Nuno Bamberg is a business builder and brand strategist shaping how some of Canada’s most iconic brands connect with people. As Senior Vice President of Brand & Marketing at Sleep Country Canada, he leads the transformation of a legacy retailer into a modern, culture‑driving brand—focused on making sleep a true priority in people’s lives. With more than 20 years of experience across marketing, brand strategy, and creative leadership, Nuno blends sharp commercial thinking with a deep understanding of what drives people and performance. His career began in creative writing and evolved into senior leadership roles spanning the idea room to the boardroom, delivering measurable growth at every step. Before joining Sleep Country, Nuno spent nearly a decade at Publicis Groupe Canada, where he led The Pub, the agency’s content and production division. Under his leadership, The Pub became a major growth engine, contributing to a near doubling of the agency’s size. He also played a key role in strengthening Publicis’ integrated offering, delivering impactful work for brands including Jeep, Pfizer, The Home Depot, Rogers, WestJet, and Canada Post. Known for building high‑performing teams and cutting through complexity, Nuno’s leadership is rooted in clear standards, strong judgment, and a belief in nurturing the next generation of talent. He focuses on turning vision into momentum by integrating teams, closing capability gaps, and driving meaningful operational change. At Sleep Country, Nuno continues to drive growth by building a unified, insight‑led marketing engine—one that deepens customer connection and helps define the future of sleep in Canada.

Laura Cutsey is the Vice President of Marketing and Partnerships at the Coca-Cola Company. With over 28 years of professional experience at Coca-Cola she is known for her ability to develop actionable strategies that create authentic connections with consumers to build long term brand love and loyalty. She has experience across the marketing ecosystem having led many brands and categories from incubation to household names. In addition to leading marketing in Canada she has responsibility for all major partnerships across pro-sports and large scale events. Laura is a creative problem solver with a bias for action and agility. Her favourite beverage is hands down Diet Coke and she will never be caught dead without one, iykyk.

Laura Curtis Ferrera, a chartered marketer, currently holds the position of Senior Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer for Scotiabank. Since joining Scotiabank in February 2015, Laura has broadened her mandate to include the strategic marketing of brands domestically and globally, driving growth and championing clients across Scotiabank’s major business lines: Global Banking and Markets, Global Wealth Management, Canadian Banking and International Banking.

Deyra Jaye Fontaine (she/her) is an inclusive marketing strategist and certified DEI advisor who helps organizations embed equity, accessibility, and authentic representation into marketing strategy and decision-making. Drawing on more than a decade of experience across marketing communications, product management, and design, she applies an intersectional lens to transform how projects are planned, executed, and measured to meet the needs of modern multicultural consumers. Known for fostering curiosity and courageous conversations, Deyra Jaye empowers teams to think differently — using cultural understanding and responsible marketing practices to build better brand experiences. She serves on the Steering Committee of People of Colour in Advertising and Marketing (POCAM), advancing visibility and opportunities for BIPOC professionals across Canada.

Experte du marketing, du numérique et du commerce électronique reconnue pour son leadership, sa créativité et son sens des affaires, Catherine Laporte s’est jointe à RONA en 2018 à titre de vice-présidente divisionnaire, Commerce électronique. Nommée vice-présidente, Marketing en 2019, elle est promue vice-présidente principale, Marketing et expérience client en février 2024, et ensuite nommée cheffe de la direction numérique et marketing en juillet 2025. Dans ce rôle, elle veille au rayonnement de la marque RONA en plus d’appuyer les équipes numériques dans le cadre de la transformation numérique de l’entreprise. Grâce à une vision stratégique claire et orientée sur le client et vers la croissance, Catherine joue un rôle déterminant pour propulser RONA à l’avant-plan de l’industrie et faire de RONA le meilleur détaillant en rénovation résidentielle au Canada. Catherine a fait ses premières armes au sein du Groupe ALDO, où elle a piloté le lancement des marques Little Burgundy et Locale, et contribué au développement de la marque Call It Spring en Amérique du Nord et à l’international. Avant de se joindre à RONA, elle a œuvré à la création d’un centre d’excellence centré sur le client pour Les Thés DAVIDsTEA, où elle était vice-présidente, Marketing et commerce électronique. Diplômée de la John Molson School of Business, Catherine s’est toujours impliquée activement au sein de la communauté en soutenant des causes qui lui tiennent à cœur. Elle est notamment marraine du groupe-ressource LGBTQ2+ de RONA et présidente du CA de la Fondation RONA depuis février 2024.

