Featured Sessions
Don't miss the opportunity to engage directly with leading voices shaping the study and practice of leadership as well as special topics related to leadership in our host location.
Our carefully curated featured sessions bring together the most innovative thinkers and practitioners whose research and insights you follow online and in publications. These intimate presentations, panels, and workshops, given during the concurrent session blocks, offer something you can’t get from following their work alone—the chance to ask questions, clarify ideas, and forge connections that could transform your own projects and work.
Additional featured sessions coming soon!
What Global C-Suite Leaders Told Us: Five Trends Redefining Leadership Today
Thursday, 29 October, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
What does it take to lead in a world defined by disruption, technological acceleration, and growing complexity? ILA and the Center for Creative Leadership brought together C-Suite leaders across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia who pointed to 5 trends reshaping what effective global leadership requires, and what organizations must do differently to develop leaders who are ready. In this session, we’ll share the research and the conversations before delving into the five trends: eroding institutional trust, accelerating AI adoption, geopolitical volatility, and a leadership pipeline that many describe as underprepared for the moment.
Sol Bukin
Evaluation Associate, Insights & Impact, Center for Creative Leadership
Cynthia Cherrey
President, International Leadership Association
Mike Hardy
Professor, Coventry University
Kevin Lowe
Professor in Leadership, University of Sydney Business School
Susan Murphy
Programme Director Executive Women’s Leadership Programme, University of Edinburgh Business School
Healthcare Leadership for 2027 and Beyond: What's Needed, What's Best, and What's Ethical?
Thursday, 29 October, 2:45 – 3:45 p.m.
Healthcare leaders are working in a landscape shaped by rapid technological advancement, shifting demographics, evolving patient expectations, and global health challenges that arrive faster than institutions can adapt. Innovation alone doesn’t answer this. Neither does ethics. This panel examines how the two have to work in concert.
Healthcare executives and thought leaders will share what is genuinely top of mind for them right now — the innovation priorities driving their work, and how inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility are built into those priorities rather than appended to them. From there, the conversation turns practical: Obstacles that others are likely to recognize, including those that can be addressed and those that must be worked around because they won’t be fixed quickly; Strategies that look promising, framed concretely enough that participants could test them in their own contexts; AI’s role in both the obstacles and the strategies, now and in the near term; Resources already available to those doing this work; and Leadership lessons — what it will actually take to advance the visions the panelists describe.
Throughout, panelists will speak to three vantage points: everyday leaders such as managers who influence practice without setting organizational strategy; executives and decision-makers; and researchers studying this terrain. Each panelist will close with a one-sentence statement of their central message before the floor opens to audience questions. Participants will leave with a clearer read on where healthcare innovation and ethics are converging, a set of strategies worth trying, and a sense of which obstacles are shared across institutions — and which are theirs alone to solve.
Bikram Chawla
Chief and General Manager, Toronto Paramedic Services, City of Toronto
Bikram Chawla is the Chief and General Manager of Toronto Paramedic Services, the largest municipal paramedic service in North America. Toronto Paramedic Services is responsible for all aspects of land ambulance service delivery for the city of Toronto and operates the city’s Central Ambulance Communications Centre.
Bikram began his career with Toronto Paramedic Services 36 years ago as a Paramedic after graduating from Humber College. Over the course of his distinguished career, he has advanced through progressively senior leadership positions, building extensive expertise in emergency medical services, operational leadership, organizational transformation, policy development, and service improvement. His leadership experience includes serving as Deputy Chief, Program Development and Service Quality; Commander, Policy, Projects and Process Improvement; Deputy Commander; and a number of acting leadership assignments. He has also contributed his expertise to other City of Toronto divisions, including Social Development, Finance & Administration, and Municipal Licensing & Standards.
Under Bikram’s leadership, Toronto Paramedic Services continues to deliver high-quality emergency medical care to one of North America’s most diverse and dynamic cities. He is recognized for his ability to build strong partnerships, lead complex change initiatives, and inspire teams through a leadership style grounded in integrity, compassion, and service excellence. His commitment to advancing paramedicine and strengthening community health outcomes has earned him the respect of colleagues, healthcare partners, government stakeholders, and the broader public safety community.
