March 11th, 2021

1:30 pm – 5:00 pm EST

To register visit williscollege.com/womenincyber

Willis College is excited to be hosting The Global Forum: Engaging Women in CyberSecurity and we would love to have you join us!

This year’s topic “Women in Cyber and the Future of Work” will:

• Address the current state of the CyberSecurity industry, with a focus on talent needs, opportunities and challenges in developing a highly diverse and inclusive talent pipeline with strong women leaders;
• Stimulate critical dialogue on the need to engage more women in well-paying CyberSecurity jobs, and develop a progressive national strategy to attract, develop and retain more women in the CyberSecurity workforce;
• Facilitate ideas and recommendations focused on individual and collective action to build a highly diverse and inclusive cyber talent pipeline; and
• Recognize and celebrate the leadership and collective achievements of women leaders in CyberSecurity.

As CyberSecurity threats continue to grow as a global priority and concern in a rapidly evolving digital world, the demand for skilled CyberSecurity talent exceeds supply.  Moreover, CyberSecurity and cyber defence have a significant gender problem.  

We are so incredibly honoured to welcome a diverse group of incredibly accomplished and esteemed women to present at this year’s event. 

Welcome Remarks

Rima Aristocrat, Chair Willis College

Rima Aristocrat is the current Chair of 154-year old Willis College offering industry-led, job-ready skills training and education, enabling adults to transition into careers in business, healthcare, technology and Cybersecurity. She is the founder of the Canadian Association of Immigrant Professionals, founder and president of the TeKnoWave Inc. – Canada’s First National Aboriginal IT Training Initiative, founding director of the Veteran Friendly Transition Program, founder of the Willis Cybersecurity Academy, founder of the Willis Women in Technology and A Soldier’s Hero for Military Spouses Scholarships. She is the only Canadian represented on Microsoft’s Education Advisory Council, has been a frequent invited guest speaker and has appeared on many magazines as the cover page stories. She has received numerous national and international recognitions for her contribution to post- secondary education including 2018-19 Global Cyber Startup Observatory Cyber Hall of Fame Canada, France and US Slides, 2020 Global Award, Women in Cybersecurity and 2020 Global Award, Women Who Work.

Keynote Address

Bonnie Butlin  Co-Founder and Executive Director, Security Partners’ Forum (SPF)

Bonnie Butlin, also known around the world as “Canada’s First Lady of Security” is the co-founder and executive director of the Security Partners’ Forum (SPF), a first-of-its-kind agile international network of security professionals, bridging all domains and disciplines of security. Under the SPF banner, she created the Women in Security and Resilience Alliance (WISECRA), which engages a growing network of women in security and resilience associations and groups globally. Since 2013, Bonnie Butlin has received some 24 international and national-level awards and accolades related to security, resilience, and leadership, including being named to the Top 25 “Women of Influence” for 2021, as well as a “Fellow of (ISC)2 in August 2020. In 2017, she was appointed to the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network in Cybersecurity, and in 2018 was appointed to the Global Advisory Council of the Institute of Strategic Risk Management (ISRM).  

Panel:  Defence Initiatives on Engaging Women in Cyber

Moderator: Dr. Helen Tang, Portfolio Manager, DG Innovation, Defence R&D Canada
Dr. Helen Tang is a senior defence scientist and Portfolio Manager – at the DG Innovation, Defence R&D Canada, a research agency of the Dept. of National Defence. She has 20+ years of experience working on cyber security issues in wireless networks, connected transportations, connected medical devices, and smart cities etc. She received her Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from Carleton University in 2005. From 1999 to 2005, she worked in several R&D organizations in Canada and USA including Alcatel-Lucent, Mentor Graphics and Communications Research Center Canada. She joined Defence R&D Canada in 2005. She received “Outstanding Achievement Award” at DRDC in 2017 & 2019, “Best Paper Award” at IEEE/IFIP TrustCom 2009 and “Outstanding Leadership Award” at IEEE/IFIP TrustCom 2010. She is also an adjunct professor at the School of Information Technology of Carleton University, where she is the supervisor of several graduate students.

