Previous VanWiT Events

VanWIT is back for the 2017/2018 season and is pleased to announce the first event in our new Leadership Circle Series. The events feature senior executives in technology who will share their journey in the industry in an intimate setting with the VanWIT community.

We are excited to welcome our first speaker, Dianne Lapierre, Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer of Raymond James Ltd.

After 24 years in a variety of Information Technology Management and Executive roles at Manulife Financial in Waterloo, ON, Dianne moved to Vancouver to assume her current role in 2014. Raymond James, established in 1962, is one of North America’s leading independent full-service investment dealers with an extensive presence across Canada and the United States. Raymond James Ltd. is the Canadian subsidiary of Raymond James Financial, Inc. Over 1200 employees and agents across Canada work together in establishing Raymond James as Canada’s premier independent investment firm. We offer a wide-range of services for individual and institutional clients and corporate issuers. Our Advisors have access to a complete offering of high quality investment products and services, providing them with the resources to customize investment solutions for their clients. Our Equity Capital Markets division provides expertise in Investment Banking, Research, Corporate Finance, and Institutional Sales & Trading.

Dianne is a passionate achiever who inspires excellence with a personal goal of growing leaders who grow leaders. Personal leadership is key driver in her career and personal success.

Dianne has an undergraduate degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and an MBA from Athabasca University. She has also maintained her Project Management Professional (PMP) designation since 2001. Dianne is a member of the Board of Directors of the Vancouver Chapter of the CIO Association of Canada and is currently serving on the organizing committee for the National Association’s CIO Peer Forum, an annual conference for CIO’s.

Dianne lives in the West End of Vancouver with her husband Jeff and youngest child (21). She has 4 other adult children who live in Montreal, Toronto, Waterloo and London, ON.

Tickets for this event are limited, so please make sure you sign up soon to share some refreshments and conversation with Dianne and other VanWIT members!

Our second series in The Power of ( ) focuses on the different types of power that can be used to help you succeed in IT. Formal and organizational are the easiest to see and use, but that only scratches the surface. Join us for an exciting keynote and panel discussion about how the various types of power (expert, referential, who you know, charismatic, and many more) can help you advance your career at any level of the organization.

Theories on power: What do people say, and what does it really mean?
The good, the bad, and the ugly: What are the pros and cons of each type?
Best use of ‘Superpowers”: How have people advanced in their careers at every level of the organization?

Join the VanWIT Community and Kirke Management Consulting for an engaging evening of networking over food and drinks along with a presentation and discussion on privacy and security management from two accomplished women in technology.

Privacy is all around us. In a hyper connected world where data insight gives organizations a competitive edge, the risks of managing and safeguarding that data – specifically personal data – have increased exponentially. How then, as IT professionals, can we influence the importance of privacy and security management while at the same time we become enablers of innovative business models? Join us for this event where we will explore the opportunities that lie ahead in terms of increasing trust, reputation and brand exposure through the compliant management of Private information.

Ale Brown MBA, CIPT 

Ale started her career as an IT professional working for large corporations such as Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson. She also ventured into the entrepreneurial world working for boutique consulting firms when she moved to Vancouver. Her specialties at the time were the implementation and management of ERP systems and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) strategies.

During her last corporate job with J&J, she partnered with various commercial groups in the organization, providing IT solutions in the area of Sales Force Effectiveness and Digital Marketing. This is when she was thoroughly exposed to the world of Privacy management.

She founded Kirke Management Consulting in 2014, with the goal to help organizations excel in their business objectives by finding opportunities for growth, while at the same time managing risks that could prevent their success

Wendy Hurlburt MBA, CIPP/C 

Wendy has an undergraduate degree in Economics and Finance. She started her career in Sales and Marketing in the IT and video game industry where she gained invaluable experience. After a few years of being on the road, she returned to school to complete an MBA in Finance and International Business.

Since completing her MBA, she has held leadership positons as Controller, CFO and COO in the IT, Not-for-Profit and Healthcare sectors. Amongst her key responsibilities were to be the Chief Privacy Officer since 2001 at different organizations. She has lead the development of Privacy Programs delivering effective privacy policies and processes, ensuring privacy compliance to enable companies to achieve their business objectives. Wendy is passionate about privacy as a value-added driver of brand equity and business growth.

About Kirke Management Consulting

Strategy. Transformation. Results.

We are a strategy consulting firm that enables business growth and minimizes corporate risk. We believe that safeguarding personal information has become paramount in a rapidly expanding digital world, therefore we help organizations gain relevant data insights to build tighter relationships with their customers, all within a strong privacy management framework. This results in increased brand recognition, improved reputation in the industry and trust within their customer-base.

Kirke (pronounced “Kur-keeh”), the Greek goddess of transformation, used her powers and knowledge to transform anything that posed a threat into something harmless. At Kirke Management Consulting we strive to empower our customers to make that transformation happen and revolutionize their businesses.

On November 21, join BCjobs.ca and the BC Tech Association for a panel bringing together women leaders who will be sharing their experiences working in different roles within the tech industry!

Following the panel, you’ll have the chance to get a closer look at roles you’re interested in during breakout discussions. Learn more about career options and opportunities in tech, find out how you can kickstart your career, and discuss how we can come together to champion more diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

This event will be a wonderful opportunity to connect with ambitious women, get engaged in the community, and share ideas on how to encourage and empower women in tech.

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The Power of Coaching: The lack of employee engagement is a billion-dollar problem. It costs billions of dollars worldwide in lost productivity and employee turnover. We know that one of the main drivers of an employee’s engagement in an organization is their manager. As a manager, if you can coach as part of your day-to-day interactions to improve your ability to engage your team, you can make a big impact. In this interactive workshop, we will cover some basics so you can bring out the best in YOU and your TEAM.

Our third event in The Power of ( ) series focuses on one method to tackle the billion dollar problem of increasing employee engagement, which leads to loss of productivity and increase in turnover. One of the main drivers of engagement in the workplace is their direct support, so being able to embed coaching into the day-to-day interactions will provide a huge impact to a more productive team.

This interactive workshop will produce tools and advice for how to bring out the best in both you AND your employees with focus on:

• Coaches vs Mentors: What are the differences in tools and approaches?
• Structuring the conversation: How do you prepare for a coaching session
• Personal vs Professional: How do you apply coaching in a professional setting as well as for personal development

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***** Please note that this is a VanWIT member only event; you can purchase a membership here *****

It is often challenging for people to step outside of their comfort zone to take risks and try new things, but there is power in listening to other people’s experiences and hearing that there is no right answer for your career.

Leadership Circles are designed to inspire people to take the next step in their career by highlighting the journey of successful senior leaders in technology, and VanWIT is excited to announce that the first Leadership Circle in our 2018/2019 program will be hosted by Angela Baldonero, Chief of Staff at Cisco Systems Inc.

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Our final installment of the Power of () series will focus on you and how to manage your personal brand and digital profile. Branding is not just for orgnizations; we all have an image that is a combination of how we see ourselves and how other people see us. This interactive workshop session will focus on the best practices for building your own personal brand including:

• Social Selling and My Brand: What is it and why is it important?
• LinkedIn Best Practices: How do you create an impactful digital profile?
• Tips & Tricks: How to create value and leverage more from your online presence