meet the event speakers
Bill Proudman
WMFDP | FDP Global Co-founder
Bill Proudman
WMFDP | FDP Global Co-founder
Bill Proudman pioneered workshops for white men in the mid-90s after repeatedly noticing that white male leaders disengaged from diversity efforts. His provocative work led to the founding of WMFDP, with the firm’s focus on guiding leaders to a place of deeper understanding and awareness, heightened cultural competence, and transformative and courageous leadership.
WMFDP is based in Portland, Oregon with almost 15 staff and 35 consultants. For over 40 years, Bill has served as a consultant, coach and facilitator on issues of team effectiveness, cultural competence, diversity, inclusion and equity and leadership development. He is working toward the day when all people view a diverse and inclusive work environment as vital to maintaining a company’s competitive edge and is in everyone’s self-interest.
Some of Bill’s speaking engagement clients include:
- MFS Investment Management
- McDonald’s
- S&P Global
- USA Hockey
Émilie Castonguay
Assistant general manager, Vancouver Canucks
Émilie Castonguay
Assistant general manager, Vancouver Canucks
Émilie Castonguay was born in Montreal, Quebec. Her journey in the realm of sports and academia has been marked by numerous achievements and firsts that have shattered glass ceilings and redefined possibilities.
Her passion for hockey led her to an NCAA Division 1 Hockey career, during which she distinguished herself as a leader both on and off the ice. Notably, she was named Captain during her Junior and Senior years.
Émilie's pursuit of knowledge led her to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from Niagara University in 2009, setting the foundation for her future endeavors. Building upon this, she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from the University of Montreal in 2012, further showcasing her dedication to a holistic understanding of her field.
A member of the Quebec Bar Association, Émilie combined her legal expertise with her passion for sports by becoming the first female Player Agent in Canada to be Certified by the NHL Players' Association in 2016.
In 2020, she became the first female Player Agent to represent a 1st overall pick in the NHL Draft, solidifying her reputation as a trusted advisor to emerging talent.
Taking her accomplishments to new heights, in 2022, she made history as the first female to be named Assistant General Manager in the NHL. She is currently entering her second full season as the Vancouver Canucks AGM.
Émilie Castonguay's story is one of persistence, expertise, and empowerment. Her trailblazing spirit has not only reshaped the landscape of professional hockey management but has also paved the way for future generations of women in the industry.
Dr. Teresa Fowler
Assistant Professor | Researcher
Dr. Teresa Fowler
Assistant Professor | Researcher
Dr. Teresa Anne Fowler is an Assistant Professor at Concordia University of Edmonton and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary. Dr. Fowler’s research expertise centers around critical white masculinities and their impact on various aspects of society, specifically elite hockey culture. Through her work, she aims to explore the complexities of gender identity and challenge traditional notions of masculinity, seeking to promote healthier and more inclusive understandings of masculinities. Particularly, she investigates the intersection between masculinity and mental health, examining how societal expectations and stereotypes surrounding masculinity stemming from hockey culture influence boys’ and men’s mental well-being. Her multidisciplinary research draws from education, sociology, psychology, gender, and cultural studies.
Dr. Fowler is a dedicated advocate for a healthy hockey culture and healthy masculinities with a commitment to fostering inclusivity within the hockey community and more nuanced understandings of masculinity. Dr. Fowler strives to challenge traditional norms within hockey culture, as these norms influence how Canadians come to understand gender and specifically masculinity and whiteness. Her work has garnered attention for promoting gender equality, breaking down barriers to access, and creating safe spaces for everyone to enjoy the game. Dr. Fowler was named a “Social Change Advocate” by the Hockey News in 2023 and she is a member of Scholars Against Abuse in Canadian Sport. She was called to testify based on her research to both the Heritage Committee’s study on Safe Sport in Canada and the Standing Committee on Women’s study on Women and Girls in Sport.
Download the evolution of elite hockey culture in Canada: A scoping literature review (pdf)
Melody Davidson
High Performance Advisor | Coach
Melody Davidson
High Performance Advisor | Coach
Widely regarded as one of the most successful coaches and executives in women’s hockey history, Melody Davidson earned four consecutive Olympic gold medals with Canada’s National Women’s Team as assistant coach (2002), head coach (2006, 2010) and general manager (2014). As head coach of Team Canada, she also won two IIHF Women’s World Championship titles (2000, 2007).
The Oyen, Alta., native served as head coach of the women’s hockey teams at Connecticut College (1997-2000) and Cornell University (2000-03), and most recently worked as a culture consultant with the Winnipeg Ice of the Western Hockey League. In 2010, Davidson received the Jack Donohue Coach of the Year Award from the Coaches Association of Canada and C. Vivian Stringer Coaching Award from the United States Sports Academy.
An inductee into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, Alberta Sports Hall of Fame, and Hockey Alberta Hall of Fame Davidson has been a member of the IIHF’s Women’s Committee since 2010 and received an honourable mention for the IOC Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. She is currently a high-performance advisor for summer sport with Own The Podium, working with men’s and women’s rugby 7s, basketball (5x5 and 3x3), water polo and wheelchair basketball.
