Future of Manufacturing

Keynote Speaker

Hon. Doug Ford
PREMIER OF ONTARIO

Doug Ford is the 26th premier of Ontario and the MPP for Etobicoke North. Previously a businessman and Toronto city councillor, Doug Ford has served as premier since 2018. In 2025, Premier Ford won his third successive majority mandate, running on a platform to protect Ontario workers, businesses and communities in the face of tariffs and economic uncertainty by cutting red tape, investing in infrastructure and making Ontario the most competitive place in the G7 to invest, create jobs and do business.

Deputy Chief Economist

Benjamin Tal
CIBC WORLD MARKETS INC.

Benjamin is a member of the CIBC economic team that is responsible for analyzing macro-economic developments and their implications for fixed income, equity, foreign exchange and commodities markets. He also acts in an advisory capacity to bank officers on issues related to wealth management, household/corporate credit and risk.

Benjamin has more than 20 years’ experience in the private sector advising clients, industry leaders, corporate boards, trade associations, and governments on economic and financial issues. He is also a regular commentator in the media.

Benjamin is a member of the Economic Committee of The Canadian Chamber of Commerce, The Economic Development Committee of the Toronto Board of Trade. He is also a member of the board of Governors of Junior Achievement of Central Ontario, and a board member of Toronto Finance International.

Panelist (Panel 1)

Glenn Copeland
General Manager
Lockheed Martin Canada Rotary & Mission Systems (RMS)

Mr. Copeland, a former Senior Naval Officer with extensive sea time, held key roles including Operations Officer for Sea Training Atlantic, Executive Officer of HMCS St. John’s, and lead for fleet readiness, training, and tactical development.

Joining Lockheed Martin Canada in 2009 as a Project Manager in the Halifax Class Modernization program, he advanced to senior leadership in 2014, served as Director of Business Development for Rotary and Mission Systems in 2015—leading naval strategy and the successful capture of the Canadian Surface Combatant program—and was appointed General Manager in 2021, overseeing 850+ employees nationwide.

A prominent industry advocate, he is past president of the Aerospace and Defense Industries Association of Nova Scotia and chair of the Atlantic Alliance Aerospace and Defence Association, collaborating with federal and provincial governments to promote the sector.

Panelist (Panel 1)

Sandra Buckler
Senior Director, External Affairs and Public Relations
Bombardier

Based in Toronto, Ms. Buckler leads Bombardier’s external communications, overseeing strategic messaging, media relations, government and stakeholder engagement, reputation management, and crisis communications across the company’s businesses. A seasoned public affairs expert, she previously served as Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s first and longest-serving Director of Communications, and held senior roles in Canada and the U.S. private sector, advising clients including Toronto Police, transportation firms, and a major Canadian retailer before joining Bombardier in 2018. She holds an Honours B.A. from McMaster University and is a frequent speaker on strategic communications at institutions such as the Canadian Forces College, McGill University, and Canada’s Space Agency.

Panelist (Panel 1)

Phil Kelly
Senior Vice President Business Development at Horizon Aircraft

Senior Vice President Business Development at Horizon Aircraft (NASDAQ:HOVR), a hybrid eVSTOL aircraft developer. As a senior business leader in MOD delivered two super carriers, fighter jets, and a radar program worth some £15.3Bn on time within 3% budget whilst fostering relationships between armed services. Led the business development of the Royal Navy drone program providing a clear vision and gained £90M private venture investment and catalysed a new joint business venture through engagement and relationship building using a mature network. Strategic speaker and panel member for Royal United Services Institute for both the Sea Power and Air Power global conferences. Build a vision, build a team, get things done.

Panelist (Panel 1)

Shyan Royaie
Business Development Manager for Defence and Commercialization, NordSpace

Shyan Royaie serves as Business Development Manager for Defence and Commercialization, with a particular focus on space systems and defence commercialization—spearheading the development and market entry of orbital-class launch vehicles, spaceports, and integrated space systems to strengthen Canada’s sovereign capabilities and build a robust orbital economy layer that enhances the national defence industrial base. He is also assists with the newly created NordSpace Ventures, channeling investments into exceptional dual-use technologies in space and deep tech. Royaie brings a strong background in venture capital and commercial development to drive scalable, mission-critical solutions.

Panelist (Panel 1)

Raed Kadri
VP Strategic Initiatives, Business Development & Head of Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network, OVIN

Raed Kadri is Vice-President of Strategic Initiatives and Business Development at the Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI) and the founding head of the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN). He leads Ontario’s flagship initiative to position the province as a global leader in automotive and mobility innovation, driving R&D funding, talent development, technology acceleration, startup scaling, commercialization of Ontario-made technologies, and access to advanced testing and demonstration infrastructure. Kadri also established the Critical Industrial Technology (CIT) program, oversees province-wide business development and stakeholder collaboration, and champions public education, research, and thought leadership to strengthen Ontario’s competitive edge in the evolving transportation and industrial technology sectors.

