Featured Speakers
We are pleased to welcome our distinguished plenary speakers to #ILA2023Global. Watch this page for additional speakers as they are confirmed.
ILA’s Global Conferences bring together some of the top leaders and thinkers in their field who share their work and discuss complex leadership challenges with ILA’s signature bridging of theory and practice. Read their full bios below.
Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson, K.C.
Gid7ahl Gudsllaay, K.C
Martha Piper, Ph.D.
Indira Samarasekera, Ph.D.
Detailed Biographies
A citizen of, and General Counsel, to the Haida Nation, Terri-Lynn has practised in Indigenous-environmental law since 1995 when she began representing the Haida Nation at all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada. She was lead counsel in litigation to protect the old growth forests of Haida Gwaii in the Haida case, the leading case on consultation and accommodation of Indigenous rights. She is counsel for the Haida Nation’s aboriginal title case and related reconciliation negotiations—which have resulted in innovative agreements with British Columbia and Canada—as well as other litigation including successfully challenging the Enbridge Northern Gateway Project, and injunctive relief for herring.
Terri-Lynn serves on the Law Society of British Columbia Truth and Reconciliation Advisory Committee, the Federation of Law Societies of Canada’s Indigenous Advisory Council, the Dean’s Advisory Committee for the Centre for Business Law at Allard School of Law, and she is Co-Chair of the Indigenous Engagement in Regulatory Matters Task Force. She is a co-principal investigator with the Canada Climate Law Initiative. Terri-Lynn has been honoured with the Peoples’ Choice Andrew Thompson Award for lifetime contributions to environmental protection and sustainability (2014); the Courage in Law Award from the Indigenous Law Students Association at Allard Law School (2018); Canadian Lawyer’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in the category of “Changemakers” (2020); Maclean’s “Power List”, ranking 21 of 50 Canadians who are breaking ground in their field (2021); and recognized as one of 500 most influential business leaders in BC in the General Counsel category (2022). In 2021 she was appointed as King’s Counsel.
Terri-Lynn is also a multi-award-winning performer, an artist, dancer, and author (see www.ravencallingproductions.ca), and is currently a PhD student at Allard School of Law, UBC.
Martha Piper served as the first woman president of the University of British Columbia and has been a director of the Bank of Montreal, Shoppers Drug Mart, and TransAlta Corporation. An Officer of the Order of Canada, she was born in Lorain, Ohio and lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is the co-author of Nerve: Lessons in Leadership From Two Women Who Went First.
Indira Samarasekera served as the first woman president of the University of Alberta and is a director of Magna International, TC Energy, Intact Financial Corporation and Stelco and has served as a director of the Bank of Nova Scotia. An Officer of the Order of Canada, she was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka and lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is the co-author of Nerve: Lessons in Leadership From Two Women Who Went First.
Speakers From Past Global Conferences
Here are just a few of the recent featured speakers at ILA’s Global Conference
John Adair, President, Adair Leadership
John, Lord Alderdice, Member, House of Lords, Parliament of the U.K.; Director, Centre for the Resolution of Intractable Conflict; President of ARTIS (Europe) Ltd.; Senior Research Fellow, Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford
Valerie Biden Owens, Political strategist, presidential campaign manager, & author of Growing Up Biden
The Right Honourable Kim Campbell, 19th Prime Minister of Canada; Founding Principal, Peter Lougheed Leadership College
Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General, International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Martin Chungong, Secretary General, Inter-Parliamentary Union
Isobel Coleman, Deputy Administrator for Policy and Programming, United States Agency for International Development
David Gergen, Political Commentator Presidential Advisor, and Founding Director, Center for Public Leadership, Harvard’s Kennedy School; Author of Hearts Touched With Fire: How Great Leaders are Made
Ambassador Thomas Greminger, Director, Geneva Centre for Security Policy
Anuradha Gupta, Deputy CEO, GAVI The Vaccine Alliance
The Right Honorable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, 2010 – 2017
Barbara Kellerman, James MacGregor Burns Lecturer in Public Leadership, Center for Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School
Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries, Professor of Leadership Development and Organizational Change, INSEAD
Pauline Koelbl, Founder & CEO, AfriProspect GmbH’s; Founder & Managing Partner, ShEquity
Reta Jo Lewis, President and Chair of the Board of Directors, Export-Import Bank of the United States
Susan R. Madsen, Karen Haight Huntsman Endowed Professor of Leadership in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University
The Right Honorable Paul Martin, 21st Prime Minister of Canada
Tara McGowan, Political strategist, journalist, CEO + Founder – Good Information Inc.
