CBC 2022 Speed Mentoring

Version française Mentorship Resources Career Boot Camp

Speed Mentoring (February 23rd and 24th, 2022)

The speed mentoring portion of the CBC 2022 is aimed at connecting public servants of all levels (including students and young professionals) with knowledgeable and insightful employees for networking and mentoring (EX status is not a requirement to participate as a mentor). This special series of events enables public service professionals (that’s you!) to virtually connect with and learn from the experiences of GC leaders.

WHAT:

Adapted from our flagship, in-person networking events, this year’s #CBC_CDC will see three, 90-minute sessions of virtual, structured networking. Groups of 5-6 young professionals will meet with one mentor for 15 minutes at a time (through Zoom breakout rooms). There will be four rounds of networking per session.

This will be an opportunity for mentors to share their advice with and answer questions from mentees related to career development, work-life balance, and the inner workings of the Government of Canada. Mentees will be able to ask questions to and seek advice from mentors on the topics that matter most to them as they advance their careers. More information and instructions will follow post registration. #MentorGC

Resources

Coming soon!

WHO:

All public servants are invited to be mentees.

WHEN:

Session 1 (English): Wednesday, February 23, from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. EST *Registration link will be live on Feb 9*

Mentor names to be added shortly!

Session 2 (French): Thursday, February 24, from 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. EST *Registration link will be live on Feb 9*

Mentor names to be added shortly!

Session 3 (English): Thursday, February 24, from 2:30 – 4:00 p.m. EST *Registration link will be live on Feb 9*

Mentor names to be added shortly!

WHERE:

Online, via Zoom.

Mentors

Name Position Department Biography
Steven Kasouf Deputy Director, Operations, Access to Information and Privacy Department of Fisheries and Oceans I have been working in the field of Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) for 10 years and have really enjoyed it. I have worked for four different government departments in various capacities as an Analyst, Team Leader, Deputy Director and even a few months as a Director of ATIP. I have learned a lot about the profession and have worked with great people. I enjoy the manner in which the work is measured in that there is a beginning and an end and then move on to the next file. I enjoy training employees in the profession as well as those that are responsible for responding to ATIP requests and how the process works outside of the ATIP office. There is always very interesting information in processing ATIP requests so I have learned a lot about different departments and what type of information is held under the control of government institutions.
Alfred MacLeod Assistant Deputy Minister, Public Service Accessibility Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat Alfred MacLeod was appointed to the position of Assistant Deputy Minister of Public Service Accessibility at Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat in October 2018.

From 2017 to 2018, Alfred was Assistant Deputy Minister at Public Services and Procurement Canada, where he oversaw the Canada Post Corporation Review.

Previously, Alfred was Assistant Deputy Minister of PSPC’s Policy, Planning and Communications Branch. Other experience includes a two-year Executive Interchange with CBC/Radio-Canada as Executive Director of Corporate Affairs, as well as previous Assistant Deputy Minister positions at the Privy Council Office and Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Before joining the federal public service, Alfred was Senior Vice-President, Public Policy, at EKOS Research Associates Inc.

Alfred holds degrees in History and Education from Acadia University, and a MPhil (Politics) from the University of Exeter, U.K.

Christiane Fox Deputy Minister Indigenous Services Canada Christiane Fox was appointed to the position of Deputy Minister of Indigenous Services in September 2020. She is also the Deputy Minister Champion of the Federal Youth Network.

Prior to her appointment, Christiane had been the Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs since November 2019, and the Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Youth from June 2017 to November 2019. She also held several positions at the Privy Council Office, including Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Communications and Consultations, Director of Operations, Policy, in the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Relations Secretariat, and Director General of Communications.

Christiane started her career as a Communications Advisor at Industry Canada, now Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, where she worked in Communications, and in Science Policy. She also spent a year with the Competition Policy Review Secretariat, as the Director of Communications and Consultations.

Christiane has a BA in Mass Communications and Psychology from Carleton University, and is a graduate of the University of Ottawa’s Masters Certificate Program in Public Administration.

