Mylene Paquette
Leadership Keynote Speaker
Sponsored by
Navigating the Yellow Brick Road
Thursday, April 24, 2025
10:00 am - 11:00 am
Wellington Ballroom
Mylene Paquette is the first person from the American continents to row solo across the North Atlantic – a human adventure that’s far more than an achievement in sports.
Her challenge: 29 low-pressure systems, 9 storms, 2 hurricanes, 10 capsizes and 12-metre waves over 129 days and 5,000 km. It may have been a solo row, but it still brought its share of encounters: marine mammals, sharks, thousands of bioluminescent phytoplankton, a 6,300-passenger liner that came to cheer her on in the middle of the ocean and countless other extraordinary meetups! The uniqueness, values and reach of her adventure make it unlike any other modern exploit.
Since 2010, Mylene has led conferences and workshops in every sector, across Quebec and abroad. She navigates organizations by sharing her innovative approach in simple and tangible ways. With humour and humility, she talks openly about her failures, doubts, and learnings.
By sharing all she’s learned from her journeys and encounters with passion and generosity, Mylene hopes to inspire a broad audience. Through her stories and accounts, she invites us to chart our own path, moment by moment.
Catherine Wreford
Wellness Keynote Speaker
Sponsored by
Find Your Good Witch of the (True!) North
Thursday, April 24, 2025
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Wellington Ballroom
Catherine Wreford was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Her passion for performing was first recognized at age 3 when she learned how to roll out of a handstand with a professional flair. She went on to train at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School.
After high school, Catherine Wreford moved to Toronto and performed in the Stratford Festival production of West Side Story directed by Kelly Robinson and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo. At age 20, she was cast in the Broadway revival of 42nd Street, directed by Mark Bramble and choreographed by Randy Skinner. She performed with the cast in the opening number for that year's Tony Awards.
Catherine Wreford was also in the original cast of the 2002 revival of Oklahoma!, directed by Trevor Nunn and choreographed by Susan Stroman, and performed in the 2002 Tony Awards. For two years, Wreford delighted audiences as Peggy Sawyer, the lead role in the U.S. tour of 42nd Street. Other notable theatre credits include Cassie in A Chorus Line, Roxie in Chicago and Alison in Fun Home.
Wreford is a woman of many talents. She previously ran a mortgage company in Los Angeles and later spent four years becoming a nurse. She is also a survivor. In 2013, after giving birth to her second child, Wreford was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Given two to six years to live, she decided to return to her performing roots in Canada.
In 2022, Wreford teamed up with her best friend Craig Ramsay—they met as teenagers at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School—to win Season 8 of The Amazing Race Canada. Wreford sees the win as an opportunity to shine a spotlight on finding a cure for brain cancer.
Catherine Wreford has made a significant impact by raising awareness for brain cancer research and inspiring individuals to overcome adversity. As a survivor herself, she shares her story to foster community support and raise funds for vital research initiatives. Catherine's advocacy extends to empowering women, promoting mental health awareness, and fostering inclusivity.
Through her motivational speaking, she encourages people to embrace their strengths, pursue their passions, and create positive change in their lives and communities. Her unwavering dedication and personal achievements make Catherine Wreford a beacon of hope, inspiring others to make a difference and contribute to a better world.
Catherine Wreford is a performer, a teacher, an adjudicator, a stretch expert, a survivor, a mentor and a motivational speaker. Most of all, she is a lover of life who encourages and inspires everyone she meets to run their own amazing race.
Secure the Storm Door
Opening Keynote Speakers
Natural Catastrophes and Mitigation
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
10:00 am - 10:45 am
Winnipeg Ballroom
Join us for Secure the Storm Door, an eye-opening session featuring two expert-led presentations on the growing impact of natural disasters and the strategies to mitigate risk. Hear from Aaron Sutherland, Vice-President, Western Region at the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), and Paul Kovacs, Executive Director of the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR), as they share critical insights on protecting communities and strengthening resilience. Don’t miss this opening keynote to kickoff Convention!
Aaron Sutherland
Vice-President, Western Region at the Insurance Bureau of Canada
With experience in government relations, policy development and strategic communications, Aaron has a demonstrated record of building, maintaining and leveraging relationships to achieve mutual goals.
As Vice-President for Insurance Bureau of Canada’s Pacific and Western regions, Aaron directs all of its government relations activities in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. He is responsible for eliciting positive change and sound public policy on key priorities and member companies’ concerns on strategic property and casualty insurance industry objectives.
Prior to joining Insurance Bureau of Canada in 2014, he held senior roles with the Interior Health Authority and British Columbia government.
Aaron holds a bachelor of arts in international relations from the University of British Columbia. An enthusiastic and dedicated community advocate, he is a member of the board for the Pacific Northwest Preparedness Society and the British Columbia Earthquake Alliance. He has been a “Big Brother” with the Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver since 2014.
Paul Kovacs
Executive Director of the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction
Paul Kovacs is Canada’s leading authority on insurance and climate change. He is the founder of the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction at the University of Western Ontario.
Since 1996 Paul has been a contributing author to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world’s leading forum for the study of climate issues and winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. He is presently preparing a special report for United Nations climate change negotiators promoting insurance as a mechanism to advance disaster risk reduction.
For more than thirty years Paul has been popular commentator on insurance, disaster safety and economic policy. He has written more than 200 publications and articles and he is a passionate champion for insurance, disaster resilience and adaptation to climate extremes.
Paul has worked in private industry, governments and academia. For almost twenty years his focus has been on insurance issues. Paul serves on a number of Canadian and international advisory boards, and he has a growing collection of bow ties.