Diane J. Brisebois
President & CEO, Retail Council of Canada

Jim Cormier
Director, Atlantic Provinces, Retail Council of Canada; Chair, RCC’s Human Resources Committee

Stephen Cerrone, Ph.D., Executive Vice President of Human Resources and CHRO, Hudson's Bay Company

As North America’s longest continually running company, HBC has faced and embraced change at the forefront of the retail industry. In his keynote presentation, Stephen Cerrone will cover four key components of transformational change at HBC. He will focus on the evolutionary journey from start to finish, challenges and opportunities faced along the way and HR innovations that were used in the process to shape the company today.

• Best practices in integrating financial and business models


• Defining culture, values & behaviors and embedding culture through people processes


• Identifying leaders internally and externally and aligning them to a common set of beliefs and values


• Incorporating analytics into high-level decision making

Panel Moderator & Presenter:
Parvaneh Nilforoushan, Principal, ATKearney

Panalists:

• Wendy Swinden, VP, Human Resources, Walmart Canada
• Sharla Paraskevopoulos, VP, Human Resources, Loblaw Companies Limited

Now more than ever HR leaders need to use their knowledge to help the organization set its strategic direction and develop its business plans in ways that are consistent with a talent decision science. In this panel discussion, senior HR executives will discuss best practices in identifying company’s strategic vision, developing and implementing business plans that are aligned to it, achieving results on the operational level and continuously driving collaboration between HR, Operations and the C-suite. Discussion points will include:

• Aligning HR with corporate strategy and culture


• Best practices in strategic workforce planning


• Understanding the role and driving collaboration between HR and Operations


• Moving strategic initiatives forward to all areas of store operations

Michael Sherrard, Partner, Sherrard Kuzz LLP

Lisa Bolton, Partner, Sherrard Kuzz LLP

2014 has been busy with important legislative amendments and the release of significant labour and employment decisions from courts, tribunals and labour arbitrators. Join this session to learn how developments in the following areas can impact the way retailers do business:

• Labour law: store closure following union certification – analysis of the recent decision by Supreme Court of Canada


• Employment law: medical marijuana – an examination of how new marijuana laws are creating a buzz in the workplace for retailers


• Human Rights: family status – an analysis of the impact of the Federal Court’s decision on what has to be accommodated and how


• A look at how a retail franchiser can become bound to a trade union as a “related employer” to a franchisee


• An examination of how the terms of outsourcing and franchise agreements can impact employment-related liability

Peter Smit, Founder, Collabogence

Chris Larsen, VP, Marketing, Membership and Professional Development, HRPA

A recent research study conducted by HRPA and Collabogence on organizational behaviour, training and development revealed findings that could remarkably benefit the retail industry in Canada. This session will provide practical strategies for promoting organizational collaboration, how to achieve desired results on time and on budget and how to drastically increase team effectiveness and productivity.

• Understanding how teams collaborate using big data and analytics


• What kind of behaviour promotes collaboration?


• The link between environment and collaboration


• Overview of key research study takeaways

Joe Essenfeld, CEO, Jibe
Rebecca Wood, Manager, Employee Services, Genuine Parts Company

A recent survey revealed that more than 80% of job seekers expect to conduct at least part of their search via their mobile devices, with 70% saying they expect to be able to complete and submit applications directly from their phones and tablets. After years of talk about mobile recruitment, hiring organizations are now starting to take action to optimize their career sites and application processes for mobile. Attend this session to learn how Genuine Parts Company which consists of 6,000 NAPA Auto Parts stores and 14,000 repair centers in US and Canada have adopted mobile recruiting as a key component to their hiring efforts and the results they've achieved by doing so.

Moderator:
Stacy Parker, Managing Director, Blu Ivy Group

Panalists:

• Tod Moroz, President, The Beer Store
• Kristen MacLellan, National Manager, Talent Acquisition, Starbucks

Today, more than ever, retailers in Canada need enthusiastic and satisfied workers. There is a tremendous link between motivated employees, customer service and profitability. This session will provide real life examples from Starbucks, Target and The Beer Store on developing an employer branding strategy, and the impact it has made on their organizations. These retailers will also outline key recruitment and retention principles, including:

• Innovative branding best practices


• Creating award winning cultures


• Engaging top talent by differentiating yourself from the competition


• Global employer branding best practices that can be applied to the Canadian market

Morneau Shepell
Adam Kelly, Partner & Vice President, Morneau Shepell
Kristen Coady, Director of Absence Management Solutions, Morneau Shepell

In this interactive lunch & learn session, Morneau Shepell will discuss proven solutions to some of the top barriers that the majority of organizations fear to address when it comes to attendance and disability management in the workplace. Learn how to position disability management as a strategic issue at the executive table and improve workplace health and productivity by creating an effective attendance and disability management program in your workplace.