Fiona Crowley Director of Business Intelligence and Quality Assurance, Western Region


Canada Revenue Agency

Fiona Crowley has worked with Canada Revenue Agency since 2005. She has a Commerce Degree from the University of Manitoba and a CPA, CMA designation and is a graduate of the CRA Middle Management Development Program. Fiona has held various positions within the CRA including working in Audit, Appeals, the Winnipeg Tax Centre, and the Regional Programs Office. She was the acting Assistant Director of the Audit division at the Winnipeg Tax Services Office until May 2021 when she took on the role of Director of Business Intelligence and Quality Assurance for the Western Region.


Fiona has two children and enjoys camping and skiing in her free time.

Brock Belliveau Client Experience Manager, Pension Operations Public Services and Procurement Canada Brock Belliveau is the Manager of Specialized Pension Services at the Government of Canada Pension Centre in Shediac, New Brunswick with Public Services and Procurement Canada. After a 13 years as a Human Resources Professional in the Federal Public Service, he continues his pursuit of empowering people, fostering collaboration and pushing the boundaries of innovation and service excellence. An avid sailor and dedicated father, Brock’s pursuit of having a positive impact on those around him can be seen through his volunteer coaching with youth hockey and soccer as well in his active support for community organizations helping those in need.
Megan Young Director of Acceleration, Integration and Emerging Technology Canada Border Services Agency Megan Young is the Director of Acceleration, Integration and Emerging Technology within CBSA’s Border Technology Innovation Directorate. She joined the Agency in January 2021, and has followed a meandering route to her current position. Megan graduated from Dalhousie University with a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting, and despite spending her work terms and summers working with HRSDC (now ESDC) and International Trade Canada (now part of GAC), she started her career in the private sector. Megan worked as an auditor at Deloitte, helped to shore up the Canadian automotive supply chain at Export Development Canada during the 2008 financial crisis, and joined the Royal Canadian Navy for a few years.


Upon the completion of her MBA in the Management of Technology and Innovation, Megan joined Gartner Consulting, working as a management consultant focusing on tech strategy, organizational design and operating models. She then took advantage of an opportunity to put theory into practice and spent a year at Shared Services Canada before accepting an offer to join CBSA.


Megan is a member of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation. She has lived in six provinces, a dozen or so cities, and has travelled to six continents.

John Medcof Lead Faculty Canada School of Public Service John Medcof is Lead Faculty at the Canada School of Public Service. In this role he facilitates executive leadership programs and provides strategic advice and direction on executive learning and faculty recruitment. Prior to this role, John was Director General of Transferable Skills at the School. In addition to his experience in learning design and delivery, John has extensive experience developing policies and programs, and working in a central agency. Before joining the School, John was the Executive Director of Strategic Policy at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. He joined the Government of Canada in 2004 after a career in business in the private sector. John is passionate about promoting human-centered leadership at all levels, as well as diversity, equity and inclusion in the public service. He works from Ottawa but is an advocate for distributed teams and regional perspectives.
Julie Bastarache Director General, Evaluation and Integrated Risk Management Public Services and Procurement Canada Julie is a bilingual CPA, CA and CFE with over 20 years of global experience in the private, public and humanitarian sectors. She considers herself an ‘expert’ generalist and an agent of change who is energized by modernization, transformation, learning and problem-solving in creative ways. Mentoring, coaching and facilitating the development of others ‘fills her bucket’. After spending several years living and traveling abroad, including spending almost 2 years in Haiti post 2010 earthquake, she returned to Canada to rejoin the public service after almost 10 years, bringing with her new perspectives and competencies to serve Canadians.
Kelly Gillis Deputy Minister Infrastructure and Communities Kelly Gillis was appointed Deputy Minister, Infrastructure and Communities in September 2017. Infrastructure Canada is the Government of Canada department that provides long-term, predictable support to help Canadians benefit from world-class, modern public infrastructure; makes investments, builds partnerships, develops policies, delivers programs, and fosters knowledge about public infrastructure in Canada; and helps address complex challenges that Canadians face every day, ranging from the rapid growth of our cities, to climate change, and environmental threats to our water and land.