Early Life – Born, educated and worked in the UK for the first half of his existence. Career – Sales (Xerox UK), Brand Management (Mars UK), Research (ACNielsen-Asia, NPD-Canada)… before selling to Ipsos in 2002. Giving Back – Canadian Marketing Association board member and judge for the Young Lions. Earth Rangers Foundation board member. Today – Ipsos (many senior leadership roles). Author of (among other things) the Most Influential Brand study – Globally. The Digital Marketing Pulse (14 years), The Long Middle story. Frequent public speaker. Personal – Hair – it is an ALL, or none issue. Eyewear is a big deal. Avid golfer/tennis player. BIG on hot weather. Loves a great hamburger and fries. Father of two daughters + best lifetime partner. Honour – Canadian Marketing Association Lifetime Achievement Award 2020 https://youtu.be/Mvjt0yRCqXM Fellow – Canadian Research and Insights Council 2023

Aaron Nemoy is the founder and strategy lead at Crowdiate, helping brands uncover big ideas through brief-based creative competitions. The company has been a featured start-up at Cannes Lions and also facilitates the Young Lions competitions for The Globe and Mail. Aaron started his career in brand management at Kraft and Campbell’s. He was part of the winning team in the inaugural Young Lions Marketers competition in 2012 and was recognized with the ‘Marketer on the Rise’ award by the AMA Marketing Hall of Legends in 2015.

Andy Shibata is a distinguished senior marketing executive renowned for his strategic acumen and unwavering dedication to building brand value for some of Canada’s most iconic organizations. As Vice President of Brand at Air Canada since 2016, Andy oversees all brand initiatives, including airline and loyalty marketing, creative functions, sponsorships, and customer communications. He has successfully driven the company’s global branding efforts, spearheading transformative projects such as the comprehensive rebranding of Air Canada and the relaunch of the Aeroplan brand. His purpose-driven approach to marketing ensures that organizational values and promises are central to all initiatives. Under his leadership, Air Canada’s brand marketing, advertising, and sponsorship campaigns have earned numerous industry awards, reinforcing the airline’s position as a leader in customer experience and engagement. Prior to joining Air Canada, Andy held senior marketing roles across various industries, including financial services, packaged goods, and retail.

Lisa Allie is the Senior Director of Marketing at PepsiCo Foods Canada, where she currently leads the Core Brands portfolio including iconic brands like Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos and Miss Vickie’s. Over her 15-year career at PepsiCo, Lisa has built a reputation as a dynamic, strategic marketer with deep experience across brand marketing, shopper marketing, sports partnerships, and field marketing spanning the Beverages, Quaker and Snacks businesses.

A passionate advocate for talent development, Lisa encourages authentic leadership at all levels and is committed to empowering teams to foster bold ideas rooted in razor sharp insights. She believes in the power of creativity to drive growth, strengthen brands, and delight our fans in meaningful ways.

Lisa lives in Toronto with her husband and young daughter. Outside of work, she is always exploring a new creative project to fuel her curiosity and imagination.

Veronica is an accomplished communications professional with over 12 years of experience delivering best-in-class work across a wide variety of industries including food and beverage, finance, government, entertainment, fashion, technology, and travel. With a career built on strategic storytelling, reputation management and developing creatively ambitious campaigns, Veronica is known for delivering award-winning work while being a highly collaborative and trusted leader in the industry. As Head of Brand Communications at Labatt Breweries of Canada, Veronica operates at the intersection of creativity and business impact. She is responsible for tactically amplifying high-profile marketing campaigns while safeguarding brands’ reputation, bringing a sharp understanding of how bold ideas must perform in the real world.

