Speaking Engagements

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Speaking Engagements

Into the Blast Furnace: A Discussion with Courtney Pratt

Thursday, October 21, 2010 - SCNetwork Event @ The National Club, Toronto, 7:30-9:30am

In early 2004, Hamilton based Steel manufacturer Stelco Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection. The ensuing court mandated restructuring was a grueling process with much at stake: 6,000 jobs, 10,000 pensions; the struggling economy of a company town; and the egos and pocketbooks of lawyers, investors, union leaders, politicians and hedge fund managers, each with a special interest to flog and no interest in compromise. At the centre of it all was a CEO who had to clean up the mess, while protecting his reputation and satisfying his conscience.

In this unique session, Courtney Pratt will share his personal experience of Stelco's journey through CCAA bankruptcy protection. Courtney will, in telling the story, identify lessons learned, particularly in terms of the enormous leadership and management challenges that he and his team faced and how they responded to them. Following the presentation, Liane Davey will interview Courtney to draw out his reflections and insights about the CCAA process and what it can teach us. Through an informal and interactive discussion, Courtney will share insights about the role of the Human Resources function in crisis situations, the type of leadership we need to be building in Canada, and how to sustain employee engagement through challenging times...

2010 HR Conference - Mobilizing the business world to develop leadership capacity

September 27-29, 2010 — Palais des congrès, Montréal

Jean-Charles Lima, CHRP, Associate Director for Eastern Canada at Knightsbridge, and Stéphane Lavallée, Publisher, Les Affaires newspaper, Montréal

As borders fall and the talent hunt intensifies, companies are seeking new ways to train the managers and executives being groomed to take over as corporate leaders and to help them make their mark. What are the major issues related to leadership development? What practices have been shown to enhance the quality of leadership? How can current leaders better participate in coaching and developing the new leaders of the up and coming generation? Launched in 2008, the Urgence Leadership is a platform for collaboration centered on challenge of organizational leadership development which has elicited unprecedented engagement from the Quebec business community.

Optimizing Talent for Effective Strategy Execution

Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - FCPC, Pearson Convention Center

Within a business environment focused on cost management and efficiency, the ability to optimize talent is critical for effective strategy execution. This interactive session will focus on key organizational and leadership techniques to maximize head count:

Key principles to ensure that organizational design enables business strategy
Methods for aligning talent requirements and decisions with future strategic focus
Insights about the leader’s role in optimizing talent
This session will blend valuable content, case study examples, and group interaction.

Participants will walk away with practical methods, tools, and insights to implement in their organizations. Speakers: Audra August, Senior Consultant, Knightsbridge Leadership Solutions; Tammy Heermann, M.Sc., Senior Consultant, Knightsbridge Leadership Solutions.

Building Strong Leaders

April 14, 2010 - RCC HR Conference, Toronto

Cultivating “high potential” employees for management positions means training them to function like leaders of people. Designed for delegates who are tired of leadership talk, this session aims to give retailers:

Tools and strategies for cultivating and harvesting leadership in “high potential” employees—without losing these employers to competitors.
Ideas for compiling a leadership training program that helps future leaders understand the ethics, operations, and challenges of the retail industry.
A better understanding of “leadership”—What it is, and what kind of leaders the retail industry needs to overcome the challenges of the next decade?

Speakers: Vince Molinaro, PhD., Managing Director, Knightsbridge Human Capital Solutions; Jessica Sherin, PhD., Consultant, Knightsbridge Human Capital Solutions

Blazing Ahead: Leadership for Post-Recession Competitiveness Discussion Panel

Thursday, April 15, 2010 - Toronto Board of Trade, Downtown Centre

As we emerge from the recession, businesses face an unprecedented opportunity to position themselves for success. Join David Shaw, Founder & CEO of Knightsbridge, along with business leaders Anne Golden and Merv Hiller as they share:

Key challenges and opportunities faced by today’s business leaders and how to overcome them
How to rise above your competition to win in the recovering economy

Read more about the event, or visit Toronto Board of Trade to register.

Leadership and Change in the Public Sector: Creating a Community of Leaders

Thursday March 25, 2010 - Victoria, BC

Join Mathé Grenier; Principal & Western Region Lead, Knightsbridge Leadership Solutions as she delivers the keynote address at the IPAC Conference: Mastering Employee Engagement and Organizational Change.

If “business as usual” is no longer working in these changing times, what about “leadership as usual”? Effective leadership relies very much on its context. Creating the flexibility to respond to rapid, large scale change that is being experienced in the Public Sector requires looking at leadership beyond simply the individual leader.

Leadership 2009: Developing Strategic Management Capacity

December 7-8, 2009 - Sutton Place Hotel, Toronto

Knightsbridge and The Conference Board of Canada invite you to change how you view leadership in your organization, learn about tools to build leadership capacity, and get answers to your toughest leadership questions, including:

What skills and qualities do leaders need now and in the future?
How to develop or find skills quickly enough to make a difference?
How can leaders energize and build readiness for an unknown future?
As the economy rebounds, do you have the right leaders in the right roles?

Leadership 2009: Developing Strategic Management Capacity will help you refine your organization’s leadership capabilities and ensure it’s able to successfully execute its business strategy. This event combines the in-depth expertise of KnightsbridgeMICA with the perspectives and insights of Canadian leaders who have faced unique leadership challenges. If you’re still struggling with “leadership as usual,” you can’t afford to miss this multidimensional, thought-provoking, and practical event. As a valued Knightsbridge customer, we are pleased to offer you a special rate for this exclusive session. Join us, and ensure your human capital strategy increases leadership capacity and genuinely addresses the needs of your business.

Career Management - Young Women of Influence

October 22, 2009 - The Dominion Club, One King West

Join Kathryn Lockhart, Business Leader for Knightsbridge's CAREEGO, to discover how this career expert and Harvard graduate negotiated working for Toronto based Knightsbridge, while living in Germany. After spearheading the world's most compelling and innovative career management website, Careego.com, she wants to enable others to take control of their careers with the cutting-edge tools Careego provides...

BCHRMA 2009 Northern Symposium - HR as Strategic Partner

September 22, 2009 - Prince George Civic Centre

The 2009 Northern Symposium theme 'Winds of Change: HR Strategies in the New Economy' was created with, and for, practitioners in the BC region. Join Knightsbridge's Julie Jones as she speaks about 'HR as Strategic Partner' - with the current downturn in the economy and the shift in today's workplace, it is not enough for HR to simply have a seat at the table. To make an impact and create positive change, HR must have the courage to find their own voice and contribute as a true strategic partner...

Click here for the accompanying article.

The Six Degrees of Networking - CMA's Make Your Mark

October 1, 2009 - Arcadian Court, Toronto

The Canadian Marketing Association presents 'Make Your Mark', a half-day of powerful professional development that explores how personal branding and networking can help women successfully advance through the ranks with confidence. Join Susan Barrett, Partner at Knightsbridge Leadership Solutions, for her engaging session 'The Six Degrees of Networking'...