Francis Garwe
CEO Durham Community Health Centre (DCHC)
Francis Garwe is the Chief Executive Officer of Durham Community Health Centre (DCHC), one of Ontario’s largest Community Health Centres, providing integrated primary care, mental health, health promotion, and community support services across Durham Region. He leads an organization committed to advancing health equity, improving access to care, and addressing the social determinants of health through integrated, community-centred models of care.
Over two decades in healthcare leadership, Francis has built a reputation for leading organizational transformation, strengthening governance, and fostering partnerships that improve health outcomes and system performance. His leadership has focused on integrating services, building high-performing teams, and positioning organizations to respond to the evolving needs of the communities they serve.
Throughout his career, Francis has championed strategic planning, quality improvement, digital innovation, and collaborative approaches to complex health and social challenges. He is passionate about developing sustainable healthcare systems that are equitable, responsive, and grounded in strong community partnerships.
Beyond his executive role, Francis contributes to regional and provincial health system leadership through board and advisory committee service and is committed to advancing ethical, collaborative leadership across the healthcare sector.
Francis holds a Master of Arts in Organizational Management (Healthcare Management) and is a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D).
Jaason Geerts
Vice-President, Research & Leadership Development, The Canadian College of Health Leaders
Dr. Jaason Geerts, PhD (Cambridge) is an internationally recognized leadership scholar, keynote speaker, expert advisor, and executive educator specializing in leadership, systems transformation, and evidence-based leadership development.
He is Vice-President of Research and Leadership Development at the Canadian College of Health Leaders and founder of the CCHL Academy of Gold-Standard Research and Practice. He is an associate at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School and is an adjunct professor at the Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa.
Dr. Geerts earned his PhD at the University of Cambridge and has advised organizations globally, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Hospital Federation (IHF), Yale University’s Medical and Business Schools, and the NHS. His research is published in leading journals such as JAMA Network Open and BMJ, and his work has been cited by the World Health Organization.
He created a four-stage model of leadership in crisis that underpins a $450,000 CIHR-funded research program and has been applied internationally. An international and TEDx speaker, his work has been featured in The Globe and Mail, CBC, and CTV national news.
Dr. Geerts is a program director and instructor at the Telfer School of Management (Ottawa) and the Schulich School of Business (York) and he was nominated for the Toronto Star’s Teacher of the Year.
Cameron Stockdale
Executive Director, AgSafe BC
A executive leader at the forefront of driving innovation and transformative change within organizations. With a expertise in healthcare and non profit organizations, Dr. Cameron Stockdale’s academic and research portfolio spans areas including leadership theory and practice, dispute resolution strategies, organizational behaviour, change management, and the evolving intersection of technology and law. His work combines strategic insight with evidence-based approaches to empower organizations and individuals to thrive in rapidly changing environments.
A Fireside Chat With Barbara Kellerman on Why We Follow Leaders — and Why We Don't
Thursday, 29 October, 7:45 – 8:45 p.m.
Scott Allen from ILA’s official Podcast, Practical Wisdom for Leaders, interviews Past Lifetime Achievement Awardee, Barbara Kellerman in this special Fireside Chat / Podcast event. They’ll cover a lot of ground but will focus on Barbara’s new book, Why We Follow Leaders – and Why We Don’t (University of Toronto Press, September 2026), along with questions from the audience. A sneak peek at some of the questions to which the book provides answers: First, what are our rewards for following? Second, what are our punishments for not following? Third, what are our rewards for not following? Fourth, what are our punishments for following?
Barbara Kellerman
Author and Editor of Over 20 Books on Leadership and Followership
Barbara Kellerman was Founding Executive Director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School, where she taught for over twenty years. A cofounder of the International Leadership Association, Kellerman is author and editor of many books, including, among others, Bad Leadership, Followership, Professionalizing Leadership, and her latest, Why We Follow Leaders – and Why We Don’t. She has appeared on CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, NPR, MSNBC, Reuters, and BBC, and has contributed to the New York Times, Washington Post, and Harvard Business Review. She is the recipient of three Fulbright fellowships and has spoken to audiences worldwide, from Berlin and London to Kyoto, Mumbai, and Sydney.