Stella Nkomo, Professor of Human Resource Management, University of Pretoria
Sudhanshu Palsule, Fellow, Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership; Educator, Duke CE
Henk Rogers, Founder and Chairman, Blue Planet Alliance
Diane Rosenfeld, Founding Director, Gender Violence Program, Harvard Law School
Vivian Schiller, Executive Director, Aspen Digital, a program of the Aspen Institute; Former President & CEO, NPR; Former Head of NYtimes.com; Global Chair of News for Twitter
Senator/Ànike Nìgànizi Murray Sinclair, Senator of Canada; Parliament of Canada; Aboriginal Judge; Chief Commissioner, Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada / Ànike Nìgànizi Kanadàng; Wàbishkìwe Ogimà Kanadàng; Anishinàbe Tibàkonigewininì; Nàgànìkandang Tebwewin Kàbì Ijiwebag
Raj Sisodia, Founding Member, Conscious Capitalism Movement; Distinguished Professor & Chairman, Conscious Enterprise Center, Tecnologico de Monterrey
Brian Stelter, Former Anchor, CNN’s Reliable Resources; Shorenstein Fellow; Author of HOAX: Donald Trump, Fox News, and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth
Ambassador Yvette Stevens, Executive in Residence, Geneva Centre for Security Policy; Former Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone
Pavan Sukhdev, Founder & CEO, GIST
Tatiana Valovaya, Director General, United National Office at Geneva
Maestro Karim Wasfi, Founder, Peace Through Arts; Conductor & Renowned Cellist
Margaret (Meg) Wheatley, Co-Founder and President, The Berkana Institute
Live Online, 6-7 October
Live Online
John Adair, President, Adair Leadership
Live Online
Margaret (Meg) Wheatley, Co-Founder and President, The Berkana Institute
Live Online
Stella Nkomo, Professor of Human Resource Management, University of Pretoria
Live Online
Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries, Professor of Leadership Development and Organizational Change, INSEAD
Live In Person in Washington, D.C. 13-16 October
Live in D.C.
Valerie Biden Owens, Political strategist, presidential campaign manager, & author of Growing Up Biden
Live in D.C.
Isobel Coleman, Deputy Administrator for Policy and Programming, United States Agency for International Development
Live in D.C.
David Gergen, Political Commentator Presidential Advisor, and Founding Director, Center for Public Leadership, Harvard’s Kennedy School; Author of Hearts Touched With Fire: How Great Leaders are Made
Live in D.C. via Zoom
Volodymyr Groysman , Prime Minister of Ukraine, 2016-2019; Leader of the political party Ukrainian Strategy of Groysman.
Live in D.C.
Errin Haines, Award-Winning Political Journalist Focused on Race, Gender, and Politics; Founding Mother and Editor at Large of The 19th; MSNBC Contributor
Live in D.C.
Reta Jo Lewis, President and Chair of the Board of Directors, Export-Import Bank of the United States
Live in D.C.
Susan R. Madsen, Karen Haight Huntsman Endowed Professor of Leadership in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University
Live in D.C.
Oksana Markarova, Ukraine Ambassador to the USA
Live in D.C.
Sudhanshu Palsule, Fellow, Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership; Educator, Duke CE
Live in D.C.
Karen Pierce, British Ambassador to the USA; Former Director General for Political Affairs and Chief Operating Officer of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London
Live in D.C.
Diane Rosenfeld, Founding Director, Gender Violence Program, Harvard Law School
Live in D.C.
Vivian Schiller, Executive Director, Aspen Digital, a program of the Aspen Institute; Former President & CEO, NPR; Former Head of NYtimes.com; Global Chair of News for Twitter
Live in D.C.
Raj Sisodia, Founding Member, Conscious Capitalism Movement; Distinguished Professor & Chairman, Conscious Enterprise Center, Tecnologico de Monterrey
Live in D.C.
Brian Stelter, Former Anchor, CNN's Reliable Resources; Shorenstein Fellow; Author of HOAX: Donald Trump, Fox News, and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth
Bios of Live Online, Featured Speakers 6-7 October
Bios of in-Person Featured Speakers in Washington, D.C., 13-16 October
Valerie Biden Owens is the first woman in U.S. history to have run a presidential campaign — that of her brother, Joseph R. Biden, Jr. She also led his seven straight U.S. Senate victories and has been his principal surrogate on the campaign trail.
Valerie is Chair of the Biden Institute at the University of Delaware and a partner at Owens Patrick Leadership Seminars. Valerie sits on the Advisory Board of the Beau Biden Foundation for the Protection of Children. For 20 years, when Valerie was not managing or advising President Biden’s campaigns, she served as Executive Vice President of Joe Slade White & Co., a media consulting firm. She has worked extensively with Women’s Campaign International, teaching women how to organize and develop communication and political skills. Valerie has also served on the National Board of the Women’s Leadership Forum of the Democratic National Committee and has served for 35 years on the board of The Ministry of Caring.
In 2015, Valerie delivered the keynote address for Harvard Law School’s International Women’s Day celebration and was one of 50 women presented with the law school’s international “Women Inspiring Change” award. In 2021, she was named to the Forbes 50 Over 50 Women Who Are Leading the Way in Impact list.
She is a graduate of the University of Delaware. She is married to Jack Owens, an attorney and businessman. They have three children.
Featured Online Speaker, Day & Time Forthcoming
Margaret Wheatley, Ed.D., is the author of the classic, Leadership and the New Science. For the past five years, she has been training leaders and activists from 35 countries as Warriors for the Human Spirit. Her latest book (and CD) is The Warrior’s Songline: A Journey Guided By Voice And Sound.
Featured Online Speaker, Day & Time Forthcoming
Professor John Adair is the author of over 50 books which have been translated into 18 languages. His most recent book, The Art of Judgment, is a pioneering exploration of practical wisdom, now coming into prominence as a key leadership quality, especially in these most challenging of times.