Minister of Trade and Export Development of Saskatchewan
Jeremy Harrison grew up in the Meadow Lake area and graduated from Carpenter High School in 1996. Jeremy went on to complete an undergraduate degree in Political Science and Canadian History from the University of Alberta, a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, and a Juris Doctor (Law) Degree from the University of Saskatchewan.
Jeremy was elected to Parliament in 2004, and at the age of 26 became one of the youngest Canadians ever to sit in the House of Commons. Jeremy was elected to the Saskatchewan Legislature in 2007. He is the youngest Canadian ever to have been elected to both the House of Commons and a provincial Legislative Assembly.
He first served as Legislative Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Resources until being appointed to Cabinet in 2009. He has served as the Minister of Municipal Affairs, Minister of Enterprise Saskatchewan, Government House Leader, Minister Responsible for Immigration, Jobs, Skills and Training, Minister of the Economy, Minister responsible for the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, Minister responsible for the Global Transportation Hub, Minister responsible for Tourism Saskatchewan, Minister responsible for Innovation, and Minister responsible for Trade.
On February 2, 2018 Premier Scott Moe appointed Jeremy as the Minister of Trade and Export Development and Minister of Immigration and Career Training.
Jeremy also currently serves as Chair of the Cabinet Committee on Government Operations, and as a member of the Board of Internal Economy and the caucus Committee on Human Services. He also serves as the Deputy Government House Leader and as a member of the Standing Committee on House Services.
Jeremy and his wife Alaina have one son, MacGregor and one daughter, Finnley.
CEO, McMaster Innovation Park
Ty is the CEO of McMaster Innovation Park- Canada’s Premier Research Park. Prior to joining the MIP team, Ty held various senior leadership positions within the digital media, aerospace, and venture capital industries, including CTO of Eagle Aerospace, President of Aethon Technologies (originally named 6Imaging LLC), CEO of PV Labs, COO of Trivaris Ltd, and Vice President at L3 Technologies – Wescam. Ty has spent his career at the intersection of technology and business design.
He has years of senior leadership experience, focused primarily on technology commercialization and investment within the aerospace & defense industry, and other high-tech sectors. This experience has given him a passion for, and deep understanding of, starting, managing, financing, and growing companies within emerging markets. A self-proclaimed geek, he leverages his ability to envision the potential of new ideas, along with his strong bias for pragmatism, to help inventors, researchers, entrepreneurs, and high-technology organizations, transform their innovative ideas into a profitable business reality.
As a Professional Engineer, former Adjunct Professor at OCAD University, past Chair of Mohawk College’s Board of Governors, and a former RCAF officer, Ty is well known within the GTHA for his business acumen and community leadership. In 2010, he was awarded “Engineer of the Year” from The Ontario Society for Professional Engineers. In 2011, as CEO of PV Labs, he led the company toward being named one of “Canada’s Top 200 Fastest Growing Companies” by Profit Magazine, and in 2012 they received an Academy Award under his leadership.
Canada Research Chair, University of Ottawa
Dr. Michael Geist, Professor of Law
Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law
Faculty of Law, Common Law Section
Centre for Law, Technology and Society
Dr Michael Geist is a law professor at the University of Ottawa where he holds the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law. He has obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, Master of Laws (LLM) degrees from Cambridge University in the UK and Columbia Law School in New York, and a Doctorate in Law (JSD) from Columbia Law School.
Dr Geist is an award winning author and editor of several books. He is ranked as one of the top ten most influential men in Social Media, Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce law. Dr Geist has written numerous academic articles and government reports on the internet and law and was a member of Canada's National Task Force on Spam. He is an internationally syndicated columnist on technology law issues with his regular column appearing in the Toronto Star and the Ottawa Citizen.
Dr Geist has edited several copyright books including The Copyright Pentalogy: How the Supreme Court of Canada Shook the Foundations of Canadian Copyright Law in 2013; From “Radical Extremism” to “Balanced Copyright”: Canadian Copyright and the Digital Agenda in 2010; and In the Public Interest: The Future of Canadian Copyright Law published in 2005. He is also the editor of several monthly technology law publications and the author of a popular blog on Internet and intellectual property law issues.
Dr Geist serves on many boards, including the Canadian Internet Registration Authority board, Internet Archive Canada board and the Electronic Frontier Foundation Advisory Board. Dr Geist also served on the Privacy Commission of Canada's Expert Advisory Board, the Canadian Digital Information Strategy's Review Panel and on the Information Program Sub-Board of the Open Society Institute.
Dr Geist has received numerous awards for his work including the Kroeger Award for Policy Leadership and the Public Knowledge IP3 Award in 2010, Les Fowlie Award for Intellectual Freedom from the Ontario Library Association in 2009, the Electronic Frontier Foundations' Pioneer ward in 2008, the IWAY Public Leadership Award for his contribution to the development of the Internet in Canada and he was named one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40 in 2003. Dr Geist was entioned by Canadian Lawyer as 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada (2011, 2012 and 2013). Dr Geist was appointed to the Order of Ontario in 2018.
