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    Accelerated Cybersecurity Training Program

    Catalyst Cyber Accelerator

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Catalyst Cyber Accelerator

Scale-up your cyber startup with Canada’s only cybersecurity-focused commercial accelerator.

A proud member of:

View the 2020-2022 Report
View the 2020-2022 Report

Overview

The Catalyst Cyber Accelerator is the first and foremost cybersecurity-focused business accelerator, designed to help early-stage cybersecurity companies grow into industry leaders.

There is no cost to participate and we do not take equity in participating companies. The Catalyst Cyber Accelerator is supported by the Government of Canada, Rogers Communications and the City of Brampton.

Benefits of the Accelerator

Our intensive, part-time, three-and-a-half-month accelerator offers the following benefits

Workshops from industry-leading experts in product strategy, marketing, operations, sales growth, legal strategy and more.

Access to 1:1 engagement opportunities and mentorship support from leading companies and entrepreneurs.

Peer engagement opportunities and access to our growing network of cybersecurity investors.

Mentors & Experts

Corporates-in-Residence and Entrepreneurs-in-Residence

The success of the program is driven by the expertise and support of some of the world’s top business and tech minds, who offer targeted workshops: 1:1 engagement opportunities and mentorship support.

Aaron Cleary
Senior Director - Security Services
Aaron Cleary
Senior Director - Security Services
Abdul Sattar
Distinguished Scientist Security Analytics
Abdul Sattar
Distinguished Scientist Security Analytics
Adam Evans
Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer
Adam Evans
Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer
Alex Muggah
VP Life Sciences; Director, Synapse Life Science Consortium
Alex Muggah
VP Life Sciences; Director, Synapse Life Science Consortium
Ali Sharifi
Co-Founder
Ali Sharifi
Co-Founder
Andrea Bartlett
Director of People Operations
Andrea Bartlett
Director of People Operations
Andrew Amaro
Co-Founder
Andrew Amaro
Co-Founder
Anne-Marie Kelly
Head of Fraud
Anne-Marie Kelly
Head of Fraud
Anthony Costa
Senior Manager, Cyber Incident Response
Anthony Costa
Senior Manager, Cyber Incident Response
Arani Adhikari
Chief Strategy Officer
Arani Adhikari
Chief Strategy Officer
Augusto Rosa
VP Engineering
Augusto Rosa
VP Engineering
Bob Gordon
Strategic Advisor
Bob Gordon
Strategic Advisor
Bob Seeman
Managing Partner
Bob Seeman
Managing Partner
Brad Duguid
Principal
Brad Duguid
Principal
Bram Warshafsky
Founder
Bram Warshafsky
Founder
Bridget Walshe
Associate Head
Bridget Walshe
Associate Head
Carlos Luque
Detective Sergeant
Carlos Luque
Detective Sergeant
Caroline Tutakiewicz
Senior Director, Fraud & Security Risk
Caroline Tutakiewicz
Senior Director, Fraud & Security Risk
Christian Breede
Associate Professor, Political Science
Christian Breede
Associate Professor, Political Science
Christopher Lee
Cybersecurity Lead
Christopher Lee
Cybersecurity Lead
Colin Singh
President
Colin Singh
President
Curtis Tse
Senior Manager, Product Security
Curtis Tse
Senior Manager, Product Security
Dan Mathieson
Special Advisor, Municipal Cybersecurity
Dan Mathieson
Special Advisor, Municipal Cybersecurity
Darren Gallop
CEO & Co-Founder
Darren Gallop
CEO & Co-Founder
David MacFarlane
Head of Cybersecurity & Senior Director, Security
David MacFarlane
Head of Cybersecurity & Senior Director, Security
David Shipley
Chief Executive Officer
David Shipley
Chief Executive Officer
David Sutton
Senior Information Security Officer
David Sutton
Senior Information Security Officer
Denrich Sananda
Managing Partner & Senior Consultant
Denrich Sananda
Managing Partner & Senior Consultant
Dinah Davis
Founder & Editor-in-Chief; Leadership Coach
Dinah Davis
Founder & Editor-in-Chief; Leadership Coach
Dmitry Raidman
CTO; Founding Partner
Dmitry Raidman
CTO; Founding Partner
Dr. Atefeh Mashatan
Founding Director; Associate Professor, ITM
Dr. Atefeh Mashatan
Founding Director; Associate Professor, ITM
Dr. Stefan Schwerdtner
CEO
Dr. Stefan Schwerdtner
CEO
Elana Graham
COO (Alumni-in-Residence)
Elana Graham
COO (Alumni-in-Residence)
Eldon Sprickerhoff
Founder & Advisor
Eldon Sprickerhoff
Founder & Advisor
Erik Harrison
IT Senior Specialist
Erik Harrison
IT Senior Specialist
Erin McLean
Chief Marketing Officer
Erin McLean
Chief Marketing Officer
Evgeniy Kharam
Cybersecurity Architect & Evangelist
Evgeniy Kharam
Cybersecurity Architect & Evangelist
Faezeh Khabbaz
Director, Data Science
Faezeh Khabbaz
Director, Data Science
Greg Moshonas
Director, Cyber Security Defense
Greg Moshonas
Director, Cyber Security Defense
Heather Black
Regional VP, Canadian Public Sector
Heather Black
Regional VP, Canadian Public Sector
Iain Paterson
Chief Information Security Officer
Iain Paterson
Chief Information Security Officer
Ian L. Paterson
CEO
Ian L. Paterson
CEO
Imran Ahmad
Partner, Canadian Head of Technology; Co-Head, Information Governance, Privacy & Cybersecurity
Imran Ahmad
Partner, Canadian Head of Technology; Co-Head, Information Governance, Privacy & Cybersecurity
Ira Goldstein
Founder & CEO
Ira Goldstein
Founder & CEO
Jasvinder Singh
Head of Product Management
Jasvinder Singh
Head of Product Management
Jeff Schwartzentruber
Snr Machine Learning Scientist; Catalyst Specialist Advisor, AI
Jeff Schwartzentruber
Snr Machine Learning Scientist; Catalyst Specialist Advisor, AI
Jeff Taylor
Managing Director
Jeff Taylor
Managing Director
Jennifer Quaid
Executive Director
Jennifer Quaid
Executive Director
Jesse Hirsh
Technology Futurist
Jesse Hirsh
