Speakers

Ann joined the Ivey faculty in 1995 after finishing her doctoral studies in industrial relations at the Sloan School of Management, MIT. She also has undergraduate and Masters degrees from the Faculty of Commerce at UBC.

The focus of her recent research is on organizational routines in Canadian policing and how they enable organizations to pursue both efficiency and socially desirable outcomes. Earlier research has been funded by the Russell-Sage and Rockefeller Foundations (for research on work practices in the American hospital industry) and SSHRC (job quality in Canadian call centres, and care team interactions in Ontario ICUs). She has also been involved in a multi-year, SSHRC-funded Major Collaborative Research Initiative project entitled Rethinking Institutions for Work and Employment in the Global Era. Output from these projects has been published in leading academic and practitioner journals such as ILR Review, California Management Review, and Journal of Management Studies.

At Ivey, Ann has taught MBA, EMBA and undergraduate courses in organizational behaviour and negotiations. Her second year course, Interpersonal Negotiations, is consistently the most over-subscribed elective in Ivey’s HBA program. In the Executive Education area, she specializes in organizational issues – engagement, change, leadership effectiveness and high performance teams – for clients in a variety of sectors.

Asmita Kanungo is Vice-President of Business Acquisitions at Richardson Wealth. She is part of the branch management team and is accountable for the growth of Richardson Wealth by attracting investment advisors to the firm.
 

Starting her career in 2000, her experience includes working for firms in asset management and wealth management. She held roles as a mutual fund sales professional and leading a high-performing sales team for top asset management firms. As well, she was as an investment advisor for a Tier 1 bank brokerage firm and was a practice management consultant to advisors.
 

Asmita holds a BA from York University in Economics and has the CIM and RIS designation.

 Samina Sajanlal is the global head for the Fund Finance product originated by CIBC Capital Markets, managing a globally centralized team responsible for providing fund-level financing solutions to sponsors and asset managers across United States, Canada and Europe. Samina has extensive knowledge and experience covering NBFI clients for lending and trading products across multiple jurisdictions. Prior to joining CIBC in 2020, Samina spent 14 years at Scotiabank holding progressively senior roles within Corporate Banking, Specialized Credit and Risk Management and also led the NBFI credit function based in London, England for 5 years. Samina started her career on the buy side at Northwater Capital Management on the Hedge Fund Investments desk based out of Toronto, Canada. Samina has an MBA, specializing in Finance, from the Rotman School of Management at University of Toronto and is a CFA Charterholder.

Joanna Pollock has been VP Corporate Banking with RBC since 2016, when she re-entered the workforce through the Return to Bay Street program following a career break.  Prior to that, she worked in a similar role in the UK for 7 years.

Kanina Blanchard has extensive experience working in international business, the public service, non-profit, and consulting. Having lived and worked on four continents, she is recognized for her ability to adapt, lead teams and projects, and navigate complexities across various sectors, geographies, and cultures. With expertise in the areas of organizational and communication challenges as well as issues, crisis and change management, her greatest passion is in the area of leadership development, education, and coaching.

From CEOs and C-Suite executives to emerging leaders, and from the next generation of professionals to those seeking to leave a leadership legacy, Kanina focuses on supporting those seeking to grow and develop their character, competencies, and commitment. Kanina brings more than 30 years of practical, dynamic, and real-world experience to the table along with a deepening array of research and academic credentials that grounds her consulting practices in the creation of transformational and sustainable change. As a consultant she is committed to provide clients with targeted and customized strategic solutions to challenges that impact organizational and leadership brand, reputation, and bottom line. As an academic, her focus and research is on responsible leadership, women in leadership and on supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion

Dr. Rachel La Touche (she/her) is CEO and Principal consultant at Rare Talent Consulting - an organization that develops and connects emerging talent to visionary employers, building equitable and sustainable careers. She has over fifteen years of leadership and applied expertise in evidence-based equity interventions, anti-oppression programming, and professional coaching and development. She is most passionate about using data to drive, develop, optimize, and elevate organizations.

Maja Djikic, PhD is a personality psychologist specializing in adult development. She is an Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior and HR Management, the Executive Director of the Self-Development Laboratory, and the Academic Director of the Rotman Executive Coaching Certificate program at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. Her research has been featured in over 50 media outlets (including The New York Times, Salon, Slate, Scientific American Mind), in 15 countries. Thinkers50 has selected Maja as one of 30 thinkers around  the world whose ideas have the potential to shape the future of organizations. Her first book, The Possible Self: A Leader’s Guide to Personal Development, was published in March 2024 by Berrett-Koehler Publishers.