald. At Cantor, Mr. Liston served as Director of Canadian Research and covered the technology sector.

As a technology analyst, Mr. Liston has been consistently ranked among the top technology analysts in several surveys, including: StarMine, Brendan Wood, Greenwich Associates and Reuters. He has received more StarMine stock picking awards than any other technology analyst. Mr. Liston is a CFA charterholder, completed a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance from the University of New Brunswick in 1996 and a Master of Arts in Economics and Finance from Queen’s University in 1998.

Winston Ma

Managing Director
China Investment Corporation

Winston Wenyan Ma, CFA, Esq. is a managing director of China Investment Corporation (CIC), the sovereign wealth fund of China, with a focus on long-term investments in large-scale concentrated positions. Since joining CIC in 2008, he has held leadership roles in major direct transactions involving mining, energy, agriculture, and financial services.

He was a founding member of CIC’s Private Equity Department and later the Special Investment Department for direct investing. Currently he is the Head of CIC’s North America office in Toronto, the only overseas office out of China, and is a standing director for the Canada China Chamber of Commerce.

Prior to joining CIC, Ma served as the deputy head of equity capital markets at Barclays Capital. Previously, he was a vice president at J.P. Morgan investment banking, and a corporate lawyer at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP and Freshfields. He is one of a small number of native Chinese who have worked as investment professionals and practicing capital markets attornies in both the United States and China.

Ma is author of the best-selling book Investing in China: New Opportunities in a Transforming Stock Market (Risk Books, 2006) and has been widely quoted in global financial media. He has served as adjunct professor at NYU’s Pollack Center for Law and Business, and as an international visiting professor at the University of Richmond School of Law. He was selected a 2013 Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum.

Ma earned his MBA from the University of Michigan Ross Business School (Beta Gamma Sigma) and his master of comparative jurisprudence from the New York University School of Law (Alumni Award, 2014), where he was a Hauser Global Scholar. He earned bachelor of science and bachelor of law degrees from Fudan University in Shanghai, China. In 2014 he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from NYU.

Robert Mark

Rob Mark is Chairman of Investment Policy and Associate Director of Research at MacDougall, MacDougall & MacTier (3Macs) Canada’s oldest wealth management firm. 3Macs which was founded in Montreal in 1849, services many of Canada’s most affluent investors. In this role, Rob oversees the investment and portfolio strategy helping guide the firm’s $6.0 billion of assets under administration. He is co-manager of the 3Macs Canadian, North American Enhanced Yield and International GARP model portfolios.

Rob is regularly quoted in the financial press including BNN, CTV, CBC, Globe and Mail, National Post, Calgary Herald and key trade publications. As a research analyst and portfolio manager since 1998, Rob’s specializes on matters of the North American oil & gas and energy sectors. Rob holds a B.A. (Honours) degree from Queen’s University and is a CFA charterholder.