Jamie Clarke
Adventurer
Jamie Clarke
Adventurer
Jamie Clarke works with elite teams who win: Olympic teams, NHL teams, sales teams, leadership teams and start-up teams. What connects them all is pressure. With his own hard-won philosophy of decision-making in extremis— and a storytelling technique that can take you from laughter to tears in minutes — Jamie recharges audiences with fresh perspectives on success and failure, and risk vs. reward.
Creative, humorous, passionate and on-point, Jamie walks through his successful planning process for expeditions and business. Essential tips on risk assessment. Check. How to listen for cracks in the ice — and the team. Check. Weathering storms, literal and metaphorical. Check.
Jamie’s high-energy message visits dangerous places, real and imagined. You’ll see the edge and return safely. You’ll learn that the highs and the lows are both great teachers.
Bayne Pettinger
LGBTQ+ Advocate
Bayne Pettinger
LGBTQ+ Advocate
Bayne worked with Hockey Canada from 2010-2019, in various departments. During his tenure managing national teams, Bayne was part of nine (9) Gold Medal winning teams at every level of international competition. Travelling the globe while representing the nation and working with some of the game's greats has guided Bayne’s hockey experience and growth as a hockey executive. Bayne worked at Creative Artists Agency (CAA) for 4.5 years before launching Apollo Athletics.
Bayne is an advocate in the LGBTQ+ space and strives to ensure everyone feels welcome and safe in the game of Hockey. He is a Co- Founder of Alphabet Sports Collective which focuses on empowerment and involvement of queer people in hockey.
Sheldon Kennedy
Advocate | Author
Sheldon Kennedy
Advocate | Author
Sheldon Kennedy won a Memorial Cup, World Junior Gold Medal and skated for three teams in his eight-year NHL career. He is best known for his courageous decision to charge his Major Junior Hockey league coach with sexual assault for the abuse he suffered over a five year period while a teenager under his care. Through this disclosure, and the important work that Sheldon continues to do, he has become an inspiration to millions around the world.
Kennedy’s off-ice contributions are extensive and his impact has extended well beyond sport and the Canadian border. Sheldon has been instrumental in bringing governments, public and private sector partners together to work collaboratively to influence policy change and improve the way child abuse is handled. He has influenced changes in Canadian law and has taken his message to the International Olympic Committee and the US Senate.
Sheldon was Co-founder of the Calgary Child Advocacy Centre, the first-of-its-kind in Canada, offering full wrap-around services for victims of child abuse. He is also the Co-founder of Respect Group, which provides empowering online abuse, bullying and harassment prevention education to sport organizations, schools and the workplace. Respect Group has currently certified over 2 million Canadians.
Some of Kennedy’s additional accomplishments are listed below
- Won numerous Awards including the Order of Canada and the Hockey Canada Order of Merit, Order of Hockey in Canada, Order of Sport-Canada Sports Hall of Fame-Builder, Alberta Order of Excellence, Order of Manitoba
- Designed and launched the “Speak Out” program with Hockey Canada in 1997
- In-line skated across Canada in 1998 to raise awareness of child abuse and donated all $ 1.2 M proceeds to the Canadian Red Cross to maintain the Speak Out program
- Named Newsmaker of the Year in 1997
- Spent countless volunteer hours as Lead Director of the Sheldon Kennedy/Calgary Child Advocacy Centre and was instrumental in the development and implementation of an Integrated Practice Model
- Instrumental in bringing the topic of Mental Health and Addiction into the realm of Sport and beyond
- Anonymous volunteer resource for the NHLPA substance abuse program
- Athlete member/Subject Matter Expert of the International Olympic Committee Medical Committee
- Authored “Why I Didn’t Say Anything”
- Had an award-winning movie made about his life
- Funded and produced the Documentary “Swift Current”
- Trusted Subject Matter Expert and Advisor to various hockey leagues, including NHL, CHL, WHL, OHL
Kenzie Lalonde
Reflective Panel Moderator
Kenzie Lalonde
Reflective Panel Moderator
Kenzie works for TSN as the Montréal Bureau Reporter covering the Montréal Canadiens and Montréal Alouettes. In addition to reporting, she is also the voice of the women’s hockey on TSN. She is the play-by-play commentator for the U18 and Senior IIHF Women’s World Hockey Championship, as well as, the Canada - USA Rivalry Series.
An Ottawa native with a life-long love for hockey, Kenzie attended Mount Allison University in New Brunswick where she earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree as captain of the women's hockey team.
It was during her time at university, she channeled her love for sports into broadcasting.
Kenzie previously served as the rink side reporter and play-by-play voice of the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL for Eastlink Community TV. On March 14, 2021, she became the first woman to provide play-by-play coverage for a televised QMJHL game between the Halifax Mooseheads and Charlottetown Islanders.
Kenzie provided additional commentary on sports across the maritimes like soccer, basketball, volleyball, ringette and football.
Furthermore, she hosted a weekly community show about the people and places that shape the unique communities of Nova Scotia.
Her many years of television experience have taken her from Ottawa to the Maritimes and back, she now proudly resides in Montréal, Quebec where her family heritage originated.