Agenda

Our agenda is jam-packed with insightful sessions presented by experts in the Tech HR industry to help you identify the best tactics, policies and strategies employed by other people ops leaders.

More speakers coming soon. 

Looking to earn CPD credits towards your CPHR accreditation? Tech Talent North is a pre-approved CPD partner allowing you to earn 6 certified education hours towards your CPHR designation.

CHRP, CHRL and CHRE members of HRPA may self-report hours for CPD.

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Events

June 03, 2026 , 2026

07:30 AM – 08:15 AM

Early Bird Workshop: Live Generative AI Workshop: BYOA – Build Your Own Agent  

A practical guide with frameworks, demos and techniques to apply generative AI in day-to-day work.

 Overview 

This hands-on, interactive workshop will show you how executives are actively using AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Copilot to transform productivity, accelerate their business strategies, make better decisions, and eliminate busywork. 

  

This is NOT a session about writing better prompts. 

  

Participants will walk away with a deeper understanding of what’s truly possible with generative AI—and how to build and use custom GPTs to boost productivity, scale expertise, and drive real innovation inside your organization. 

  

What Participants Will Learn 

  

In this power session, participants will learn how to: 

  

  1. Create a custom GPT/Bot to scale expertise 
  1. Apply Gen AI directly to your work 
  1. Mega prompt with progressive elaboration 

Why Attend? 

  

Executive-Level—Focused on leadership-level work, not technical AI hype 

Real-Time Demonstrations—See how Gen AI tools produce results in real-time in the real-world 

Hands-on Practice—Build confidence applying AI tools you already have access to 

Walk Away Ready—Leave with actionable ways to integrate Gen AI into your workflow immediately & spark new ideas on what’s possible 

  

Who Should Attend? 

  

  1. Executives & Leaders 
  1. Front-line HR / TA Managers 

Workshop Format & Agenda 

  

Total Time: 45 Mins 

Format: Live Demos, Case Studies & Hands-On Exercises 

  

What to Bring: Laptop + Access to Gen AI tools (ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, etc.) 

RSVP here.

45 Minutes Breakout Room

Joel MacCharles

Founder

Polaris Reach

07:30 AM – 08:30 AM

08:30 AM – 08:50 AM

Stephanie Hollingshead

CEO

TAP Network

Joanna Kmiec

she/her
Chief People Officer

Loopio

08:50 AM – 09:30 AM

Opening Keynote | Leading Teams Through The Fire

Pressure is now part of the day-to-day in tech. 

Layoffs, shifting priorities and AI are changing how teams operate. Leaders are being asked to  guide people through uncertainty while still delivering results. 

In this opening keynote, Fahd Alhattab shares a practical approach to leading in that  environment. The focus is on how to build trust, make decisions and keep teams aligned when  there is no clear playbook. 

The session draws on what holds up in practice, not ideal scenarios. 

You’ll walk away with: 

  • Ways to build trust and alignment when conditions keep shifting
  • Approaches to decision-making and communication without full information
  • Team norms that reduce friction and hold under pressure
  • How to maintain performance without burning people out 
40 Minutes Main Room

Fahd Alhattab

he/him
Founder

Unicorn Labs

09:30 AM – 10:15 AM

Networking Coffee

45 Minutes Foyer

10:15 AM – 11:00 AM

When Your New Hire Isn’t Who You Think

Candidate fraud is no longer just an HR issue. It’s a growing cybersecurity threat.

 

From AI-generated identities and proxy interviews to outsourced assessments and credential theft, hiring signals are easier to manipulate – and harder to trust – than ever. The risk doesn’t end at offer acceptance. Once inside, bad actors can operate as “trusted employees,” gaining access to systems, data, and sensitive infrastructure.

 

As remote and digital hiring becomes the norm, traditional safeguards are no longer enough.

In this session, cybersecurity expert and ethical hacker Terry Cutler breaks down how attackers are using hiring processes to bypass security controls entirely. He’ll walk through where organizations are most exposed, from first interaction through onboarding, and how these gaps are being exploited in real-world breaches.

 

You’ll see how attackers can gain access using legitimate credentials, move laterally across cloud platforms and email, and remain undetected in environments that believe they’re secure. Terry will also demonstrate how protections like two-factor authentication (2FA) are being bypassed—and what that means for your organization.

