Drew McArthur retired from TELUS in 2007 as Vice President Corporate Affairs and Chief Compliance Officer. As Chief Compliance Officer, Drew was responsible for legal and regulatory compliance for all of TELUS’ operations, reporting to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. The responsibilities of this role included ensuring TELUS had the appropriate controls, policies and measurements in place to be compliant with many areas of law and regulation. Drew played a key role in the privacy community in Canada as a founding member of the Council of Canadian Chief Privacy Officers and a member of the advisory board of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). From June 2016 to April 2018, Drew was the Acting Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC, and is now consulting in the area of privacy. He can be contacted at drew.mcarthur@telus.net.

As Vice-President, Chief Privacy and Data Ethics Officer, Suzanne is responsible for overall privacy leadership at Sun Life and its subsidiaries worldwide. Her mandate includes the company’s Code of Conduct program and evolving standards for the responsible use of data at Sun Life. Suzanne’s prior roles include leading the legal team in Quebec and compliance for IT. Before joining Sun Life in 2015, Suzanne spent more than 20 years working in the communications industry, for businesses such as Bell Canada and BlackBerry.

A passionate believer in giving back, Suzanne is actively involved with many organizations including the Canadian Bar Association’s National Privacy and Access Law Section, CANON (Canadian Anonymization Network), MediaSmarts (a leader in media and digital literacy), and most recently joined Statistics Canada’s Advisory Council on Ethics and Modernization of Microdata Access.

Wendy H. Wong is a professor and Principal’s Research Chair in the Department of Economics, Philosophy, and Political Science at the University of British Columbia (Okanagan campus). In 2024, she was recognized as UBC Okanagan Researcher of the Year. A distinguished political scientist specializing in International Relations, her research encompasses global governance, technology, human rights, and NGOs. Dr. Wong has secured over $2.2 million in funding for her qualitative studies from prominent organizations, including SSHRC and the Canada Research Chairs program. Her recent book, We, the Data: Human Rights in the Digital Age (MIT, 2023), merges her expertise in human rights with insights from Big Data and AI, advocating for digital literacy with public libraries as essential community hubs. The book has received notable recognition, including the Balsillie Prize for Public Policy. The book was also a finalist for the 2024 Lionel Gelber Prize and was highlighted by CBC’s The House and the Journal of Democracy. Dr. Wong frequently contributes to media discussions on technology and societal issues. Previously, she directed the Trudeau Center for Peace, Conflict, and Justice, and served as Research Lead at the Schwartz Reisman Institute at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Teresa Scassa is the Canada Research Chair in Information Law and Policy at the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law. She is a member of the Canadian Advisory Council on Artificial Intelligence. She is the author of Canadian Trademark Law, and co-author of Digital Commerce in Canada, and Canadian Intellectual Property Law. She is a co-editor of the books AI and the Law in Canada and Law and the Sharing Economy. Her research interests include: privacy law, data governance, intellectual property law, law and technology, law and artificial intelligence, and smart cities.

Brian Lenahan is founder and chair of the Quantum Strategy Institute, and author of six Amazon published books on quantum technologies and artificial intelligence. Brian was named a ‘Quantum Top Voice for 2022’ for his LinkedIn publishing activities. He is a former financial services industry executive with a focus on the strategic and practical applications of technology.

Brent J. Arnold is a partner practising in Gowling WLG’s Advocacy department, specializing in cyber security and commercial litigation. Brent heads the firm’s Commercial Litigation Technology sub-group. In 2019, he co-authored the Canada chapter of Chambers Global Practice Guide: Data Protection & Cybersecurity, 2nd ed.

Brent’s experience includes cyber breach coaching, cyber risk analysis, class actions defence, consumer protection, implementation and other disputes for e-commerce vendors and software developers, administrative and insolvency law, shareholders’ rights, class actions, employment contracts, and general contractual disputes.

Brent is a Director of the Internet Society (Canada Chapter), Steering Committee Vice Chair for the Cybersecurity and Data Privacy section of the US-based Defence Research Institute (DRI), and Vice Chair of the Ontario Bar Association’s Privacy and Access to Information Law section, having also served two terms on the Executive for the Civil Litigation Section of the Ontario Bar Association. Brent is also a member of the Canadian Technology Law Association and the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).