Panelist: Julia Scouten, Senior Manager, Cyber Security Services, KPMG and Co-VP Public Sector Relations, DND/CAF Women in Defence in Security
Julia is a Senior Manager in KPMG’s Cyber Security team, based in Ottawa. She brings over 21 years of experience from the federal government, 16 of them in cyber security where she has worked primarily in incident response, threat intelligence and on the convergence of IT/OT (Operational Technology). Julia is passionate about supporting and promoting women in cyber, so she volunteers on the executive committee of Women in Defence and Security (WiDS) as CO-VP of Public Sector Relations for DND/CAF. 

Panelist: Sara Anvari, Chief Information Security Officer, Business Development Bank of Canada
Sara is the CISO at the Development Bank of Canada, leading the Bank’s operational cybersecurity and technology risk teams. Sara comes to BDC from KPMG’s cybersecurity advisory practice, where she focused on assisting a range of clients, including some of Canada’s largest FI’s, understand and manage their tech and cyber risk. Prior to joining KPMG, Sara led CN’s cyber intelligence and incident response teams. Additionally, she was part of PwC’s cybersecurity and privacy consulting team, with a focus on strategy, governance, and risk management in the financial sector. She has worked across all three lines of defence and has helped design and implement security strategies and transformations to build resilient security programmes aligned to business priorities and risk appetite. Sara is a serving member of the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves, and is a Warrant Officer at 34th Signals Regiment, Montreal.

Sherry Pappin, SOC Operator, 2Keys Corporation | Willis College GraduateSherry Pappin is the mother of three, a proud military spouse, and a recent high honours graduate from Willis College’s CyberSecurity Analyst program. Currently she’s employed at 2Keys Corporation as a SOC Operator, after a long 16 years as a healthcare worker. She has always had a love of mysteries, and sticking up for the little guy, giving way to certifications as a security guard, well as a private investigator. Her passions and interests collided when she discovered the world of penetration testing and digital forensics. She has received congratulatory letters from the MP & MPPs of the Renfrew County District and was the first ever recipient of the Willis College medal for her achievement of graduating the first indigenous woman in Cyber Security from Willis College.

Panel: The Future of Work and Support for a Diversity Strategy

Moderator: Jessica Brown, Head of Adoption – Americas, Faethm AI
Jessica is a social impact enthusiast with a passion for the intersection of future technology, impact and art.  She has 15 years of experience with multi-sectoral clients spanning 4 continents. Currently, she leads client engagements for the Americas at Faethm AI, an Australia-based startup serving as the world’s data source for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Future of Work. Prior to Faethm, she helped to design and direct a prize design Accelerator program at the XPRIZE Foundation, supported public sector strategy at Monitor Deloitte with clients ranging from the State Department to the World Bank, and served as an Advisory Board Member for SXSW. She loves sci fi, all things art, and her Saudi Arabian husky, Buddy. 

Panelist: Maria McKay, Senior Manager, People and Change, KPMG
Maria is a senior manager for KPMG Canada’s People & Change practice. She helps organizations navigate change by preparing them for digital disruption and an inclusive future of work and space in the “Fourth Industrial Revolution.” Maria co-built the firm’s Workforce Transformation Methodology that uses a data and analytics-driven approach to forecast strategic, technological, and people impacts and likely supply and demand of jobs and skills in the future. She wants to ensure that leaders from across organizational disciplines can shape, structure, size, and equip their staff in a “future-proofed” manner to let them take advantage of opportunities that technologies create, but not face unintended consequences such as unbalanced disruption of women and BIPOC people who have not been educated in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) so that no one is left behind. Maria has been recognized for her ethics and mentorship of students, professional peers, and newcomers to Canada. She is an active member of KPMG’s Black Professionals Network and is a strong advocate of Inclusiveness and Diversity initiatives and the Black Lives and Indigenous Lives Matter Movements.

