Oversight to Insight: Elevating the Board-to-Executive Dynamic

Julian Birkinshaw

Dean, Ivey Business School

Julian Birkinshaw is the Dean of Ivey Business School and a globally recognized expert on strategy, innovation, and organizational leadership. Before joining Ivey, he spent over two decades at London Business School, where he served as Deputy Dean and Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship. An Ivey MBA and PhD alumnus, Julian has authored numerous books and articles on how large companies adapt to complexity and change. His insights are frequently featured in global media, including The Economist and The Wall Street Journal.

Michelle Banik

Board Member | Empire, Western University

Michelle Banik is an experienced board director and C-Suite executive with global experience spanning Canada, US, Europe, UK, and Asia.

As an accomplished senior executive and former Chief People Officer, Michelle has thrived in organizations at various stages of growth. Enabled by a passion for building, she has played a key role in advancing strategic business priorities, alongside people & culture agendas.

Michelle is the Chair of the Human Resources Committee for Empire Company Limited (TSX: EMP.A), the Chair of the Governance & By Laws Committee at Western University, and she also serves on the Human Resources and Governance Committees for Stella-Jones Inc. (TSX: SJ). She is also the Chair of the National Board of Directors for Canada’s largest dedicated child & youth serving charitable organization, BGC Canada, formerly Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada.

Michelle has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Western University, a Certified Human Resources Executive designation from HRPA, and a Chartered Director designation from the DeGroote School of Business. She also has a post-graduate certificate in Diversity & Inclusion from Cornell University. In 2023 Michelle was honoured as the inaugural recipient of the Alumni Award of Achievement, for Western University’s Faculty of Arts & Humanities.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellebanik

Larry Lau

Founder and Board Member

Larry Lau is a serial entrepreneur, investor and board advisor known for building and scaling ventures across e‑commerce, consumer goods, health tech and web3. He founded the venture‑studio Eighty8 Ventures in London, Ontario, and co‑founded Canada’s largest e‑commerce agency (Northern Commerce) before shifting into investing and building brands. He now supports early‑stage companies as founder, board member and mentor, helping leaders turn bold ideas into growth‑oriented businesses.

Wendy Kei

Board Chair | Ontario Power Generation

Wendy Kei is Board Chair of Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and Audit Committee Chair for Centerra Gold Inc. As Board Chair of OPG, she is the first woman and first visible minority to hold this position in its history. Wendy was recently awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by BMO Celebrating Women on Boards. She previously was Board Chair for NFI Group Inc. and held the role of Chief Financial Officer of Dominion Diamond Corporation (formerly Harry Winston Diamond Corporation and Aber Diamond Corporation). Wendy is a Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant (FCPA, FCA), a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Directors (F.ICD), and holds an ESG Designation (GCB.D) from Competent Boards.

Lynn Beauregard

President, Governance Professionals of Canada (GPC)

Lynn Beauregard is the President of Governance Professionals of Canada (GPC), a national association that represents governance professionals across all sectors—private, public, and not-for-profit. Under her leadership for the past 23 years, GPC has grown into a leading voice in corporate governance in Canada. She oversees the organization’s operations, governance, stakeholder relations, and programming. These include the flagship Annual Corporate Governance Conference, which attracts professionals from across Canada and internationally each August; the Excellence in Governance Awards (EGAs), to recognize outstanding governance contributions by organizations, boards, and professionals; and the GPC.D ‘Governance in Practice’ designation program, which equips practitioners with the tools and expertise to elevate governance standards within their organizations.