Prior to this appointment, Kelly served as Associate Deputy Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), the department that worked to develop Canada's Inclusive Innovation Agenda to help build an economy that promotes clean growth, high-quality jobs and increased prosperity.


Previous to this, Kelly held a number of positions within the federal government, including, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Spectrum, Information Technologies and Telecommunications (SITT) Sector and Chief Financial Officer at Industry Canada.


Kelly holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Graduate Diploma in Public Accounting from McGill University and is also a qualified chartered accountant.


Kelly is originally from Montréal. She and her husband have three children.

Philippe Thompson Chief Finances, Results and Delivery Officer Indigenous Services Canada Since July 2019, Philippe Thompson has been the Chief Finances, Results and Delivery Officer (CFRDO) at Indigenous Services Canada (ISC). The CFRDO Sector is responsible for providing leadership and ensuring effective management of departmental Finance. The Sector is the departmental lead on integrated planning, results and delivery, parliamentary reporting and provides facility management, security and procurement services to the whole Department. It also manages the departmental Information Technology, Data Management and Information Management functions.


The CFRDO sector allowed the Department to remain on sound footing operationally and financially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Thompson’s leadership ensured that the sector was flexible and agile in supporting the organization during this time of need.


Prior to joining ISC, Philippe was the Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Management Sector at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED).  He previously occupied different positions at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Canada Border Services Agency, Public Safety Canada, the Privy Council Office, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and Public Works and Government Services. Mr. Thompson’s expertise is recognized nationally and internationally in the field of results-based management and he has extensive experience in leading major departmental projects and transformations.


Philippe holds a Bachelor of Political Science and a Masters of Public Policy and Public Administration from Concordia University.

Tammy Branch Assistant Commissioner of Appeals Branch Canada Revenue Agency Tammy Branch was named the Assistant Commissioner of the Appeals Branch on October 12, 2021.


Tammy joined the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) in August 2016 when she became the Director General of the Collections Directorate. She was then appointed as the Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Collections and Verification Branch (CVB) in November 2019.


Prior to joining the CRA, Ms. Branch held the role of Director General of the Recourse Directorate at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) from 2011 to 2016, where she lead a significant modernization of the Recourse Program, with an emphasis on improved client service. Previous to that, she held various positions with CBSA, such as Strategic Advisor to the President, Chief of Staff and Director, International Policy between 2007 and 2011.


Recruited into the Government of Canada through the Management Trainee Program, Ms. Tammy Branch initially worked in the Department of National Defence where she held various positions in the areas of communications, policy, human resources and in the Deputy Minister's office. In 2005, she joined Public Safety Canada where she headed up the Cabinet Affairs group.


She holds a Master of Arts Degree in Development Studies from the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom and a Masters of Business Administration from Queen's University. She also studied Political Science at the University of Toronto.

Catherine Massé Director General Canada Revenue Agency Catherine Massé joined the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) in January 2018 as the Director General, Relief, Redress and Branch Services Directorate in the Appeals Branch.  In this role, which she continues to exercise, she is responsible for the overall management of the Taxpayer Relief Program and the Canada Pension Plan/Employment Insurance Appeals and Litigation programs. She is also responsible for delivering a number of branch management and support services.


Throughout her 30 year career, Catherine held a number of positions of increasing responsibility in various government departments.  She began at the Department of Justice in program evaluation and intergovernmental relations from 1991 to 1999 followed by a dozen years in the area of socio-economic policy research and evaluation at Human Resources and Social Development Canada.  She then took on a new challenge in the Community Safety and Partnerships Branch of Public Safety Canada establishing a horizontal policy function as part of the Assistant Deputy Minister’s office and then led a change management initiative in the Emergency Management and Programs Branch of that same department.  From 2014-2018, she served as the Director, Integrity Policy and Program Development at Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) where she was responsible for providing strategic analysis and advice on the program integrity function, including developing an integrity policy framework and managing reviews to identify and measure program fraud and other integrity risks in ESDC’s core benefit programs.


