Speakers

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Professional Development Day 2020 will feature two keynote speakers and 16 break-out session speakers.


Keynotes

 

Gladys Lam   Opening keynote speaker: Gladys S.W. Lam
Topic: Engineering the Business Experience: How Business Rules, Business Processes, Data, and Requirements Can All Work Together

Gladys S.W. Lam is a world-renowned authority on business design. She is Principal and Co-Founder of Business Rule Solutions, LLC, the most recognized company world-wide in developing business capabilities based on business architecture and business rules. Based upon her experiences consulting to over two hundred organizations, Ms. Lam developed the landmark BRS methodology with Ronald G. Ross featuring numerous innovative techniques including popular ConceptSpeak™ and RuleSpeak™. She co-authored Building Business Solutions: Business Analysis with Business Rules (2nd Ed.).
 
Hardeep Chaggar   Closing keynote speaker: Hardeep Chaggar
Topic: Using Virtual Reality to Democratize Data

Hardeep Chaggar has a unique ability to see into the future. His vision and innovation has allowed him to build an exciting career across the globe. As a recipient of multiple innovation awards, Hardeep has been recognized for his ability to lead challenging and complex transformations as a senior level executive in a multitude of organizations. From transporting ugly freight to gamifying healthcare, Hardeep has turned the difficult and challenging into sexy beautiful. In his current role as executive director in system optimization at Fraser Health, Hardeep engages high performing teams to employ emerging technologies in data visualization creating tangible access to health care solutions. Currently in the pursuit of democratizing health care, Hardeep shares with us the use of data visualization tools to interact with data in a fun and meaningful way.
 

Skills and Techniques Track

 

Sanja Stojanovic   Speaker: Sanja Stojanovic
Topic: Using BI Tools in the World of Business Analysis

Sanja brings twenty years of professional experience in translating business needs into solutions that work. Sanja is client focused, dedicated to exceeding client expectations. She brings experience from Retail, Wireless, Transportation, Payroll, Training, and other industries, working across different IS areas. These include Business Analysis, Portfolio Management, Project Management and Business Intelligence.
 
Sanja is positive and highly enthusiastic with a strong ability to motivate staff by creating a culture of trust, transparency, fun and continuous improvement
 
Michelle Chan   Speaker: Michelle Chan
Topic: Using BI Tools in the World of Business Analysis

Michelle is a senior business intelligent analyst, scrum master, BI BA working with her data warehouse team at TransLink. With over 17 years of experience and passion in business intelligence and data analytics, she has helped defined BI standards, led and delivered many successful BI projects to business area ranging from Insurance & Claims, Finance, Human Resource to Fleet Maintenance. She is also one of the key BI trainers in her company with the mandate to help introducing BI tools to the enterprise. Her recent focus was to lead and to enable data analytics capabilities for departments such as Human Resource & Insurance & Claims. 
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Andrew Rose   Speaker: Andrew Rose
Topic: User Story Improv for Product Innovation

As an Agile Coach, Andrew brings a rare blend of disciplines together: Software Development, Business Analysis, Quality Assurance, Business Architecture, Information Architecture, Instructional Design, and Graphic Facilitation. Adding in team coaching expertise makes him a pathfinder for teams that need a creative approach to complex problem solving.
 
Andrew pursued the path of Agile Coaching which is based on a set of principles and values that respect people while doing the hard work needed to bring new ideas to life.
 
Bola Adesope   Speaker: Bola Adesope
Topic: Being Agile: The Business and the Analyst

Bola, certified PMP, CBAP, PRINCE2, ITIL, CSM, PSM, CSPO, MBA,  is an experienced and passionate Agile and Business Transformation Coach, Trainer and Speaker with demonstrated track record in Business Transformation driving strategic initiatives, solving complex business problems and delivering value to customers and stakeholders.
 
His experience spans over a decade of helping organizations transform the way they work whilst solving complex business problems across several industries and continents. As a Consultant and Coach, Bola has supported organizations in Banking, Insurance, Telecoms, IT, Retail and Manufacturing in Africa, Europe, and North America. 
 
