From navigating barriers to breaking new ground, queer leaders are reshapingwhat leadership looks like in the C-Suite and the Boardroom. This panel bringstogether executives and professionals who have led at the highest levels acrossindustries to share the challenges they’ve overcome, the lessons they’velearned, and how their identities have influenced and strengthened theirleadership style.

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Guiding the conversation is John Clifford (he/him), Senior Partner at McMillan LLP.John is recognized nationally and internationally for his expertise incross-border mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and antitrust law.He has been celebrated globally for his leadership on LGBTQ+ inclusion,including being named to the FinancialTimes/Yahoo Finance OUTstanding Top 100 LGBT+ Executives list for fiveconsecutive years. Currently, he serves as Chair of MS Canada.

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The panel features:

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Katherine Pollock (she/her) – Partner at Fasken and member of the firm’sPartnership Board, where she previously served as Chair (2020–2023). Katherineadvises employers on labour, employment, and human rights matters and is aleading voice on equity, diversity, and inclusion, founding Fasken’s PrideNetwork and chairing its Board EDI Committee.

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Ken Chan (he/him) – Partner and Practice Leader at Optimus SBR, where he leadsthe firm’s health, government, and public sector consulting practice. With acareer spanning Canada, the UK, and multiple sectors, Ken is also anexperienced director serving on several boards and a founding advisory boardmember of LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors Canada.

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Connie Bonello (she/her) – Insights and Data Financial Services Leader atCapgemini. With more than 25 years of global experience in consulting andtechnology leadership, Connie is a recognized expert on data, analytics, andAI. She serves on multiple boards, is an Advisory Board member for the SchulichSchool of Business, and has been named one of the 50 Women to Watch for Boards.

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Jacques Webster (he/him) – President, Eurest & ESFM. Jacques leads a teamproviding dining and facilities management services to business, industry, andpublic sector clients. With over 30 years in the foodservice industry, he hasimplemented transformational change across Canada and is passionate aboutbuilding high-performance teams that celebrate diversity. Jacques is a foundingmember of Compass Group’s PRIDE ALLIANCE diversity and inclusion committee andcombines leadership with a personal passion for Medieval history.

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