 

You’ll walk away with:

• How candidate fraud is evolving into a cybersecurity threat

• Where your hiring and onboarding processes are most vulnerable

• Practical ways to reduce risk without slowing down hiring

• How attackers bypass controls like 2FA and remain undetected

• What to do when a breach originates from inside your workforce

45 Minutes Breakout Room

Terry Cutler

Founder & CEO

Cyology Labs

Paying For Impact In a “Do More With Less” World

As teams are asked to deliver more with less, traditional approaches to pay are starting to show strain. Salary bands, job structures, and reward frameworks are being tested against how work actually happens today. At the same time, legal and regulatory realities mean performance-linked benefits aren’t a viable path—requiring organizations to rethink how and where they differentiate. 

In this session, People leaders share how they are redefining value inside their organizations. The conversation looks at how pay, performance, and outcomes are being brought closer together—while still maintaining fairness, trust, and compliance. You’ll hear how organizations are using base, bonus, and equity more strategically, while evolving benefits to offer greater flexibility and consistency across the workforce. 

You’ll walk away with: 

  • Ways to evolve compensation models without disrupting internal equity
  • How to better align pay with performance and business outcomes
  • Approaches to managing rewards, benefits, and risk in a more fluid environment
  • How to support teams doing more with less through smarter total rewards design

45 Minutes Breakout Room
Moderator

Gayle Horyn

Vice President, People & Culture

Maplesoft

Jenny Do Forno

Chief People Officer

TouchBistro

Ingrid Gailler

she/her
Vice-President, Benefits Consulting – National Accounts

HUB International

Marvin Reyes

Partner, Career Practice

Mercer

11:10 AM – 11:55 AM

The CPO in the Boardroom: Defending Headcount & Investment

Headcount decisions are no longer internal conversations, they’re board-level discussions. 

 

In a tighter market, People leaders are expected to explain talent investment in terms that resonate beyond HR. That means linking hiring, retention, and capability building directly to performance, risk and long-term value. 

 

In this session, Andrea Bartlett shares how to approach those conversations with clarity and confidence. The focus is on how to frame trade-offs, quantify impact, and build credibility in the room where decisions are made. 

 

You’ll walk away with: 

  • The metrics boards expect when evaluating headcount
  • Ways to connect talent investment to business outcomes and risk
  • How to show the cost of underinvesting in people
  • Practical approaches to communicating with clarity at the executive level

45 Minutes Breakout Room

Andrea Bartlett

VP, People

Lillio

11:10 AM – 12:00 PM

The Skinny on AI in HR: What’s Real, What’s Risky, and What’s a Waste of Time

Everyone is experimenting with AI, but are teams clear on what is actually working? 

 

Across recruiting, performance, workforce planning and employee experience, tools are being tested at speed. Some are delivering real value. Others are adding noise, risk or complexity. 

 

In this session, People leaders share how AI is showing up inside their teams today. The conversation focuses on what is delivering impact, where things have fallen short and how teams are navigating the pressure to move quickly without losing trust. 

 

You’ll walk away with: 

  • Examples of AI tools that are delivering measurable impact in HR
  • Lessons from pilots that did not work and what changed as a result
  • Practical guardrails to manage bias, privacy, and reputational risk
  • A clear approach to testing AI without overwhelming your team or budget

50 Minutes Breakout Room
Moderator

Melanie Scheepers

SVP, People & Culture

Coconut Software

Roald Harvey

he/him
Sr. Director of People

Athennian

Sara Sadler

VP, People

7shifts

Andrew Tai

Co-Founder

DeeplyTalented

12:00 PM – 12:50 PM

*Program & schedule subject to change*

*The views expressed by the speakers in their presentations are their own personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of their respective companies or organizations.

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Our 2026 Speakers

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NEW!

See Who Attends

See which leading organizations come together to shape the future of tech talent.

NEW!

Features & Giveaways

From AI workshops and executive branding sessions to Blue Jays tickets, gift cards, and more!

NEW!

Our 2026 Speakers

Explore the leaders and experts who will share insights on stage.

NEW!

See Who Attends

See which leading organizations come together to shape the future of tech talent.

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