Aislin is a staff lawyer in the policy department of the BC Civil Liberties Association, focussing on privacy, technology, and free expression issues. They attended law school at the University of Toronto, where they were Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Indigenous Law Journal and a student caseworker in the family law and residential tenancy departments of the school’s legal clinic. Aislin started their legal career in the Treaty 7/southern Alberta area, representing First Nations in a variety of areas of law, including historical claims and child protection matters. They later practiced family and estates law in the Lower Mainland, serving Legal Aid clients and 2SLGBT+ families. Outside of law, they have a background in linguistics, Indigenous language documentation/revitalization, and computer science. In their free time, they practice the soft arts: knitting, spinning, weaving, sewing, and quilting

Dr. Emily Laidlaw is a Canada Research Chair in cybersecurity law and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary, and a senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation. In addition to her academic work, Dr. Laidlaw serves as Ethics Advisor to Calgary’s City Council and is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Cybersecurity Consortium.

Dr. Laidlaw researches and advises at the intersection of technology regulation, human rights and corporate governance, with a special focus on platform regulation. She actively contributes to law reform and other advisory work, with recent projects on online harms, mis- and disinformation, defamation law, and intimate image abuse. She co-chaired the expert group that advised the Federal Government on development of the Online Harms Bill.

Dr. Laidlaw is author of two books: Regulating Speech in Cyberspace: Gatekeepers, Human Rights and Corporate Responsibility (Cambridge University Press, 2015), and co-editor with Florian Martin-Bariteau of the forthcoming book Security of Self: A Human-Centric Approach to Cybersecurity (Ottawa University Press, 2025).

Prior to joining the University of Calgary in 2014, Dr. Laidlaw spent almost 10 years in the United Kingdom, where she completed her LLM and PhD at the London School of Economics and Political Science and was a lecturer at the University of East Anglia Law School.

From 2013 to 2017, John served in the BC Public Service as Deputy Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services. With 1,300 employees and an annual budget of more than $1 billion, the ministry delivered a broad spectrum of government services and economic development programs.

The ministry was responsible for the government’s cyber security strategy and operations, as well as the privacy and freedom of information files. John continues to have a strong interest in the development of privacy and security practice and policy.

Prior to joining the public service, John held a series of senior executive roles in public and private technology companies. Two of his President and CEO roles were with publicly traded companies regulated by both Canadian and United States securities regulators.

Beyond his public service and corporate work, John has long been active in the not-for-profit sector. He was on the Board of the Digital Identity & Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC) from 2013 to 2017 and as a senior board volunteer with a national health charity from 1994 to 2008.

Tyler Williams is a globally recognized pioneer in industrial cybersecurity, with a career spanning over two decades at the forefront of securing industrial systems and critical infrastructure. His contributions have significantly shaped the cybersecurity landscape, making him one of the most influential figures in the field today.

As the founder and CEO of Wurldtech, Tyler was instrumental in the development of the Achilles Test Platform, an industry-first solution designed to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in critical OT systems. The Achilles Test Platform became the de facto standard for testing the security of industrial control systems, enabling manufacturers and operators to proactively address potential threats before they could be exploited.

Building on the success of the Achilles Test Platform, Tyler led the creation of the Achilles Certification program, the first industry-standard benchmark for cybersecurity in OT environments. This certification has become a cornerstone in the industry, widely adopted by leading manufacturers and operators to ensure the security and reliability of critical systems and was later adapted to the ISASecure certification brand and incorporated into global testing networks such as TUV and UL. Under Tyler’s leadership, Wurldtech’s pioneering work in OT cybersecurity gained significant recognition, ultimately leading to the company’s acquisition by General Electric (GE), further expanding the impact of its innovations on a global scale.

Tyler’s leadership was also crucial in establishing foundational industry standards for OT cybersecurity. He led the WIB (Working Group Industrial Automation) initiative, where his expertise was pivotal in developing the IEC 62443 (formerly ISA-99) standards. These standards have since become the global benchmark for OT cybersecurity, providing a comprehensive framework for securing industrial automation and control systems. Simultaneously, Tyler was an integral member of the original NERC Standard Authorization Request (SAR) drafting team, where he contributed to the creation of what would eventually become NERC CIP Version 1. This pioneering effort established the first mandatory cybersecurity standards for the North American electric utility sector, setting the foundation for securing critical energy infrastructure against cyber threats.