David Davis   Speaker: David Davis
Topic: The BA Role in Transitioning a Project to Operations

Mr. Dave Davis. Dave Davis, PMP, PgMP, & PBA is a practitioner of project and program management and a recognized professional in the field of helping businesses implement change.  With over 30 years’ experience in private enterprise as a manager, project manager, program manager, business analyst, and knowledge manager. Dave holds 3 master’s degrees including an MBA and eBusiness Project Management. He has published many articles and delivered presentations throughout the world.
 

Frameworks and Models Track

 

Lukas Klose   Speaker: Lukas Klose
Topic: Creating an Agile Backlog and the Quest for Value

Lukas (PMP, Certified Team Coach) 25 year career took him from software development in startups to Director in Fortune 500, and finally to agile coaching. Serving clients such as Royal Bank of Canada and Industrial Alliance he has found his passion of helping teams and people to transform their world of work to be more meaningful, productive, inspiring and engaging. 
 
Lukas also helped build the Agile Leadership Program at UBC’s Sauder School of Business, where he now teaches classes covering various aspects of agility, ranging from foundational understanding of agility to specialized knowledge about leadership, product management and scrum mastering.
 
Edmund Metera   Speaker: Edmund Metera
Topic: The Practical Guide to High Quality Business Process Models

Edmund Metera, PMP, Senior Project Manager, Canadian Western Bank
Ed is the author of the book Universal Process Modeling Procedure: The Practical Guide to High Quality Business Process Models and founder of ProcessModelingAdvisor.com. Ed teaches IIBA-registered courses and is an advisor to Business Analysis and Process Analysis certificate programs at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Canada. Ed has decades of practical enterprise system and business transformation experience and teaches and mentors business analysts and project managers in best practices for corporations and professional organizations such as PMI and IIBA.
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Rob Adams
 
  Speaker: Rob Adams
Topic: Demistify Strategic Planning

Robert Adams is a Senior Business Advisor at WorkSafeBC. He holds a Master in Business Administration with a specialization in Strategy (2012) and Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (1998). He worked internationally in financial software for many years, before returning to BC to join WorkSafeBC as a Business Analyst in 2012.
 
Shannon Bridson   Speaker: Shannon Bridson
Topic: Demistify Strategic Planning

Shannon Bridson is a Business Analyst with Business Advisory Services at WorkSafeBC. She holds a Master in Business Administration from Simon Fraser University (2018) and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of British Columbia (2014). Following completion of her undergraduate studies, she moved into research management at the UBC Centre for Infant Cognition and later, to further develop her management skillset and business acumen, enrolled in the full-time MBA program. After the program, she joined WorkSafeBC in her current role.
 
Irshad Abdulla   Speaker: Irshad Abdulla
Irshad Abdulla leads KPMG’s EA Practice in BC. He has worked on a number of large-scale technology enabled transformation projects in roles ranging from architect to program manager. Prior to joining KPMG, Irshad worked for the South African Government where he led the Architecture and Advisory Practice. Irshad was instrumental in implementing the Government-Wide Enterprise Architecture (GWEA) Framework as a standard approach to developing and implementing EA’s across multiple Ministries in provincial and federal government.
 
Irshad’s professional experience has allowed him to understand and learn first-hand how EA can be applied to deliver business value whilst staying true to EA practices and applying a strong methodological approach.
 

Transformation and Career Track

 

Seema Amwan   Speaker: Seema Amwan
Topic: Demystifying Digital Transformation

Seema Amwan is the founder of SGM West Management Consulting Inc and has spent the past 10 years as a Senior Business Analyst primarily working with Retail, Finance and Investment Banking clients on successful delivery of some award-winning enterprise digital platforms. As someone who works with designers, marketers, developers, product managers, and company executives, Seema knows how to communicate complex topics at a level that fits the experience of her audience. Seema has a background in technology starting as Oracle DBA at a New York start-up. Seema is a Certified Business Analysis professional (CBAP) and Certified Scrum Master(CSM).
 