Technology Futurist
Joe Graci
B2B Business Builder
Joe Graci
B2B Business Builder
Joe Graci
CEO
Joe Graci
CEO
Joe LoBianco
SVP & CISO
Joe LoBianco
SVP & CISO
John George
Sector Manager, Automotive & Mobility Innovation
John George
Sector Manager, Automotive & Mobility Innovation
Jonathan Parri
Director, Cryptographic Systems Development & Operations
Jonathan Parri
Director, Cryptographic Systems Development & Operations
Jordan Kendall
President and Founder
Jordan Kendall
President and Founder
Julie Champagne
Managing Director, Corporate Services
Julie Champagne
Managing Director, Corporate Services
Kate Karn
Director, Public Policy
Kate Karn
Director, Public Policy
Keenan Anthony
Co-Founder
Keenan Anthony
Co-Founder
Ken Schultz
General Manager & People Lead
Ken Schultz
General Manager & People Lead
Kevin Sahota
Manager, Security Operations & Analytics
Kevin Sahota
Manager, Security Operations & Analytics
Kevin Sivadas
VP Fintech, Banking, RBCx
Kevin Sivadas
VP Fintech, Banking, RBCx
Leigh Honeywell
CEO & Co-Founder
Leigh Honeywell
CEO & Co-Founder
Lina Dabit
Unit Commander, Cybercrime Investigation Toronto
Lina Dabit
Unit Commander, Cybercrime Investigation Toronto
Lloyd Komori
Board Directo, Risk Management Expert & Teacher
Lloyd Komori
Board Directo, Risk Management Expert & Teacher
Mandy Bachus
Founder
Mandy Bachus
Founder
Manoj Tiwary
Chief Information Officer
Manoj Tiwary
Chief Information Officer
Mark Bastin
Chief Administrative & Privacy/Security Officer
Mark Bastin
Chief Administrative & Privacy/Security Officer
Mark Hausen
Senior Director
Mark Hausen
Senior Director
Mark Radha
CEO & Chief Brand Economist
Mark Radha
CEO & Chief Brand Economist
Maryam Haghighi
Director, Enterprise Data Science & Insights
Maryam Haghighi
Director, Enterprise Data Science & Insights
Mathieu Lavoie
Co-Founder (Alumni-in-Residence)
Mathieu Lavoie
Co-Founder (Alumni-in-Residence)
Matthew D’Ascanio
Director, Research Ethics Review Program
Matthew D’Ascanio
Director, Research Ethics Review Program
Melanie Power
Manager, Cyber Operations Section
Melanie Power
Manager, Cyber Operations Section
Melanie Somiah
Managing Director
Melanie Somiah
Managing Director
Melissa Carvalho
Vice President, Global Cyber Security Strategic Services
Melissa Carvalho
Vice President, Global Cyber Security Strategic Services
Michael O\'Neil
Consulting Analyst - Cybersecurity
Michael O\'Neil
Consulting Analyst - Cybersecurity
Michele Mullen
Director, Project Delivery Satellite Communications
Michele Mullen
Director, Project Delivery Satellite Communications
Mike Ho
Venture Capitalist
Mike Ho
Venture Capitalist
Milos Stojadinovic
Senior Director, Adversary Emulation, Threat Hunting, Digital Development
Milos Stojadinovic
Senior Director, Adversary Emulation, Threat Hunting, Digital Development
Muhammad Imran
Management Executive
Muhammad Imran
Management Executive
Nabil Zoldjalali
VP Technology Innovation
Nabil Zoldjalali
VP Technology Innovation
Neil Desai
Tech Commercialization Expert, CIGI Senior Fellow
Neil Desai
Tech Commercialization Expert, CIGI Senior Fellow
Nik Alleyne
Director of Business Development
Nik Alleyne
Director of Business Development
Nish Bhalla
Angel Investor & Advisor
Nish Bhalla
Angel Investor & Advisor
Noemi Chanda
Partner
Noemi Chanda
Partner
Patrick Clow
Director General, CSIRT
Patrick Clow
Director General, CSIRT
Patrick Lo
CEO
Patrick Lo
CEO
Phillip Gales
CEO & Founder
Phillip Gales
CEO & Founder
Rafal Rohozinski
CEO
Rafal Rohozinski
CEO
Rahul Raghavan
Senior VP (AppSec Advisory)
Rahul Raghavan
Senior VP (AppSec Advisory)
Ranjika Manamperi
CISO and VP, Enterprise Architecture, Enterprise Digital Technology
Ranjika Manamperi
CISO and VP, Enterprise Architecture, Enterprise Digital Technology
Rick Ouellette
Chief Operating Officer
Rick Ouellette
Chief Operating Officer
Rinku Garg
Senior Information Security Engineer
Rinku Garg
Senior Information Security Engineer
Robert Gordon
Strategic Advisor
Robert Gordon
Strategic Advisor
Roy Pereira
CEO
Roy Pereira
CEO
Ruth Promislow
Partner
Ruth Promislow
Partner
Sam Saad
Chief Operating Officer
Sam Saad
Chief Operating Officer
Sean Blenkhorn
Founder & Advisor
Sean Blenkhorn
Founder & Advisor
Seema Verma
Director, Cyber Security Programs CISSP
Seema Verma
Director, Cyber Security Programs CISSP
Snita Balsara
Principal, Sustainability Venture Fund
Snita Balsara
Principal, Sustainability Venture Fund
Sriram Raman
SVP, Public Markets & Global Integration
Sriram Raman
SVP, Public Markets & Global Integration
Stephanie Hazlewood
Distinguished Engineer, Trusted Data & AI
Stephanie Hazlewood
Distinguished Engineer, Trusted Data & AI
Steve Porter
CEO/Founder
Steve Porter
CEO/Founder
Steven Cohen
VP CyberSecurity Practice
Steven Cohen
VP CyberSecurity Practice
Steven Cohen
Senior Vice-President
Steven Cohen
Senior Vice-President
Sumit Bhatia
Executive Vice-President
Sumit Bhatia
Executive Vice-President
Toufic Adlouni
Emerging Tech Lawyer; Co-Founder & Managing Director
Toufic Adlouni
Emerging Tech Lawyer; Co-Founder & Managing Director
Tracy Chong
President & Brand Economist
Tracy Chong
President & Brand Economist
Vern Crowley
Consultant
Vern Crowley
Consultant
Vicky Laurens
VP Security Engineering & Deployment
Vicky Laurens
VP Security Engineering & Deployment
Victoria Distrito
Security Analyst
Victoria Distrito
Security Analyst
Victoria Ghandour
Director, Cybersecurity, Privacy & Health Information Management
Victoria Ghandour
Director, Cybersecurity, Privacy & Health Information Management
Vivek Khana
Vivek Khana
Will Greenblatt
CEO
Will Greenblatt
CEO
Zaki Abbas
Senior VP, Chief Information Security Officer
Zaki Abbas
Senior VP, Chief Information Security Officer

