Own Your Potential

Catherine Mortimer, Award Winning Real Estate Agent with Chestnut Park, an affiliate of Christie's International, tells us about the value of a strong team in a traditionally individual industry, how prioritizing health and wellness unlocks performance in your career, and the power of defining success holistically instead of just professionally. 

Matt Miksa, former FBI Intelligence Analyst, Senior Director of Strategy at Razorfish and best selling Author, tells us about how his career preventing foreign spies from stealing America’s secrets unlocked his creativity, sending him down the path to becoming a successful author, while also setting him apart as a talented digital strategist.

Jahkedda Akbar, Global Head of Employer Brand and Recruitment Marketing at Publicis Sapient, tells us about how her passion for psychology and understanding human behavior has steered her career, and how intentionally shaking up your snow globe to create discomfort often translates to accelerated growth.

Ali Budd, Founder, President and Principal Designer at Ali Budd Interiors, a Toronto based, international design studio, tells us about the undeniable influence of parents on one's inevitable career path, the freeing and empowering effect of unapologetically and authentically bringing your whole self to work, and the unique culture that an all-woman workforce can cultivate.

Hiba Mojabber, Medieval Art History PhD Researcher at the University of Geneva and Associate Creative Director at Publicis Sapient, dives into what it takes to concurrently grow a successful career and pursue her passion in academia at the highest level, highlighting that it takes commitment, considerable personal sacrifice, as well as balance in order to come out on top!

Joanna McFarlane, Associate Partner and Vice President of Media and Analytics at King Ursa, talks about the evolution of careers in the data field and the importance of having an organization that embraces data, the value of continuing to lean into delivery on key projects to keep skills sharp as you ascend to leadership, and the mindset shift required when transitioning from shaping a team to sha...

Andrew Sinclair, International Growth Lead and Director at Publicis Sapient, tells us about his tactics for overcoming age early in his career, harnessing the power of fear and intrigue in sales conversations, and how understanding that there is nothing more important than what the client has to say and the accelerative impact it had on his growth in business development.

Gary Wade, President of Unilever Canada and former Olympian, tells us about the need to practice leadership in order to become a leader, that in building a wider base you raise your peak, and that getting good at a job doesn't make you ready for the next job, it simply positions you to actually deliver value in your current one.

Sharon Kamra, Senior Vice President of Hiring at Publicis Sapient and former Chief People Officer of SapientRazorfish, tells us about the importance of pressure testing your environment when it seems to be lacking in growth opportunities before making a jump, the sense of fulfillment that comes with continued learning and how critical it is to keep one's ego in check when making career decisions.&...

John Weston, Senior Vice President Global Microsoft Practice at Publicis Sapient and 20+ year veteran of Microsoft, tells us about the power of unlocking your growth from the traditional corporate ladder, the value of mastering extemporaneous speaking, and the importance of embracing your opportunity to lead regardless of your title of career stage.

Akeem Gardner, Co-Founder & CEO of Atlas 365, Inc. and Founder & CEO of Canurta Inc., tells us about how channelling mindsets developed as a high-level athlete, investing in a physical space dedicated to work, and the willingness to outwork everyone helped catapult Akeem down the path to launch a real, natural solution for inflammation in order to solve one of the world’s biggest health ch...

Karmen LaMer, Founder of Tight Clinic and veteran of the luxury retail industry, tells us about how fearlessness, tenacity and an insatiable desire to achieve excellence helped her transform from a successful corporate professional into a fast growing entrepreneur shortly after facing one of the biggest challenges in her life.

Sheldon Monteiro, Chief Product Officer at Publicis Sapient, tells us about the importance of understanding contrast in the world around you and how critical mastering your filters is to managing information overload and guiding your growth.

Arthur Filip, Chief Growth Officer at Publicis Sapient, tells us about the value of ambition, the importance of diversity in lived experiences and how his pursuit of solving challenging problems helped guide his career decisions along his professional journey.

Scott Bzdok, former Digital Strategy Executive and newly minted Realtor at Brookstone Realtors, tells us about his decisioning process and journey that led to stepping away from a very successful digital marketing career to jumping in head first into the world of real-estate in pursuit of real fulfillment and happiness from his work.

Hazel-Ann Mayers, former Chief Business Ethics & Compliance Officer at CBS Corporation, Harvard Grad and current Adjunct Professor of Law at Fordham University School of Law, tells us about her inspiring legal career journey and how critical it is to have someone that can dream for you when you can't dream for yourself.

Emmanuel Antwi, US Army Veteran, MBA Grad and SalesForce Consultant at Publicis Sapient, talks about how his military experience showed him the value of diversity of thought and lived experience, the transformative impact of discipline and how having an open mind allowed him to discover a passion-driven career in IT consulting.

Nelly Radfar, Senior Leadership of the KPMG Advisory, Management Consulting Team focused on technology strategy and digital transformation, tells us about her 3 step approach to career growth, the mindset that has helped her overcome obstacles as a woman in the technology space, and how she draws strength from her experiences as an immigrant in Canada.

Courtney Stephen, ex-professional football player for the CFL and now the Director of Community Partnerships for the Hamilton Tiger Cats, tells us about how his pursuit of a professional football career helped him develop the tools, mindsets and behaviors needed to be successful in his post playing career and how the intersection of his passion, capability and ambition made him dangerous both on t...

Michael Gorman, Talent Manager and the Founder of Straight Up Management, a Talent Management firm focused on guiding and growing the careers of LGBTQ+ and BIPOC artists. Michael tells us about finding real satisfaction in his career by staying true to his passion, submerging yourself in the scene of the industry you want to break into and the incredible value of sweat equity.

Naeem Nelson, Vice President of ICS Quality Assurance at Broadridge, tells us about the value of experiencing a variety of different roles and wearing many hats early in your career, and how channeling your cultural and family roots and influences can truly shape you as a professional.

Daphne Magna, Founder of Tough Convos and Management Consultant specializing in Anti-Black Racism, Inclusive Leadership & Team Culture, tells us about the importance of organizations creating safe, fair and equitable environments for all of their employees, the need for individuals to recognize when an environment is not facilitating their growth and success, and how not compromising on her pa...

Kameshwari Rao, Global Chief People Officer at Publicis Sapient, tells us about the importance of extracting value out of every experience your career journey throws your way, the universal value of using data to tell your impact story, and how she found one of her most fulfilling life experiences through helping those in great need.

Kim Toomer, Chief of Staff for International at Publicis Sapient, tells us about the confidence a solid fall back plan can instill in you as you pursue a new career direction, and the value of strong relationships as you work to grow your career.

Atul Mehta, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of EMEA at Publicis Sapient, explains why building processes that encourage and enable self-advocacy in organizations with high performance cultures is critical for enabling fair and equitable growth for individuals.