Nadia oversees MSL Canada and has been instrumental in its transformation into one of Canada’s most respected communications agencies. She has always been driving to disrupt the traditional norms of PR, and has demonstrated how earned media, social media, and influencer marketing can enrich a business and propel it to success. Her passion for pushing the boundaries of PR and elevating it into a true strategic advantage for brands has put her at the forefront of some of this country’s most innovative and iconic campaigns, including those for P&G, Indigo, WK Kellogg’s, Starbucks, and Walmart. At the same time, Nadia has led a cultural evolution at MSL while managing multiple moving parts through the transition, including the company’s successful shift from an in-office workplace to a hybrid environment. Together with the incredible MSL Senior Leadership Team, Nadia has shaped the agency into a PR powerhouse where careers are nurtured and the team thrives on a culture of curiosity, collaboration, and communication.

Josh joined Citizen Relations as its first Chief Creative Officer in 2021, the same year he was named one the World’s Most Awarded Creatives by The Drum. Since becoming the first creative to sit on the Global Executive Team at the agency, Citizen has been nominated for Strategy Magazine PR Agency of the Year four consecutive years (winning gold in 2023) and for the first time in its history, Design Agency of the Year. Citizen was named 2023 PRovoke Consumer Agency of the Year, 2024 Campaign Global PR AOY (Bronze). As a creative leader, Josh himself received NA Innovation Sabres Creative Professional of the Year honours two years in a row (’23,’24), Creativepool’s Top 100 Creative Leaders twice (2024, 2025) and Campaign’s Top 40 over 40 (2025). Josh is active within the industry as a juror at shows including Cannes, D&AD, New York Festival, Marketing, and the Effies, and has worked with the next generation of creative talent at the Miami Ad School. Josh loves comedy, chess, running, NBA basketball, and pretending he’s knowledgeable about wine.

Julie Georgas is President & Head of Creative Strategy at Zeno Group Canada, where she leads bold, award-winning work at the intersection of creativity, strategy, and business impact. With 17 years of experience, Julie brings a rare, cross-disciplinary lens that blends creative instinct with commercial acumen to deliver integrated ideas that earn attention, shift culture, and drive results. An entrepreneur at heart, Julie founded and built a successful boutique communications firm at just 27. This experience shaped her commercially sharp, client-first approach to creativity. That entrepreneurial mindset continues to fuel Zeno Canada’s momentum and has helped position the agency as one of the country’s fastest-growing and most formidable integrated communications firms. Julie is known as a strategic and creative dynamo, equally fluent in big-idea thinking and the rigour required to make ideas work in today’s fragmented, culture-led media landscape. Her work spans travel and tourism, food and beverage, CPG, QSR, OTC, retail, hospitality, entertainment, and technology, and is united by a belief that the best ideas break convention, influence behaviour, and deliver measurable business value. A passionate champion of ideas and innovation, Julie is deeply committed to pushing boundaries, elevating talent, and creating work that both clients and teams believe in. Her leadership style combines strategic discipline with creative fearlessness and a relentless enthusiasm for ideas that truly move people.

Debra Sadowski started her award-winning firm rock-it promotions in 2000 from her parents’ spare bedroom with nothing more than a phone book and a fax machine. In 2025, the agency was acquired by Touchwood PR, where she continues to serve as Senior Consultant with brands such as Peloton and two time Michelin Key winner The Royal Hotel in Prince Edward County. A true innovator within the industry, Debra has appeared as a PR expert on national talk shows and has been featured in numerous publications, including Forbes.com, for her professional successes. She has also been honoured with the opportunity to open the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) on International Women’s Day. Under her leadership, rock-it promotions was shortlisted for PR Agency of the Year by Strategy Magazine; ranked in the inaugural Report on Business list of Canada’s Top Growing Companies by The Globe and Mail; and made history by being the only PR agency to be included in the Canadian Business and Maclean’s Growth 500 list for four years in a row. Debra lives in Toronto with her two beautiful children. You can find her on IG @rockitdeb.