In addition to his work on standards, Tyler led the creation of the Global Industrial Cyber Security Professional (GISCP) certification by SANS. This certification has become the gold standard for validating the skills and knowledge of professionals in the OT cybersecurity field, further solidifying Tyler’s legacy as a leader in education and professional development.

Following his tenure at Wurldtech, Tyler continued to drive OT cybersecurity advancements as the Global Head of OT Cybersecurity at Shell, where he led cyber security programs across one of the world’s largest energy networks. Most recently, as the National Practice Leader for Cybersecurity in Energy at EY, Tyler has guided top-tier energy companies in developing and implementing robust cybersecurity frameworks, ensuring the protection of vital assets in an increasingly digitalized world.

A sought-after speaker and thought leader, Tyler has delivered keynote addresses and participated in panels at dozens of prestigious cybersecurity conferences worldwide, including RSA, SANS ICS Security Summit, ARC Industry Forum, Black Hat Europe, CIGRE in Paris, and many more. His insights into the evolving landscape of OT cybersecurity, coupled with his hands-on experience in leading standards and certification initiatives, have made him a trusted advisor and voice in the industry.

Tyler’s presentations are known for their depth of knowledge, practical insights, and forward-thinking perspectives, offering audiences actionable strategies to navigate the complexities of cybersecurity in critical infrastructure.

As Canada Post’s General Manager, Compliance and Chief Privacy Officer, Amanda is responsible for organizational compliance in the areas of Privacy, Records Management, Official Languages, Anti-Money Laundering and Access to Information. In her role, Amanda oversees compliance to the Corporation’s Code of Business Conduct and establishes the direction and priorities for the compliance programs ensuring consistency with the corporation’s business goals and strategic direction. As Chief Privacy Officer, Amanda manages Canada Post’s activities related to employee and customer privacy, which includes the implementation of a coordinated approach to personal information protection and privacy compliance that will identify and mitigate risk, improve business performance and enhance trust in the Canada Post brand. Prior to joining Canada Post, Amanda spent twenty years in the field of public affairs and communications in the public and private sectors. She held several senior executive posts including Senior Vice-President, Ipsos-Reid Public Affairs and Senior Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications at the Canadian Marketing Association, where she successfully lead the Association’s efforts in negotiating the federal private sector privacy law, PIPEDA. She also held the position of Director, Communications Strategy and Policy at the federal Department of Finance and Deputy Director, Corporate Communications at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in Ottawa. Amanda is frequent commentator on privacy and information management issues and a lecturer with the Canadian Marketing Association. She is currently a member of the Advisory Committee for the Conference Board of Canada’s Council of Chief Privacy Officers and sits on the Digital Privacy Advisory Committee of the Canadian Marketing Association. She is a graduate of Carleton University in Ottawa.

MICHAEL HARVEY was appointed to a six-year term as BC’s Information and Privacy Commissioner by unanimous motion of the Legislative Assembly in May 2024.

From 2019 until to his appointment, Michael served as the Information and Privacy Commissioner for Newfoundland and Labrador. In early 2015, he led the implementation of the new Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 2015. Then as Assistant Deputy Minister of Policy, Planning and Performance Management in the Department of Health and Community Services in August 2015, he was responsible for the ongoing statutory review of the Personal Health Information Act.

Michael served as co-chair of Canada Health Infoway’s Privacy Forum and was appointed by the federal government to the Expert Advisory Group on a pan-Canadian Health Data Strategy. He holds an International Baccalaureate from the United World College – USA, a BA (Hons) in Political Science from Memorial University, a MA in Political Studies from Queen’s University and an Executive Certificate in Conflict Management from the University of Windsor, Faculty of Law/Stitt Feld Handy Group.

Lorraine leads and manages the Canadian Bankers Association’s (CBA) policy development and advocacy relating to public policy issues in the areas of privacy and data, working closely with member banks’ privacy and legal teams. She provides subject matter expertise on emerging provincial, national and international trends in privacy and data as they relate to banking in Canada, including technological / societal trends and digital transformation of the banking industry, including biometrics, AI, and Consumer Driven Banking.

