Guest Speakers:
Clara Ma, Founder & CEO, Ask a Chief of Staff
Ask a Chief of Staff is the premier resource for Chiefs of Staff looking to secure high-impact roles and drive results. Prior to founding Ask a Chief of Staff, Clara was the Chief of Staff to the CEO of Hugging Face, a unicorn AI startup, where she helped shepherd the company from its Series A to Series B. After serving as the Chief of Staff, Clara went on to become the Program Director of On Deck's (Series B) Chief of Staff Fellowship, growing its membership base from 80 to over 400+ Chiefs of Staff.
Emily MacKinnon, Chief of Staff, BigGeo
Emily MacKinnon is the Chief of Staff at BigGeo, where she supports operations across BigGeo, HeyAuto, and Vivid Theory, three interconnected companies focused on geospatial intelligence, automotive technology, innovation infrastructure, and data sovereignty. She works behind the scenes to keep strategic priorities moving forward, align cross-functional teams, and build internal systems that support long-term scale.
Stephanie Pahl, Chief of Staff, Glenbow Museum
Stephanie has played a pivotal role in two major cultural projects, first at the National Music Centre and currently at Glenbow Museum. The inaugural Chief of Staff for both organizations, she's made a demonstrable impact on the organization’s executive leadership and alignment, organizational effectiveness, and culture as they rapidly scale operations and offerings to meet the needs of the community in which they serve. Additionally, she serves as Chair of the Board of Alberta Music.
Lee Pham, Executive Partner, Teleiosis Consulting
Lee drives transformation for technology-focused organizations by optimizing leadership structures, sharpening decision-making, and strengthening executive relationships. As Chief of Staff at American Express, he led C-Suite relationships and oversaw a global team of 70+ experts in M&A, venture capital, and strategy. He brings deep expertise in corporate development, IP strategy, and board-level stakeholder management.
Miranda Russell, Chief of Staff, Helcim
Miranda Russell is a seasoned professional with diverse experience in leadership and marketing roles. She is the Chief of Staff at Helcim, where her responsibilities include enhancing CEO effectiveness, managing strategic initiatives, and fostering cross-departmental collaboration. Prior experience at Helcim also encompassed roles in Marketing Operations and Communications, where Miranda focused on audience engagement and content creation.
Nic Beique, Chief Executive Officer, Helcim
Nic Beique is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Helcim, a payments company that makes it faster, easier, and more affordable for businesses to get paid. Nic was the lead developer on the company's first software launch, Helcim Commerce. He has been recognized for his contributions to the payment industry and tech economy in Calgary as the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Prairies Technology overall category winner in 2018 and as a member of the Avenue Calgary Top 40 Under 40 class of 2019.
Jordan Pickster, Senior Advisor, Platform Calgary
Jordan has extensive experience in stakeholder relations, public affairs, and strategic communications, dedicated to fostering innovation and community development. Earlier in his career, Jordan served as Chief of Staff to a member of City of Calgary Council and as a Media and Public Affairs Officer for the British Consulate-General Calgary.
schedule for february 27, 2025
This half-day workshop, hosted in-person in Downtown Toronto, is designed to maximize impact with concise, practical sessions led by seasoned experts.
- 12:00 PM: Registration and Networking Lunch
- 12:30 PM: Opening Remarks & First Presentation: Core Functions of an Effective Chief of Staff
- 12:50 PM: Discussion 1: Essential Skill Sets for Chiefs of Staff
- 1:50 PM: Presentation + Workshop: How to Make Decisions Under Pressure
- 3:20 PM: Discussion 2: Navigating Leadership & Workplace Dynamics
- 4:30 PM: Networking Mixer
These sessions are designed to provide attendees with both strategic insights and practical tools to apply in their roles immediately. As a learner, here's what you'll gain:
- Essential Leadership Skills: Lead with clarity, confidence, and precision.
- Strategic Decision-Making: Navigate uncertainty with confidence and make high-impact decisions.
- Effective Crisis Management: Respond to critical moments with composure and foresight.
- Practical Tools & Techniques: Walk away with frameworks and playbooks you can apply immediately.
- Networking & Community: Connect with fellow Chiefs of Staff from diverse sectors and learn from their experience.
GUEST Speakers:
Clara Ma, Founder & CEO, Ask a Chief of Staff
Ask a Chief of Staff is the premier resource for Chiefs of Staff looking to secure high-impact roles and drive results. Prior to founding Ask a Chief of Staff, Clara was the Chief of Staff to the CEO of Hugging Face, a unicorn AI startup, where she helped shepherd the company from its Series A to Series B. After serving as the Chief of Staff, Clara went on to become the Program Director of On Deck's (Series B) Chief of Staff Fellowship, growing its membership base from 80 to over 400+ Chiefs of Staff.
Mel Wright, Vice President of Communications, Intact Financial Corporation
Before joining Intact, Mel was Vice President of Corporate and Public Affairs at Laurentian Bank, where her mandate included Chief of Staff to the CEO. Mel launched her career in the Ontario government, serving in progressively senior roles, including as Chief of Staff to the Minister of Economic Development and Infrastructure, and Chief of Staff for Intergovernmental Affairs for Premier Wynne.
Lee Pham, Executive Partner, Teleiosis Consulting
Lee drives transformation for technology-focused organizations by optimizing leadership structures, sharpening decision-making, and strengthening executive relationships. As Chief of Staff at American Express, he led C-Suite relationships and oversaw a global team of 70+ experts in M&A, venture capital, and strategy. He brings deep expertise in corporate development, IP strategy, and board-level stakeholder management.
Karman Lee, Chief of Staff to Michele Romanow
Karman has spent over 15 years helping ambitious startup founders, entrepreneurs, and leaders achieve their goals. Currently, she works with entrepreneur and Co-founder of Clearco, Michele Romanow. In her time at Clearco, Karman wore many hats, from day to day operations, building a fun and productive workplace culture to recruiting top talent, and at one point - running payroll.
Lianne Vineberg, Founder, T6 Talent Partners
Lianne is a people and talent leader who uses her experience in recruitment, talent management, and growth to build world-class teams. She has held Director level roles at Thorek/Scott & Partners, Hubba, most recently Wealthsimple. In addition to leading T6 Talent Partners Lianne is also the Operating Partner, Talent for Maverix Private Equity supporting all their talent needs internally, within Portfolio companies and in prospective investments.
Michelle L. Christian, Chief of Staff, Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Toronto
CMHA Toronto is the city’s leading community mental health agency. The agency provides accessible, quality care for people in Toronto through programs, research and advocacy that create belonging and hope. Michelle, an experienced executive administrative professional and strategist, partners with boards, CEOs, and executive teams to help add long-term sustainable value to the organizations they lead.
Garry Keller, Vice President, StrategyCorp Inc.
Garry has served in several key leadership roles in Canadian politics, including as Chief of Staff to Canada’s Foreign Minister, chief Parliamentary advisor to a Prime Minister and Chief of Staff to the Leader of the Opposition. He also served as Chief of Staff to the Government House Leader and Chief Government Whip, as Director of Communications to the Minister of the Environment and Director of Parliamentary Affairs to the President of the Treasury Board. As well, Garry served as Acting Chief of Staff to a provincial political party.
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