John is an accomplished executive with a passion for safety. John has provided leadership to the worker and employer communities. He currently sits as the Chair of the Board of the International Cargo Handling and Coordination Association in London, UK, and is the President of the WCB Employers Forum in BC. He remains engaged at the International Labour Organization in Geneva as an Alternate Governing Body Member. John’s recent activities in the violence and harassment space include working on development of ILO Convention 190, working with the Federal Government and WorksafeBC on regulations, being the project sponsor for establishing a comprehensive reporting mechanism and training over 8,000 employees on BC’s waterfront, and promoting the Be More than a Bystander Model of workplace intervention to employers and unions in BC.

Dr. Berlingieri (PhD), is an organizational consultant, facilitator, and researcher. Her professional and scholarly interests are centered on harassment and violence at work. Dr. Berlingieri has extensive professional experience in senior positions in the areas of learning and development within organizations in an array of sectors internationally. As an Associate at the Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children, at Western University, she works with various multidisciplinary teams to conduct actionable research on workplace harassment and violence that shapes the development of prevention and intervention practices.

Audra Bowlus joined Western Economics in 1993, became a full Professor in 2008 and served as Department Chair from 2010-2019. A graduate of the University of Iowa, Audra specializes in applied labour economics with a particular emphasis on job search and human capital. She has conducted pioneering research in the development, estimation, and application of job search models. Her work with Western's Professor Emeritus Chris Robinson on human capital has led to new insights concerning human capital stocks and prices. An affiliate member in Western's Department of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies, Audra’s research has also addressed gender-based inequalities and the economic costs of violence.

Alexa Clerke, PhD, is a social psychologist and Research & Knowledge Mobilization Specialist at the Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children. She is an expert on social behaviour and how different contexts and situations can change the way people act. In addition to her research expertise, Dr. Clerke is also an educator and skilled facilitator. Her current projects involve preventing & addressing gender-based violence in the workplace.

Rachel Cox is a Professor in the Department of Legal Sciences at Université du Québec à Montréal and a member of the Quebec Bar. Her domains of expertise workplace health and safety, and the right to equality. In 2022-2023, she chaired the committee responsible for analysing complaints of sexual harassment and assault in the workplace for the Quebec Ministry of Labour. A large number of the recommendations made in the committee’s final report were taken up in the Act to Prevent and Combat Psychological Harassment and Sexual Violence in the Workplace, adopted in March 2024. Since 2023, she acts as an expert for the International Labour Organisation on the prevention of violence and harassment in the world of work, taking gender considerations into account.

Myriam Dupéré is an Advisor at the Help and Information Center On Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. A graduate of the Université de Montréal in occupational health and safety, Myriam has always had a particular interest in issues related to violence and harassment in the workplace. At GAIHST, she is responsible of evaluating, developing, and facilitating awareness sessions and training programs for employees, employers and organizations in the public and private sectors seeking information and tools to deal with harassment in the workplace. She also contributes to the development of awareness tools, as well as developing and reviewing policies for the prevention and management of sexual and psychological harassment in the workplace. Passionate and committed, she sees awareness-raising and training as two key concepts in prevention.

Chidi King is Chief of the Gender, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Branch, part of the Conditions of Work and Equality Department of the International Labour Organization. The Branch strives for the elimination of discrimination, including based on gender, race, ethnicity, indigenous status, disability and HIV status; utilising an integrated and intersectional approach. Before joining the ILO Ms King was Director of the Equality Department at the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), where she led work with trade unions on pay equity, the care economy, gender-based violence and harassment at work, women’s leadership, young workers, and rights of migrant workers. Ms King has also worked as Equality and Rights Officer for the Public Services International, a Global Union Federation, and as Employment Rights Officer for the Trade Union Congress of the UK. A lawyer by background, she has spent over 20 years providing legal and policy advice on issues of equality and non-discrimination with various private, public and not-for-profit sector organizations.

Julie Lamothe was born and raised in Northern Ontario; she attended the Faculty of Law at the University of Windsor in the dual JD program. Upon earning her Doctorates, she returned to Sudbury, ON, to launch her legal career, bringing her expertise and passion for law to the community that raised her.  In 2023, Julie Lamothe established the Lamothe Law Professional Corporation, dedicating her practice to family and child protection law. Her journey is a testament to resilience and advocacy, underscored by a deep-seated commitment to justice. Julie’s personal experience as a survivor of sexual assault by a superior during her articling period presented her with profound challenges as she navigated the early stages of her legal career, all while healing from mental and physical trauma. This isolating ordeal has not only strengthened her resolve but also ignited a fervent passion for fostering safer work environments and awareness. This commitment has become a pivotal aspect of her advocacy, shaping her professional ethos and endeavors.