Lead Presenter:
Ellen Waxman, Accessibility/AODA Expert & Leadership Coach; former Assistant Deputy Minister for the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario

Additional Presenters:
Jeff Poirier, Senior Policy Analyst, Ontario Human Rights Commission
Andrew Pinto, Partner, Pinto Wray James

Important revisions to employment standards under the AODA are coming. Even if you’ve already established strong internal practices, do you fully understand what compliance with these new standards mean? In this session, leading AODA human rights and legal experts will break down AODA into simple terms and practical steps, including:

• Creating and documenting individual accommodation plans


• Keeping accessibility needs and plans in mind when redeploying persons with disabilities


• Discussion on accessible formats and communication supports


• Maintaining and improving workplace emergency response information


• Measuring and defining undue hardship – what exactly does it mean?

Facilitator & Presenter:
Mary Hayes, CEO, Engage Learn

Podium Participants:

• Wynne Elmitt, Director, Training & Communications, Town Shoes Limited
• Jane Akiki, Director, Learning, The Home Depot Canada

Retail is changing fast and technology is transforming the retail experience. Is your training strategy keeping up? This session will explore the latest innovations in training and provide great case studies.

• New training initiatives for all levels of employees


• Different types of training: recruitment training, sales training, customer service, eLearning, etc.


• What formats of training work best?


• Effective training tools and metrics: performance management tools and accountability


• How to Incorporate training best practices into your culture

Facilitator & Presenter:
Nathan Laurie, President, Jobpostings.ca

Co-Presenters:

• Rabbiya Hussain, Senior Manager, Talent Management, Adidas Group Canada
• Sherri Marshall, Senior Manager, Talent Acquisition, Loblaw Companies Ltd.

Most Canadian retail opportunities are entry-level. Students and recent graduates make up the largest demographic to fill those jobs. Millennial and Generation Z cohorts are the most active users of social media. Due to these simple ingredients, recruiters need to be more adept in using this medium to attract top talent. This session will outline successful recruitment campaigns that have integrated social media as a key driver of job applicants.

Co-Presenters:

• Emily Scarlett, Communications & Press Manager & Spokesperson, H&M Canada
• Jessica Gabriel, Employee Relations Specialist, H&M Canada
• Laura Hammond, Country Human Resources Manager, H&M Canada
• Ron Grey, Senior Vice President, Great Place to Work Institute Canada

In this session, participants will learn how trust and culture dimensions can impact their bottom line and important key performance indicators such as turnover, sales and efficiency. Ron Grey, Vice President of Great Place to Work Canada will introduce the collaborative research done by GPTW and H&M, while leaders from H&M Canada will talk about the practices that have increased employee engagement within the organization.

Clint Mahlman,
Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer, London Drugs Limited

Clint Mahlman, who formerly led human resources at London Drugs, will share his views on the next generation of HR leadership. He will also share his perspective on how to develop culture that extends itself to company’s valued customers, how to look for and develop future leaders, and what he thinks is the key ingredient in organizational success and excellence.

You've heard of speed dating, now try speed networking! Vendors will have 3-4 minutes to make their initial introductions and converse before moving on to meet the next group of delegates. An emcee will provide instructions and keep things moving. A must attend for all conference delegates wishing to learn more about how our HR solution providers can benefit your retail business.

Mary Ann Baynton, MSW, RSW, Program Director, The Great-West Life Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace and Expert Panel Member and Consultant, Mental Health Commission of Canada

Your mental health is at risk every day. What do you do to protect it? In this session, Mary Ann Baynton, a leading Canadian mental health expert will outline how retailers can address psychological health and safety in the retail workplace, including:

• Mental health in the workplace is impacted by what others say and do. How can HR influence that?


• Improving retention by providing psychologically safe and healthy work environments


• Practical strategies and tools to begin making a difference immediately


• Incorporating mental health strategies into daily retail operations

Co-Facilitators:
Paul Alofs, President & CEO, The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation
David Shaw, Founder & CEO, Knightsbridge Human Capital Solutions

Finalists:
Brett Abram, Vice President, Human Resources, Sleep Country Canada
Heather Briant, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Cineplex Entertainment LP
Norm Sabapathy, Executive Vice President, People, Cadillac Fairview

Do you know what Passion Capital is and what does it take to be a Passion Capitalist? Hear directly from Paul Alofs, the #1 Passion Capitalist himself, and the 2014 Finalists. What are the values and beliefs needed to achieve sustainable success among yourself and your team? The principles of Passion Capital are based on:

• Establishing a values-based culture and selecting and developing people aligned to that culture


• Building strong brands that guide strategies, people and operations


• Engaging teams to get the best out of them and promoting excellence and passion in organizations

David Labistour, CEO, MEC

The most impactful and most challenging aspect of implementing omni-channel selling is the need to redefine the organizational structure. In this closing keynote session, David will assess the impact of multi-channel retailing on the following:

• Organizational structure and reporting relationships


• Integrated, cross-functional delivery and the new reality of collaboration


• Skills availability and development