2024 Keynote Speakers and Corporate Spotlights
Our 2024 Keynote Speakers come from various industries. They’ve been working extremely hard to get where they are today, and bring years of experience and RMBS was lucky to have them share their story.
Monday, Feb 19
Tanis Kozak
Keynote - Monday Night
At Direct Energy, Tanis Kozak is the Vice President and General Manager responsible for the Canada Home business providing electricity and natural gas to ~1,000,000 customers. Tanis is a Direct Energy Marketing Limited Board Director & Officer as well as an Edmonton Global Board Director and Chair of the Governance & HR Committee.
Before joining Direct Energy in 2003, Tanis held senior roles in Operations, Sales, Product Development, Strategy and Enterprise Project Management with TELUS, EPCOR and ADC Telecom – Systems Software Division.
Tanis received a Bachelor of Commerce degree (Accounting) and a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture degree (Agricultural Economics, Animal Science) from the University of Alberta and holds an Institute of Corporate Directors designation (ICD.D). In addition, she has also completed the Queen’s University Executive Development Program and the Centrica General Management Programme.
Tanis lives in Sturgeon County on a grain farm with her husband and three children. She has been actively involved with 4H Alberta, has spent multiple years as a fundraiser for numerous youth athletic programs and enjoys volunteering in her community with charities - Meals on Wheels and The Mustard Seed.
Tuesday, Feb 20
Bryan Smith
Panelist - Tuesday Afternoon
Bryan founded Bluetrain in 2007, growing the firm into a team of over twenty professionals who have provided digital marketing expertise to some of Canada’s most recognized corporate and non-profit brands, including ATB Financial, EPCOR, Canadian Brewhouse, Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation, UNICEF Canada and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). A leader in digital marketing, Bluetrain provides data-driven digital marketing services on an ongoing basis to clients across Canada and the United States. It focuses on offering management of online advertising, SEO, content marketing, social media, and web analytics.
Bryan is a digital marketing expert with over 25 years of experience working on hundreds of websites, and managing millions in advertising spend. His professional marketing career began in 1999 as a member of SMART Technologies’ online department in Calgary and continued with his marketing consulting role at Incite in 2001, an Edmonton marketing firm.
With a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta School of Business, Bryan went overseas to work in Europe and did marketing for a U.S. mobile software startup. In 2003, Bryan returned to Edmonton to continue his career, starting a four-year marketing and business development career at Micralyne, a world-leading micro/nanotechnology company.
Named a Business in Edmonton Leader and awarded Sherwood Park Chamber Young Entrepreneurial Award, Bryan has overseen 17 years of growth for Bluetrain, is an engaged member of Edmonton Executive Association, and sits on the Board for both Alberta Municipalities Services Corporation and Entrepreneurs Organization (EO Edmonton). Most importantly, Bryan is a proud executive board alumnus of the Rocky Mountain Business Seminar.
Chris Cassin
Panelist - Tuesday Afternoon
The CEO and Co-Founder of Zero Point Cryogenics, Mr. Chris Cassin, is a father, husband, and infinitely curious entrepreneur. He has an economics degree and started his career estimating and coordinating large-scale industrial projects as part of the Aecon Group of Companies. His next endeavour involved managing a private land development, construction, and real estate holdings company where assets were to be completed, amalgamated and sold. These experiences taught him about what it meant and takes to be an entrepreneur. In the time that followed, Chris co-founded a transportation company called Fox Oilfield that specialized in the transportation of over-dimensional assets across Canada and the USA. Since Chris joined Zero Point Cryogenics as CEO, he has planned, managed and overseen the transition of the technology out of the University of Alberta and into a 5,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and hired a team of 17 diverse and talented employees. Chris provides leadership and guidance to build and maintain operational efficiencies, the organization's financial health, and a unique corporate culture. He has also developed a multifamily residential community in Fort Saskatchewan, is an active participant in Entrepreneur Organization's Edmonton Chapter, and is involved in the Edmonton tech community.
Erinn Trebackiewicz
Panelist - Tuesday Afternoon
Erinn Trebackiewicz is the Founder and CEO of The Skinny, a thriving retail company based out of Edmonton, Alberta. As a busy mom of three, Erinn grew her company from an online store in her basement with her twin babies in tow, to a multi-million dollar retail chain with 4 brick & mortar locations (and one more currently in the works) in just 9 years. During this time, Erinn has collaborated on projects with multiple celebrity figures including Kaitlyn Bristowe, Sarah Landry from The Birds Papaya, and Jillian Harris. She also has recently entered the design and manufacturing world, with her own in-house brand of items that started with a cardigan, lovingly called The Erinn cardigan, a staple of The Skinny that has gained its own international fame.