Meet the Companies

Our network of corporate partners drive success for participating companies by providing access to senior leaders and functional teams within some of the most sophisticated enterprise-level cybersecurity operations in Canada.

1_Rogers
2_RBC
5_Torys
4_Cyderes
9_2Keys
3_SIEMENS
11_PaloAlto
6_AWS
10_GDC
7_Sun_Life
8_Microsoft

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Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions

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Ritesh Kotak

Ritesh Kotak is a technologist, legal advisor, and media contributor whose career bridges public safety, emerging technology, and innovation. Raised in an entrepreneurial family and grounded in the food manufacturing industry, he developed a deep appreciation for business and tech-integration from an early age. After starting his professional career in policing, he spent over seven years specializing in cybercrime and public safety innovation—he then transitioned to working in Big Tech, driving initiatives in IoT, cybersecurity, and intelligence. Ritesh holds a Bachelor’s of Business Administration from the University of Toronto, a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Edinburgh and a Juris Doctor from the University of Ottawa. He now practices law, advising on complex matters from cyber breaches to corporate litigation. He’s appeared twice before Canadian Parliamentary Committees as a subject matter expert on digital competitiveness, with his insights featured in national and global media.

Dr. Janos Botschner

Dr. Janos Botschner is the principal of HumInsight and a Senior Associate with the Community Safety Knowledge Alliance. Janos is a social scientist by training. He previously held senior positions in the broader public sector, including: as the founding director of a community-based research institute; as a civil servant; and as an academic administrator and adjunct graduate faculty member. He is a published author and applied researcher working at the intersection of issues impacting the safety and well-being of our communities and Canadian society. Janos recently led the multi-year Cyber Security in Canadian Agriculture initiative which was funded, in part, by Public Safety Canada. He currently co-chairs Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Agriculture Cyber Security Working Group, comprised of stakeholders and experts from federal, provincial and territorial governments, academia and industry.

Sem Ponnambalam

Sem is a former senior advisor to two Canadian Prime Ministers, represented Canada at the World Economic Forum and the G20 Youth Summit on cybersecurity. Developer of 30+ AI, cyber, privacy, and anti-human trafficking courses delivered through institutions across North America and Europe. Senior advisor and consultant to the UN Capital Development Fund, EU, various government departments federally, provincially, municipally, not-for-profits, and diverse public/private sector clients throughout North America, South America, and Europe. Published author of three best-practice manuals on cybersecurity and privacy governance, with a fourth book underway. Frequent keynote speaker and trusted expert on building secure, privacy-first strategies in an AI-driven world.

Chuck Baresich

Gord Howells

Gord Howells leads the technology function for Sofina Foods Canada, a global company headquartered in Markham, Ontario and one of the country’s leading manufacturers of primary and further processed protein products. Over his twenty-year career, he has extensive experience developing and executing technology strategies in a diverse range of business environments. Gord has been an advisor to Toronto-area startups, sits as a board member on multiple technology advisories and has been a regular speaker on cyber security for asset-intensive industries.

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Get in touch with the Catalyst Cyber Clinic

Manpreet Singh

Manpreet is a regulatory and privacy lawyer with a distinctive cross-disciplinary practice spanning life sciences, technology, food, cosmetics, and agribusiness. She provides expert guidance on complex regulatory matters including marketing, packaging, and post-market compliance, including responding to enforcement actions by government regulators. Manpreet also advises on a broad range of issues relating to the delivery of health services across Canada such as clinical trials, patient support programs, and telemedicine. As part of her privacy practice, she advises clients on data governance practices and navigating requirements around data processing and the use of AI and digital tools. Her experience also extends to drafting and negotiating agreements for various commercial arrangements including licensing, supply and services agreements. Drawing on her scientific training and in-house experience, Manpreet offers clients strategic and technically grounded advice.