In addition, Lorraine has been working with financial crimes groups on the topic of privacy and private-to-private information sharing relating to the detection, prevention and suppression of fraud and the detection and deterrence of money laundering, terrorist financing and sanctions evasion.

Jennifer is the Executive Director of the Canadian Cyber Threat Exchange (CCTX), Canada’s preeminent private sector organization for cross-sector collaboration, enabling cyber resilience and preparedness in its members. She is responsible for advancing the mission and purpose of the CCTX and delivering value to the membership. With extensive experience in the tech sector and with membership-based organizations, Jennifer excels at creating an environment that fosters customer focus and service delivery.

Most recently, Jennifer was the Chief Operating Officer at the CCTX where she oversaw the development and maturity of collaboration opportunities for member companies, defining and enhancing the value for members. Prior to that, Jennifer served as the Director of People, Resources and Operations for Gryphon Secure, a global company that provides enterprise level security in a mobile environment.

Jennifer has worked extensively in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Japan, and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Studies from Queen’s University in Kingston, ON.

Pam Simpson currently works within the TD Fusion Intelligence Team as a Senior Information Security Analyst, shaping intelligence collection, production, and enablement. Her focus in this role is to build internal and external strategic planning for threat intelligence collection and model intelligence optimization within products produced by the Fusion Intelligence team. Prior to joining TD, Pam worked with BMO as Strategic Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst within the Global Information Operations Centre. Here, she focused on strategic reporting of state-sponsored cyber threats and ransomware. During her time with BMO, Pam also served as the private sector lead on the Scientific Executive Council for the Human-Centric Cybersecurity initiative and co-authored the (forthcoming) chapter “Private-Public Partnership Opportunities in the Canadian AML and Regulatory Landscape”. During her Master’s in International Relations at Queen’s University, she focused on anti-money laundering and terrorist financing, co-publishing the article “Tracking Transnational Terrorist Resourcing Nodes and Networks” in the Florida State University Law Review. She was also provided the opportunity to study financial crime related to initial coin offerings and distributed ledger technology at the University of Sydney Law School.

Colin Bennett is Emeritus Professor of Political Science and Fellow at the Center for Global Studies at the University of Victoria, British Columbia. For over thirty years, his research has focused on the comparative analysis of privacy
protection policy at domestic and international levels. In addition to numerous scholarly and newspaper articles, he has published seven books on these subjects, including The Governance of Privacy (MIT Press, 2006), as well several policy reports for national and international agencies. His current work focusses on the importance of privacy for democratic rights, and on the capture and use of voters’ personal data by political parties in Western democracies.
www.colinbennett.ca

Dr. Brenda McPhail is the Director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association’s Privacy, Surveillance, and Technology Program. She guides CCLA’s litigation and advocacy at the junction of privacy and emerging technology; recent examples include the Supreme Court of Canada cases R. v. Marakah and R v. Jones, which confirmed privacy rights in electronic communications, and R. v. Jarvis, which addressed video recording of individuals in public spaces. Brenda has often served as an expert witness before parliamentary, senate, and legislative committees on legal reforms related to privacy. Her research and public education activities currently concentrate on the social implications of technology, including, most recently, health information sharing, digital surveillance including facial recognition, AI and human rights, smart cities, and data trusts.

Jeannette Van Den Bulk joined the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia as Deputy Commissioner in 2018. She heads the OIPC’s Policy, Audit and Adjudication departments, providing strategic, legal and policy leadership on emerging privacy and access to information matters in British Columbia, Canada and abroad.

She is responsible for leading systemic investigations of significant public interest issues, including the privacy practices of large private sector companies and BC’s political parties as well as the timeliness of access to information by BC government ministries. In addition, she oversees the development of guidance and educational materials for public bodies and organizations and manages the OIPC’s collaboration with national and international partners.

Prior to her current role, she spent three years as the Assistant Privacy Commissioner for the State of Victoria, Australia and 10 years with the BC government responsible for embedding privacy and access solutions into large-scale public sector initiatives, including the province’s corporate data analytics centre and the BC Services Card.

