Schedule
Tuesday, June 11th • The Globe and Mail Centre
| Cocktail Reception | 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM |
| Opening Remarks with Inovia Partner Dennis Kavelman | 5:35 PM to 5:45 PM |
| Fireside Chat with Inovia Partner Karamdeep Nijjar and Sebastian Mallaby | 5:45 PM to 6:30 PM |
Wednesday, June 12th • STORYS Building
| Opening Remarks | 9:00 AM to 9:10 AM |
| Scaling in a Highly Competitive Market with Inovia Partner Patrick Pichette and Hopper CEO Fred Lalonde | 9:10 AM to 9:45 AM |
| Hypergrowth and International Expansion with Inovia Partner Dennis Kavelman and Sonos CEO Patrick Spence | 9:50 AM to 10:25 AM |
| Short Break | 10:25 AM to 10:40 AM |
| Optionality and IPO Readiness with Inovia Strategic Partner Françoise Brougher and Crowdstrike CFO Burt Podbere | 10:40 AM to 11:20 AM |
| Selling SaaS to Enterprise: How to Fight Against the Big Players with Inovia Strategic Partner Manon Brouillette and Former Verizon Business CEO Tami Erwin | 11:25 AM to 12:00 PM |
| Networking Lunch | 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM |
Meet our Speakers
Burt Podbere, CFO of CrowdStrike
Burt Podbere is a seasoned executive with over 20 years of experience in technology, software, and healthcare sectors, specializing in management, finance, and strategic planning. His expertise includes M&A, public offerings, financial operations, and international compliance, with a proven track record in driving business growth and operational efficiency. Podbere has successfully completed significant transactions, including IPOs and high-value sales, and is skilled in Sarbanes-Oxley and ERP implementations. His global experience spans over 50 countries, emphasizing his proficiency in managing financial and strategic challenges in diverse international markets.
Françoise Brougher, Former COO of Pinterest and Inovia Strategic Partner
Françoise Brougher is an accomplished senior executive and board director with extensive experience in technology, engineering, finance, operations, and sales. She excels in scaling companies and developing go-to-market strategies across various functions like sales, marketing, and customer success. As COO at Pinterest, she significantly grew revenue, expanded globally, and aided its IPO. At Square, she was instrumental in building go-to-market functions and supporting its IPO. Her tenure at Google as VP of Global Sales and Operations marked a period of significant growth. Additionally, Françoise holds board positions at Sodexo and Velocity Global, contributing her expertise in international markets and corporate strategy. She holds an MBA from Harvard and a Masters in Engineering from Institut Catholique d’Arts et Metiers, France.
Fred Lalonde, Co-Founder & CEO of Hopper
Frederic Lalonde is co-founder and CEO of Hopper. Before launching Hopper in 2007, Fred previously co-founded Newtrade, where he successfully raised $7 million in two rounds of venture capital, and built the company up to 70 employees before being acquired by Expedia in 2002. At Expedia, Fred developed product and growth strategies, signing up over 10,000 hotels to the Expedia platform. He later moved on to participate in various Expedia M&A activities, including the acquisition of Hotels.com, TripAdvisor, and eLong.
Manon Brouillette, Former CEO of Videotron and Verizon Consumer Group and Inovia Strategic Partner
Manon Brouillette is the Chairman of the Board of Hydro-Québec and a former CEO of Verizon Consumer Group and Videotron. She has vast experience in digital transformation and customer experience development, particularly in contexts of rapid growth and market disruption. Manon led major projects like Verizon’s 5G launch and the creation of Club Illico, Canada’s first SVOD service. She also launched the digital telecom operator FIZZ. Recognized for building strong brands and customer satisfaction, she has served on multiple corporate boards, including National Bank of Canada and Altice USA. Manon is a two-time recipient of Canada’s top 100 most influential women award and a graduate of Université Laval and the Robert Ivey School of Business.
Patrick Spence, CEO of Sonos
Patrick Spence is the CEO and serves on the Board of Directors for Sonos. He joined in 2012 as Chief Commercial Officer, led key product developments and expanded Sonos into China, France, Australia, and Mexico. Previously, Spence spent 14 years at RIM/BlackBerry, significantly contributing to its growth in sales and marketing roles. Recognized as one of Canada’s Top 40 under 40 in 2007, he holds a Business Honors Degree from the Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario.
Sebastian Mallaby, Journalist & Public Speaker
Sebastian Mallaby is the Paul A. Volcker senior fellow for international economics at the Council on Foreign Relations and an accomplished journalist and speaker. He writes for various publications and is the author of five books, including “The Power Law: Venture Capital and the Making of the New Future.” His expertise covers central banks, financial markets, and global economic trends. Notable works include “The Man Who Knew,” awarded the 2016 Financial Times/McKinsey Business Book of the Year, and “More Money Than God,” a New York Times bestseller and Loeb Prize winner. Formerly with the Washington Post and the Economist, Mallaby is a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and Oxford graduate.
Tami Erwin, Former EVP and CEO of Verizon Business and Fortune 500 Director
Tami Erwin is a veteran CEO, Fortune 500 director, and expert on digital transformation and growth. A longtime counselor to CEOs and corporate boards, Erwin has deep experience scaling innovation and driving transformation across large and complex organizations. She has advised CEOs in every industry and worked with virtually all Fortune 500 companies as well as governments, communities, and consumers around the world. A trusted advisor who understands the challenges of international markets and managing global risk, Erwin provides exceptional value to corporate boards focused on long-term shareholder value.
Major Sponsors
Serving customers for 200 years and counting, BMO is a highly diversified financial services provider and the 4th largest commercial bank in North America. The BMO Technology & Innovation Banking Group is a team of specialists that support technology companies with dedicated coverage and specialized financial services. Technology & Innovation Banking provides growth and expansion capital to technology companies at every stage of the life cycle from inception to post exit.
With $418 billion in assets as at January 31, 2023, National Bank of Canada, together with its subsidiaries, forms one of Canada’s leading integrated financial groups. It has approximately 30,000 employees in knowledge-intensive positions and has been recognized numerous times as a top employer and for its commitment to diversity.
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP’s Emerging and High Growth Companies Group and Venture Capital teams help clients recognize, develop and realize innovative venture capital opportunities. Osler acts for more than 2,000 early, growth and late-stage ventures and venture investors across Canada, the United States and around the world. The EHG team publishes its annual Deal Points Report: Venture Capital Financings, which includes data from venture capital and growth equity preferred share financings completed by Osler.
CEO Summit Sponsors
TMX Group, Inc. owns and operates TSX, one of the world’s largest equity markets, and TSXV, an early-stage public market alternative for early-stage companies to take their business or bright idea to the next level. With a wide investor base and strong liquidity, TSX and TSXV serve as an access point for Canadian, U.S. and international companies seeking growth and expansion capital within a respected regulatory regime.
True is a global talent management platform renowned for executive search excellence. The sixth largest in its industry, True leverages 10+ years of industry data, market insights, and talent lifecycle expertise to help companies make high-impact talent decisions quickly. Products and services include True Search (retained executive search), TrueBridge (advisory, interim, and fractional executive placement), Thrive (Talent CRM software), True Advance (coaching and assessment), SearchEssentials (tech-enabled hiring services), AboveBoard (inclusive executive community), and Jopwell (diversity tech platform for early-mid career professionals). True also backs promising companies through investment brands True Equity and Vera Equity.