Panelist (Panel 1)

Chris Casey
Industrial Manufacturing and Automotive Sector Lead, PwC Canada

Chris Casey, PwC Canada’s Industrials & Services Sector Leader and Strategy& Partner, advises executive teams on turning disruption—geopolitics, tariffs, AI, and North American supply-chain reorientation—into durable, profitable growth. He delivers outcome-focused strategies across growth and market entry, cost transformation, AI/digital enablement, M&A, trade/tariff navigation, supply-chain resilience, advanced manufacturing, and sustainability. A key focus is helping industrials capitalize on the expanding defence industrial base through capacity planning, procurement navigation, offset strategies, and secure supply chains. Active in policy and industry circles—including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, APMA, and OVIN—Chris is known for high-EQ collaboration, decisive execution, and translating complex shifts into bankable results.

Moderator (Panel 1)

Laura C. Wood
Partner
Government & Public Sector Practice
PwC Canada

Laura is a Partner in PwC Canada’s Government and Public Sector practice, leading ERP transformations for federal and provincial clients and serving as the firm’s lead relationship partner for National Defence. Previously, she was Assistant Deputy Minister of ERP Transformation and Shared Services at the Government of Alberta, where she spearheaded a government-wide cloud-based ERP implementation for 25,000 employees across finance, HR, procurement, payroll, and treasury, while overseeing shared services including procurement and citizen contact centres. Before entering government, Laura held senior private-sector roles in global and domestic ERP business transformations. She holds a BA Honours in International Development Studies from the University of Calgary, an e-commerce diploma from Bauer College, and is Prosci certified, with a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Moderator (Panel 1)

Steven Thornton
Strategic Advisor, PwC Canada

Steven Thornton is a former senior military officer with over 30 years of distinguished service, now an executive-level specialist in program improvement, business planning, policy development, performance measurement, and enterprise resource planning modernization for the Department of National Defence. Renowned for strategic leadership in high-pressure environments, he has excelled in resource management, personnel development, stakeholder engagement, and navigating complex geopolitical challenges, with fluency in English and French. Steven holds an Executive MBA from Rotman School of Management (University of Toronto), an MSc in Guided Weapon Systems from the Royal Military College of Science (UK), and a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from the Royal Military College of Canada.

panelist (Panel 2)

Catherine Bulman

Senior Policy Advisor, Intergovernmental Affairs and Internal Trade, Privy Council Office (PCO)

Catherine Bulman is a Senior Policy Advisor on internal trade with the Privy Council Office (PCO) of the Government of Canada. Catherine has extensive experience in policy analysis, intergovernmental relations, and strategic government advice, and has worked in both the federal and provincial governments over the course of her public service career. In her current role, Catherine leads efforts to implement the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act. Catherine holds a Juris Doctor and Master of Public Policy from the University of Toronto and an Honours Bachelor of Social Science with a specialization in political science from the University of Ottawa.

PANELIST (PANEL 2)

Stephen Callaghan

Vice-President – Mid-Market Business, EDC

Stephen is Vice-President of the Mid-Market Business Team at Export Development Canada (EDC), a role he has held after more than 24 years with the organization. Previously, he served as Regional Vice-President for Ontario, Regional Director for the Greater Toronto Area, and led the Ontario International Trade Guarantee team supporting clients’ international bonding needs. Passionate about helping Canadian companies grow globally, Stephen actively participates in industry roundtables, the Trade Accelerator Program, Accelerated Growth Services (AGS), Team Canada Trade Missions, and various trade associations. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McMaster University. EDC, Canada’s export credit agency, provides innovative commercial solutions to over 26,000 Canadian companies annually, enabling them to succeed in up to 200 markets worldwide, and is a financially self-sustaining leader recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for nine consecutive years.

Moderator (Panel 2)

Raphael Costa

Director, Vaughan Economic Development

Since March 2020, I have worked as the Director of Economic Development in the City of Vaughan. As an edge city in the Greater Toronto Area, Vaughan is quickly transitioning from suburban to urban. As lead for everything from business retention and expansion, business attraction, small business development, tourism, smart city development, public art, and strategic projects, Economic Development in Vaughan is at the leading edge of municipal innovation in Ontario.

 With more than fifteen years in the not-for-profit, academic, and municipal sector in Local Economic Development, I have helped communities develop and implement strategies, programs, and policies designed to maximize community potential. This includes developing strategic plans and working in entrepreneurship development, social enterprise, sector and cluster development in innovation, manufacturing, the creative industries, and placemaking.

Speaker

Tyson Jones

Senior Vice President, Ontario, BDC

Tyson Jones was appointed Senior Vice President, Ontario, at BDC in November 2024, where he leads the bank’s financing services across the province, empowering teams to drive growth and competitiveness for Canadian SMEs. A seasoned financial services leader with nearly 20 years of experience, Tyson is recognized for strategic execution, inclusive talent development, and inspiring large teams to support entrepreneurs. Before joining BDC, he spent 17 years at RBC, most recently as Regional Vice President, Commercial Financial Services, for the Greater Toronto Region, where he expanded the bank’s commercial banking presence. Tyson holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Alberta, has completed extensive leadership training, and has earned multiple industry awards.