She is a practicing lawyer in both Canada and Australia with a specialization in legal principles relating to privacy, access, and information management.

Rob Mendoza is completing his Master’s in War Studies at the Royal Military College of Canada while serving in Canada’s Security & Intelligence Community, where he has held roles over the past 16 years. His career highlights include positions as member of a Special Advisory group to the Chief of Defence Staff and to the Deputy Minister of National Defence; Chief of Staff to the Deputy Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard; Deputy Director at the Department of National Defence; Senior Policy Advisor to the Canadian Coast Guard’s Director General of National Strategies; Intelligence Policy Advisor at Public Safety Canada; Legal Officer at the Office of the Assistant Deputy Attorney General of Canada; and a former Federal Investigator.

In 2018, Rob was appointed as Co-Chair of the Canadian Association of Professional Intelligence Analysts (CAPIA), an organization within the Government of Canada supporting intelligence analysis standards and professional development across 34 agencies. Rob still occupies this position on an interim basis where he coordinates monthly intelligence community meetings, professional development sessions and conferences based out of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. Rob leads efforts to bring together practitioners from Canada’s intelligence community with academia, to foster and improve dialogue on critical national security issues. He is currently authoring a comprehensive textbook on Canadian national security and he will be piloting an introductory national security course in 2025, at the Canadian Academy of Intelligence Analysis, based out of the Privy Council Office of Canada.

Some of Rob’s most memorable career milestones have consisted of leading negotiations with U.S. counterparts at the CIA, FBI, NSA and DHS on improving border security between Canada and the United States; co-authoring Canada’s Counter-Terrorism Strategy released in 2012, was a part of the team that wrote Bill-C51 Canada’s Anti-Terrorism Act in 2015, authoring and receiving approval from the Prime Minister and Cabinet on a comprehensive proposal for a $2.5 billion dollar investment in Canada’s marine security sector, was the lead negotiator on behalf of the Department of National Defence with the National Security Committee of Parliamentarians as well as the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency when they were first established. In 2019, Rob led the establishment of the Defence Intelligence Oversight Board after he was asked by the Chief of Defence Staff to create the highest authoritative body, to approve the most sensitive and highly classified Defence Intelligence Activities undertaken by the Canadian Armed Forces.

Sami Khoury serves as the Government of Canada Senior Official for Cyber Security, providing cyber security expert advice and guidance to deputy ministers and senior officials across the Government of Canada. This role, with Sami’s extensive experience and knowledge, is critical to safeguarding Canada’s digital infrastructure and advancing our national security interests.

Previous to this, Sami was the Head of the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (Cyber Centre) from 2021 to 2024. The Cyber Centre is the primary source of expert advice, guidance, services, and support on cyber security for government entities, critical infrastructure owners and operators, the private sector, and the Canadian public. Sami embarked on his career at the Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSE) in 1992, initially as a research engineer specializing in the impact of emerging multimedia communications technologies. Over the years, he has held various operational and leadership roles. More recently, he served as Assistant Deputy Minister for Enterprise Technologies and Solutions. In this capacity, he was CSE’s Chief Information Officer, led CSE’s comprehensive Research program and the 24/7 Operations Centre.

Sami holds a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering and a Master of Applied Science from Concordia University in Montreal. In 2016, he completed a certificate program in Public Sector Leadership at the University of Ottawa.

Sami’s contributions have been recognized through various accolades, including the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal and the APEX Award of Excellence for Innovation.

Drew McArthur retired from TELUS in 2007 as Vice President Corporate Affairs and Chief Compliance Officer. As Chief Compliance Officer, Drew was responsible for legal and regulatory compliance for all of TELUS’ operations, reporting to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. The responsibilities of this role included ensuring TELUS had the appropriate controls, policies and measurements in place to be compliant with many areas of law and regulation. Drew played a key role in the privacy community in Canada as a founding member of the Council of Canadian Chief Privacy Officers and a member of the advisory board of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). From June 2016 to April 2018, Drew was the Acting Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC, and is now consulting in the area of privacy. He can be contacted at drew.mcarthur@telus.net.