Oscar Lopez
Panelist - Tuesday Afternoon
Oscar Lopez was born in El Salvador, Central America but grew up in Edmonton, where he graduated high school with the Most Outstanding Student Award. He enrolled in the Co-operative Education Program at the Faculty of Business at the University of Alberta and graduated in the spring of 2002 with a Major in Distribution Management but with a passion for international business. While at the Faculty of Business, Oscar did the study abroad program in his third year spending one semester at the TEC de Monterrey – Campus Guadalajara in Mexico where he first got a taste of international business and made life-long friends.
After graduating from business school, he embarked on an AIESEC exchange, landing in the small city of Santa Maria, located in Brazil’s southernmost state of Rio Grade do Sul. While on his one-year internship at a trading company there, he fell in love not only with Susana, his wife of 20 years but also with “churrasco” or Brazilian-style barbecue.
After returning home to Edmonton from Brazil in 2003, Oscar embarked on the business plan to make reality the opening of Edmonton’s first authentic Brazilian steakhouse, later given the name Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse. Returning to Brazil in 2004 he worked as a butcher, and in all positions in a local Brazilian Steakhouse in the city of Porto Alegre, also located in southern Brazil. There, he learned the trade of “Churrascarias” or Brazilian-style steakhouses spending two years working for free as he had no formal work permit. Upon returning to Edmonton in 2006 and spending five more years in the restaurant industry working in a number of different establishments and “perfecting” the Pampa business plan, the chain’s first location opened to great success, great reviews and many awards in February of 2011 in Downtown Edmonton. Pampa was also featured nationally and internationally in FoodNetwork Canada’s show called “The Opener” featuring celebrity Chef David Adjey.
The second location opened its doors in Downtown Calgary in January of 2015, featuring an 1,800 bottle wine cellar, one of the city’s biggest and over 200 seats to serve Calgarians the province’s best Brazilian barbecue. South Edmonton on Ellerslie Road saw Pampa open its third location in late summer of 2017, featuring a wine-themed bar and photography taken from one of the business partner’s cattle ranches in southern Brazil. Just over a year later, in December of 2018, the third location in Edmonton and fourth overall, opened in the city’s West End on 170th street offering dining for up to 170 guests. Finally in the early fall of 2019, Pampa opened its doors in Central Alberta, with a 110-seat location in the northern part of Red Deer. In the spring of 2021, the original Downtown Edmonton location expired its lease, and the restaurant was closed.
At its height, Pampa employed over 225 team members, had revenues of $12.5M per year, offered a total of 980 seats in five locations and was considered the largest Brazilian-steakhouse chain in Canada in terms of number of staff members, revenue, seats, and locations. After closing one of its locations, Pampa is tied for the number one spot in some of the categories with an operation from Ontario.
Oscar is an avid traveler since a young age, his first trip abroad (other than moving to Canada at age 10) was to Yokohama, Japan while in grade 11, where he hiked Mount Fuji at nighttime to watch the sunrise from the summit. Besides Japan, Oscar has had the opportunity to travel to just over 30 countries. An avid Formula 1 fan he has watched 6 races around the world and he hopes to visit the rest of the circuits in the coming years. When not watching Formula 1 races, you will find him doing overnight hikes in the Rocky Mountains or in B.C.’s west coast with his brother Fernando. His wife Susana and Oscar welcomed their daughter Siena in August of 2022, their first child. Their two Dachshunds, Luna and Valentina round out their family. Oscar calls south Edmonton home, and his favourite chant is “Let’s Go Oilers!”
Petra Remy
Keynote - Tuesday Night
Many people talk about making a difference in the world. Senior Wealth Manager and Certified financial planner, Petra Remy, just gets out there and does it!
A tireless advocate for life long learning, Petra obtained her Masters while a single mom raising two daughters, and then just kept right on going, eventually amassing 18 years of financial experience as a “retirement readiness” investment specialist, growing her successful team of financial experts from 7 to 57 in exemplary time!
An avid philanthropist, Petra donates her “spare” time and formidable talents to an entire array of worthy causes and pursuits, from chairing conferences, to running fundraisers, as well as serving as an executive board member for organizations as varied as the Rotary Club, Toastmasters International and BNI. Passionate about helping her clients achieve their dreams of financial independence, Petra is especially committed to socially conscious investing in corporate entities operating in alignment with enlightened values that make for a more positive community while reducing the risk of her clients portfolios.
All in all, it seems apparent that the legacy Ms Remy will leave us… is a better world.