Hasnain Rizvi   Speaker: Hasnain Rizvi
Topic: BA's Path to an Agile Coaching Career

Hasnain has in-depth formal project, program, portfolio management and governance experience. He has managed mission critical complex programs and projects for Global 2000 clients. His most recent engagements have focused on Agile Transformation and Coaching.
 
Hasnain is an adjunct instructor and trainer with several universities and organizations, including The University of British Columbia. Hasnain is a Senior Agile, Technology and Education Executive; he has trained and mentored over 20,000 professionals globally.
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Guillermo Garcia   Speaker: Guillermo Garcia
Topic: Scaled Agile: The role of a BA in large agile implementations

Guillermo Garcia is an experienced Lean-Agile professional, Scaled Agile Program Consultant, Project Manager, motivational speaker and mentor.
 
As a Lean-Agile professional and a Project Manager, his focus is on providing value to his clients by managing large scale IT business transformation projects.
 
Guillermo has 20+ years of experience and has spent the entire of his career working for large enterprises in different industries, including Aerospace, IT, Finance, Insurance, Professional Services and Retail.
 
Guillermo is very proud of the array of certifications he holds; he sees himself as a self-directed professional always eager to improve as a person and as an IT professional.
 
Hussein Hallak
 
  Speaker: Hussein Hallak
Topic: The Blockchain Disruption

Serial Entrepreneur - Strategist - Writer - Speaker
Recognized as one of 30 tech thought-leaders and influencers to follow in Vancouver.
Passion for - Startups - Blockchain - AI - Products - Growth - Education
Founder & Chief Curator of Vest in Canada, VP Strategy & Products at 3 tier logic, Founder of Next Decentrum, Evangelist at Launch Academy.
Strategic advisor for several successful startups.
Featured in Forbes, BBC, BetaKit, Entrepreneur, DailyHive, Notable, and CBC.
 

Leadership and Change Management Track

 

Margaret Kuan   Speaker: Margaret Kuan
Topic: Process + Human Behaviour = Reality

Margaret Kuan, CBAP, CSPO, has over 15 years of experience in management consulting, with a specialization in business process management, strategic planning, strategic implementation of technology, business analysis methodologies and change management. Margaret is currently the Sr Manager of Service Excellence Department at WorkSafeBC. Prior to that, Margaret has worked at various private and public organizations in the auction operations, telecommunications and education sectors.
 
Jared Gorai
 
  Speaker: Jared Gorai
Topic: Skills & Competencies in the Digital Age

Jared loves being a Business Analyst and has done so in title for over 15 years with over 25 years of business and leadership experience in both the retail and energy sectors. He is a strong advocate for IIBA, having served in various capacities with the Calgary IIBA Chapter as well as chairing the Volunteer Chapter Network. He brings his passion for business analysis and experience as a Chapter Leader to the role of Director of Chapters and Membership Engagement of IIBA.
 
He holds his Bachelor of Arts degree in French from the University of Calgary and the Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP®) designation. He will take any chance possible to evangelize business analysis and will talk your ear off about the role and the profession should you allow him to do so.
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Hossam Eddeen Saleh   Speaker: Hossam Eddeen Saleh
Topic: Ethical Conduct for BAs - Theory and Practice

Hossam is an international consultant, instructor and speaker for project management and business analysis. He is the founder of Strategic Management Experts (SM-Experts), Canada, a specialized firm in consulting and training services for corporates and public.
 
Hossam started his career as an architect and project manager of complex mega projects, before and leading fast developing organizations. Through his career, Hossam occupied senior positions, including Design Manager, Project Manager and Business Consultant, helping his employers and clients move through transition and development phases.
 
Robert Goatham   Speaker: Robert Goatham
Topic: Leading from the Middle

Robert Goatham is Principal of Calleam Consulting. Calleam was founded in response to the on-going challenges organizations face in developing the leadership skills necessary to successfully deliver today's complex projects. Robert has more than 20 years’ experience in the technology sector in roles that include developer, technical lead, architect, quality manager, coach and senior project manager. As a public speaker, writer and trainer, Robert provides audiences with insights that go beyond the theory of a text book and speak directly to the challenges people face in today's workplace.