Your best investment has a heartbeat

Thursday, October 1st, 2026

You've always believed investing in people is the right call. And yet absenteeism climbs, presenteeism stays invisible, and the gap between what organizations offer and what employees actually experience remains. Join us for real data, honest conversations, and practical tools to invest smarter and close the gaps.

This exclusive edition of the Sparking Dialogues conference is your chance to lead differently.

We’re sold out! Join the waitlist to be first in line if more tickets are released.

JOIN THE WAITLIST

SEE THE AGENDA

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WHERE The Globe and Mail Centre (17th Floor, 351 King Street East, Toronto)

WHEN October 1st, 2026 at 11:30am

WHAT A half-day of HR-focused discussions, an interactive workshop, an inspiring keynote, and a networking cocktail

Explore the agenda

Ben Chung

Director, Talent Acquisition

Ben leads the teams responsible for talent acquisition, onboarding, HR technology and analytics, and office management at Dialogue. Passionate about building the teams shaping the future of healthcare, he is committed to creating a people-first culture where employees feel supported and empowered to do their best work. Ben believes investing in people is key to delivering exceptional virtual care and building a stronger healthcare system.

Kerri Sinclair

Health Human Resource Manager

Kerri supports teams across the long-term care and retirement living sector and brings a people-first approach to the workplace. Passionate about creating healthier, more supportive work environments, Kerri believes that when we take care of the people caring for others, everyone benefits.

Registration & lunch

Check in, enjoy lunch, and grab a coffee.

The $76B blind spot

Poor mental health costs the Canadian economy $76B every year. But what does it cost your organization? Drawing on a third-party cost-benefit analysis, this session will help you quantify the impact of absenteeism, presenteeism, and more. You'll leave with the data, an ROI tool, and the language to bring this conversation to any table.

Presented by

Richard Fahey and Partner

Vice-President
AppEco

Dr. Marc Robin

Medical Director
Dialogue

Navaid Mansuri

Chief Financial Officer
Dialogue

Managers on the front lines: An HR leader's story

Managers are often the first to notice when an employee is struggling, but most don't know what to say or do. Hear directly from an HR leader who gave managers the tools, language, and confidence to have the right conversations. This candid interview covers what they put in place, what changed, and what they wish they'd done sooner.

Presented by

Julie Turner

Chief Human Resources Officer
McCarthy Tetrault

Mélissa Trottier

Vice-President, Customer Success
Dialogue

Group workshop

Can HR be strategic? In this interactive workshop, roll up your sleeves and tackle practical exercises to help you become a more strategic thought partner in your business.

Led by

Mike Ross

Former CHRO at Simons, former consultant at McKinsey, organizational transformation expert, and author

The human impact
of AI at work

How are you measuring the impact of AI on your teams? Most organizations track efficiency, output, and adoption rates, but that only tells part of the story. The rest is playing out quietly: rising employee anxiety, increasing pressure to deliver more, and eroding trust. This session explores the psychological cost of AI adoption and what HR leaders should be measuring beyond productivity.

Presented by

Lindsay Temple

Interim CEO
HRPA

Dr. Sandra Primiano

Psychologist, Senior Director
EFAP & Mental Health
Dialogue

Benefits on paper.
Gaps in practice.

New 2026 data reveals the well-being challenges facing Canadian employees and what they need most. Half say their financial situation has worsened, 69% have delayed care because of cost, and only 16% of HR professionals believe their benefits are being used very effectively. This closing session explores what's working, what's not, and where organizations can make the biggest impact.

Presented by

Taline Karagopian

Senior Human Resources Advisor
Leger

Cameron Moore

Senior Vice-President,
Product & Design
Dialogue

Amy Tailby

Senior Manager, Benefits, Canada & Latin America
OpenText

Michele Romanow

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Michele is a serial entrepreneur who started six companies before her 35th birthday. A “Dragon” on CBC’s hit show Dragons’ Den, Romanow is the co-founder of Clearco, the world’s largest e-commerce investor. It has invested over $5 billion into 10,000 entrepreneurs worldwide. She was also named one of Fortune’s “40 under 40”, a “Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum, one of the “100 Most Powerful in Canada” by WXN, and Canada’s “Angel Investor of the Year”.

In her keynote, Michele will share what she's learned about investing in people as a business driver

Cocktail

Wrap up the day with cocktails, light bites, and meaningful connections with fellow HR leaders.

Meet your keynote

MICHELE ROMANOW

MICHELE ROMANOW

Michele is a serial entrepreneur who started six companies before her 35th birthday. A “Dragon” on CBC’s hit show Dragons’ Den, Romanow is the co-founder of Clearco, the world’s largest e-commerce investor. It has invested over $5 billion into 10,000 entrepreneurs worldwide. She was also named one of Fortune’s “40 under 40”, a “Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum, one of the “100 Most Powerful in Canada” by WXN, and Canada’s “Angel Investor of the Year”.

In her keynote, Michele will share what she's learned about investing in people as a business driver.

JOIN THE WAITLIST

This event is accredited!

By attending Sparking Dialogues: The employee wellness conference, you’ll earn 3.83 hours of HRPA Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits and 2.5 IAFE-accredited CE credits.

Join the waitlist for an action-packed event.

Get insider insights from leaders who are redefining well-being.
Be inspired by powerful, no-fluff speakers.
Roll up your sleeves in an interactive, solution-focused workshop.
Spark meaningful connections with like-minded people.

Past attendees love Sparking Dialogues.
See for yourself.

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Amazing
speakers!

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I thought I would be bored or distracted sitting and listening to sessions all afternoon, but the content was so engaging, and there was lots of opportunity for interaction that kept me interested and engaged.

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Kudos to the team; this was very well organized, and there was great engagement throughout the event.

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I have presented at 100's of conferences over 30 years and attended countless ones as well all over the world. This may have been the best one I was involved with—organization, location, food, session structure, length, timing, etc. Kudos on the event.

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Excellent, invigorating sessions. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

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The experts were so refreshing for me to listen to. Their professionalism, knowledge, and ability to answer questions and to share their expertise were top-notch.

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Your best investment has a heartbeat