Axis Connects Leadership Forum
Bold conversations. Actionable insights. Unparalleled networking.
The Axis Connects Leadership Forum is Calgary’s premier leadership event, presenting a distinct chance for personal and professional advancement. Each year, the Forum brings together hundreds of mid to senior-level professionals from Calgary’s corporate world and beyond.
Expect bold conversations, workshops, and powerful insights from some of Canada’s most respected executives and thought leaders. Whether you are looking to enhance your leadership skills, expand your professional network, or drive career mobility and organizational growth, the Forum is a transformative day designed to elevate your leadership journey.
Tickets Now Available for November 23, 2026 @ The BMO Centre
Announcements
We are thrilled to announce that Jann Arden is taking the stage as our keynote speaker at the Axis Connects Leadership Forum this November, powered by ATB Financial!
With humour, candour, and unforgettable storytelling, Jann has spent decades capturing hearts as one of Canada’s most beloved voices. Please join us on November 23 at the BMO Centre as she shares her personal journey, highlighting the importance of adaptability in an unpredictable world. She explores what it means to be built for change, offering audiences a heartfelt and hilarious guide to finding the good—and the laughs—even in life’s toughest moments.
Showcase Your Brand in Our Attendee Swag Bag
Put your brand directly into the hands of Leadership Forum attendees. We’re inviting businesses and brands to contribute products, samples or promotional items to this year’s attendee swag bags.
It’s a great opportunity to introduce your brand to our community and be part of the Leadership Forum experience.
Interested in contributing? Contact us at hello@axisconnects.com to learn more.
A Look Back: Our 2025 Leadership Forum
Here is a look at how our last event went! On November 25, 2025, over 700 professionals joined us at the Calgary Telus Convention Centre for an incredible day of learning and connection. Explore the highlights, speakers, and breakout sessions that made our past event a success.
Our 2026 Keynote Speakers, Breakout Hosts, and Topics
Keynote: My Story
We are thrilled to announce that Jann Arden is taking the stage as our keynote speaker!
With humour, candour, and unforgettable storytelling, Jann has spent decades capturing hearts as one of Canada’s most beloved voices. Join us as she shares her personal journey, highlighting the importance of adaptability in an unpredictable world. She explores what it means to be built for change, offering audiences a heartfelt and hilarious guide to finding the good—and the laughs—even in life’s toughest moments.
Jann Arden is a multi-platinum, award-winning singer, songwriter, actor, and author. She has released 16 albums with 19 top 10 singles.
Jann Arden
Renowned Musician | Bestselling Author
Jann Arden
Renowned Musician | Bestselling Author
Jann Arden is a multi-platinum, award-winning singer, songwriter, actor, and author. She has released 16 albums with 19 top 10 singles.
Arden’s accolades include eight JUNO Awards, including Female Artist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year, 10 SOCAN Awards, and four Western Canadian Music Awards, to name a few. In 2020, she was announced as an inductee into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame joining the ranks of Canadian music icons including Alanis Morisette, Bryan Adams, Barenaked Ladies, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Joni Mitchell, Shania Twain, and many more. Arden has also been inducted into the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, has a Star on Canada’s Walk of Fame, and has been awarded the Order of Canada.
Arden has written six books, the most recent bestseller being her debut novel, The Bittlemores, released November 2023. This comes after her most recent memoir If I Knew Then: Finding
Wisdom in Failure and Power in Aging, which was released October 2020. It followed Arden’s 2017 Canadian bestseller, Feeding My Mother: Comfort and Laughter in the Kitchen as My Mom
Lives with Memory Loss, which spent a combined 44 weeks on he Globe and Mail bestseller lists.
Arden’s original CTV hit series, Jann, was the most-watched new Canadian comedy series of the 2018-2019 broadcast season. Arden, who was also a co-creator, played a fictionalized version of herself. The show’s third season aired in 2021 on both Hulu and CTV Television Network. Other screen credits include guest appearances in Wynonna Earp (Syfy), Private Eyes (Fox), The Detour (TBS), and Workin’ Moms (Netflix).
MIXTAPE, the follow-up to her 2021 album, Descendant, was released January 2025. The album features a collection of Arden’s favourite pop recordings from the nineties by Sia, Seal, Robyn, Chris Issac, including the positive and optimistic song by Des’ree “You Gotta Be” and more.
Whether she is captivating audiences with her heartfelt music, entertaining them with her quick wit, or sharing her written word in a boldly honest voice, Arden is a Canadian original — a brilliant multi-dimensional talent.
Keynote: Elite Performance: Unlocking Potential and Sustaining Excellence
Tessa Virtue has flourished under the spotlight on the world’s toughest rinks and in the most complex boardrooms.
In this valuable presentation, Virtue will share key learnings from her experience as a world class athlete and draw from her academic and corporate background to show audiences how to unlock and empower high performance within leaders and teams.
This presentation can be customized for clients to focus on one or more of the following key learning outcomes:
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- Leadership: Having been coached by many of the best in sport, and now helping to coach many of the best in business as an executive advisor at Deloitte, Virtue shares leadership approaches that inspire teams and drive results.
- Teamwork: As half of one of the world’s most successful duos, Virtue draws from her first-hand, lived experience to instill the importance of collaboration, communication, and commitment to ensure success.
- The power of purpose: How connecting to your “why” unlocks potential to help leaders and teams dig deep when it counts.
- Agility and resilience: How resilience contributes to success, and how to bolster skillsets to build resilience in the face of adversity.
- Managing burnout: Elite athletes are consumed by the concept of managing energy in order to train and perform at their best, yet somehow researched-based tactics surrounding energy management are rarely incorporated outside of sport. Virtue shares the tools that can help combat burnout and improve work performance for both leaders and teams.
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Tessa Virtue
Five-Time Olympic Medalist and Deloitte Executive Advisor
Tessa Virtue
Five-Time Olympic Medalist and Deloitte Executive Advisor
Tessa Virtue is the most decorated female figure skater in Olympic history, with five Olympic medals — three of them gold. A three-time World Champion and eight-time National Champion, she stands among the most accomplished athletes in Canadian sport.
Beyond the rink, Tessa holds an MBA from Queen’s University and a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, pairing her elite athletic career with academic expertise in leadership, resilience, and human performance. She is a Member of the Order of Canada, a Member of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, and serves as an Executive Advisor to Deloitte.
Today, Tessa draws on her experience across elite sport, academia, and business to help leaders and teams perform under pressure, sustain excellence, and achieve results without sacrificing well-being.
Hear From Our Attendees
“Attending last year’s forum was a turning point in my career. The energy and insights from the speakers and attendees inspired me to pursue new opportunities I hadn’t considered before. I even formed a partnership with another attendee, which led to significant career advancement. The event provided not just inspiration but practical advice and connections that have been invaluable to my professional growth. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to elevate their career and expand their network.”
“Loved the energy at the event, the professionalism, courtesy and welcome given to all attendees. Great line up of speakers. Overall, an excellent event.”
“The day flew by because the content was so engaging! Awesome event, well run, meaningful content. Thank you!!!”
2026 Sponsors
This event is powered by the sponsors of Axis Connects and the Calgary Influential Women in Business Awards