Complete Bio
Barbara Kellerman was Founding Executive Director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School, a member of the Harvard faculty for over twenty years, and a Fellow at the Center for five years. Kellerman has held professorships at Fordham, Tufts, Fairleigh Dickinson, George Washington, Uppsala, and Christopher Newport Universities, as well as at Dartmouth, and the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. She also served as Director of Graduate Studies at Fairleigh Dickinson, and as Director of the Center for the Advanced Study of Leadership at the University of Maryland.
Kellerman received her B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, and her M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. (in Political Science) degrees from Yale University. She was awarded a Danforth Fellowship and three Fulbright fellowships. At Uppsala University she held the Fulbright Chair in American Studies. Kellerman was cofounder of the International Leadership Association (ILA) and is author and editor of many books including Bad Leadership; Followership; The End of Leadership; Professionalizing Leadership, and Leadership from Bad to Worse. Kellerman has appeared on media outlets such as CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, NPR, MSNBC, Reuters, and BBC, and has contributed articles and reviews to the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, and Harvard Business Review.
She has spoken to audiences all over the world including Berlin, London, Moscow, Melbourne, Sao Paolo, Jerusalem, Mumbai, Toronto, Kyoto, Beijing, Buenos Aires, Sydney, and Seoul. The title of her latest book is Why We Follow Leaders – and Why We Don’t. Kellerman posts regularly at https://barbarakellerman.com/articles/
Scott Allen
Professor | Podcast Host | Author
Scott J. Allen, Ph.D., is an award-winning educator and leadership expert who serves as an instructor in SMU’s Cox School of Business Executive Education, following more than 18 years as a professor of management. His expertise spans leader development, the future of work, and executive communication, reflected in over 60 peer-reviewed publications and books including Emotionally Intelligent Leadership, Discovering Leadership, and Moving the Needle: What We Know (and Don’t Know) About Developing Leaders. He hosts the top-ranked podcast Practical Wisdom for Leaders and writes a weekly newsletter. He is a keynote speaker and consultant for organizations such as Toyota, NASA-Glenn, and the Federal Reserve Banks of Cleveland and Dallas. Allen was named an ILA Fellow in 2021.
Complete Bio
Scott J. Allen, Ph.D., is an award-winning educator and leadership expert who serves as an instructor in SMU’s Cox School of Business Executive Education following more than 18 years as a professor of management; his expertise spans leader development, the future of work, and executive communication, reflected in over 60 peer-reviewed publications and books including The Little Book of Leadership Development, Emotionally Intelligent Leadership, Discovering Leadership, and Moving the Needle: What We Know (and Don’t Know) About Developing Leaders. He hosts the top-ranked podcast Practical Wisdom for Leaders, writes a weekly newsletter, and is a top LinkedIn creator in Leadership and Management, while also working as a keynote speaker, consultant, and workshop facilitator for organizations such as Toyota, EY, NASA-Glenn, Cleveland Clinic, and the Federal Reserve Banks of Cleveland and Dallas. He serves on the board of the Cleveland Leadership Center, previously served on the boards of the International Leadership Association, Association of Leadership Educators, and Management and Organizational Behavior Teaching Society, and was named an ILA Fellow in 2021.
Inside the Front Office: Leadership Lessons Beyond the Box Score
As President & CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays, Mark Shapiro leads at the intersection of baseball and business while under intense public scrutiny where everyone has an opinion. In this Fireside Chat, Mark reflects on how his approach to leadership has evolved over more than 30 years in the game, the role of self-awareness in effective decision-making, and what it takes to scale genuine passion for a mission across an organization. He’ll also share how he navigates the stress of leading in the public eye, where every call is second-guessed.
Mark Shapiro
President & CEO, Toronto Blue Jays
Mark Shapiro is one of the few MLB executives with experience across every facet of the game — baseball, business, and league operations — over a career spanning more than 30 years. Appointed President & CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015, he leads the organization’s business and baseball operations while representing ownership at the league level, a role that has taken the team to five postseasons, including their first World Series appearance in 32 years in 2025. His career began in Cleveland in 1992, where he rose over 24 seasons from assistant in baseball operations to Vice President & Assistant General Manager, building the leadership foundation he brings to the Blue Jays today.