Roohie Sharma

Roohie Sharma is Legal Counsel (Privacy) at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), where her practice focuses on privacy matters across the legal, risk, and research portfolios. In this role, she advises on compliance and risk management strategies in the healthcare context, including breach investigation and response, GDPR considerations, policy drafting, and general privacy advice. Roohie is co-chair of the Ontario Hospital GDPR working group, and enjoys collaborating with her peers across the industry on privacy matters. Prior to joining SickKids, Roohie was an associate at an international law firm, specializing in cybersecurity breach response and privacy matters. Before law, Roohie completed a Master of Science in neuroscience at McMaster University, and is published in several peer-reviewed journals.

Dr. Jeff Schwartzentruber

Dr. Jeff Schwartzentruber is a Staff Machine Learning Scientist at eSentire, where he develops advanced AI-driven approaches for threat detection and security analytics in the Managed Detection and Response (MDR) space. Over the past decade, his work has focused on the intersection of cybersecurity and machine learning, supporting large financial institutions, federal public sector agencies, and small-to-medium enterprises. In addition to his role at eSentire, Dr. Schwartzentruber holds academic appointments as Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Computer Science at Dalhousie University and as Special Graduate Faculty in the School of Computer Science at the University of Guelph. He also serves as a Research Fellow and Senior Advisor on AI with the Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Daanish Samadmoten

Daanish Samadmoten is a member of Fasken’s Privacy and Cybersecurity group and serves as the firm’s Chief Privacy Officer. He provides strategic counsel on privacy compliance, cybersecurity risk management, breach response, and privacy litigation. Daanish regularly advises clients and boards on governance and cybersecurity responsibilities, often collaborating with cybersecurity professionals to assess risk and develop incident response plans. He has guided organizations through some of Canada’s most high-profile data breach incidents, including ransomware attacks, cyber extortion, malware and phishing schemes, payment card breaches, and insider threats. His practice also includes freedom of information matters, where he assists clients in both obtaining and protecting sensitive information in regulatory proceedings. With a background in civil, commercial, and administrative litigation, he integrates litigation risk considerations into his privacy advisory work. Daanish is a Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM), teaches cybersecurity and artificial intelligence at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, and has been recognized by Best Lawyers, Lexpert, and Benchmark Litigation.

Molly Reynolds

Molly Reynolds is a partner at Torys LLP with extensive experience in privacy, data protection, cybersecurity, and AI-related legal matters. She advises clients on data governance strategies, privacy law compliance, breach preparedness and response, internal investigations, and the management of confidential information. Molly represents organizations in regulatory investigations and administrative proceedings under privacy, anti-spam, and access to information legislation, as well as in privacy-related civil litigation and class actions. She is called to both the Ontario and New York bars, allowing her to provide integrated counsel on cross-border data protection and AI governance. Molly’s practice spans a range of sectors including financial services, telecommunications, technology, retail, and law enforcement. She has advised on matters such as breach response for fintech and retail organizations, privacy implications of body-worn police cameras, and compliance programs under Canada’s anti-spam laws. She also supports clients on cybersecurity risk assessments, records management, and emerging issues in digital ethics.

Ruth Promislow

Ruth Promislow is a partner at Bennett Jones LLP with over two decades of experience in complex commercial litigation and a specialized focus over the past ten years on privacy, data protection, cybersecurity, and fraud. Her advisory work encompasses regulatory compliance with privacy and emerging technology legislation, data governance, breach preparedness and response, and commercial and regulatory disputes. She advises global clients across sectors including financial services, technology, healthcare, retail, insurance, and hospitality. Ruth regularly assists with cybersecurity incident response, risk assessment in transactions involving data, and legal strategies for managing cyberattacks. Her work has earned recognition from Chambers Canada, and she plays a leadership role in international forums and initiatives. Ruth is an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, where she teaches cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, and contributes to organizations such as the FBI/RCMP Cybercrime Exchange, MasterCard Emerging Leaders Cyber Initiative, and the United States Cybersecurity Leaders’ Roundtable.

Detective S/Sgt. Melanie Power

Detective Inspector Melanie Power is the Manager of the Ontario Provincial Police Cyber Operations Section (COS) comprised of a diverse mix of uniformed investigators and civilian technical analysts. Our mandate is to provide excellence in specialized digital forensic investigative support. COS is also responsible for the administration of the O.P.P. Cyber Strategy with a mission to manage risks, reduce threats, and minimize harm caused by crime involving digital technologies. Melanie oversees the O.P.P. Artificial Intelligence Working Group and is a co-chair of the National Police Service Cyber Committee. Melanie in her current role hopes to bring representatives from law enforcement, business, and academia together to enhance our awareness and overall investigative impact.

Iain Paterson

Iain Paterson is Chief Information Security Officer at WELL Health Technologies Corp., where he oversees security strategy across a wide-ranging network of primary care facilities, EMR systems, and healthcare technology units. With over two decades of experience in cybersecurity, he has held senior roles in the banking, healthcare, and public sectors. Prior to joining WELL, he served as CEO and Managing Director of Cycura, a cybersecurity firm specializing in offensive security and incident response, which was acquired by WELL in 2020. He has also held leadership roles at eHealth Ontario, Trillium Health Partners, and TD Bank Group, where he managed enterprise-scale vulnerability assessment and threat management programs. Iain has served on the RCMP Cyber Crime working committee and the Halifax Forum’s Peace with Women Fellowship selection committee. He holds certifications from ISC2, SABSA, and ISACA, and an MBA from Athabasca University. He regularly contributes to cybersecurity discourse through conferences and professional communities.