As Vice-President, Chief Privacy and Data Ethics Officer, Suzanne is responsible for overall privacy leadership at Sun Life and its subsidiaries worldwide. Her mandate includes the company’s Code of Conduct program and evolving standards for the responsible use of data at Sun Life. Suzanne’s prior roles include leading the legal team in Quebec and compliance for IT. Before joining Sun Life in 2015, Suzanne spent more than 20 years working in the communications industry, for businesses such as Bell Canada and BlackBerry.

A passionate believer in giving back, Suzanne is actively involved with many organizations including the Canadian Bar Association’s National Privacy and Access Law Section, CANON (Canadian Anonymization Network), MediaSmarts (a leader in media and digital literacy), and most recently joined Statistics Canada’s Advisory Council on Ethics and Modernization of Microdata Access.

Drew McArthur retired from TELUS in 2007 as Vice President Corporate Affairs and Chief Compliance Officer. As Chief Compliance Officer, Drew was responsible for legal and regulatory compliance for all of TELUS’ operations, reporting to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. The responsibilities of this role included ensuring TELUS had the appropriate controls, policies and measurements in place to be compliant with many areas of law and regulation. Drew played a key role in the privacy community in Canada as a founding member of the Council of Canadian Chief Privacy Officers and a member of the advisory board of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). From June 2016 to April 2018, Drew was the Acting Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC, and is now consulting in the area of privacy. He can be contacted at drew.mcarthur@telus.net.

As Vice-President, Chief Privacy and Data Ethics Officer, Suzanne is responsible for overall privacy leadership at Sun Life and its subsidiaries worldwide. Her mandate includes the company’s Code of Conduct program and evolving standards for the responsible use of data at Sun Life. Suzanne’s prior roles include leading the legal team in Quebec and compliance for IT. Before joining Sun Life in 2015, Suzanne spent more than 20 years working in the communications industry, for businesses such as Bell Canada and BlackBerry.

A passionate believer in giving back, Suzanne is actively involved with many organizations including the Canadian Bar Association’s National Privacy and Access Law Section, CANON (Canadian Anonymization Network), MediaSmarts (a leader in media and digital literacy), and most recently joined Statistics Canada’s Advisory Council on Ethics and Modernization of Microdata Access.

MICHAEL HARVEY was appointed to a six-year term as BC’s Information and Privacy Commissioner by unanimous motion of the Legislative Assembly in May 2024.

From 2019 until to his appointment, Michael served as the Information and Privacy Commissioner for Newfoundland and Labrador. In early 2015, he led the implementation of the new Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 2015. Then as Assistant Deputy Minister of Policy, Planning and Performance Management in the Department of Health and Community Services in August 2015, he was responsible for the ongoing statutory review of the Personal Health Information Act.

Michael served as co-chair of Canada Health Infoway’s Privacy Forum and was appointed by the federal government to the Expert Advisory Group on a pan-Canadian Health Data Strategy. He holds an International Baccalaureate from the United World College – USA, a BA (Hons) in Political Science from Memorial University, a MA in Political Studies from Queen’s University and an Executive Certificate in Conflict Management from the University of Windsor, Faculty of Law/Stitt Feld Handy Group.

Philippe Dufresne was appointed Privacy Commissioner of Canada on June 27, 2022. A leading legal expert on human rights, administrative and constitutional law, he previously served as the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel of the House of Commons. In this capacity, he was the chief legal officer of the House of Commons and led the office responsible for the provision of legal and legislative drafting services to the House of Commons, its Speaker, Members and committees, the Board of Internal Economy and the House Administration.

Prior to his appointment as Law Clerk of the House of Commons in 2015, he was the Canadian Human Rights Commission’s Senior General Counsel, responsible for legal services, litigation, investigations, mediations, employment equity and Access to Information and Privacy. During that time, he successfully represented the Commission before all levels of Canadian Courts, including the Supreme Court of Canada, in a number of key human rights and constitutional cases over the last two decades. He has appeared before the Supreme Court on 15 occasions, on issues ranging from accessibility and equal pay for work of equal value, to the balancing of human rights and national security. As lead counsel for the Commission in the landmark parliamentary privilege case of House of Commons v. Vaid, he helped reinforce and clarify some of the country’s fundamental constitutional principles as they apply to the House of Commons and Parliament.

