WAW Logo Summit White


Toronto Agenda

Tuesday October 20 2026

Venue to be announced shortly

08:00 – 08:55

Registration, Networking, Meeting and Connections

08:55 – 09:00
Chris Cummings UK 25 small sq

Welcome and Setting the Scene

Chris Cummings UK 25 small sq
WAW Logo Mark
Chris Cummings
Founder, Sonas Group, (Wellbeing at Work)
WAW Logo Mark
09:00 – 09:30

AI as the Driver of the Future of Talent, Wellness and Performance

How will AI impact holistic well-being strategies to drive productivity, lower healthcare costs, and increased profitability? How will AI & personalization elevate engagement through data-driven wellness solutions? What impact will AI-powered coaching and health analytics have on customized well-being plans that improve employee retention and performance? How can organizations prioritize emotional intelligence, trust, and mental health support experience in order to achieve stronger engagement, lower turnover, and higher innovation?

Speakers to be announced shortly
09:30 – 10:15

Panel – Driving Performance in a Changing World: From Wellbeing to Workforce Advantage

What leadership behaviours and cultural signals sustain wellbeing and performance in hybrid, AI-enabled workplaces? How can wellbeing be embedded as a seamless, data-informed experience across the entire employee lifecycle? How do organisations shift from wellbeing provision to building workforce capability, adaptability, and growth? How can wellbeing be leveraged as a strategic driver of resilience, retention, and innovation in times of rapid change?
Helen Ashton

Helen Ashton
Grand & Toy
Helen Ashton
VP, People, Culture and Customer Experience, Grand & Toy
Grand & Toy
Nancy Tavares small sq

Nancy Tavares small sq
Paladin Security
Nancy Tavares
Vice President, People & Culture, Paladin Security
Paladin Security

Additional speakers to be announced shortly
10:15 – 10:45

Morning Networking Break

10:45 - 11:00
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Energizer

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Alicia Archer
Master Trainer, STRETCHIT
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11:00 – 12:00

Leadership Workshop Discussions

Attendees will take their pick from our expert led sessions which will be announced shortly
12:00 – 13:15

Networking Lunch

13:15 – 13:30

Energiser

13.30 - 14.00
Noha Abbas

The Joy Gap

Why employees lose sight of the value in their benefits over time and what organizations can do to sustain that value, The gap between a wellbeing offering and what employees experience, How strategic communication design turns a strong benefits investment into a continuous driver of employee satisfaction and retention, Moving beyond benefit announcements and keeping employees engaged.
Noha Abbas
Concentrix new
Noha Abbas
Associate Director, Wellbeing, Concentrix
Concentrix new
14:00 – 14:45

Panel: Designing Wellbeing With Equity in Mind

How do you deliver wellbeing that truly works across hybrid, multi-generational and neurodiverse workforces? Why are some wellbeing strategies failing to land with today’s workforce? Where are the biggest gaps in equitable wellbeing outcomes—and what will it take to close them? How must wellbeing evolve to respond to the uneven impact of AI, automation, and shifting workloads?
Manuelita Cherizard

Manuelita Cherizard
ROM_Primary_PMS small sq
Manuelita Cherizard
Chief Human Resources Officer, Royal Ontario Museum
ROM_Primary_PMS small sq
Michelle Jobbitt

Michelle Jobbitt
Northumberland Hills Hospital
Michelle Jobbitt
Manager Talent, OD & Effectiveness, Northumberland Hills Hospital
Northumberland Hills Hospital
Caroline Riley

Caroline Riley
Seneca Polytechnic
Caroline Riley
Vice President, Human Resources, Seneca Polytechnic
Seneca Polytechnic
14:45 - 15:15

Networking Break

15:15 - 15:40
Erin Donahue

The Role of Learning in Boosting Wellbeing in an Ever-Changing Environment

How do organizations provide employees with the skills needed to meet the ever-changing needs of their companies? Developing a culture of learning and development to enable employees to manage rapidly changing working conditions, Ensuring learning and development provides resilience to employees, What can organizations do now to ensure remote workers have the same access to learning opportunities?
Erin Donahue
Ontario Government
Erin Donahue
Director, OPS Learning & Talent Development Branch, Ontario Government
Ontario Government
15:40 – 16:05

Work-Life Balance: From Employee Benefit to Business Imperative

Why are rising burnout levels and work-life conflict becoming critical retention risks for Canadian employers? How can HR leaders create healthier workplace cultures without compromising performance and productivity? What role do flexible working, workload management, and leadership behaviours play in improving employee wellbeing? How can organizations reduce presenteeism, support caregivers, and build sustainable long-term workforce engagement?
Speaker to be announced shortly
16:05 – 16:30

Panel: How the Future of Well-being Can Drive Culture

Wellbeing as a profit driver: do companies investing in holistic well-being see higher productivity, lower healthcare costs, and increased profitability? How can data-driven wellbeing solutions, like AI-powered coaching and health analytics, create customized plans that improve employee retention and performance? Do cultures that prioritize emotional intelligence, trust, and mental health support experience have stronger engagement, lower turnover, and higher innovation? What is the impact for organizations that embed well-being into the employee experience have on attraction and retention of top talent?
Speakers to be announced shortly
16:25 – 16:30
Chris Cummings UK 25 small sq

Closing Remarks

Chris Cummings UK 25 small sq
WAW Logo Mark
Chris Cummings
Founder, Sonas Group, Wellbeing at Work
WAW Logo Mark
16:30 – 17:30

Networking Reception