Sarah Muttitt

Dr. Sarah Muttitt is Vice President of Information Management and Technology and Chief Information Officer at the Hospital for Sick Children. With over three decades of healthcare experience and nearly twenty years in eHealth, she has held senior leadership roles across Canada and internationally. Dr. Muttitt served as Chief Medical Information Officer at Alberta Health Services and was previously CIO for Singapore’s Ministry of Health, where she led the implementation of the National Electronic Health Record. In Canada, she has held executive roles at Canada Health Infoway, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, and several consulting firms. Since 2020, she has also served as CIO for the University Health Network and Kids Health Alliance. A trained physician with an MBA, Dr. Muttitt brings a comprehensive understanding of clinical systems, healthcare delivery, and digital transformation. She has authored numerous publications on eHealth, electronic health records, and telehealth, and continues to lead innovation in digital health infrastructure.

Dr. Avner Levin

Dr. Avner Levin is a professor at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law and is cross-appointed to the Department of Law & Business at the Ted Rogers School of Management. He is a founding faculty member of the law school and has held several senior administrative roles at Toronto Metropolitan University, including interim dean of the Ted Rogers School of Management and interim vice-provost of faculty affairs. He is also the founding director of both the Law Research Centre and the Privacy and Cyber Crime Institute. Dr. Levin’s academic work focuses on privacy law, technology and the law, the legal profession, and tort law. His research has been funded by agencies including the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, and Public Safety Canada. He has published widely in academic journals and is co-author of The Law of Employee Use of Technology, co-written with Howard Simkevitz.

Michael Laing

Michael Laing is Chief Information Security Officer at Rogers Bank and Senior Director of Cyber Security at Rogers Communications. With over a decade at Rogers, he has advanced through multiple leadership roles, developing and overseeing enterprise-wide cybersecurity strategies, vendor assessments, PCI and SOC-2 compliance, and cyber risk remediation. He leads a team of over 40 professionals and supports the cybersecurity needs of Rogers Bank and affiliated services. Prior to his current position, he managed IT SOX and PCI programs, enhanced third-party security practices, and restructured Rogers’ PCI compliance framework for secure credit card transactions. Earlier roles at Rogers included leading SOC2 audits and optimizing IT control frameworks. Before joining Rogers, Michael was a Senior Consultant in IT Risk Services at Deloitte, where he advised on IT controls and systems integration. He also worked at Clarity Systems on XBRL financial reporting implementations and began his career at KPMG as a financial institutions auditor.

Mona Kumar

Mona Kumar is Senior Legal Counsel at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). She has over 20 years of legal experience in the private, public, and non-profit sectors, with a focus on cybersecurity, privacy, artificial intelligence, and new technology compliance. At CMHC, she provides legal advice across corporate and regulatory areas. Prior to this role, Mona held senior legal positions at PointClickCare, Securitas Canada, PwC, and McMillan LLP. Her work has included contract negotiation, regulatory assessment, litigation management, corporate governance, and enterprise risk strategy. She has managed legal operations in large matrixed organizations and worked internationally, including in roles involving outsourcing, M&A, and privacy law. Mona has served on corporate and non-profit boards and is currently a trustee and executive committee member of the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21. She holds an MBA and has multilingual capabilities that support her work in global legal contexts.

Jasbir Kooner

Jasbir Kooner is Director of IT – Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity at Englobe Corp, where she leads initiatives integrating AI applications and cybersecurity frameworks. She holds a degree in computer science and an MBA from Concordia University and is currently pursuing a PhD with a research focus on digital misinformation and the societal implications of artificial intelligence. Jasbir has experience in e-commerce, business data analysis, and risk management and has led strategic technology projects across multiple sectors. She is a Fellow of the Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst Mastercard Emerging Leaders Cyber Initiative, where she contributes to mentoring and community engagement in the cybersecurity field. Her work combines technical expertise with an emphasis on governance and equity in AI deployment. She has also contributed to organizational strategies for digital transformation, focusing on aligning IT operations with ethical and security-focused objectives.

Vivek Khindria

Vivek Khindria, President  and Principle Consultant of Risk Embrace Inc., was the former Senior Vice President of Cyber Security, Network, and Technology Risk at Loblaw Company Limited. Vivek has earned his Chartered Director designation from McMaster’s DeGroote’s school of business program on board governance. He also holds CISSP, CISM, and a BSc. Vivek has been leading large-scale security, network, cloud migration, and technology risk programs for one of Canada’s largest businesses, with $62+ billion in annual revenue. Loblaw has over 22 brands, more than 230,000 employees, and 3,000+ stores and clinics across retail, pharmacy, beauty, healthcare, banking, transport, and media—plus Canada’s largest loyalty program. Over his career, Vivek has held technology and cyber leadership roles at McMaster University, BMO, CIBC, and Bell. He is both a hands-on technical expert and an international speaker on cyber security, with field tested experience in incident response, cyber security testing, cloud security, PCI-DSS compliance, AI governance, and quantum computing readiness.

He was a founding contributor to the Canadian Cyber Threat Exchange (CCTX.ca), helping Canadian businesses share threat data and best practices. From 2016 to 2024, he represented Canada on the Information Security Forum Advisory Council, a global coalition of Fortune 500 firms focused on cyber security research and solutions. Known for making complex topics accessible, Vivek continues to guide C-suite, boards, and startups in understanding and managing technology risks including artificial intelligence, cyber security, incident response, security operations, quantum computing, network, cloud, IoT, OT, identity, cryptography and resilience.