Panelist: Daina Proctor, Associate Partner, Security Intelligence, Threat Management, Cloud, IBM
Daina Proctor, recently named as one of Canada’s TOP 20 Women in CyberSecurity, is the Canadian national lead for IBM’s Security Intelligence practice.  In her role she leverages her seasoned delivery experience to enable and evolve businesses with cohesive, transparent and rapid threat intelligence programs.  She has spent more than 15+ years leading and growing information security programs, from technology stack through operating models. Through escalating leadership positions with companies such as Nortel and CGI, and now IBM, Daina has grown and built security competencies in the Nordics, the Netherlands, UK, Australia as well as here at home in Canada. As an avid outdoors and sports enthusiast and mom to adult children (as well as a few fur babies), Daina balances her time between technology and being outdoors with her family.

Panelist: Tracey De Leeuw, Chief Executive Officer, Futureland
Tracey DeLeeuw is a tech veteran, a futurist, and a serial entrepreneur.  Tracey was the founder of Canada’s first eCommerce company with Royal Bank and Canada Post in 1994.  For the past 3 decades, Tracey has leveraged her deep tech knowledge to craft transformative solutions for her Canadian and international clients independently and while a global executive at Ernst & Young.  Over the past 15 years, Tracey has covered the gig economy, platforms, security, IoT, Machine Learning, Smart Cities and Smart Buildings.  The future of work is clear to Tracey and she sees some of the most exciting times for women coming just around the corner.

Willis College Graduate, Pathways into a Cybersecurity Career 

Adwoa Adu, Cloud Infrastructure, Transport Canada

Adwoa Adu is Willis College graduate (2019) who has entered the world of CyberSecurity with a bang. Currently employed as a Cloud Security Analyst with Transport Canada. She is also the Co-Founder of @SheLeadsCyber, a group dedicated to inspiring and building minority female talent in the CyberSecurity and Tech industries. She is also a self described cyber diplomacy enthusiast and proud Mama!

Cyber Security Skills, Trends and Building Your Career

Christine Lamothe, President, Perennial Talent Inc.

Christine Lamothe is President of Perennial Talent, a competency-based talent management solutions company. Christine is recognized as one of North America’s foremost experts in Competency Based Talent Management to support changing workplace environments. She has developed hundreds of standards/competency profiles and application tools for numerous occupational groups for purpose of recruitment/staffing, learning and development, career development and management, performance management and succession planning. Christine has pioneered and has been active in this field for the last 25 years. She has managed major Talent Management projects around the world and has supported numerous industries in both the public and private sectors ensuring their workforce has the skills required for successful performance in their given roles. She is well recognized by her peers in Canada and sought after as a fully bilingual speaker and facilitator on the topic of competencies and assessment. She has been the subject of several radio and television interviews and newspaper articles. Christine has designed and delivered highly acclaimed CBM webinars on restructuring and transformation and the role of competencies in a changing environment.

Panel: Exemplary Careers in Cyber: “See Her and Be Her”

Moderator: Christine Lamothe, President, Perennial Talent Inc.
Christine Lamothe is President of Perennial Talent, a competency-based talent management solutions company. Christine is recognized as one of North America’s foremost experts in Competency Based Talent Management to support changing workplace environments. She has developed hundreds of standards/competency profiles and application tools for numerous occupational groups for purpose of recruitment/staffing, learning and development, career development and management, performance management and succession planning. Christine has pioneered and has been active in this field for the last 25 years. She has managed major Talent Management projects around the world and has supported numerous industries in both the public and private sectors ensuring their workforce has the skills required for successful performance in their given roles. She is well recognized by her peers in Canada and sought after as a fully bilingual speaker and facilitator on the topic of competencies and assessment. She has been the subject of several radio and television interviews and newspaper articles. Christine has designed and delivered highly acclaimed CBM webinars on restructuring and transformation and the role of competencies in a changing environment.

