Chris Bonnett established H3 Consulting in 1999. H3 develops strategy related to workplace health issues and provides health policy research and analysis, focusing on the private sector. Chris is also co-founder and Editor of businesshealth, a periodical published six times yearly, and now distributed to about 2,500 employers in five provinces. businesshealth addresses employer issues and opportunities in health benefits and healthier workplaces. He has recently joined The Great Place to Work Institute Canada as an Associate. GPTW publishes the annual Best Workplaces in Canada list, with Canadian Business magazine.

Prior to establishing H3, Chris had an 18-year career underwriting, reinsuring, selling, and marketing employee benefits. Chris is a past Chair of the Canadian Council on Integrated Healthcare, and a founding member of the Group Insurance & Pharmaceutical Committee and Canada's Healthy Workplace Council. He sits on the Advisory Board and is the principal writer of the national sanofi-aventis Healthcare Survey, now in its eleventh year. He holds a Master's degree in Health Science from the University of Toronto.

Against a backdrop of labour shortages, demographic changes, productivity challenges and a view that human resources management is merely an administrative role, employers have struggled to define, embrace, implement and evaluate a healthy workplace strategy. More than occupational health, disability management or lunch-n-learn programs, considerable evidence demonstrates a clear benefit for organizations that choose a comprehensive and integrated strategy to manage health and performance.

A complimentary issue of businesshealth will be provided to all attendees. This publication is not available to employers directly.

Margaret Wheatley writes, teaches and speaks about radically new practices and ideas for organizing in chaotic times. She has been an organizational consultant and researcher since 1973 and a dedicated global citizen since her youth. She is President emertia of The Berkana Institute, a global foundation serving life-affirming leaders around the world. Her newest book, Finding Our Way: Leadership for an Uncertain Time, is a collection of per practice-focused writings, where she describes both the organizational and personal behaviours that bring her theories to life. Her classic book Leadership and the New Science has just been published in a revised and updated third edition, and now appears in 20 languages. Her other books are Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future, and A Simpler Way (with Myron Kellner-Rogers). Her articles appear frequently in a wide range of magazines and professional publications. She received a doctorate from Harvard University’s program in Administration, Planning and Social Policy, and an M.A. in systems thinking and Media Ecology from New York University. She has served as faculty at The Marriott School of Management, Brigham Young University, and Cambridge College, Massachusetts. In 2003, The American Society of Training and Development awarded her their highest honour, the "Distinguished Contribution to Workplace Learning and Performance."

How do we maintain motivation, focus and integrity - personally and organizationally - as we react to continuous change? Drawing on her experience both with Chaos science and from working in many organizations and third world communities, Wheatley describes the essential behaviors that make it possible to stay together and accomplish our objectives while chaos looms around us.

The moderator for this session, Lorene Novakowski, B.Sc., LL.B., is a Partner with the Employment, Labour and Human Rights Practice Group of the Vancouver Office of Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP. Her primary practice focuses on providing advice to clients on labour, employment and human rights issues. She assists clients in developing and implementing employment and benefit policies and gives advice on termination issues and administration of collective agreements. She represents employers at the Labour Board, at labour arbitrations, in respect of wrongful dismissal actions and human rights complaints. Lorene has experience in providing advice on drafting harassment policies, conducting harassment investigations, providing training on harassment issues and duty to accommodate issues, appearing as counsel in duty to accommodate cases, representing clients before the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal and the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.

With a keen interest in privacy law, Lorene leads the firm's regional Privacy Practice Group and is a member of the firm's national Practice Group on Privacy and Information Protection. Lorene assists employers and businesses to implement privacy policies and procedures, provides training, assists with access requests and provides timely and strategic advice in the event of a privacy breach. Lorene also works closely with the firm's Technology Practice Group, providing advice to clients regarding employment contracts, consultant agreements, non-competition clauses, and employment standards compliance. And in the area of Benefits, Lorene advises on the structure and administration of benefit plans, administration of plan text, advising on the impact of human rights legislation or collective bargaining agreements on an employer's ability or obligation to provide health or other benefits to employees and retired employees.

Lorene is a popular speaker and avid author on all matters related to her practice.

Tom Hodges is a labour mediator and arbitrator based in Calgary, Alberta. He is on the Alberta Ministry of Employment, Immigration and Industry's roster of designated mediators. He was Senior Vice-President, Labour Relations for Health Employers Association of British Columbia (HEABC) from 2005 until February of this year. Tom led negotiations for HEABC with the BC Nurses' Union to resolve issues flowing from the Supreme Court's Health Services - Bill 29 decision. Prior to joining HEABC he was director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service for 15 years, mediating over 300 labour disputes across Canada. He has served as a roster mediator for the Ontario Court General Division in Ottawa. Tom has a Master's degree in Conflict Management and has taught negotiations to managers and union representatives across Canada.

Delayne Sartison is very proud to be a founding partner of Roper Greyell LLP. Her practice covers all aspects of management-side employment, labour and human rights law, including strategic planning, dispute resolution and advocacy. Delayne partners with clients in both the public and private sectors to develop practical and effective human resource and labour relations strategies and to resolve conflict within organizations. She has been practicing in this field since first called to the Bar in 1989, and has particular expertise in the unique field of health sector labour relations in BC. Delayne has represented clients before all levels of Court in BC and in the Federal Court of Canada, and has appeared before labour arbitrators, the Labour Relations Board, BC Human Rights Tribunal, Employment Standards Tribunal, and Workers' Compensation Review Board and Appeals Tribunal.