Anthony Hémond

Anthony Hémond is Senior Privacy Counsel at Air Canada, where he provides legal advice on the protection and handling of personal information at an international level. He supports the airline’s compliance, procurement, and cybersecurity functions and advises on legal considerations related to the development and use of artificial intelligence systems. Prior to joining Air Canada, Anthony was part of the Privacy and Protection of Personal Information team at Borden Ladner Gervais (BLG), advising on Canadian and European privacy regulations, governance frameworks, and incident response. Earlier in his career, Anthony served as senior legal counsel for a major Quebec telecommunications company, where he was responsible for the privacy management program and participated in executive-level decision-making on privacy matters. He also worked on class action files alongside external counsel. He holds an LL.M. in IT Law from the University of Montréal and a D.E.A. in immaterial creations from Montpellier University in France.

Sunny Handa

Sunny Handa is a Partner at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP and serves as the National Practice Group Leader for both the Technology and Communications Law groups. He is also a senior member of the firm’s Cybersecurity practice. Sunny advises clients on a range of matters including mergers and acquisitions involving technology companies, information technology and intellectual property law, e-commerce, and regulatory compliance. He provides guidance on data governance, breach response, and cybersecurity risk management, and regularly acts as breach coach for organizations across sectors. His practice includes advising on privacy and technology issues for clients in the defence and life sciences industries. Sunny is involved in structuring legal frameworks for commercial data protection and often works on cross-border files. He has extensive experience providing legal support to large-scale transactions and regulatory proceedings involving digital infrastructure and emerging technologies. Sunny is also a professor of law (adj.) at McGill University, where he has taught Cybersecurity Law and continues to teach Communications Law.

Kathrin Gardhouse

Kathrin Gardhouse is an AI Governance Research Fellow in the EU team of The Future Society. The focus of her work lies on general-purpose AI policy and advocacy to shape and implement strong regulation to protect society from AI-related systemic risks. She also volunteers as the Policy Lead at AI Governance and Safety Canada where she contributes to public consultation responses on federal and provincial AI governance, develops and teaches a course on Canadian AI policy, and briefs the government on risks from advanced AI. Kathrin is a Germany- and Ontario-trained lawyer and certified AI governance and privacy professional. She previously served as the VP AI and Data Governance at Etika Privacy, the data protection officer at PrivateAI, and the senior manager for privacy risk and data governance at a Toronto bank. She is also completing a philosophy PhD that investigates the social-philosophical underpinning of AI agency for liability purposes.

Adam Evans

Adam Evans is Senior Vice President (SVP) and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for RBC.  As CISO, Adam sets RBC’s cyber vision, strategy and program to reduce cyber risks and keep clients, employees, and systems safe. He manages an evolving threat landscape and the global expansion of cyber security services as RBC’s businesses continue to digitize. Adam is responsible for developing cyber solutions that can adapt to the evolving risks of next-generation cyber threats, leveraging machine learning, artificial intelligence, and behavioural analysis to prevent attacks with increased efficiency and speed. He leads RBC in managing cyber incidents and implementing incident response and red team exercises to identify and strengthen vulnerabilities and improve RBC’s cyber resilience. With over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry as a security professional, Adam is recognized as a thought leader in cyber security and global defense.

Jake Effoduh

Jake Effoduh is an Assistant Professor at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law, where his research focuses on the intersections of artificial intelligence, human rights, and international law. He has contributed to AI policy development and regulation in several countries, including the United States, Brazil, and Nigeria. Prior to joining the faculty, he served as Chief Counsel for the Africa–Canada AI and Data Innovation Consortium, where he led projects applying AI and big data in governance systems. He also coordinates a multi-year SSHRC-funded project, Canada’s Rights Role in Sub-Saharan Africa. Effoduh has held fellowships at Harvard Law School, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Ottawa, and the University of Cape Town. He is the Production Editor of the Transnational Human Rights Review and a Vanier Scholar completing his PhD at Osgoode Hall Law School, examining the legitimization of AI in relation to human rights challenges in Africa.

Ben Davies

Ben Davies is the Chief Information Officer at the Vector Institute for AI. With more than 25 years of experience, he has led IT strategy, cybersecurity governance, and digital transformation projects across North America, Europe, and Asia. His career spans the research, pharmaceutical, transportation, and managed IT services sectors. As the first CIO at the Perimeter Institute, he implemented a standards-based cybersecurity program and oversaw a comprehensive shift to a cloud-first IT infrastructure. At the Vector Institute, he manages enterprise IT in alignment with advanced AI research needs, emphasizing secure, high-performance computing. He is a certified Chief Information Security Officer and serves on the MCTI Industry Advisory Board at the University of Guelph. His international experience and leadership in technology and security have informed his work in both academic and enterprise settings, particularly in designing and overseeing resilient, research-driven digital environments.

Jason Ball

Jason Ball is a senior legal executive at Rogers Communications, where he leads the company’s legal team across procurement, sales, corporate, real estate, and cyber security functions. He plays a key role in advising Rogers’ information security, business continuity, risk management, privacy, and data governance groups.

As the legal head of cyber incident response, Jason provides guidance to Rogers’ executive leadership and Board of Directors on cyber security matters. He regularly interacts with government bodies and industry groups on issues involving cyber security, fraud, public safety, and privacy.

Prior to joining Rogers, Jason practiced at a Toronto law firm advising on commercial, privacy and health matters. He holds a law degree from Osgoode Hall and a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Alberta.