Panelist: Jenny Dho, Chief Security Officer, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Jenny is a senior IT leader experienced specialized in IT risk management and information security.  As part of senior IT leadership teams her experience spans across all IT domains and across a variety of industries, including professional services (engineering), financial services (banking), and loyalty management.  Her career spans audit roles, consulting services and corporate management.  In her current role as Chief Security Officer for CMHC, she applies a risk-based approach to both physical and information security services to ensure the security of CMHC, its partners and Canadians’ sensitive information.

Panelist: Allison Atkins, Director Cybersecurity Risk Management Scotiabank
Allison Atkins is a Director in Scotiabank’s Cybersecurity and IT Risk Management function where she leads a team of cybersecurity risk specialists with an enterprise-wide focus.  Allison has a depth of experience across Information Security and IT Risk domains, having worked in the field since 1999.  She spent the first decade of her career in professional services, delivering consulting, advisory and audit engagements before moving into the financial services industry.  Allison spent 8 years in the UK and worked with a large global insurance firm there.  After returning to Canada, she took up a sales role with a security product vendor, followed by a role leading the Security program for a Fintech company. She then joined Scotiabank in 2018.  Allison holds a BSc. Computer Science from Western University and the CISSP, CISM, CISA, and CGEIT designations.

Panelist: Priya Sirwani, Global Chief Information Security Officer, Fiera Capital
Priya is the Global Chief Information Security Officer and Head of Global IT Infrastructure for Fiera Capital. As the CISO, she is responsible for driving Fiera Capital’s vision, strategy and program for cyber security and information protection globally. In her IT Infrastructure remit, she is responsible for advancing Fiera’s digital transformation strategy through secure, resilient and business enabling IT Services. Priya is an internationally experienced Cyber Security and IT Risk Executive with 20+ years of demonstrated expertise in cyber security, information risk management, data privacy and cyber fraud in global organizations across diverse industries such as financial services, aviation, and loyalty. An active member of the Toronto CISO community, Priya has a Masters in Computer Applications and has completed an Executive Leadership Development Program from Cranfield University, UK. Her professional certifications include Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE) and Payment Card Industry Professional (PCIP).

Testimonial: Opportunities with a Career College

Ramona Buda, Chief Operating Officer, Summit2

From a very young age growing up in Communist Romania, Ramona Buda was an avid reader. It was her love of books that sparked her desire to move to a country that offered better opportunities. Moving to Canada as a young adult made her dream a reality. Over the past twenty years, Ramona has lived in Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton with the opportunity to conduct business in most provinces of the country. Although her initial career path included a near decade-long journey in the health sector, Ramona’s heart has always been in education. With a flair for business and entrepreneurship, and a passion for education, Ramona has decided to build a career that combines both of her passions: education and business. As Chief Operating Officer of Summit2, Ramona leads nine different campuses across Canada, including four for Willis College. She feels blessed every day to have the opportunity to play a role in the training and education of thousands of post-secondary students.

Closing Remarks, Next Steps and Preparation for 2022 Global Forum on Women in Cybersecurity 

Darren Jones, National Director, Cybersecurity Strategy, Willis College

Darren Jones, CPA, CMA is a proven and creative leader within the cyber security community. Having gotten his start in the IT security field more than 30 years ago, Darren has worked in a variety of roles in large and small consulting practices as well as in the financial services industry. He has also provided leadership in several start-up businesses that operated globally, including a managed security services / security operations centre provider and digital eBusiness platforms. He brings a crucial combination of hands-on and executive level perspective to Willis’ cyber security strategy.

Event Link: https://kpmgmeet.webex.com/kpmgmeet/onstage/g.php?MTID=ea295ae6370e35dd9e69353376e5210f0
pw: WomenInCyber