Complete Bio
Mark Shapiro is one of the few Major League Baseball executives that has experience in all facets of the game – baseball, business, and league operations – over the course of a career that spans more than 30 years.
Mark was appointed President & CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015, a role that oversees the organization’s business and baseball operations and represents ownership at the league level.
Mark is responsible for the expansion of the Blue Jays’ systems and capabilities in several areas, including player development, high performance, strategy, and analytics. He has championed two significant capital projects in his tenure: upgrading the team’s Spring Training home in Dunedin, FL with the Player Development Complex, an industry-leading performance facility; and the renovations to Rogers Centre, transforming the stadium to a ballpark with best-in-class fan amenities and player facilities. Under Mark’s leadership, the Blue Jays have reached the postseason five times: 2016, 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2025, reaching the World Series for the first time in 32 years during the 2025 campaign.
Mark’s baseball career began in 1992 in Cleveland, where he spent 24 seasons. He joined Cleveland as an assistant in baseball operations and quickly progressed into a senior leadership role as Director of Minor League Operations, before becoming Vice President of Baseball Operations & Assistant General Manager in 1999. Mark was named Executive Vice President & General Manager in 2002 and held that position until he was appointed Team President in 2011.
Following both the 2005 and 2007 seasons, Mark was named the Sporting News “Executive of the Year,” and was the only active General Manager in MLB at that time to win the award twice. In 2005, he was also named “Executive of the Year” by Baseball America.
Beyond his extensive work in the front office, Mark has been involved in key baseball initiatives at Major League Baseball for more than a decade and currently sits on the league’s Competition Committee. In addition, he is a member of the Board of Directors for Jays Care Foundation, the charitable arm of the Toronto Blue Jays, and a member of the Board of Directors for the Positive Coaching Alliance supporting youth in sports.
A Baltimore native, Mark played four years of football at Princeton University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history. He lives in Toronto with his family.
Fellowship Impact Study: Unpacking New Evidence on How Fellowship Experiences Support Leaders in Driving Change
Saturday, 31 October, 8:30- 9:30 a.m.
Join us for an interactive session exploring findings from the 2026 IFN Impact Study, a global collaborative research initiative led by IREX’s Impact Fellowships Network and funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Drawing on insights from 1,630 fellowship alumni and community partners across 141 countries, the study examines how fellowship experiences support leaders to create change at the individual, organizational, community, and systems levels, the experiences leaders value most, and the supports that help them overcome barriers to impact. Through a combination of a research presentation and panel discussion, attendees will hear perspectives from funders, fellowship implementers, and alumni about what enables leaders to translate learning, relationships, and opportunities into meaningful change. Participants will leave with practical strategies for designing and supporting leadership programs that strengthen impact and foster lasting change.
Tanisha Washington
Technical Specialist, IREX
Tanisha Washington is a technical specialist at IREX with expertise in participatory evaluation, qualitative research, and learning-focused program improvement. For the past two years, she has supported the Impact Fellowships Network as a research manager to support the monitoring, research, evaluation, and learning (MERL) of the initiative which focuses on working with practitioners across the impact fellowships field to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and stronger fellowship practices. Tanisha has led and contributed to evaluations for organizations including IREX, Habitat for Humanity International, and ChildFund International, bringing a strong background in mixed-methods research and evidence-driven learning.
Xiomara Enriquez
Leadership Programs Officer, W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Xiomara Enriquez is a leadership programs officer at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek, Michigan. In this role, she supports foundation efforts to promote thriving children, working families and equitable communities. Enriquez provides oversight in designing, developing, coordinating and implementing the engagement strategy for WKKF’s Global Fellows Network. She works collaboratively to advance WKKF’s vision for its fellows network: to expand, strengthen, sustain, and galvanize interconnections and intra-connections of intergenerational, cross-cultural leaders and WKKF fellows to advance positive change to benefit children, families and communities around the globe.