Catherine holds a bachelor of Social Sciences (Political Science) from the University of Ottawa and a Masters of Arts (Social Anthropology) from the University of Toronto.

Caroline Leclerc Assistant Deputy Minister, Partnerships for Development Innovation (KFM) Global Affairs Canada Caroline Leclerc is a graduate of the University of Ottawa’s École de Droit civil and was admitted to the Quebec Bar Association in 1994. She joined the federal government in 1995 and occupied several positions of increasing level and complexity before joining the Canadian International Development Agency in 2005, which formed part of Global Affairs as of 2013.


Amongst others, she has been Director General, Strategic Planning, Head of Development Evaluation, and Director General for Food Security and Environment. In her most recent position she has been overseeing the implementation of the Government’s commitment to support developing countries’ efforts to adapt to, and mitigate the causes of climate change, and representing the Government internationally in a number of multilateral organisations, such as the Green Climate Fund.


She took on the position of Assistant Deputy Minister of Partnerships for Development Innovation on September 5, 2017, and hopes that her experience in engaging partners, development programming, and innovative finance, will help her advance her team’s vision for strong and productive engagement of Canadians in international development.

Jean Cardinal Director, Open Government | Directeur, Gouvernement ouvert Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat | Secrétariat du Conseil du Trésor du Canada Jean Cardinal is currently the Director of Open Government at Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat


Prior to joining the Public Service, Jean worked in the private sector for 15 years, in a variety of sectors, including marketing, sales & high tech.


Jean joined the Public Service 13 years ago, starting at the National Capital Commission.

In 2012, he then joined the Canada School of Public Service where he has held a variety of leadership positions in learning and development related to specialized fields of study including, but not limited to: Information management & technology, access to information & privacy, human resources, finance, security, etc.


In 2021, he joined the Open Government team with the goal of continuing to champion Open Government and Data in the Canadian federal public service and beyond.


He is the proud father of two wonderful young ladies, ages 13 and 10

Kristen Petruska Director of the Strategic Analytics and Horizontal Integration in the Account Security Directorate Canada Revenue Agency Kristen Petruska joined the public service in 2006. With over 15 years of experience with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), she has worked in statistics, strategic policy, enterprise risk management, issues management, and program evaluation. She was appointed to the executive community in 2016 and she is currently providing leadership as a Director within the CRA’s Account Security Directorate, helping to ensure a consistent and enterprise-wide approach across business lines.
Virginie Mongeon A/DG, Enterprise Change & Learning Academy


Corporate Services Sector

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Virginie aime construire avec énergie et intégrité. Sa passion pour les communications et l'apprentissage continu ont placé les gens au centre de tous ses projets. Sa carrière dans la fonction publique s'étend sur plus de 20 ans et couvre un large éventail de ministères et de mandats (Patrimoine canadien, Santé Canada, Environnement et Changement climatique Canada, Immigration, Réfugiés et Citoyenneté Canada), plusieurs secrétariats (Jeux olympiques et paralympiques d'hiver de 2010 à Vancouver et Canada 150) et des projets transformateurs. Plus récemment, elle a modernisé l'apprentissage et le développement à IRCC, en y intégrant la gestion du changement pour une approche plus consciente du leadership du changement. Collaboratrice et curieuse de nature, Virginie recherche les occasions de créer un espace pour que les gens puissent co-concevoir des solutions futures pour aujourd'hui. Fière mère de trois jeunes adultes, Charlotte (20 ans et qui a récemment déménagé pour l'université !), Pénélope (18 ans et qui a obtenu sa première voiture) et Elliot (16 ans qui a hâte de terminer ses études secondaires), elle partage maintenant un bureau à domicile avec un conjoint nouvellement retraité.
Lily Spek Recruitment Lead, Canada's Free Agents Natural Resources Canada Lily Spek has been a Free Agent for 5 years, and is currently the Recruitment Lead for Canada’s Free Agents as her 8th assignment. She has completed Free Agent assignments at the Heritage Canada, Federal Youth Network, Indigenous Services Canada, Canada’s Free Agents, Immigration Citizenship and Refugees Canada, and the Privy Council Office. She completed her Masters of Public Administration at Queen’s University, as well as a Bachelor of Public Affairs and Policy Management at Carleton University. Lily helps facilitate weekly OneTeamGov virtual sessions on Mondays and Fridays; open to anyone interested in public sector reform, or looking for connection while we work from home.
Frank Assu Free Agent, GovernexxVI Co-Manager, BCFC SDN Co-Chair