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Panelist

Jade Mitchell

Senior Manager, Managed Security Services | OperateNext, Deloitte Canada

Jade is the Service Excellence leader for Deloitte’s Managed Security Services. She brings an Operations and Service Management lens to Deloitte’s cyber security expertise, advocating for exceptional service delivery and continuous improvement in an evolving threat landscape.

She has over 15 years of experience in large scale IT transformations and operational delivery, supporting clients in North America, Asia Pacific, and Europe. Over the last 8 years, she has focused her career around supporting Life Science and Health Care organizations to shape and gain traction on their IT priorities, including Cyber Security.

Panelist

Mike Melo

CISO, Life Labs Medical Laboratory Services

Heavily focused on people and integrity-led progression, Mike Melo is a Senior IT Executive and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) with over 15+ years of experience advancing operational efficiencies, cyber indomitability, and overall organizational success. Currently serving as the CISO & VP IT Shared Services for LifeLabs in Canada, Mike holds an extensive background involving agile risk mitigation, post-breach transformation, security architecture, cross-functional technical leadership, regulatory compliance, and the art of developing high-performing team environments that are as positive as they are productive. In addition, he is passionate about not only helping industry leaders rectify security weaknesses while attaining sustainable protection, but doing so in such a way that ultimately propels their competitive capacities and growth initiatives forward.


Prior to his most recent role overseeing multi-million cybersecurity programs and their implementation across organizational systems, Mike Initially worked as an International Information Security Officer, quickly scaling to hold several C-level roles under LifeLabs. Notably, this includes being an IT Security Lead, where Mike had the opportunity to support the tech team in rendering new security program development and overseeing the inception of the Incident Response program. More formerly, Mike became a CISO in December of 2019. Here, Mike fundamentally optimized the growth trajectories of security programs, developed risk-based approaches to security governance, and ultimately managed a $50M+ Cybersecurity post-breach transformation program that successfully fixed the largest data breach on record in Canada.


That said, Mike’s ambitions for security excellence were also done in conjunction with ongoing side affiliations supporting various professional engagements, keynote presentations/talking panels, and public contributions. Namely, this involves being a Board Member and Co-Chair of the Operations Committee for the Canadian Cyber Threat Exchange, a CISO Co-Chair for Evanta, and an active Board Member of HUMINT Cybersecurity Recruitment. Furthermore, Mike’s devotion to bridging security gaps and innate avocation for making cybersecurity knowledge accessible has not gone unnoticed. To date, Mike has earned several accolades, including, but not limited to, the CISO of The Year Award issued by SiberX & EC Council, first globally recognized Transformational CISO by SANS, the CISO Division Award from the CIO Association of Canada, and more recently, the Top Global CISO Award presented by Cyber Defense Media Group.


Academically, Mike holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Queen’s University (Smith School of Business) and earned various Cybersecurity and Leadership certifications such as CISM, GSLC-GIAC, SSAP, SSCP, among others. Overall, Mike is a visionary and strategic leader who values positioning organizations for low-risk/high-reward success and ongoingly keeps a firm pulse on the transient introductions of threat intelligence and emerging technology. Even more, he is a firm believer that positive trajectories in cybersecurity start by instilling innovative impacts today, and understands that the most beneficial results are the ones that stem from the formation of strong, shared-value teams. Mike currently resides in Calgary with his wife and two children who inspire him to always become better than the day before, and enjoys spending his free time playing guitar – including attending Berklee College of Music in the evenings for guitar performance.

Panelist

Carole Piovesan

Co-Founder / Managing Partner, INQ Law

Carole is managing partner at INQ Law, focusing her practice on privacy, cyber readiness, data governance and artificial intelligence (AI) risk management. She regularly counsels clients on a wide range of matters related to privacy, cyber readiness and breach response, data governance, ethical AI and responsible innovation. Prior to founding INQ Law, Carole was co-lead of the national Cybersecurity, Privacy and Data Management group at McCarthy Tétrault. She has represented clients before all levels of court in Ontario as well as at the Supreme Court of Canada.

Carole plays an active role in shaping data law, policy and standards in Canada and globally. She is the co-chair of the federal government’s Exposure Notification application. She also co-chairs the data governance working group for the Data Governance Standardization Collaborative at the Standards Council of Canada. She is a member of the Data Governance Working Group for the Global Partnership on AI, as well as an advisor to several AI start-ups. In 2018, Carole was appointed by the federal Minister of Innovation to serve as one of six Digital Leaders in the national data and digital transformation consultations. In this role, she led consultations with businesses, academics, civil society and industry associations to inform the first national Digital Charter. Announced on May 21, 2019, the Digital Charter has led to
significant proposed reforms to Canada’s federal private sector privacy law.

Carole regularly teaches, speaks and writes on topics related to cybersecurity, privacy, data law and AI. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law where she lectures on AI law. She is also co-editor of the book, Leading Legal Disruption: Artificial Intelligence and a Toolkit for Lawyers and the Law, published by Thomson Reuters (2021).

Moderator

Iain Paterson

CISO, Well Health Technologies

Iain is a Cyber Security veteran with more than 16 years of experience in the Information Security and IT field. He has designed and run security operations programs in enterprise-scale banking, healthcare, and government organizations. In 2015, Iain joined Cycura, were he became the company’s Managing Director, leading both Offensive Security and Incident Response teams. In August of 2020, WELL Health acquired Cycura, and he became the company’s CEO, and leader of the Business Unit, which includes Source 44 Consulting. In 2022 Iain assumed the full time role of CISO for WELL and its various business subsidiaries in North America and abroad. Iain has spoken as a thought leader at Healthtech and Cyber Security conferences globally. Iain currently sits on the RCMP / NC3 Cyber Crime working committee, and the Halifax Forum “Peace with Women Fellowship” selection committee. Iain holds industry designations from ISC2, SABSA, and ISACA and an MBA from Athabasca University in Alberta, Canada.