City of Hamilton, Ontario
Mayor Fred Eisenberger was born in Amsterdam and came to Canada with his family when he was eight years old, settling in Hamilton.
Fred is currently serving his second four-year term as mayor. Previously he served as a member of Hamilton council, as chair of the Hamilton Port Authority, and as president and chief executive of the Canadian Urban Institute, where he was involved in the development of leading-edge, progressive urban policy.
During Fred’s tenure as mayor, Hamilton was named by the Conference Board of Canada for having Canada’s most-diversified economy. In 2016 the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) named Hamilton as one of the World’s Smart21 communities, and in 2018 ICF named Hamilton one of the world’s Top7 Intelligent Communities. Hamilton’s transformation has been notable. A national advanced manufacturing hub, with burgeoning life sciences and food processing sectors; strong education and research institutions; and creative industries that are attracting new economic investment and vitality to the city.
Fred is focused on achieving continued growth and prosperity as well as protecting our environment. He was instrumental in landing a $1-billion Light Rail Transit initiative for Hamilton, for ensuring Syrian refugees were welcomed and settled in the city, and for putting forward a $50-million proposal to improve affordable housing and reduce poverty. Recently he was elected Chair of Intelligent Community Forum Canada.
Additional Secretary (Economic Diplomacy & States)
Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India
Mr. Parvathaneni is Additional Secretary (Economic Diplomacy & States) in Ministry of External Affairs.
Since joining the Indian Foreign Service in 1990, he has learnt Arabic at the American University of Cairo and passed the examination with distinction.
He has served in the Indian Missions in Cairo and Riyadh and headed the Post as India's Representative to the Palestinian Authority stationed in Gaza city. He was on Secondment to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) as the Chief of the Policy Analysis Unit at UNRWA Headquarters in Gaza.
He thereafter worked in the East Asia and External Publicity Divisions in the Ministry of External Affairs. For a period of five years since 2007, Mr. Harish was the Joint Secretary and Officer on Special Duty to the Hon'ble Vice President of India and Chairman of the council of States of the Indian Parliament, Mr. M. Hamid Ansari. Mr. Harish has been the Consul General of India, Houston, USA since 30 th July 2012. Before joining as Additional Secretary (Economic Diplomacy & States), Mr. Harish was the Ambassador of India to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam from 16 th April 2016 to June 2019.
Mr Parvathaneni Harish is a gold medalist Mechanical Engineering graduate from Osmania University College of Engineering, Hyderabad and has studied at the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta. He is married to Mrs. Parvathaneni Nandita and has two daughters, Ayushi and Amani.
Director General, TERI - The Energy & Resources Institute
Is the Director General of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi, and a member of the Indian Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change. He earlier headed the Indian Bureau of Energy Efficiency, and was responsible for mainstreaming energy efficiency in houses, offices and industries through a number of innovative initiatives. He was a leading climate change negotiator, and was the Indian spokesperson at the Paris climate negotiations. He served as the interim Director of the Green Climate Fund during its foundational period.
At TERI, he has spearheaded the move to accelerate action towards a low-carbon and cleaner economy through the adoption of renewable energy in the Indian electricity sector, enhancing efficiency in buildings and industry, and promoting environmental quality through recycling of material wastes and biotechnology-based solutions.
He co-chairs the global Energy Transitions Commission.
CEO, NITI Aayog, Government of India
Amitabh Kant is presently CEO of National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog). He is a member of the Indian Administrative Service, IAS (Kerala Cadre: 1980 batch). He is the author of Branding India-An Incredible Story and has edited “The Path Ahead- Transformative Ideas for India”. Kant has been a key driver of the “Make in India”, Startup India, “Incredible India” and God’s Own Country” initiatives that positioned India and Kerala State as leading manufacturing and tourism destinations. These campaigns have won several international awards and embraced a host of activities – infrastructure development, product enhancement, private-public partnership and positioning and branding based on extensive market research.
Amitabh Kant has been the Chairman & CEO of the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (DMICDC). The Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) is being developed by the Government of India as a global manufacturing and investment destination supported by world class infrastructure and enabling policy framework. The DMIC project is aimed at the development of futuristic, smart industrial cities in India which will converge and integrate next generation technologies across sectors. The DMIC cities will address not merely the urbanization requirements of India, but with manufacturing as the main economic base, will also contribute significantly to the economic growth of India.
In his capacity as Secretary (Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion) Govt. of India, he vigorously drove the Ease of Doing Business initiative and ranking of States on outcome parameters. These initiatives have led to India making a quantum jump in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Index and enabled Indian States to compete in the spirit of competitive federalism. He is the Chairman of the Committee to implement Digital Payment in India.
Mr. Kant has been the recipient of Economic Times Policy Change Agent of the Year Award, the Bloomberg TV Personality of the year Award, the NDTV Administrator of the year Award and the Distinguished Fellowship of the Institute of Directors. He is the recipient of One Globe Award-2016 for leadership in Transforming Governance for the 21st Century. He is also the recipient of Sir Edmund Hillary Fellowship awarded by the Prime Minister of New Zealand. He is a Member of the Steering Board of “Shaping the Future of Production Systems” of World Economic Forum. He is also the recipient of Golden Peacock Award for Leadership in Economic Transformation-2017.
