KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Leadership in First Nations Economic Development
Thursday, October 17 | 7:30 AM-8:45 AM
Clarence Louie
As Chief of the Osoyoos Indian Band for 32 years, Clarence will share the story of the Osoyoos Indian Band and how politics, business and leadership are intertwined as well as provide his personal insights into the holistic First Nation approach to community and economic development.
Clarence consistently emphasized economic development as a means to improve his people’s standard of living. Under his direction, the Band has become a multi-faceted corporation that owns and manages nine businesses and employs hundreds of people. In 1998, the Osoyoos Indian Band Development Corporation was formed to manage and provide strategic direction to the existing businesses and as well as seek out new economic opportunities. Clarence was appointed C.E.O. In 2019, Clarence was recognized as one of the country’s most distinguished business leaders with an induction into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame.
Neuro Communications: The Science of Influence
Thursday, October 17 | 12:00 PM-1:45 PM
Gregor Jeffrey
In Gregor Jeffrey’s award-winning talk, he draws on proven neuroscience to demonstrate how to deliver the right information at exactly the right moment to engage each member of your audience every time you speak. Whether you are speaking in meetings or conference calls, or giving a presentation, you will learn what your audience needs from you and how to implement it immediately to achieve results.
Professional Governance
Friday, October 18 | 7:30 AM-8:45 AM
Paul Craven
Paul Craven, Superintendent of Professional Governance, will speak about the Professional Governance Act, the role of the Office of the Superintendent of Professional Governance, and what lies ahead for Engineers and Geoscientists BC and other regulatory bodies and their registrants.
Paul Craven was named the Superintendent of Professional Governance in June 2019. Craven has 15 years of experience serving at senior levels in the B.C. public service. Most recently, he served as an executive director at the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office where he led the strategic services and compliance division to administer the Environmental Assessment Act.
Craven was responsible for the branch that ensures proponents are in compliance with the act through administrative and field inspections, as well as through investigations and enforcement of major projects. Craven also led policy development at EAO and led the team responsible for the recent revitalization of environmental assessment process resulting in the passage of the new Environmental Assessment Act in 2018.
Using Curiosity to Make Fear Disappear
Friday, October 18 | 12:00 PM-1:45 PM
George Kourounis
Some consider George Kourounis to be fearless, but nothing could be further from the truth. Sure, it takes a certain kind of person to drive into the eye of a hurricane, to dangle from a rope over a steaming volcano, or jump into a pond with thousands of hungry piranhas. And although Kourounis has done all these things (and much more), he’s not without fear. By understanding why we are afraid to do something—and by analyzing the possible outcomes of our decisions—he shows that fear is not only something that can be managed and controlled, but it’s a vital element to accomplishing anything worthwhile.
Whether in business, with personal challenges, or even extreme exploration, fear is what gives us an edge. It’s that force that keeps us in check—and without it, we’re prone to making reckless decisions. In this inspiring keynote, Kourounis teach you how to harness your fear, and use it to their advantage. His secret weapon? Curiosity. It’s the antidote to fear that we all used to have in abundance when we were children, a trait that tends to get squeezed out of us as we enter adulthood.