Thursday, April 11, 2024 | 11 am to 7 pm
Women Breaking Barriers Conference offers an unmatched opportunity to bring together diverse women from rural, urban, and northern communities to network, learn strategies to advance leadership potential, and help drive economic success needed to grow our communities for years to come. Women Breaking Barriers is hosted by the Saskatchewan Science Centre and supported by the Status of Women Office, with Satellite Locations available throughout the province.
Women Breaking Barriers is truly a Saskatchewan conference and has locations hosting the event across the province:
Regina Location | Saskatchewan Science Centre
Price: $125/Ticket SOLD OUT!
Saskatoon Location | Innovation Place
Price: $125/Ticket
Weyburn Location | Weyburn Credit Union
Price: $50/Ticket – Ticket includes lunch and happy hour appetizers
Prince Albert | Saskatchewan Polytechnic
This event will take place from 11:00 am to 4:30 pm.
Price: $55/Ticket
Each satellite location will host a unique event for delegates in and around their community. The conference will be streamed into the venues while allowing delegates to mingle and network in person. Each satellite location registration includes access to the conference in person, lunch, and networking opportunities.
NEW this year, we have a few special locations hosting smaller, intimate events through our Micro-Satellite Locations. If you want to learn more about the below locations, please contact their respective hosts!
Tisdale | Canalta Hotel
Contact Cassandra Teichroeb at canaltatisdale@canalta.com
NEW Micro-Satellite Hosting Option
Unable to attend one of our in-person locations, but have a team that’s interested in being inspired? Fill your boardroom and purchase one of our Micro-Satellite Hosting links to engage with your team. This option provides a ½ day of programming from 11 am to 4:30 pm.
Speakers and Presenters
Keynote
Katherine Emberly
President & CEO | STARS
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Katherine is a transformational leader and dynamic communicator with over two decades of executive experience. As President & CEO of STARS, she is accountable for the alignment and direction of the organizations’ strategy, as well as building on critical external stakeholder relationships with government, donors, and key partners. Katherine and her team have a singular focus – delivering critical care to the most vulnerable and sickest people wherever and whenever needed. They achieve this goal by being values and purpose driven.
Prior to joining STARS, Katherine spent the last twenty years with Shaw Communications, progressing through more senior roles until she spent the last five years as President, Business. Having grown with and across that organization, Katherine is a champion of building talent and providing opportunities to stretch, grow and learn.
Katherine is also committed to giving back to the community that has provided so many opportunities for her, and she sits on the boards of Alberta Blue Cross, Calgary Economic Development and Axis Connects.
Katherine is ICD.D certified, has completed the Harvard Executive Leadership program, and is a graduate of the University of Alberta.
Lightening Keynotes
Tanis Wilder
Saskatchewan Polytechnic
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Tanis Wilder brings a dynamic 25-year journey working in digital technology, starting in front-end web development then transitioning to consulting in e-learning and corporate education. Tanis realized her passion for post-secondary education while developing online courses for the University of Regina. This led her to teaching roles at Saskatchewan Polytechnic in the School of Information and Communication Technology, where she currently serves as Academic Chair. Tanis is educated in pop culture and current trends by her two teenage daughters.
When not driving her girls from one event to the next, Tanis immerses herself in the world of literature and read 119 novels in 2023.
Sandy Baumgartner
CEO | Saskatchewan Science Centre
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Sandy Baumgartner is a passionate, visionary leader who provides a commonsense approach to managing people with a creative, solution-oriented approach to organizational effectiveness. She has more than 30 years of experience in the non-profit, science-based educational sector, joining the Saskatchewan Science Centre as CEO in 2008. Working with a highly creative team the organization has introduced several innovative initiatives including the creation of their first traveling exhibition, JoyLab in 2019, immersive bathroom experiences as part of a $2.9 million renovation project, and the digital upgrade to the Kramer IMAX Theatre.
Prior to joining the Saskatchewan Science Centre Sandy spent 18 years as the Executive Director of Programs and Communications with the Canadian Wildlife Federation in Ottawa. During that time, she led the development and implementation of a variety of education and awareness programs for the public and schools, including the revitalization of the popular Hinterland Who’s Who public service announcements.
Sandy has served on several boards and is currently the President of the Canadian Association of Science Centre (CASC).
Panel Discussion
Moderated by Lisa Peters
Susan Flett
CEO | Lotteries and Gaming Saskatchewan
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Susan Flett is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Lotteries and Gaming Saskatchewan (LGS), a commercial Crown Corporation responsible for the conduct and management of VLT’s, casinos, lotteries, and online gaming in Saskatchewan. She previously served as President and CEO of Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation (SaskGaming), a wholly owned subsidiary of LGS.
Susan has more than two decades of leadership, expertise, and experience in the gaming industry, including eight years as President and CEO of SaskGaming. While at SaskGaming, Susan led the corporation’s multi-year plan to modernize its gaming technology, properties, products, and the successful partnership to launch the online PlayNow.com platform.
During her more than 20 years with SaskGaming, she served in various roles including Chief Marketing Officer, Vice President, and Director in Corporate Relations, Communications, Marketing and Player Relations. Before joining the corporation, she held positions at Saskatchewan Transportation Company, Crown Investments Corporation and Crown Life Canada.
She holds a holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Regina, a Certificate in Human Resource Planning from Queens University and is a Chartered Director (ICD.D) from the Edwards School of Business, University of Saskatchewan.
She is currently a director of the Saskatchewan Roughriders Football Club. Past community involvement includes serving as a director on the boards of the Regina Downtown Business Improvement District, the Regina Symphony Orchestra, and the Moose Jaw Downtown Facility.
Susan resides in Regina, SK., with her husband of 24 years and have two children Mia, 21, and Alex 18.