Amitabh Kant has worked as CEO, Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Corporation, CMD – ITDC, Joint Secretary – Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Secretary – Tourism, Government of Kerala, Managing Director, Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation, District Collector, Kozikhode and Managing Director, Matsyafed. During his tenure in Kerala he structured the Calicut Airport as a private sector project based on User’s Free and developed the BSES Power Project and Mattanchery Bridge under Private Public Partnership. He was also responsible for introducing new technology (fiberglass crafts and outboard motor) in the fisheries sector and launching beach level auctions which substantially enhanced returns to traditional fishermen.
Amitabh Kant did his schooling from Modern School, Delhi, graduation in Economics (Hons) from St. Stephens, Delhi University and M.A from Jawaharlal Nehru University. He is a Chevening Scholar. He has also undertaken a mid-term course with John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University and Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmadabad.
Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade of Ontario
Vic Fedeli is Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.
Minister Fedeli was first elected as the Member of Provincial Parliament for Nipissing in 2011. He was re- elected in 2014 and 2018 and has served as Minister of
Finance.
Minister Fedeli entered the legislature following two terms as Mayor of North Bay.
Born and raised in North Bay, Minister Fedeli was a successful entrepreneur and business leader prior to his political career. In his 20s, he opened Fedeli Advertising, the first ad agency north of Toronto. In 1989, Fedeli Corporation was named in the Top 50 Best Places to Work in Canada.
In 1992, he sold the firm and spent the next 11 years managing several non-profit ventures. One of them, Air Base Property Corporation, was a local development agency that took over the airside assets of Canadian Forces Base North Bay. The site is now home to several aerospace companies, as well as Canadore College's School of Aviation.
In recognition of his many achievements, he was awarded the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.
Minister Fedeli lives in Corbeil with his wife Patty, a successful humour writer.
A Boston University graduate in Economics and Business Management, Mr Abhyuday Jindal has a wide ranging experience in the areas of project management, supply chain systems, and strategic & general management. Currently, he is the Managing Director of Jindal Stainless. He is also the Co-Chair for FICCI’s Steel Committee.
Mr Jindal started his career with the JSW Group. There, he played a prominent role in the stake acquisition of Ispat Industries and the post acquisition integration of JSW and Ispat. He then moved on to the Boston Consulting Group, where he managed project consultancy for diverse industries, including cement, steel, wind turbines, and auto components. Having gained a deep understanding of the industrial manufacturing arena, Mr Jindal entered the USD 3.2 billion (as of March’19) Jindal Stainless organization.
Driven by the ambition to go beyond the ordinary, Mr Jindal took multiple strides in improving supply chain and operational efficiencies. Today, he is shaping Jindal Stainless into a far more dynamic, responsive, predictive, and solution-based organization. As a leader in the stainless steel landscape of the country, Mr Jindal has explored and unlocked new avenues for providing stainless solutions to stakeholders with the vision to improve lives. Helmed by him, the organization has built uncontested market leadership, and made foray into new fields. It was under his stewardship that JSHL bolstered its unique competitive advantage in the manufacturing of special stainless steel grades for nuclear and defence sectors.
Strongly rooted in the Indian soil, Mr Abhyuday Jindal’s community-centric transformational approach has led to the development and sustenance of several empowerment initiatives in and around its production facilities. His signature style has endeared him further among employees. He personifies open and participative management, a consistent culture of dialogue and feedback, and a relentless march towards continuous improvement. Mr Jindal also serves as the Vice President of the Infrastructure Industry and Logistics Federation of India, apart from being the Co-Chair for FICCI’s Steel Committee, endeavoring to forge stronger and wider public-private partnerships.
Deepak Bagla has a professional career of over three decades, starting with the World Bank in Washington DC. In 1989 he joined Citibank Global Corporate and Investment Banking team and held several responsibilities across Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. In 2007 he joined
Private Equity to start an India dedicated fund for core infrastructure.
Mr. Bagla is currently Managing Director & CEO of Invest India, the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency promoted by the Government of India. Invest India is also the execution agency for Government of India’s Start-up initiative.
He is a special invitee on the official Bilateral CEO’s Forum and a member of the Venture Capital Investment Committee of the US $ 1.5 billion “Fund of Funds for Start-ups” established under the Prime Minister’s Startup India action plan. He is also a member of the Ministry of Finance steering Committee on Fintech and a Member of the High-Level committee of the Atal Innovation Mission responsible for establishing and scaling up incubators and tinkering labs across India.
He was a special invitee to the Government of India’s, “High Level Committee on Financing Infrastructure” – (2011- 2013), member of the Banking & Finance Committee of the Bureau of Indian Standards (ISO affiliate 2005-06) and a member of the committee established by the
Government to recommend corporate governance norms for independent directors (2006). He was elected President of Delhi Management Association (2008-09).
Mr Bagla has a Bachelor’s degree with Honors in Economics from St Stephens College, New Delhi and a dual Masters in International Diplomacy and International Trade and Finance from The School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, Washington DC.