Laura delivers more than a decade of communications experience and has earned a reputation as one of Toronto’s top experts in strategic communication and crisis management. Prior to founding Blue Door Agency in 2026, Laura served as Vice President of Communications for Sussex Strategy Group, where she led complex communication files in the sectors of renewable energy, healthcare, technology, and transportation. As a former lobbyist, Laura has operated across all three levels of government delivering significant experience and expertise across strategic communications, public affairs, issues management and advocacy. Today, Laura serves as the Founder and Chief Executive Officer for Blue Door Agency, which employs more than 25+ communications professionals. She focuses on strategic growth, acquisitions and setting the long term vision for the agency. In 2025, Blue Door was recognized as a Great Place to Work™ highlighting the agency’s significant recruitment and retention successes. Blue Door is well recognized within the industry and represents 50+ clients including Canadian Opera Company, GE Appliances, Longo’s, Gruppo Terroni, Choice Hotels, Toronto Police Service and Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada. From economic, racial and criminal justice, women’s health, immigration reform and more, Laura has helped manage complicated communications campaigns leading to groundbreaking victories. Laura is a judge for the Canadian Marketing Association, Strategy Awards, and serves as a Strategic Advisor to TedxToronto. She is active on the Forbes Business Council where she contributes weekly on topics about the marketing profession including job creation, market trends and forecasts. In 2025, Blue Door was recognized as one of Canada’s Fastest Growing Companies by the Globe and Mail.

Sheryl So is a seasoned communications leader with extensive experience driving strategic narratives and brand growth in fast-paced tech and fintech environments. She currently serves as Senior Director, Head of Communications at Wealthsimple, where she leads the company’s external communications, thought leadership, and public engagement efforts at Canada’s most influential fintech brand. Sheryl has held senior roles at global companies including Stripe and Shopify, bringing a deep understanding of both product-led growth and purpose-driven storytelling to her work.

Renee Weekes Duncan is a communications strategist who builds brands—and the teams behind them. She has led integrated campaigns for global brands including Nike, P&G, Amazon, Nestlé, and SharkNinja, bringing a philosophy that the best work comes from diverse perspectives, sharp strategy, and creative ambition. Her career spans agency leadership, nonprofit work, and roles at major Canadian media companies including CBC and Rogers, giving her a unique lens on how organizations connect with audiences and tell stories that resonate. As Senior Vice President at Golin Canada, Renee leads the consumer practice and advances the agency’s Sports Specialty nationally. She co-founded CodeBlack, a nonprofit that amplified diverse voices in storytelling—a reflection of her commitment to creating space for emerging talent. Renee is passionate about mentoring the next generation of communications leaders. She believes young professionals bring fresh thinking that challenges convention, and she’s committed to creating environments where that talent can thrive.

As CEO of Burson in Canada, Sheila leads teams of strategic and creative communicators helping brands turn reputation into a powerful competitive advantage.

Over nearly two decades with the firm—and a career dedicated to pushing ideas further—Sheila has guided organizations in technology, consumer goods, healthcare, sports and entertainment, retail and more through complex challenges. Since 2018, she has led the Canadian operation during a period of significant growth and AI transformation, establishing it as a global centre of excellence for creative and digital work. Under her leadership, the firm was named Provoke Media’s Canadian Agency of the Year in 2023.

Known for her positive energy, high standards and collaborative approach, Sheila champions inclusive, high-performing teams and creates space for emerging talent to do the most ambitious work of their careers. As a Young Lions judge, she’s keen to see how the next generation uses sharp strategy and creativity to shape reputation and drive real-world impact.

Alex is a Creative Director and Designer with over a decade of experience building visual identities and design systems for a diverse roster of clients—spanning global brands, arts and culture institutions, and non-profit organizations. Consistently ranked among Canada’s most awarded designers, Alex’s work has earned international acclaim from Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show, Clios, and the London International Awards. He currently leads design at Rethink, which holds the #1 spot on WARC’s Global Independent Agency ranking and has been named Independent Agency of the Year at nearly every major international show. It also just happens to be a fun place to make cool shit.

