2027 Speakers
Bios are being added as sessions are confirmed.
Joanna Ayotte: Joanna Ayotte is a pharmacist with more than 28 years of healthcare experience and a Certified Menopause Practitioner through The Menopause Society. As founder of Evolve Menopause Education & Consulting in Winnipeg, she helps Canadian employers build menopause-supportive workplaces through manager training, employee education and workplace assessments. Joanna combines clinical expertise with practical strategies to help organizations understand how menopause can affect workplace health, safety and well-being, and support employees with confidence.
Michael Kerr, Canmore, Alberta: is a Canadian Hall of Fame Speaker who has presented in more than 20 countries on workplace culture, leadership, and a humour in the workplace. He has spoken frequently at safety events (including this one
approximately a gazillion years ago) on the topics on creating safety cultures, leadership, and the power of using humour to create more memorable safety meetings and messages. His Inspiring Workplaces blog is listed as one of the top-30 workplace blogs in the world, and Michael is the author of 9 books, including The Humor Advantage, The Jerk-Free Workplace, and Small Moments, Big Outcomes: How Leaders Create Cultures That Fuel Extraordinary Results.
Dr. Nicole Legg, PhD, Vancouver BC: Dr. Nicole Legg (she/her) received both her Masters of Science and PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Victoria. Dr. Legg completed her Clinical Psychology Residency with the Fraser Health Authority at Royal Columbian Hospital, and currently provides psychological assessments and treatment in the community. She is a research-scientist, a therapist, and a professional speaker on mental health and wellness.
Dr. Legg has been providing talks on a range of mental health topics for more than 10 years to corporate employees and executives, government and not-for-profit organizations, schools, health clinics, and more. She has received exceptional feedback and reviews on both her engaging speaking style and the applicability of her talks. Dr. Legg combines her first-hand experience in treating clients with mental health concerns, along with her rigorous training in evidence-based mental health interventions, to inform her comprehensive expertise in mental health and wellbeing. She has provided talks on mental health and engagement in high-risk behaviours to employees and executives at the Canadian Forces, British Columbia Legislative Assembly, Salesforce, Earls Head Office, District of North Vancouver, DailyHive, Hudson Pacific Properties, branches of the British Columbia Provincial Government, among many others. Dr. Legg has been featured on podcasts, radio programs, and in articles to share her expertise on various wellness topics. She has also been an invited guest speaker for a number of university psychology courses and awards ceremonies, and has been an invited guest panelist for organizations to discuss mental health, difficult life transitions, risky behaviours, and more.
Dr. Legg’s area of research focuses on understanding when and why people engage in high risk behaviours (e.g., substance use, disordered eating), as well as investigating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Canadians’ mental health. She has given talks at various national and international conferences on the findings from her research and has received federal research fellowships and numerous awards in recognition of her research achievements. Dr. Legg’s work has been published in several peer-reviewed scientific journals in her field and she has co-authored textbook chapters for the Oxford and Cambridge University Press. Dr. Legg is an advocate for mental health awareness, but in her free time you can find her taking advantage of the many outdoor activities in Vancouver
Jeff Lyth, QSP Leadership Inc. Vancouver BC: Since beginning his career in safety over 25 years ago, Jeff Lyth has become recognized as an expert and innovator in workplace safety and leadership.He obtained his Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP) and Certified Health and Safety Consultant (CHSC) designations, and served as Director of Corporate Health and Safety for nearly a decade before leaving safety management to work entirely in the leadership development/safety differently space. Throughout his career, Jeff has been involved in industry-leading innovation, such as the first Canadian use of computerized tower-crane anti-collision systems, the province-wide use of the ‘Safety Climate Tool’ survey from the Health and Safety Laboratory in the U.K., and the development of the BCCSA Silica Tool. Jeff has represented the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) on Health Canada’s transition to the Globally Harmonized System (GHS), and was accepted by the Department of Foreign Affairs as a Canadian Construction Occupational Health and Safety Specialist and participated in two missions to central China. He currently works in assisting organizations and safety departments to move beyond conventional views of health and safety and to break through the performance plateaus associated with those views.
Simon Miles, Safety First Consulting, Victoria, BC: Simon brings over 20 years of communications experience, specializing in strategic marketing, branding, and public engagement. He creates clear, effective messaging that connects with diverse audiences across print, digital, and community platforms.As a safety instructor and first aid attendant, Simon delivers practical workplace training and provides on-site safety coverage. His approach blends technical expertise with engaging instruction to strengthen awareness and reduce risk. With years of service as a firefighter and USAR technician, Simon has hands-on experience in emergency response and rescue operations. He has served in leadership roles, including Safety Officer and Deputy Task Force Leader, ensuring readiness under pressure.
Shilo Neveu, Alberta:
Shilo Neveu serves as the Executive Vice President of Operational Performance for the Valard Construction Group of Companies and as Quanta Services’ Regional Safety Director for Canada. His leadership spans more than two decades of experience guiding large, complex operations across the country — from remote field projects to billion-dollar infrastructure builds. Shilo’s journey didn’t start in a boardroom; it started in the mud and minus-forty winters of the Canadian field. That firsthand experience, combined with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Conservation Sciences, a Juris Doctorate in Law, and professional designations as both a CRSP and CUSP, gives him a rare ability to connect strategy with reality — and people with purpose. A former practicing lawyer specializing in labour, employment, and occupational health and safety law, Shilo has built his career helping organizations find the balance between compliance, culture, and human performance. Today, he’s known for challenging conventional thinking about leadership and safety — reminding others that real influence doesn’t come from authority, but from doing what’s right, even when no one’s watching.