Charlene Gavel
President & CEO | SaskTel
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Charlene was born and raised in Saskatchewan and began working at SaskTel 10 years ago.
She brings a wealth of experience to her new role as the company’s President & CEO, having held a variety of senior leadership positions throughout her career. Before becoming SaskTel’s Chief Financial Officer in 2014, she held positions at SaskTel International as Chief Financial Officer, with the Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region as Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Financial Services, and at Information Services Corporation (ISC) as Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance and Administration.
Charlene is highly accomplished, having earned a Bachelor of Administration (BAdmin) degree from the University of Regina and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA). She also achieved the Institute of Corporate Directors designation (ICD.D.) in 2018 and is SaskTel's first-ever female President and CEO.
Always a proud mother and wife, outside of work Charlene loves spending quality time with her family. Charlene is also an avid golfer and enjoys playing a round when her schedule allows.
As an active and dedicated member of the community, she currently serves on the boards of SaskTel International, Conexus Arts Centre, and the Hospitals of Regina Foundation.
Penny McCune
President & CEO | SGI
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Penny McCune is SGI’s President and CEO. She was entrusted with the prestigious role in June 2022, 36 years into her career at the corporation.
McCune joined SGI in 1985 as a temporary Junior Clerk in the Auto Fund. Shortly afterward she moved into a permanent position and, before she celebrated her first anniversary with the company, had promoted to a supervisory role. In the years since, she’s held many strategic leadership roles, including serving as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Auto Fund (2016-2022), Executive Vice President of Claims and Salvage (2014-2015), Executive Vice President of Customer and Distribution Strategy (2012-2014), and Assistant Vice President for SGI CANADA (2004-2012).
During her career, she’s been a key part of many important projects and initiatives. Among her accomplishments, she championed a new vision for SGI’s culture that focuses on employee collaboration and connection, led development of a new claims process, led SGI’s transformation into a customer-centric organization, contributed to traffic safety improvements in Saskatchewan and led expansion of SGI CANADA, the competitive property and casualty insurance arm of SGI, into markets outside its home province of Saskatchewan.
McCune has worked in nearly every area of SGI during the past four decades, forging strong relationships with brokers, partners and employees.
McCune was born, raised and educated in Saskatchewan. She has a Bachelor of Administration from the University of Regina and her Chartered Insurance Professional designation from the Insurance Institute of Canada. Outside of work, McCune is passionate about animal welfare and served on the Board of Directors for the Regina Humane Society for 20 years. She lives in Regina and spends many weekends at a place she calls her sanctuary – her cabin.
From temporary Junior Clerk to the first woman President and CEO of SGI, Penny McCune’s career path is an inspiring story for the next generation of leaders in Saskatchewan.
Kathryn Pollack
Executive Vice President, People, Safety, and Indigenous and Corporate Relations | SaskPower
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Kathryn Pollack was named Executive Vice-President, People, Safety & Indigenous and Corporate Relations at SaskPower in May 2023.
Prior to joining SaskPower, Kathryn held a number of leadership positions in government and private industry in Saskatchewan, including Chairperson and CEO of the Public Service Commission of Saskatchewan, Chief Procurement Officer for the Ministry of SaskBuilds and Procurement, and Chief Strategy Officer with Praxis Consulting.
She studied Fine Arts at Collège du Vieux Montréal and holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Regina. She is also a certified Corporate Director through the Institute of Corporate Directors and a Certified Leadership Coach.
In 2022, she received the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal (Saskatchewan) for Public Service.
In addition to her full-time work at SaskPower, Kathryn also serves on the Conexus Credit Union Bord of Directors as Vice Chair and Governance and HR Committee Chair, and is a member of the Levene Leaders Council and the Paul J Hill School of Business Advisory Board at the University o Regina.
Rhea Brown
Executive Vice President, Customer Experience and Procurement | SaskPower
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Rhea Brown became Executive Vice-President, Customer Experience and Procurement in January, 2023. With a background rooted in customer service and supply chain, her emphasis has always been on fostering relationships and forging strong partnerships. Rhea joined the SaskPower family in 2008, in initially serving as a Key Account Manager in Customer Service. Her journey with the company saw her progress to the Director of Key Accounts and Customer Relations in 2012, and later embracing the role of Director of Procurement and Contracts Management in 2019.
Before her tenure at SaskPower, Rhea carved a successful path in customer development and supply chain, during her decade-long career with a sales and marketing company, General Mills, working in Vancouver and Toronto.
On the educational front, she holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the U of S and she has just completed her Executive MBA at the Kenneth Levene Graduate School of Business at the U of R. Beyond her corporate commitments, Rhea actively contributes to the community as a Member of the Board of Directors for the Regina Immigrant Women’s Centre, and most importantly, she is raising two daughters with her husband Morgan.
Schedule of Events
10:30 am: Registration (Details to be sent about each individual location.)
11:00 am: Event Begins
11:20 am: Opening Keynote | Katherine Emberly, STARS
12:15 pm: Lunch
1:30 pm: Lightening Keynote #1 | Tanis Wilder, Saskatchewan Polytechnic
2:00 pm: Lightening Keynote #2 | Sandy Baumgartner, Saskatchewan Science Centre
2:40 pm: Health Break
3:15 pm: Leadership within our Crowns Panel
Susan Flett, Lotteries and Gaming SK
Charlene Gavel, Sasktel
Penny McCune, SGI Canada
Kathryn Pollack, SaskPower
Rhea Brown, SaskPower
4:30 pm: Networking Hour
*Event ends for Prince Albert Satellite Location
The evening will include Individual dinner and community keynotes in each location.
Reach out to learn more!
Sponsors
