High-profile industry experts to address Supply Chain Canada conference

TORONTO, Ont. — Organizers of the 44^th annual Supply Chain Canada conference have announced the keynote line-up for the event, to be held in Toronto May 10-11.

Kevin O’Leary, best recognized from the “Dragons’ Den” television show on CBC, is set to open the conference on May 10. Officials say O’Leary’s keynote address will speak directly to the current economic issues facing the supply chain industry.

Craigg Balance, president of e-finity group and program director for the IT Executive Leadership program delivered through Ryerson University, is set to facilitate an interactive discussion on industry issues. Balance is a frequent guest panelist on the John Oakley show, The Media and the Message, on AM640, and has co-authored books on technology, business process improvement and eCommerce.

Vice-Admiral Dean McFadden, Chief of Maritime Staff and Commander of the Canadian Navy, who previously served as the Commander of Canada Command, the Canadian Forces organization responsible for all domestic and continental defence and security operations, will address global maritime defence and security at the event.

Kate Vitasek, author of Vested Outsourcing: Five Rules That Will Transform Outsourcing, will address the issue of outsourcing during her keynote speech on May 11. Vitasek is a faculty member of the University of Tennessee’s Center for Executive Education and founder of Supply Chain Visions, a top 10 boutique consulting firm specializing in supply chain management.

Robert Hogue, senior economist at RBC Royal Bank, is a member of the Macroeconomic and Regional Analysis Group, with RBC Economics Research, responsible for providing economic forecasts and analysis of the various regions of Canada. Hogue will give the keynote luncheon address on May 11 and delve into the Canadian economic outlook and assess recent economic developments in Canada and abroad, drawing on their implications for the year ahead.

Michael Buckley, director of logistics IHQ for Cirque du Soleil, is scheduled to share the global supply chain story of what it takes to support the worldwide activities of the Quebec-based company. Buckley is a seasoned professional with more than 30 years of experience in the transportation and logistics industry including work in Europe, Asia and South America.

The Supply Chain Canada conference is produced by Supply Chain and Logistics Association Canada (SCL), Canadian Industrial Transportation Association (CITA), and Newcom. The conference and trade show runs May 10-11 at the International Centre in Toronto. For more information, visit supplychaincanada.com.