Wednesday, Feb 21
Gregory Mowbrey
Keynote - Wednesday Morning
Gregory Mowbrey is the Managing Partner of Mowbrey Gil LLP Chartered Professional Accountants & Business Advisors. After obtaining his General Arts degree with an Economics Major and an MBA, he began articling with a major international accounting firm, gaining a wealth of knowledge and experience. Driven by the pull towards his roots, he joined his father's local practice. It was here he expanded his skill set in owner/manager financing, taxation, audit and assurance, advisory services, and the nuanced art of mergers and acquisitions. Today, Mowbrey Gil proudly stands as the second largest local firm in Edmonton, boasting a powerhouse team of approximately 75 people. The firm offers a comprehensive range of services comparable to an international firm, with the exception of public companies and insolvency, made by choice. Gregory not only excels in his professional life but is also a dedicated family man and has been married to his wife for nearly 29 years and is a proud father of two daughters both of whom have followed in their father's footsteps, joining the world of accounting. Gregory is eager to share his insights and stories from his career with the delegates at RMBS and hopes to engage the next generation of CPAs.
Cheryll Watson
Keynote - Wednesday Evening
Cheryll Watson is the CEO of Junior Achievement Northern Alberta, empowering youth for financial success in the global economy. Cheryll’s career legacy has been focused passionately around supporting entrepreneurs. From her early start with Intuit, a global leader in financial software, she gained an immersive understanding of the importance and impact of small businesses.
Transitioning from Intuit in 2015, she dedicated herself to enhancing Edmonton's entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystems. Founding Innovate Edmonton (now Edmonton Unlimited) at Edmonton Economic Development Corporation, she focused on fostering a growth environment for local tech startups. Drawing on her global experience, Cheryll ran for Mayor in 2021 and later spearheaded the opening of STEM Collegiate, now serving as its inaugural Board Chair.
Alongside her family, Cheryll actively supports various causes, including mental health, education, municipal government, environmental initiatives and is a founding member of the Downtown Revitalization Coalition, aiming to create a vibrant, welcoming and prosperous downtown for everyone.
Jessica Culo
Keynote - Wednesday Evening
Jessica is the President and Co-Owner of Express Employment Professionals and Specialized Recruiting Group in Edmonton AB.
After graduating from the University of Alberta in 2004, Jessica (with the help of her parents) purchased and launched a handful of franchises that operate in the Recruitment, Headhunting and Staffing Industry. These were start up businesses, and originally, Jessica’s primary role was Business to Business Sales.
In 2014, her husband joined her in the business, and now together- as co-owners of the group, have 16 employees, serve approximately 400 companies in the Edmonton area annually, and provide approximately 3000 people with contract and permanent jobs each year. They are proud to operate the largest group of franchises within their Canadian network of approximately 40 offices, and are consistently ranked within the top 10 for production within their international network of 800+ franchises.
Together, Jessica and Branko also have 2 children- Jax and Addison that are in Jr High, and a dog named Stanley.
Thursday, Feb 22
KURIAN M. THARAKAN
Keynote - Thursday Afternoon
Kurian Mathew Tharakan is the founder of the sales and marketing strategy firm StrategyPeak Sales & Marketing Advisors and a 27-year veteran of the sales and marketing industry. He has consulted for companies in numerous sectors, including Manufacturing, Distribution, High Technology, Software, Non-Profit, and the Life Sciences. Before StrategyPeak, Mr. Tharakan was a vice-president sales & marketing for an Alberta based software firm where his team achieved notable wins with several members of the US Fortune 500. Mr. Tharakan is also the author of the Amazon Bestseller, “The 7 Essential Stories Charismatic Leaders Tell.”
Mr. Tharakan’s association with the University goes back over thirty years. He graduated with a business degree in 1985. In 1990, he started his involvement with the newly formed Business Alumni Association, serving on numerous committees, and eventually as its President. In 2005, he was appointed as the School of Business representative to Alumni Council where he served for three years, and, beginning in 2011, he served for six years as a senator on the University of Alberta Senate.
Jason Idler
Keynote - Thursday Afternoon
Jason Idler brings more than 30 years of experience to his role as chief operating officer of PCL’s heavy industrial operations. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Saskatchewan. Joining the PCL family of companies in 2008 as vice president of PCL Intracon Power, he was appointed regional vice president with responsibility for Canadian operations in 2013. The next year he joined the board for PCL Construction Holdings Ltd. and assumed executive sponsorship for large-scale industrial projects, some of the largest PCL has executed among them. In 2017, Jason was named executive vice president for Canada and then president of US heavy industrial operations, based in Houston.
Jason is responsible for PCL’s portfolio of work in the oil and gas, power, renewables, chemical and petrochemical markets. He works with a team of regional executives to oversee all aspects of project planning and delivery including oversight of engineering, project controls, quality, procurement, construction execution, risk management, and health, safety, and environment (HSE). Jason is deeply involved not just in the work of construction, but also in how PCL partners with clients and stakeholders to build a sustainable energy and resource future. For him that means attention to people, to community and to PCL’s role in the energy transition. From planning to site fabrication to execution and ongoing maintenance, Jason, along with the entire heavy industrial group, promises clients a fully tailorable project solution.
Jason is heavily involved in his community, and has serving as chair of PCL’s United Way Campaign, and enjoys spending time with his wife and 2 kids, as well as golfing.
