Speakers

Celina Caesar-Chavannes is a business consultant, coach and international speaker. She currently serves as the Sr. Advisor, EDI Initiatives and Adjunct Lecturer at Queen’s University. Her memoir, “Can You Hear Me Now?” was published by Penguin Random House Canada in 2021. She was the former Member of Parliament for Whitby, Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Parliamentary Secretary for International Development. During her term as a Member of Parliament, Celina was awarded several distinctions including a feature in the April 2018 edition of O (Oprah Winfrey) Magazine entitled, “What would you stand up for and named Chatelaine Magazine’s Woman of the Year (2019).

She has a Bachelor of Science, an MBA in Healthcare Management and an Executive MBA from the Rotman School of Management.

John is responsible for managing the company’s community and media relations and economic development strategy with a goal to enhance Bruce Power’s reputation and build strong relationships in the community. 

He joined Bruce Power in 2002 and previously served as Director of Corporate Communications and Manager of Investor and Media Relations. John is a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo. Prior to joining Bruce Power he worked as a journalist for 12 years most recently as an Editor at the Sun Times in Owen Sound. His work as a journalist earned him both provincial and national awards as a photographer, editorial writer and humour columnist.

As a volunteer, he is a past member of the Port Elgin Rotary Club, Port Elgin and District Chamber of Commerce Executive, Port Elgin Downtown BIA Board of Management and the Saugeen Shores Hall of Fame Committee.

Carolann Harding ICD.D brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the business development world. A dynamic leader and team player, that thrives on creativity, problem-solving, collaboration and engagement. As Executive Director of SmartICE, Carolann is leading a diverse coast to coast to coast award-winning team (President’s Award for Public Engagement Partnerships 2020, Governor General Innovation Award 2019, United Nations Momentum for Change 2017, Arctic Inspiration Prize 2016), focusing on meeting SmartICE’s social enterprise mandate, strategic directions and social impacts. Carolann is currently the Chair of FoodFirst NL and a director on the Women in Resource Development Corporation Board and a member of the ICD NL Chapter Executive. In 1990, Carolann was named the Youth Entrepreneur of the Year for NL, in 2002 she won a Public Service Award of Excellence and in 2014 she received a World of Difference 100 Award presented by The International Alliance of Women (TIAW). Carolann is a graduate from both Memorial and Dalhousie Universities. In March 2021, Atlantic Business Magazine, named Carolann as one of Atlantic Canada’s 25 most Powerful Women in Business.

Dr. Trevin Stratton is Economic Advisory Leader and Partner at Deloitte Canada, where he applies economic thinking to identify the trends that are reshaping industry and to help private and public sector leaders tackle some of today’s most complex and challenging policy and business issues. Prior to joining Deloitte, he was the Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of Policy at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the largest and most influential business association in Canada representing a network of over 200,000 companies. Trevin was also previously named as Ottawa’s Forty Under 40 for founding and leading BDO Canada’s national economic development consulting line.

He studied at Carleton University in Canada, as well as at the London School of Economics in the United Kingdom and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Switzerland. Trevin has held appointments as an International Scholar at Yale University's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, as an E.C. Harwood Fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research, and as a lecturer in economics, politics and international studies at the American University in Dubai. He also holds a Certificate in Economic Development from the University of Waterloo.

Trevin currently sits on the Board of Governors at Ontario Tech University and the Leadership Council at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. He is a frequent media contributor on economic issues and has appeared on programs such as Power & Politics, BNN Bloomberg, CTV National News and Global News, as well as provided commentary for the Globe and Mail, Financial Post, Washington Post, Toronto Star, Politico, Macleans and The Hill Times.