Senior Policy Analyst

Environment and Climate Change Canada Frank joined the ECCC’s Innovation and Youth Engagement Division (IYED) in May 2021 as a Senior Policy Analyst.  Since May 2018 Frank has worked remotely full time from Comox, BC on Vancouver Island. This is when he joined the Free Agent program after four years as a Border Officer with CBSA.  For the past three years Frank has worked for Service Canada, Canada School of Public Service, Public Service and Procurement Canada, and Indigenous Services Canada. Primarily on remote work files, future of work files, or as a Senior Advisory/Analyst. Frank is very supportive and always involved with projects. He is a co-manager/chair of two volunteer networks (GovernexxVI and BCFC Sustainable Development Network) and champion of Remote Work in the public service.  Frank has 4 kids (3 are adults) and a 7 year old granddaughter. He holds a Bachelor of Education degree with minors in Canadian History and First Nation Studies.
Gina Scaramuzzi A/Manager ICMS, Values &Ethics and Organizational Development Canadian Grain Commission Gina joined the Canadian grain commission in March 2020 as a senior hr advisor to lead executive talent & performance management and the CGC’s learning strategy. Then, two weeks later, the pandemic took over and pivoted to focus on covid business recovery, the future of work and took on the acting manager role. Previous work experience includes working at the Canada school of public service from 2009-2020, as a learning advisor, regional manager and as the client relations and events manager for the prairies and NWT region. Gina has facilitated hundreds of courses and learning events and is certified in insights discovery, disc, appreciation in the workplace, emotional intelligence and effective decision making. Gina was recognized with numerous awards, most notable the 2017 deputy minister future leader award.  She also was the regional liaison for the university of Winnipeg for deputy minister university champion Janine Sherman and co-lead the speed staffing event at the university of Winnipeg in partnership with the public service commission.  Gina believes anything is possible with an engaged and passionate team. She is a prairie girl who received her Bachelor of Science degree and certificate in hr management from the University of Manitoba and attended a French immersion school in jr. high. Gina enjoys traveling with her family and friends. She is a soccer wife, soccer mom and somehow is the team manager.
Michael Mills Assistant Deputy Minister, Procurement Branch PSPC Michael Mills was appointed Assistant Deputy Minister of Procurement Branch at Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) in December 2021. In his role, Michael is the lead on pandemic response procurement, along with assuming responsibility for vaccine procurement and the management and administration of the Branch. Up to recently, Michael was the Associate Assistant Deputy Minister (AADM) of the Branch's logistics and COVID-19 response teams where he was and still remains responsible for the procurement and delivery of Personal Protective Equipment and Testing supplies for front line and essential workers and procures testing supplies to support Canada's testing strategy. Michael is the Reconciliation Champion, as PSPC is committed to advancing reconciliation, as well as the Champion of the Young Professionals Network.


From 2017 to 2020, Michael was the AADM for Real Property Services (PSPC) where he was responsible for providing senior leadership to Real Property Services' operations, including project management; facilities management; real estate services; strategic sourcing; and infrastructure asset management. He focused on providing excellent client service and using operations to support key government objectives, in particular, greening government operations, modernizing the public service, improving accessibility and advancing Indigenous reconciliation.