Diane MacDonald is General Counsel with the BC Teachers’ Federation. She joined the Teacher’s Federation in 2000, after five years in private practice. Diane has acted as counsel before arbitrators, the BC Labour Relations Board, the BC Human Rights Tribunal, and in court.

Diane received her B.A. from Simon Fraser University in 1985, her LL.B. from Dalhousie Law School in 1991, and her Ph.D. from Northeastern University in 1998.

On June 8, 2007 the Supreme Court of Canada reversed a trilogy of its own decisions on the rights of workers and Unions under the Canadian Charter of Rights. Join us in a panel discussion which explores the background of the decisions, the impact of the decision on the BC Health Sector and the possible future implications of this landmark decision for all other employers.

Ed Bernacki, Idea Champion

Albert Einstein once said, "You can't solve a problem with the same thinking that created it."

No one understands this adage better than Ed Bernacki. As a speaker, writer and consultant on the use of innovative thinking and creativity in business, Bernacki shares his perspectives with business owners, associations and executives to create innovative opportunities and solutions to business challenges. He now delivers workshops and presentations in the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. He believes that many great ideas already exist in our organizations but that they do not have the skills and systems to find, develop and act on these ideas.

As a solution to this dilemma, Bernacki created The Idea Factory to help people and organizations develop their capacity to innovate. He wrote, Wow! That's a Great Idea!, a step-by-step manual to foster innovative ideas in organizations. He has also created resources to improve the return on a conference investment. One of these, Wow! That's a Great Idea! Conference Navigator Guides is a sophisticated yet fun creative idea journal that replaces the standard tool of most conferences (the blank pad of paper). Ed's ideas aim to change the way people participate in a traditional conference: from making notes that they never look at again to listening actively and acting on their insights and ideas.

The editor of Inc. Magazine said about Ed's Conference Navigator Guide idea, "Once in a while an idea surfaces that makes me wonder, 'Why didn't I think of that?'" That's the kind of ideas we need to solve the complex challenges of today's organizations.

While it is easy to work with people who think alike, it’s far more challenging to work with people who don’t think alike. This presentation provides insights for staff and managers to work together more effectively. It is based on recognizing that we think and solve problems in different ways. Some people say, "Question everything!" while other ask, "why?" This thought provoking presentation identifies some of the problems when these differences are poorly managed and provides solutions for managing people in a style best suited to their strengths.

Nora Spinks is the President of Work-Life Harmony Enterprises, an international research and consulting firm based in Toronto, Canada. For more than 20 years, Nora has worked with progressive organizations, helping business, labour, government and community leaders to create effective, productive and supportive work environments; strengthen families; and build healthy communities. A renowned speaker, author and recognized thought leader, Nora has provided strong leadership in the work-life field across Canada and around the world. Building on experience, staying current and analyzing trends, Nora has added tremendous value to work-life and wellness committees, executive teams, human resource professionals and practitioners, board of directors and research organizations. Nora received the Health Work and Wellness 2007 Pioneer Award on October 18, 2007.

For the first time ever, there are FIVE generations (SOON TO BE SIX) working side by side in our workplaces; each with their own perspectives, experiences and attitudes. Effectively managing across generations can be frustrating or exhilarating. Learn what management skills and techniques will help you leverage the generational diversity in your workplace so you can enhance performance, increase productivity and maximize efficiency. Nora Spinks will offer insight, provide information and share best practices for managing, motivating and retaining a diverse workforce.

Vince Molinaro, Ph.D, is Principal and National Practice Lead - Leadership Capability with Knightsbridge. Vince has been providing consulting services in the field of leadership and organizational development for the past fifteen years. He has worked with an extensive list of clients within private sector companies (pharmaceutical, telecommunications, financial services) and public sector organizations (provincial and municipal government, health care, education). Vince received his Doctorate from the University of Toronto and has a Masters degree from Brock University. He is an Adjunct Professor with Brock University where he teaches graduate courses in organizational learning and change. Vince has been a pioneer in the research of holistic leadership. Vince also lectures at leading business schools on the topic of building leadership capacity.

The media frequently calls him for his opinions on leadership, organizational learning, and employee engagement. Vince is a provocative speaker and conducts keynote presentations on the topics of "Building Leadership Capacity", "Holistic Leadership", "Creating High- Performing Organizations", "Engaging Employees", and "Work-Life Balance for Senior Leaders".

Vince has also published extensively in journals and business magazines. He is co-author of the book, The Leadership Gap published by John Wiley and Sons.

Liane Davey, Ph.D. is a Principal in Knightsbridge's Organization Effectiveness in Toronto. She has over 10 years consulting experience in the areas of Organization Development, Human Resource Strategy, and Measurement. Prior to joining Knightsbridge, Liane was the National Solution Leader for Measurement at a large global consulting firm.

Liane works in several areas within Organizational Effectiveness including strategic planning, human resource planning, and change management. Liane has been a guest speaker at numerous conferences and management retreats and has written articles for trade and academic journals. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario, a Master of Applied Science from the University of Waterloo, and a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Waterloo. She is currently on the executive of the Canadian Society for Industrial/Organizational Psychology.

Leadership capacity is mission critical in today's public sector organizations. However, many struggle to build the leadership they will need to succeed. In this session, Vince Molinaro and Liane Davey will provide concrete and precise strategies to close your organization's leadership gap. They will explain why leadership capacity is mission critical and why the gap persists in organizations. They will discuss how organizations need to think about leadership for the future, and describe the leadership solutions required to address your organization's particular needs and shortcomings. Join Liane and Vince for a fun, practical and thought-provoking session.