VanWIT hosts events that connect, inspire and educate. Join us and become a part of our network of smart, tech-savvy women who are committed to helping each other succeed. We provide a friendly and supportive environment for women in all stages of their career, including students, up-and-comers and seasoned professionals. VanWIT welcomes people of all genders who are interested in supporting women in technology.
Next Event:
Smart Cities: What IoT means for you, where you live and your career:
Date: Wednesday, April 18th, 2018
Time: 5:30pm – 8:00pm
Location: Sutton Place Hotel Vancouver 845 Burrard Street
Ticket Price: $25.00
VanWIT is excited to host our first event in the Digital Disruption series focusing on the Internet of Things and how it impacts our cities, where we live and how we work both now and in the future. A panel of special guests will engage in a lively moderated discussion around the following topics:
- IoT opportunities: How do you build the case for which of the many to pursue?
- Big Data: How it is being used and what is the impact on people and on business?
- Hype vs. Applied Technology: What is already delivering real value and what is on the horizon?
- Future-proofing your career: How do you ride the wave and ensure you don’t get left behind?
The agenda will be as follows:
- 5:30 pm – Registration Opens
- 6:00 pm – Facilitated Panel Discussion
- 7:00 pm – Audience Q&A
- 7:30 pm – Open Networking
- 8:00 pm – Event Close
Moderator:
Shari Wallace, Chief Information Officer, City of Burnaby
Shari is responsible for IT strategy, business transformation projects, asset lifecycle management and day-to-day operations. Prior to joining municipal government, Shari spent 15 years in the private sector in a number of IT positions across a wide-range of industries including telecommunications, banking and oil and gas.
Panelists:
Bill Finnerty. Research Director, Gartner
Bill is a member of the public-sector team covering citizen engagement, government portals, mobile, geospatial technologies and smart cities/communities for state and local governments. He previously served as the CIO for the Pennsylvania Department of State, where he was responsible for the Department’s IT strategic direction, budget, policy and staffing strategies.
Karina Guy, MAS, PMAHI, CISA, CISSP, CIPP/C, Partner, KPMG
Karina has over 25 years of experience in IM/IT advisory services specializing in digital transformation, advanced analytics, process automation, informatics and decision-support. She has also built the foundational capabilities for smart city initiatives as well as led numerous engagements in health and social care, public safety and law enforcement, infrastructure and transportation.
Kurt Pregler, ITP, MBA, CMC, PMP, Chief Information Officer, Translink
Kurt is a highly-motivated, customer-focused, and outcomes-oriented IT leader with responsibility for enterprise IT strategy, security, data and analytics, systems delivery and support, and day-to-day operations. He previously worked in operations management and management consulting roles before joining TransLink in late 2008.
Karyn Magnusson, P.Eng, Deputy City Engineer, City of North Vancouver
Karyn is an experienced engineer with a demonstrated history of leading design and operations teams in the municipal and higher education sectors, with a deep background in Sustainable Development, Urban Planning, Asset Management and Green Infrastructure. She recently joined the City of North Vancouver in the role of Deputy City Engineer.
Thank you to our Event Sponsor
Upcoming Events
Cyber-security: You’ve Been Hacked
Panel Discussion – further details TBA
Date: Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Time: TBA
Location: TBA
Ticket Price: TBA
VanWIT Member Networking Event
Further details TBA
Date: Wednesday, June 27, 2018
Time: TBA
Location: TBA
Ticket Price: TBA
Past 2018 Events
Leadership Circle – Breaking Barriers:
Featuring Frenny Bawa, who will be sharing her journey in an intimate setting
Date: Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Time: 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Location:
Room 7000, SFU Harbour Centre Campus Vancouver
515 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 5K3
Ticket Price: TBA
VanWIT is kicking off 2018 with another installation of our Leadership Circle Series, which features senior executives in technology who will share their journey in the industry with the VanWIT community in an intimate setting.
We are excited to welcome Frenny Bawa, who will lead a discussion about transcending gender bias and employing strategies for career progression in the tech industry.
Frenny Bawa is a Business Executive who has had career in technology which spanned over two decades. She began as a Marketing Manager at a Vancouver start-up and went on to hold senior leadership positions in several companies in the Lower Mainland and abroad. Over her career, Frenny developed expertise in product marketing, doing business internationally, transforming businesses and developing exponential growth strategies for the companies where she worked. She led the globalization initiative for Blackberry which expanded the company’s primarily North American foot print into over 175 countries. Following this business development effort, as Managing Director, she drove market development for BlackBerry in the Middle East, Africa and India. Frenny was recognized by Fortune India as one of the top 10 women in business. Currently, Frenny serves on Simon Fraser University’s Foundation Board and on the Advisory Committee on TRIUMF (ACOT). On a selective basis she also provides strategic advice to companies. Frenny holds a BBA from Simon Fraser University and an MBA from McGill University.
Tickets for this event are limited, so please make sure you sign up soon to share refreshments and conversation with Frenny and other VanWIT members!
Agenda:
- 5:00pm-5:30pm: Arrival and Registration
- 5:30pm-7:00: Breaking Barriers discussion
- 7:00pm-7:30: Open Networking
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