Agenda
Welcome & Leader Introduction (15 minutes):
Networking and Discussions/Lunch (40 minutes):
Closing Remarks and Conclusion (5 minutes):
Registration Opens June 7 @ 9am!
Join Kelly Schmitt this May, at The Ranchmen’s Club for Lunch with a Leader. This program is designed to provide Axis Connects members with valuable opportunities to gain insights, mentorship, and network with senior professionals in various industries. We aim to inspire and empower our members by exposing them to diverse perspectives and experiences.
Only 10 spots are available!
Must be an Axis Member to register (Register here)
About Kelly Schmitt
Chief Executive Officer, Benevity Inc.
Kelly is the CEO of Benevity, a leading provider of global corporate purpose software, providing the only integrated suite of community investment and employee, customer, and nonprofit engagement solutions. Powering the goodness programs of many iconic brands such as Apple, Google and Nike, Benevity has processed over $13 billion in donations and 65 million hours of volunteering to 430,000 nonprofits worldwide.
Prior to taking on the CEO role in February 2021, Kelly was Benevity’s President and Chief Financial Officer, overseeing the company’s go-to-market activities and industry-leading risk, vetting and donation disbursement services. Kelly has over 20 years of experience in growth company finance and operations, and recently received the Calgary Influential Women in Business Award (Large Enterprise) and was named an AACSB Influential Leader for her impact in the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging area.
Kelly is passionate about childhood learning and development, serving on the board of the Calgary Science Centre and supporting causes that empower women and children.
Join Arun Chandrasekaran this May, at The Ranchmen’s Club for Lunch with a Leader. This program is designed to provide Axis Connects members with valuable opportunities to gain insights, mentorship, and network with senior professionals in various industries. We aim to inspire and empower our members by exposing them to diverse perspectives and experiences.
Join Rhona DelFrari this March, at The Ranchmen’s Club for Lunch with a Leader. This program is designed to provide Axis Connects members with valuable opportunities to gain insights, mentorship, and network with senior professionals in various industries. We aim to inspire and empower our members by exposing them to diverse perspectives and experiences.
Only 10 spots available!
Must be an Axis Member to register (Register here)
About Rhona DelFrari
Chief Sustainability Officer & Executive Vice-President, Stakeholder Engagement
As Chief Sustainability Officer & Executive Vice-President, Stakeholder Engagement, Rhona works to ensure environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations are embedded in the company’s strategy and business plans. Rhona is also responsible for leading the company’s communications efforts and building strong relationships with stakeholders. This includes working with Indigenous community members, government officials and community partners.
Rhona has been with Cenovus and its predecessor company since 2008. She has a combined honours degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Carleton University and an MBA specializing in global energy from the University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business.
Join Gina Grandy this February, at The Ranchmen’s Club for Lunch with a Leader. This program is designed to provide Axis Connects members with valuable opportunities to gain insights, mentorship, and network with senior professionals in various industries. We aim to inspire and empower our members by exposing them to diverse perspectives and experiences.
Only 10 spots available!
Must be an Axis Member to register (here)
About Gina Grandy
Dr. Gina Grandy is Professor and Dean for the Haskayne School of Business at University of Calgary. Prior to her current role she served as the Dean for the Hill and Levene Schools of Business at University of Regina. She has also held the roles Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Programs, Research Development Program Lead, and the RBC Women in Leadership Scholar. Gina was the lead for the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH) in Saskatchewan – a national network coordinated by Toronto Metropolitan University.
Gina is the co-editor of two books and her award-winning research on leadership, gender and women’s experiences at work, stigmatized work and case writing has been published widely. Gina is a trained leadership and performance coach and is an emotional intelligence certified facilitator. Gina has designed and facilitated leadership development programming, for both aspiring leaders and those holding leadership positions. She has a particular interest in women’s leadership development. She has worked for eight universities located in Canada, United Kingdom and Ukraine. Over the past 25 years Gina has consulted for a diverse range of not-for-profit, public and for-profit organizations across Canada in strategic analysis, planning, implementation and leadership development.
Join Sippy Chhina this January, at The Ranchmen’s Club for Lunch with a Leader. This program is designed to provide Axis Connects members with valuable opportunities to gain insights, mentorship, and network with senior professionals in various industries. We aim to inspire and empower our members by exposing them to diverse perspectives and experiences.
Only 10 spots available!
Must be an Axis Member to register (here)
About Sippy Chhina, CPA, CA, CMA, ICD.D:
Sippy is a recently retired Partner from Deloitte Canada LLP (“Deloitte” or “the Firm”), she also served as a Director on Deloitte’s Board and as a Vice Chair for the Firm. With over 23 years of leadership experience in professional services, Sippy has served Canadian and Global businesses, including 9 years in various executive management and operational roles, Sippy has had the privilege of being in many Boardrooms advising both Directors and members of the C-Suite on a variety of matters as a qualified financial expert. In her professional career she has either been the lead audit partner, a quality assurance partner, or the lead advisory partner serving some of Deloitte’s largest public company energy sector clients. Her experience includes companies operating in sub sectors such as oil and gas, power, renewables, and related infrastructure across North America, South America and Africa. She has also been the lead audit partner for investees of large Canadian and US private equity and pension funds operating either directly or through infrastructure investments in the energy and related services sector. In her client facing role she has provided services with respect to audits, securities offerings, IPOs/MBOs, M&A transaction advisory, corporate structuring, business model design, master data management, supply chain, and ESG with a focus on energy transition and decarbonization strategies. Sippy is known for growth-focused leadership, her strength as a strategic advisor, her ability to lead transformative change, to simplify complex issues which coupled with her stakeholder-centric approach, have helped her successfully advise and guide organizations through ever evolving market, regulatory and stakeholder expectations.