Me Pascale Lanctôt-Leroy is the founder of Climat Légal. She is a senior investigator, designated recipient, ombuds and trainer in several fields, including psychological and sexual harassment, diversity and inclusion, discrimination and organizational and relational conflicts. She specializes in the trauma approach in investigations and combines the latest legal, psychological and sociological developments in the field of workplace investigations and human relations. Pascale has advised several federal organizations on risk assessment frameworks to end harassment and violence, notably by developing tools and resources for the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat.

Pierre Lefebvre is a retired trade unionist. After several years in elected positions in his union, he worked for over 34 years as a union advisor with the Centrale des syndicats du Quebec (CSQ). His duties in this capacity were highly diversified, and for the last fourteen years with the CSQ, he was an Occupational Health and Safety Advisor. He is now active in the Union des travailleuses et travailleurs accidentés ou malades (UTTAM), a Quebec community-based organization dedicated to defending victims of occupational injuries, as well as in the Fondation du Dr Benoît Deshaies, which provides financial assistance to victims whose claims have been rejected by the CNESST. He holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial relations and a master's degree in occupational health and safety, both from the Université de Montréal.

Kaitlynn Mendes, PhD, is a Full Professor of Sociology at Western University and holds the Canada Research Chair in Inequality and Gender. She is an expert on rape culture, digital feminist activism, and tech-facilitated sexual violence including sextortion, online harassment, image based-sexual abuse, and deepfakes. Kaitlynn has spent considerable time turning her research findings into resources, policies, and educational materials. Insights from her research have been used to inform policies, practices, and public understanding on contemporary gender inequalities in Canada, the UK, Australia, and Europe. Kaitlynn is also the Principal Investigator on 5-year project DIY: Digital Safety.

Leah Ringwald is the Associate Director for the Human Capital knowledge area. With a background in organizational psychology and passion for the employee experience, Leah leads research related to the Workplace Mental Health Research Centre and oversees the Council on Workplace Health and Wellness, the Council for Safe Workplaces, and the Council on Inclusive Work Environments. Prior to joining the Board, Leah worked in People Analytics and Talent Management research roles in the tech sector and has consulted extensively on human capital projects in the public, private and non-profit sectors. Leah holds a MA-Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from the University of Ottawa.

Bonnie Robichaud is a union activist, public speaker, mentor, and a recognized pioneer and leader in the fight for human rights. She is the author of It Should Be Easy to Fix. She lives in Ottawa, Ontario.

Vicky Smallman is the National Director of the Human Rights Department for the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC). A long-time activist on gender equality and human rights issues, Vicky spent more than a decade in the academic labour movement, working primarily with contract academic staff, before joining the CLC in 2010. She leads a team responsible for the labour movement’s policy, advocacy and campaign work on women’s and human rights, anti-racism, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, Indigenous and disability justice. Vicky has served on the boards of directors of a number of national and Ottawa organizations, including Equal Voice, Child Care Now, and the Somerset West Community Health Centre. She is a Community Research Associate at Western University’s Centre for Research and Education on Violence against Women and Children. She has researched and written about academic labour issues, activism and women in Canadian politics.

Mélanie Stafford (MSW, RSW) is the National Representative for the Harassment and Violence Initiative of the Human Rights Department for the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC). Mélanie brings over two decades of experience in the health and social services sectors. Grounded in the ethos of liberation and social justice, she has worked in sexual and reproductive health, community development, harm-reduction and popular education. Mélanie acknowledges the privilege of learning from those we serve and the responsibility it entails. Mélanie has served as Board President for la Maison d’amitié, Ontario’s largest francophone women’s shelter, and co-founded Overdose Prevention Ottawa. Currently serving as the vice-president of her community association, she spearheads initiatives focused on gardening and reclaiming public spaces.

Siobhán Vipond is a committed trade unionist, intersectional feminist and proud IATSE member, committed to a fair and equitable world. She is an advocate for workers’ rights, pensions, gender and racial equity, and the importance of workers' voices at all levels of government and industry. She has led numerous campaigns on issues like universal child care, domestic violence leave and ILO C190. Siobhán was first elected as Executive Vice-President of the Canadian Labour Congress during the 29th Constitutional Convention in 2021. She was re-elected for a second term at the 30th Constitutional Convention in Montreal in 2023.

Christine Wildman (she/they) is a queer, feminist, activist and academic. Christine is invested in community organizing, working on various initiatives related to creating community, space, visibility, safety, and acceptance for 2SLGBTQIA+ people. Christine co-founded WorQshop: Building Safer Spaces, a non-profit organization that provides education and consultations services to organizations that aim to become more inclusive to 2SLGBTQIA+ populations. They are a critical community-engaged researcher with a PhD in Sociology, specializing in Identities and Social Inclusion. Christine’s research and teaching has focused on 2SLGBTQIA+ rights/needs, experiences of intimate partner violence, and access to services and community in small to medium populations centres, as well as violence against women and gender diverse populations. Christine is also a Research and Knowledge Mobilization specialist for the Neighbours, Friends and Families campaign, which is a provincial IPV prevention and education campaign, out of the Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children.