Marie-Elaine Benoit is the Lead Creative Director of Sid Lee’s award-winning design and branding team. She’s an advocate for creative intelligence in design and is internationally regarded for her cultivation of brand identities and experiences. Her work has been awarded by Cannes Lions, the One Show, ADC, the Type Directors Club, Applied Arts, Clio Awards, D&AD, Marketing Awards, Idéa, and more. In 2020 she was named one of AdWeek’s 11 Global Creative Leaders Shaping The World’s Most Inventive Marketing. Marie-Elaine designs beyond the realm of aesthetics. Through purpose-driven ingenuity and storytelling, she creates meaningful and relevant work capable of shaping the people and places it envelops.

Sarah is the Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer of Wedge — the award winning, strategically-backed, brand & design firm known for distinct character in a world of abundance. Guided by the core belief that Everything Can Be Special.

Wedge joins progressive & ambitious partners across various categories to successfully build brands from the ground up, evolve for a new stage of growth, and/or modernize icons for their new era across Identity, Campaign, Packaging, and special projects.

In 2024, Wedge was awarded the global title of Dieline Studio of the Year, and set a new record for the most awarded studio to date.

Together, Wedge works and their clients have been featured across FastCompany, Architectural Digest, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Monocle Magazine, and more.

Through Wedge Ventures, Sarah invests in early stage startups and their founders, including but not limited to: oral wellness company Cocolab (formerly Cocofloss), Brami, GrowHappy, Ami Ami Wine, & Aupale Vodka (exited).

Throughout her career, Sarah has sat across the juries of Cannes Young Lions, Latin American Design Awards, IDEA, and the Marketing Awards.

—

In 2009, Sarah began her career in global advertising as a writer, having worked across campaigns that tapped into cultural truths for brands such as The North Face, Adidas, Absolut, IKEA, HBO, Top Shop, Samsung, Volkswagen, Porsche, Molson, and more.

Sarah’s superpower is her ability to articulate compelling brand narrative that is culturally resonant and emotionally impactful. She translates these big ideas into signature creative direction across the full brand experience. At Wedge, Sarah applies this experience to every client project and ambition.

Sarah was one of the first Canadians to be awarded by Cannes for Brand Content, as well as a Gold in Film, for her work on Volkswagen — a documentary entitled, “ONCE MORE: The Story of VIN 903847” that ran across Bravo and the Discovery Channel.

Today, Sarah primarily resides in Montreal with her young family or is found in Brooklyn, New York.

Vanessa Eckstein founded Blok Design in 1998, bringing a global perspective shaped by living and working in Buenos Aires, Los Angeles, New York, and Mexico City. This cultural fluency has defined a distinctive design approach that transcends boundaries and consistently earns international recognition. At the heart of her practice lies an unwavering commitment to design as a catalyst for social change. She collaborates with artists, architects, photographers, and authors to deliver transformative work across a broad spectrum of clients—from cultural institutions to forward-thinking businesses. Her influence extends well beyond the studio. Vanessa is a member of The Brookfield Sustainability Institute’s League of Innovators & Scholars and a newly inducted fellow of The Canadian Academy of Arts. She has served as D&AD’s Design Jury President in London, Co-Chair of The Marketing Awards, and juror for Cannes Lions and The Junos. She holds an MFA in Intercultural Studies from ArtCenter College of Design.