In addition to her client responsibilities, Sippy served for seven years on the Board of Deloitte. Deloitte Canada/Chile employs 17,000 people and generates $3 billion in annual revenue. Sippy co-chaired the board’s Strategy, Ethics & Risk Committee as well as the Audit Quality Committee and has previously served on the Compensation Committee. In her role as a board member and committee member, she has provided oversight on matters related to Deloitte’s enterprise risk framework, strategy, related risks, and measurement KPIs. She has been on the board through an executive team transition, participated in tabletop exercises with respect to cyber threats and has been an active member of the board during an actual cyber breach. Her committee responsibilities have also included executive compensation, internal audit, as well as the oversight of Deloitte’s compliance with regulation. In each of these situations, Sippy brings a pragmatic, fact-based, inquisitive approach to supporting the Board in fulfilling its governance responsibilities.
Sippy has consistently held leadership positions within Deloitte. Most recently she was a member of Deloitte’s Energy, Resources & Industrial (ERI) executive team as well as the National Sector Lead for Audit & Advisory Services. Sippy was also a part of the national Audit executive team. ERI represents approximately 20% of the annual revenues of the Firm and has delivered double digit revenue growth year over year. Previously Sippy was Managing Partner of the Prairie Region Audit & Advisory practice, providing her with deep understanding of the complexities of leading a highly regulated business.
Outside of Deloitte Sippy has served as Chair of the Board of the Calgary Petroleum Club and as a board member of the Mount Royal University Foundation. She currently serves on the board of Board Ready Women. Sippy has her CPA designation and has completed the Institute of Corporate Directors Director Education Program. In 2023 she was recognized as a Calgary Influential Women in Business (CIWB) and was an award recipient in the professional services category.
Sippy enjoys mentoring, reading, gardening, painting, culinary challenges and time with family and friends. She is fluent in English, Hindi, and Punjabi. She currently resides in Calgary, Canada with her husband and has two adult children.
Join Dawn de Lima this November, at Bridgette Bar for Lunch with a Leader. This program is designed to provide Axis Connects members with valuable opportunities to gain insights, mentorship, and network with senior professionals in various industries. We aim to inspire and empower our members by exposing them to diverse perspectives and experiences.
Only 10 spots available!
Must be an Axis Member to register (here)
Lunch is included.
About Dawn de Lima:
Executive Vice-President, Corporate Services at TC Energy
As Executive Vice-President, Corporate Services, Mrs. de Lima provides strategic and functional leadership for human resources, information systems, aviation and facilities services. She also serves as the Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer for the Company.
Prior to joining TC Energy, Mrs. de Lima served as Chief Shared Services Officer on the executive leadership team with TransAlta Corporation, responsible for leading Business and Operational Services, Information Technology, Data and innovation, Supply Chain Management, Corporate Security and Facilities. Mrs. de Lima has also held progressively senior positions in Human Resources, overseeing Executive Compensation, Talent and Culture, Leadership Development, Corporate Communications and Stakeholder Relations.
Mrs. de Lima currently sits as the Chair of the Board for Junior Achievement Canada and the Co-Chair for SHEInnovates Alberta, a United Nations project to advance the progress of women in innovation.
She holds a Master of Business Administration from Queen’s University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Calgary.
Join Jana Mosley this October, at Barbarella for Lunch with a Leader. This program is designed to provide Axis Connects members with valuable opportunities to gain insights, mentorship, and network with senior professionals in various industries. We aim to inspire and empower our members by exposing them to diverse perspectives and experiences.
Only 10 spots available! Registration opens October 4 @ 9am.
Must be an Axis Member to register (here)
Lunch is included.
About Jana Mosley:
Jana Mosley is the President at ENMAX Power, responsible for ENMAX’s regulated transmission and distribution (wires) business in Calgary. She also directs ENMAX’s power infrastructure engineering and maintenance services.
With over two decades of industry experience, Jana has worked for various utilities, industrial consumers, generators and the Alberta Electric System Operator. Prior to joining ENMAX in 2015, Jana served as President for Similan Consulting Inc. and advised companies across North America on electricity policy application, connection to the transmission grid, utility operations and project management.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Manitoba, is a Registered Professional Engineer with APEGA, has a Project Management Professional designation and an ICD.D designation, and completed the Advanced Management Program from Harvard Business School. In addition to her role at ENMAX, she serves on the board of the Western Energy Institute, Women+Power, and Women in Communication and Technology and is a 2022 Calgary Influential Women in Business award winner.
Join Deborah Yedlin this September, at Bridgette Bar for our inaugural Lunch with a Leader. This program is designed to provide Axis Connects members with valuable opportunities to gain insights, mentorship, and network with senior professionals in various industries. We aim to inspire and empower our members by exposing them to diverse perspectives and experiences.
Only 8 spots available!
Must be an Axis Member to register (here)
About Deborah Yedlin:
Deborah joined the Calgary Chamber of Commerce in July, 2021 with a background that includes experience on Wall Street and Bay Street, and more than two decades as a business columnist for various media outlets, commenting on the nexus of business and politics since 1996.
Deb has been very active in the Calgary community – as a board member on a number of not-for-profit organizations including serving as the co-chair of the 2016 United Way Campaign. She served as the14th Chancellor of the University of Calgary and is currently one of three co-chairs of the $250 million Calgary Cancer Centre fundraising campaign.
A first-generation Canadian, born and raised in Edmonton, Deborah is a graduate of the University of Alberta and Queen’s University. She also completed her ICD.D designation through the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary.
Lunch is included, please email any dietary restrictions to hello@axisconnects.com by Sept 5th.
