AI is already in your workplace. The question is whether you're in control of it.
From automating routine tasks to reshaping entire job functions, artificial intelligence (AI) is moving faster than most organizations can manage. The potential productivity gains are real, but so are the risks. And for managers and leaders, the pressure to act is mounting from every direction.
Impact Live: AI at Work brings together leading voices from Canada's AI ecosystem, including practitioners who are building, deploying, and advising on AI strategies. Together, they'll bring clarity to a fast-moving conversation and offer practical ideas for what to do next.
The conversation will explore:
- What AI actually means for your business — From large language models and automation to agentic AI, and how to distinguish genuine productivity gains from hype
- Measuring what matters — How to assess AI's impact on tasks, roles, and teams, and what a real return on AI investment looks like
- Strategy without disruption — Can organizations scale AI while maintaining an engaged workforce? How leading organizations are making it work
- Guardrails that work — The rules, policies, and ethical frameworks leaders need to put in place to ensure AI is used safely and responsibly
Whether you're just beginning to explore AI adoption or looking to sharpen a strategy already underway, this session will give you the clarity and confidence to lead in the moment.
Meet the panelists
Principal at Boston Consulting Group
Melissa Hartwick is a Principal at Boston Consulting Group in Toronto, specializing in artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and business strategy. She holds a Master of Information and Data Science from UC Berkeley and an HBA from Ivey Business School, and is committed to responsible, people-centred AI adoption. She also serves as Vice Chair of the Ontario Provincial Advisory Board for Heart & Stroke.
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Michael Pelosi
Country Manager for Canada at Cohere
Michael Pelosi is the Country Manager for Canada at Cohere, leading enterprise and commercial partnerships across the country. With 15+ years of experience at Google and high-growth startups, he helps organizations deploy secure, enterprise-grade AI, with a focus on regulated and privacy-sensitive industries. He is a speaker on sovereign and enterprise AI and holds an MBA from HKUST and a Bachelor of Commerce from Concordia University.
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Meet the moderator
Fredrik Odegaard
Associate Professor, Management Science, Ivey Business School
Fredrik Odegaard is an Associate Professor of Management Science at the Ivey Business School, with cross-appointment at the Department of Applied Mathematics, Western University. He received his PhD from Sauder School of Business at University of British Columbia, dual Masters degrees in Operations Research and Statistics from Stanford University, and a BSc in Purchasing and Logistics Management from Arizona State University. While at Ivey Business School he has developed several courses and taught extensively across the MBA, MSc, PhD and HBA programs. Prior to his academic career Dr. Odegaard worked as a Supply Chain Consultant for i2 Technologies and Programme Director at RR Institute of Applied Economics.
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