A member of the Bars of Quebec, Ontario, and Massachusetts, he has served his profession and community in several different capacities, including as president of the constitutional and human rights law section of the Canadian Bar Association (Quebec Branch) and as a member of the editorial board for the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association’s CCCA Magazine. In 2014, he served as president of the International Commission of Jurists, an organization devoted to the protection of the rule of law and judicial independence in Canada and internationally.

Commissioner Dufresne holds degrees in common and civil law from McGill University’s Faculty of Law, and has been a part-time professor with the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Common Law and Queen’s University’s Faculty of Law where he taught international criminal law, human rights and appellate advocacy. He regularly speaks on issues of human rights, administrative, constitutional and parliamentary law in Canada.

Jason has been architecting, designing, and deploying security technologies that secure the most complex computing environments for almost 2 decades. His understanding of operational and informational technologies, people, and processes enable him to deliver effective, comprehensive security solutions that align to an organization’s security goals and strategic imperatives. Jason is adept at addressing a range of risk profiles across multiple industry verticals; skills he has cultivated as an end-user security practitioner, partner/integrator, and now manufacturer as the FIELD CTO, focused on Cybersecurity for Cisco Systems. Jason is also active in the direct community speaking at BC Aware, Privacy and Security Conference, and has delivered multiple sessions at BSides. Jason also holds over 75+ designations across a variety of products and technologies including the CCIE designation.

Colin Bennett is Emeritus Professor of Political Science and Fellow at the Center for Global Studies at the University of Victoria, British Columbia. For over thirty years, his research has focused on the comparative analysis of privacy
protection policy at domestic and international levels. In addition to numerous scholarly and newspaper articles, he has published seven books on these subjects, including The Governance of Privacy (MIT Press, 2006), as well several policy reports for national and international agencies. His current work focusses on the importance of privacy for democratic rights, and on the capture and use of voters’ personal data by political parties in Western democracies.
www.colinbennett.ca

Jessica Percy-Campbell graduated from the University of Victoria with a PhD in Political Science (2023). Her dissertation, titled “Aging in Place with Google and Amazon: Privacy and Surveillance Implications of Older Adults”, (supported by the Big Data Surveillance Project, AGE-WELL, and others), explored the ways older adults use smart home devices for purposes related to health and aging, with a critical analysis of privacy and autonomy issues. She has previously worked with the TELUS Data and Trust Office and is currently working with the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia as an Investigator. Research interests include: the privacy of the internet, surveillance politics, smart technology and algorithmic discrimination.

Andrew Sixsmith, PhD is a Professor in the Department of Gerontology at Simon Fraser University (SFU) and is Director of the Science and Technology for Aging Research (STAR) Institute at SFU. He was the Scientific Director of AGE-WELL Network of Centres of Excellence (NCE) between 2015-2020 and the Associate Scientific Director between 2020-2022. He is now an AGE-WELL Network Advisor. Dr. Sixsmith was past President of the International Society of Gerontechnology from 2014-16 and was previously Director of the Gerontology Research Centre and Deputy Director of the IRMACS Centre at SFU. His research interests include technology for independent living, theories and methods in aging and understanding the innovation process. His work has involved him in a leadership and advisory role in numerous major international research projects and initiatives with academic, government and industry partners. He received his doctorate from the University of London and was previously a lecturer at the University of Liverpool in the Institute of Human Ageing and Department of Primary Care.

Jillian Carruthers is a transformative leader who thrives on creating safe, accessible, and meaningful government services that put people first. With over 15 years of experience in digital transformation and service delivery, she has consistently challenged the status quo, solving complex challenges with innovative, multi-disciplinary approaches.

Jillian has a proven track record of solving complex challenges that bridge the critical gaps between, finance, policy, people, and technology. From leading the design-driven transformation of the BC Parks and CleanBC digital experiences to crafting policies and tools that build digital trust, she is deeply committed to fostering inclusive and secure digital experiences for all.

In her current role as Chief Information Security Officer and Senior Executive Director of Cybersecurity and Digital Trust for the BC Public Service, Jillian leads provincial strategies that enhance cybersecurity while delivering delightful and private digital interactions.

