Greig Clark is a columnist on entrepreneurial issues for Profit Magazine, an Advisory Board Specialist for Entrepreneurs, and founder of College Pro Painters. Founded in 1971, he created a franchise model for College Pro Painters that grew to 600 franchises across North America, with nearly 5000 painters and $35 million in summertime sales when he sold it in 1989. Greig was named Canada’s Entrepreneur of the Year by the Financial Post in 1980, and was named one of the Top Ten Entrepreneurs of the Decade by Profit Magazine in 1992.
Greig holds an HBA in Business Adminstration, Richard Ivey Business School at University of Western Ontario. Greig is also Chairman of the Toronto Christian Resource Centre, a charity located in Regent Park, Toronto that is focused on working with the homeless and marginalized people in Toronto.
Islay McGlynn is the Managing Director & Head Small Business, Personal & Commercial Banking, Canada. In this role, Islay provides strategic leadership for the Small Business segment by focusing on customer acquisition and retention, revenue growth opportunities and continuous improvement of Small Business processes and policies.
Islay joined Scotiabank in the Halifax Commercial Banking Centre in 1989 and has held progressively senior roles in Retail Branch Banking, Commercial Banking, Canadian Banking Human Resources and Global Employment Strategies.
Islay holds a Bachelor of Commerce from University of Guelph, an MBA from McGill, a Masters of Information Studies from University of Toronto, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Canadian Bankers.
From September 1987 to date, Catherine Susan Swift has been with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. She became Chairwoman in June 1999 after being named Chief Executive Officer in July, 1997 and President in May of 1995. She first served CFIB as Vice-President of Research and Chief Economist, then as Senior Vice-President, Provincial Affairs, Senior Vice-President, Administration, Senior Vice-President, Legislative Affairs and subsequently Executive Vice-President. Ms. Swift is a CFIB Board Governor and Chairperson of the Executive Committee of the Board. Among her various responsibilities is coordinating policy issues at both federal and provincial levels of government and representing CFIB with politicians, government, business and other groups.
In 2006 Kaz Flinn was appointed Scotiabank’s Vice President Corporate Social Responsibility. She has responsibility for the development and management of the Bank’s CSR global strategic plan. Kaz chairs the Bank’s CSR Advisory Committee, a group of senior executives that oversee the integration of CSR throughout the Bank. She speaks at conferences on CSR on topics such as the changing role of business, the challenges of integration of CSR across an organization and the business value of CSR to an organization.
She sits on the Board of the Canadian Business for Social Responsibility (CBSR), a business-led, non-profit CSR consultancy and peer-to peer learning organization.
Tom Sloan was appointed Vice-President, Commercial Markets and Small Business, Export Development Canada, in January 2007. In this capacity, he is responsible for the account management and business development responsibilities for all Canadian customers and prospects. Prior to this, he held several increasingly senior roles in the organization, with particular emphasis on EDC's insurance program.
Mr. Sloan first joined EDC in 1997, coming from the Canadian military, where he had numerous postings in Canada, along with a one-year peacekeeping tour in the Middle East.
Mr. Sloan is a graduate of the Royal Military College in Kingston with a degree in Economics and Commerce. He is a Certified General Accountant as well as a CFA charter holder.
EDC is Canada’s export credit agency, offering innovative commercial solutions to help Canadian exporters and investors expand their international business. EDC’s knowledge and partnerships are used by more than 8,300 Canadian companies and their global customers in up to 200 markets worldwide each year.