Michael has worked for a federal Crown corporation called Public-Private Partnerships Canada, previously known as P3 Canada, where he was Vice-President of Investments. Michael and his team assisted clients from all levels of government to structure public-private partnership transactions and to implement successful public-private partnership procurement strategies.

Prior to working at P3 Canada, Michael held various positions with Crown-Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, Department of Finance Canada and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.


Michael holds a bachelor of arts in political science and economics from the University of Regina and a master of arts in economics from Queen's University.

Gorazd Ruseski, Ph.D. Director General | Directeur général


Indigenous Affairs | Affaires autochtones


Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pêches et Océans Canada

DFO Gorazd (Gor) Ruseski has over twenty years of experience in the federal Public Service, most of which has been in various positions at Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canda (CIRNAC), and most recently in positions involving Indigenous rights and reconciliation. As the Director General of Indigenous Affairs in the Fisheries and Harbour Management Sector at DFO, Gor is responsible for contributing to the department’s approach to implementing treaty rights and interests on the east coast, supporting treaty and non-treaty agreement negotiations and implementation across the country, and overseeing the ongoing delivery and renewal of the Department’s suite of Indigenous commercial and collaborative programs. While at Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, Gor was the Director of Partnerships and Coordination in the Lands and Economic Development Sector, with responsibility for implementing the Government’s agenda on Indigenous economic development. Prior to this, Gor held positions at DFO and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada as an economist and an international trade officer, respectively. Gor holds a PhD in Economics from the University of British Columbia, specializing in natural resource economics, environmental economics, and international trade. Prior to joining the federal Public Service, Gor was an Assistant Professor in the Economics Department at Saint Francis Xavier University.
Darren Deneumoustier Director General, Citizen Services Branch (CSB) Service Canada Darren Deneumoustier, Director General, Citizen Services Branch (CSB), began his career in the federal government in 1993 as a PM01 Supervisor in the Collingwood Canada Employment Centre for Students. In his tenure of over 30 years with the public service, he has held various executive leadership portfolios that include Executive Director, Business Expertise, Executive Director, Integrity Services, Director, Business Infrastructure Management and Procurement in the Chief Financial Officer Branch, and Area Director for the Lakeland and Kitchener Service Areas. Additionally, Darren has central agency experience working for the Treasury Board Secretariat as a Senior Analyst within the Service Innovation Directorate.


Darren has been instrumental in successfully finding ways to update and modernize delivery of in-person services for Canadians by ensuring accessibility and inclusivity for all. Through his participation on the Inclusive Service Advisory Network, with a focus on increasing engagement with external stakeholders, he has supported improved accessibility and inclusivity in client service. Darren has extensive experience in managing large complex organizations through service transformation, and has the ability to mobilize people. He actively supports staff engagement and strives to create a positive and healthy work environment.


Darren is a recipient of several prominent awards, including the APEX Award for Service Innovation, and the Public Service Leadership Award for Partnerships and Collaboration. He has also received numerous Service Canada Awards of Excellence in partnerships, innovations and service excellence. Darren has always taken pride in his client service orientation. He strongly believes that Service Canada's principle role is to empower Canadians to become self-sufficient in managing the many transitions in their lives.


Darren holds a degree from York University and enjoys spending time with family and friends, cooking, reading and playing sports.

Angela Renwick Policy Analyst (NEB-09/EC-05) CER-REC Angela holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Queen’s University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Alberta. She has worked in policy, programs, and operations for the provincial governments of Ontario, Alberta, and the City of Calgary. Angela is currently in a two-year term position as a policy analyst with the Canada Energy Regulator Business Commission team in Calgary, Alberta.


Fun fact: Angela has lived and taught English in Japan while living in Matsuyama city on the island of Shikoku. She visited Osaka, Hiroshima, and many Buddhist temples.


In her free time, Angela is a shoulder season hiker who enjoys hiking Alberta’s waterfalls and lakes (including Boom Lake, Rawson Lake and Chester Lake). Angela is a Wordfest fan and enjoys attending live/virtual events. Angela is a clichéd Peloton devotee; she enjoys partaking in yoga, run and strength training.