Robert W. (Bob) Gordon is the executive director of the Canadian Cyber Threat Exchange (CCTX). Over his career, Bob has worked for four federal national security agencies—the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the Communications Security Establishment, and Public Safety Canada—as well as in the private sector at CGI. While serving in these roles, Bob has been a senior assistant deputy minister, led the national counterterrorism program, overseen broad technology and internal security initiatives (including personnel, IT, and physical security), and designed Canada’s first Cyber Security Strategy. At the CCTX, Bob oversees information sharing and collaboration programs designed to create an open threat data exchange between the public and private sectors.

Sherry Rumbolt holds a position within Shared Services Canada, Infrastructure Security Operations, Enterprise IT Security Operations as a Senior Strategic Cybersecurity Advisor. Sherry is a 21 year Veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces/ Department of National Defence and served in the Army in IM/IT. With more than 25 years experience in IT and Cybersecurity, she previously held several senior level Cybersecurity positions within the Department of National Defence/Canadian Armed Forces and the Government of British Columbia.

Sherry is very passionate about educating future generations of Cybersecurity experts and spreading the word about the importance of Cybersecurity. Sherry regularly speaks at a variety of events and conferences regarding cyber security often focusing on employment equity and continuous education, training and awareness. In 2021, she was named as one of Canada’s Top 25 Women in Defence, and named as one of Canada’s Top 20 Women in Cybersecurity in 2020. She recently was awarded a lifetime achievement award for her work in advocating for women in Cybersecurity and furthering the profession in Canada. Sherry sits on a variety of Advisory Boards within Canada including Canadian Women in Cybersecurity Annual Conference and Cyber Catalyst Program for Veterans, she is a Mentor to many, and is very passionate about empowering employment equity groups to have equal opportunities for roles within Cybersecurity.

Sherry holds several certifications in Cybersecurity including Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and Certified Information Security Manager (CISM).

Denham drives the IAF’s strategy and areas of research aligned to the IAF mission and provides thought leadership for the organization, including the approach to key engagements and events. She brings over 20 years of strategic policy and regulatory experience as the former UK Information Commissioner, Canadian Federal and Provincial Commissioner roles, while delivering global perspectives on data protection, accountability, digital regulation, and data ethics. Her work as an expert advisor to global companies and governments focuses on data for good. She is a sought-after public speaker, an independent ethics advisor and (board member) for charities, academic institutions and advocacy groups.

Denham drives the IAF’s strategy and areas of research aligned to the IAF mission and provides thought leadership for the organization, including the approach to key engagements and events. She brings over 20 years of strategic policy and regulatory experience as the former UK Information Commissioner, Canadian Federal and Provincial Commissioner roles, while delivering global perspectives on data protection, accountability, digital regulation, and data ethics. Her work as an expert advisor to global companies and governments focuses on data for good. She is a sought-after public speaker, an independent ethics advisor and (board member) for charities, academic institutions and advocacy groups.

Drew McArthur retired from TELUS in 2007 as Vice President Corporate Affairs and Chief Compliance Officer. As Chief Compliance Officer, Drew was responsible for legal and regulatory compliance for all of TELUS’ operations, reporting to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. The responsibilities of this role included ensuring TELUS had the appropriate controls, policies and measurements in place to be compliant with many areas of law and regulation. Drew played a key role in the privacy community in Canada as a founding member of the Council of Canadian Chief Privacy Officers and a member of the advisory board of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). From June 2016 to April 2018, Drew was the Acting Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC, and is now consulting in the area of privacy. He can be contacted at drew.mcarthur@telus.net.

As Vice-President, Chief Privacy and Data Ethics Officer, Suzanne is responsible for overall privacy leadership at Sun Life and its subsidiaries worldwide. Her mandate includes the company’s Code of Conduct program and evolving standards for the responsible use of data at Sun Life. Suzanne’s prior roles include leading the legal team in Quebec and compliance for IT. Before joining Sun Life in 2015, Suzanne spent more than 20 years working in the communications industry, for businesses such as Bell Canada and BlackBerry.

A passionate believer in giving back, Suzanne is actively involved with many organizations including the Canadian Bar Association’s National Privacy and Access Law Section, CANON (Canadian Anonymization Network), MediaSmarts (a leader in media and digital literacy), and most recently joined Statistics Canada’s Advisory Council on Ethics and Modernization of Microdata Access.