With over 20 years of international experience, Kelsey is a design-led creative whose career is defined by meticulous craft and the ability to translate complex brand insights into cohesive visual systems. He specializes in building world-class work for global brands for which his approach balances high-level strategic thinking with a rigorous dedication to the craft ensuring that every touchpoint, from large-scale national campaigns to boutique local projects, is anchored in purposeful, elevated design. Kelsey’s commitment to the art of design has earned him consistent acclaim from the industry’s most prestigious award shows including Cannes, D&AD, One Show, Clios, Luerzer’s Archive and The Webbys to name a few. His work has also achieved significant cultural impact, with his visual storytelling captured by outlets ranging from New York Post and BuzzFeed to Jimmy Kimmel and Mashable. By merging a collaborative spirit with a sophisticated design lens, Kelsey continues to shape how national brands and social movements communicate in an increasingly visual world.

Mustaali Raj is an independent creative with a multi-disciplinary practice. Being both a third culture kid and an avid traveller, his sense of belonging extends well beyond geographic boundaries. This multi-faceted sense of belonging and experiences play an important role in exploring intersection of identities through his work. As an engineer turned designer, his creative process is a cohesive blend between left and right brain thinking. He is a circle, living in a square, drawing triangles.

A graduate of the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Daniel Robitaille was recruited by Sidlee, where he had the opportunity to participate in several major projects. In 2010, he joined Paprika as Artistic Director, becoming Creative Director in 2019. In this latter position, he combines visual identity, communications design and space planning projects. Over the years, Daniel has won over 400 national and international awards in a number of prestigious competitions, including One Show, Communication Arts, Dieline, IDEA, AIGA, Graphis, ADCC, Type Directors Club and Art Directors Club. He was awarded the title of Young Guns in 2012 by the Art Directors Club and the title of Ascenders in 2018 by the Type Directors Club. Daniel has been invited as a jury member for the Art Directors Club Young Guns, as well as for other competitions such as Applied Arts, Communication Arts, Marketing Awards, Young Ones as well as Grafika. Since 2020, Daniel has also been a lecturer at UQAM’s École de Design, in both the Graphic Design and Environmental Design programs. In 2024, Daniel’s contribution to Canadian design earned him membership of the prestigious Alliance Graphique Internationale.

Teresa is an independent creative director and designer splitting time between the west coast and east coast. She has over 15 years of experience as both a designer and art director, including co-leading the award-winning design john st. design department in the late 2010s. In 2021 she embraced her independence as a freelancer, and has since collaborated with agencies such as 123W, GUT, Courage, Metier Creative, Massive Change, LG2, Cossette, Ogilvy, and Joan NYC. Most recently, she has worked on brands such as Saje, Holt Renfrew, Harry Rosen, the Canadian Olympic Committee, KFC, Lululemon, Tim Horton’s, Starbucks, Shoppers Drug Mart & Maybelline. Her curiosity for people, culture, and brands has always been her driving force for creating meaningful conceptual design- led work. She leads with empathy, and is a firm believer that caring about people, especially the ones you work with, is the secret to unlocking great creative work.

Brittany Waldner is a multidisciplinary Graphic Designer and currently the Associate Creative Director at Underline Studio in Toronto, Canada. Striving to craft both purposeful and innovative visual dialogue, her practice over the past 15 years is driven in the form of visual identity systems, editorial publications, websites, digital design and printed material. Working in a diverse field of art, culture, lifestyle and technology. Brittany’s work has been recognized and awarded internationally by organizations such as D&AD, the Type Directors Club of New York, the Advertising & Design Club of Canada, Communication Arts, Applied Arts, and Graphis.

Man Wai is a creative director who, most recently, served as VP, Group Creative Director of Design at Leo Burnett Design. There, she collaborated with Toronto’s top creative talent across the full spectrum of design and creative work. Her design sensibilities are rooted in combining insightful ideas with strategy, experimentation and craft, having been trained at York-Sheridan Design in Toronto and Bauhaus University in Weimar, Germany. These experiences gave her versatility in design thinking and execution, which have garnered her recognition from virtually every national and international award show like the D&AD, the One Show & Cannes Lions.

Jonathon Yule is currently Executive Creative Director, Design at Concrete in Toronto. Jonathon is focused on inventing, reinventing and reestablishing brands across Canada and the world. Distilled strategy, refined craft and a passion for custom typography are the foundation of Jonathon’s work.