Jason Fox Director, Research and Strategy, Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer TBS Jason has 20 years’ experience as a public servant in various HR disciplines.  He began as a Learning Advisor at the Department of National Defence and has worked as Senior Advisor at the Privy Council Office (Public Service Renewal Secretariat) and Director of Human Capital Strategies at the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. He is currently Director, Research and Strategy at the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer in the Research, Planning and Renewal Sector. Jason is also a professional Coach.
Ümit Mustafa Kiziltan Chief Data Officer IRCC Ümit Mustafa Kiziltan has been a Public Service executive since 2006, leading multiculturalism, citizenship, and refugee health policies and operations. Prior to being appointed as the first Chief Data Officer at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in 2019, he was the Director General of Research and Evaluation at IRCC for 9 years, leading research data development, evaluation, and knowledge mobilization. Before joining the Public Service, Ümit worked in academia and for civil society organizations and First Nations in community based indigenous control of indigenous education and international development. Ümit is currently preoccupied with the increasing fragility of liberal democracies across the world, which fuels his commitment to improving access to quality data and evidence-based analysis in support of effective and accountable public policies. linkedin.com/in/ümit-mustafa-kiziltan-2600294b
David M. Nanang, PhD Associate Vice President Canadian Food Inspection Agency Dr. David Nanang is Associate Vice-President of Operations at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Before joining the CFIA in May 2021, he was the Regional Director General for the Central and Arctic Region of Fisheries and Oceans Canada for 2 years.  Prior to that, he was the Director General at Natural Resources Canada's Great Lakes Forestry Centre in Sault Ste. Marie. David has held several positions of increasing responsibility within the federal government over the last 19 years.

David is an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto and holds degrees in natural resources management, masters in forestry (Lakehead University) and a PhD in forest economics from the University of Alberta. He is the author/co-author/co-editor of three books on forestry and natural resources; with several publications in internationally recognized peer-reviewed journals.

Stéphanie Drouin Executive Director for CARM Change Enablement CBSA I have had the privilege of being with the Government of Canada for 22 years, and have worked for multiple departments including Environment (and Climate Change) Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Public Services and procurement Canada, the former Canada Revenue Agency, and Shared Services Canada. I have had career opportunities that had me in various classifications throughout my career – Administrative Services, Purchasing and Supply, Physical Science Group, Director General, including the privilege of being a Strategic Advisor to a Senior Associate Assistant Deputy Minister.

My first role at Canada Border Services Agency since joining in 2019 was to shepherd the Functional Management Model Implementation Project to completion in 2021 as the Director General of Functional Management Model Implementation Support under the Chief Transformation Officer Branch.  I really enjoyed the opportunities and challenges of Transformation related work, it was all new to me!  

I am now leading Stakeholder engagement and change enablement (training, innovation, program authorities) for the largest IT enabled project in the history of the Government of Canada – CARM, where we are modernizing the collection of duties and taxes from importers at the border.

My education is a Bachelor of Science  (Biology) from Dalhousie University, and an Master of Science from the University of Manchester United Kingdom. I studied bugs and how to use them as standard indicators to determine river water quality across the European Union.

I enjoy travelling with my husband (especially when he is the pilot), environmental conservation and entomology.  Supporting Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research and care is a cause close to my heart.

My family is here in Ottawa and I became an Aunt during COVID (It’s a girl!).  I look forward to meeting new people and working collaboratively to advance talent in the Government of Canada.