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Moderator

AJ Khan

CISSP, CCSK, PCIP, MBA (Innovation & Entrepreneurship) CEO, Vehiqilla INC

AJ Khan is the founder and CEO of Vehiqilla Inc., a company focused on enhancing cybersecurity in the automotive sector. He is an ardent advocate of cyber security and governance, risk and compliance, and is the ex-Chair of the APMA Cyber Security Committee. Currently he contributes to Mobility Cybersecurity for Transport Canada, the European Union Information Security Agency (ENISA), CSA Group and the Automotive Parts Manufacturing Association. 

AJ has over 20 years of experience in Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC), and 13 years of experience in Cybersecurity Innovation and Emerging Technologies. He is also the author of “Automotive Cyber Governance” and holds a Bachelors in Electronics Engineering and an MBA from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.

Panelist

John Heaton

Partner, Cybersecurity, KPMG

John is an experienced IT Risk and Security transformation leader with over 35 years of experience in helping clients transform their IT risk and security organizations, solutions and processes to meet the ever changing regulatory and customer requirements. John’s specialties include leading large-scale cyber security and transformation programmes. He has extensive experience dealing with leading global organizations having worked in North America, South America and Europe.

Panelist

Colin Singh Dhillon

President, ImagineQ Inc

Colin Singh Dhillon is a visionary with close to three decades of automotive and mobility expertise, shaping global strategies for industry, academia, and government. Formerly a Chief Technical Officer representing the Canadian automotive sector and the creative leader behind Canada’s first zero-emission concept vehicle, Project Arrow, Colin has now embarked on a new chapter as the visionary behind ImagineQ Inc.

Colin is renowned for his work supporting global brands such as GM, Toyota, and Stellantis, and holds multiple patents. He stands as one of Canada’s leading automotive innovation and design thinking authorities, sought globally for his insights on the evolving future of mobility. Outside of work, Colin is the no.1 best-selling author of the book, “The Three Houses, A Journey to a Better Life.”

Panelist

Jennifer Quaid

Executive Director, Canadian Cyber Threat Exchange (CCTX)

Jennifer is the Executive Director of the Canadian Cyber Threat Exchange (CCTX), Canada’s preeminent private sector organization for cross-sector collaboration, enabling cyber resilience and preparedness. She is responsible for advancing the mission and purpose of the CCTX and delivering value to its members. With extensive experience in the tech sector and with membership-based organizations, Jennifer excels at creating an environment that fosters customer focus and service delivery.

Jennifer has 30 years of experience creating value in emerging businesses in Canada, Japan and the United Kingdom.

View Panel & Webinar: For executives and technical leaders

Noemi Chanda

Noemi is a Partner in Deloitte’s Data Protection and Privacy practice in Toronto. She provides privacy, data protection, and cyber strategy services for organizations seeking to deliver new and better services for their clients and the community, advising in the areas of regulatory compliance, data protection, information privacy, and risk management. She specializes in serving technology, healthcare, retail, and public sector clients participating in new initiatives that involve the collection or use of personal information.

Prior to Deloitte, she articled at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP and was a Visiting Researcher at the University of Washington Tech Policy Lab, where she looked at privacy in the context of the Internet of Things, AI, connected and autonomous vehicles, and robotics. Noemi holds a BA from the University of Waterloo, a Master’s in Economic Policy from McMaster University, and a law degree from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. She is licensed to practice law in Ontario.

Register your interest in the training programs available in this sector and we will contact you once the enrollment for the program becomes available.

Register your interest in the training programs available in this sector and we will contact you once the enrollment for the program becomes available.

Register your interest in the training programs available in this sector and we will contact you once the enrollment for the program becomes available.

Register your interest in the training programs available in this sector and we will contact you once the enrollment for the program becomes available.

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Melissa Carvalho

Melissa heads the Strategic Services group, providing cyber solutions for RBC’s 96,000 employees, subsidiaries, and 17 million clients. A results-driven leader, she excels in high-risk project delivery for large organizations. With extensive IT management experience, she’s skilled in needs assessments, software development, and infrastructure. Melissa fosters productivity and stakeholder relationships. Throughout her career, Melissa has developed identity strategies, implementing them across Canada’s top banks and consulting on 50+ IAM programs in North America. As WiD Global Board Vice Chair, she merges her passions for advancing people and tech, aiming to eliminate biases. A diversity advocate, Melissa leads LGBTQ+ efforts at RBC. She is a frequent speaker at global events and is the recipient of awards including Globe and Mail Best Executives 2022, Women In IT awards, and IT World Canada Top 20 Women in Cyber Security 2021.

Imran Ahmad

Imran advises clients across all industries on a wide array of technology-related matters, including outsourcing, cloud computing, SaaS, strategic alliances, technology development, system procurement and implementation, technology licensing and transfer, distribution, open source software, and electronic commerce. As part of his cybersecurity practice, Imran works with clients to develop and implement strategies related to cyber threats. He advises on legal risk assessments, compliance, due diligence, security, and data breach incident preparedness and response. Imran often acts as “breach counsel” in the event of a cybersecurity incident, and has extensive experience in managing complex cross-border security incidents. He also provides representation in the event of an investigation, enforcement action or litigation. Imran is the author of Canada’s first legal incident preparation and response handbook Cybersecurity in Canada: A Guide to Best Practices, Planning, and Management, 2nd Edition (LexisNexis, March 2021).

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