John Marquis Director, Fraser Valley Tax Services Office CRA-ARC John joined the Canada Revenue Agency in 1991 in the Vancouver Tax Services Office (VTSO) as a Business Auditor. He subsequently worked in a number of diverse areas including Tax Avoidance, SR&ED, GST / HST Rulings and the regional office as a Program Advisor. John was appointed as Assistant Director of the SR&ED Division in VTSO in May of 2007. In September of 2009 he moved to the Surrey Tax Centre where he worked as Assistant Director of Individual Returns & Compliance and subsequently as Assistant Director of the Business Returns Division. John took on an assignment as the Regional Director of Programs before being appointed as Chief of Appeals in 2013. In November 2016 John became director of the Surrey Tax Centre and led the transition to what is now the Surrey National Verification and Collections Centre before joining the Fraser Valley TSO as office director in February 2020.  John is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CGA), holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Simon Fraser University and is a graduate of the MMDP Program and "Direxion".
Abe Greenspoon Assistant Director, Enterprise Change and Learning Academy IRCC Abe joined the federal public service in 2009 as part of the Post-Secondary Recruitment program. He’s worked at eight different departments in his 12 year career, with roles in program management, policy, communications, engagement, human resources, organizational health, and most recently, change management. Two things Abe is very proud of: 1) launching the departmental young professionals’ network at Industry Canada, called InterConnex; and, 2) designing, implementing, and growing Canada’s Free Agents, a program to promote mobility and autonomy for public servants.
Jodi Rai Jodi is a mom, social justice advocate, Free Agent and founder of heyHUMANTIS, a People & Culture consulting, learning, and coaching social venture. She is on a mission to bring humanity into our workplaces and communities and does this by elevating people and cultivating intentional living. When working on projects, Jodi has a ‘keeping-it-real’ and caring approach while drawing on legislation, jurisprudence, behavioural theories, organizational behaviour research, neuroscience, and systems thinking. She also has created and works with an ‘elevating human potential’ framework, called Intentification, to co-create happy individuals and teams.

Her superpowers are flexibility, empathy, strategic thinking, solid interpersonal skills and communication skills.

Jodi’s Qualifications include:

·A Masters in Organizational Leadership and a Bachelors of  Commerce in Industrial Relations Management

·Certifications in coaching, instructional design, facilitating dialogue, emotional intelligence, personality profiles, and Mental Health First Aid.

·Extensive experience (over 19 years) in HR within the Canadian Federal Public Service across three departments.

·Working and volunteering in the not-for-profit sector.

·Management consulting as a Free Agent with Canada’s Free Agents for over three years.

Daphne Guerrero Daphne started her career in communications, working for nonprofits, government departments and on Parliament Hill as a press secretary. Part accident and part by design, her career in the public service has been an exploration of digital policy, citizen engagement, and futures thinking.  She was one of Canada’s Free Agents from 2016 to 2021 and now leads research and guidance at the Office of the Privacy Comissioner.
Stephanie Kirkland ADM PSPC Stephanie Kirkland was appointed Assistant Deputy Minister of the Pay Administration Branch at PSPC on June 3, 2019.


In this role, Stephanie oversees the administration of compensation and provides ongoing support to stabilize HR-to-pay efforts across government.


Stephanie joined PSPC in July 2018 as Director General of Business Enabling, Transformation and Analytics within the HR-to-Pay Project Office. Prior to her arrival at PSPC, she held various senior management roles for over 10 years at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Notably, from 2010 to 2014, Stephanie, as Director General of the Biometrics Project Office, led the implementation of a major Crown project to introduce biometric screening into the immigration process, winning various awards, such as the 2014 GTEC Distinction Award of Excellence in Collaboration.


Stephanie holds a master's degree in public administration with a specialization in management from Dalhousie University.

Fiona Crowley Fiona Crowley has worked with Canada Revenue Agency since 2005. She has a Commerce Degree from the University of Manitoba and a CPA, CMA designation and is a graduate of the CRA Middle Management Development Program. Fiona has held various positions within the CRA including working in Audit, Appeals, the Winnipeg Tax Centre, and the Regional Programs Office. She was the acting Assistant Director of the Audit division at the Winnipeg Tax Services Office until May 2021 when she took on the role of Director of Business Intelligence and Quality Assurance for the Western Region.

Fiona has two children and enjoys camping and skiing in her free time.