The Future Skills Centre Announces New Advisory Board

Leaders from key social and economic sectors--headed by new Board Chair Jenny Poulos from RBC--will identify solutions to help Canadians gain and adapt skills needed in a fast-changing economy

TORONTO, Dec. 16, 2019 /CNW/ - Leaders from across Canada's regions and key sectors will help guide the Future Skills Centre strategy for research and collaboration dedicated to preparing Canadians for employment success. The new Advisory Board will provide strategic and forward-looking advice and input to the Centre to support it in successfully delivering its mandate for Canadians.

As Chair of the Advisory Board, Jenny Poulos, SVP Workforce Strategy & Employee Experience at RBC, brings a unique perspective on trends impacting the current and future skills landscape. She will help guide the Future Skills Centre agenda to identify, test and share innovative approaches to help Canadians not only keep pace, but thrive in a competitive skills economy.

Members of the Advisory Board have diverse backgrounds and come from across Canada and internationally. They bring deep knowledge of socio-economic and technology trends, experience in public policy, applied research and evaluation expertise, extensive networks, and long-standing commitments to skills training and development. Drawing on this diversity, the Advisory Board will provide input that connects ideas and innovations from across Canada and the globe so that employees and employers can create a thriving and inclusive economy.

The Future Skills Centre Advisory Board members are:

• Armughan Ahmad, President and Managing Partner, Digital, KPMG Canada
• Janet Annesley, Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs & Human Resources, Husky
• Susan Black, Chief Executive Officer, The Conference Board of Canada
• Richard Boudreault, Adjunct Professor, École Polytechnique Montréal
• Lawrence Daniels, Chief Executive Officer, Firespirit Inc.
• Brian Haughen, Director of Education and Engagement, International Union of Operating Engineers
• Dennis Hogan, Chief Executive Officer, WorkplaceNL
• Sabrina Geremia, Vice President and Canada Country Manager, Google Canada
• Paul Gruner, President and Chief Executive Officer, Det'on Cho Corporation
• Nabeela Ixtabalan, Digital Transformation Office Manager, Ingka Group, strategic partner to IKEA
• Steven Liss, Vice President, Research and Innovation, Ryerson University
• Valerie Lockyer, Executive Director, The Training Group, Douglas College
• Colette Murphy, Executive Director, Atkinson Foundation
• Karen Myers, President and Chief Executive Officer, Blueprint ADE
• Lili-Anna Pereša, President and Executive Director, Centraide (United Way) of Greater Montreal
• Jenny Poulos, Senior Vice President, Workforce Strategy and Employee Experience, RBC
• Victor T. Thomas, Vice-President, Prairie Region Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada
• Susan Uthayakumar, Chief Executive Officer and Country President, Schneider Electric Canada

The announcement follows an open, publicly advertised call for permanent Advisory Board members advertised through the summer.

QUOTES

"I want to welcome the exceptionally talented group of individuals that have joined the Future Skills Cente's inaugural Advisory Board. I'm very excited to work alongside them to shape the Future Skills Centre priorities and strategy, and contribute to helping Canadians gain the skills they need to thrive in the changing workforce."
- Pedro Barata, Executive Director, Future Skills Centre

"I'm honoured to be named as the Advisory Board Chair of the Future Skills Centre and work alongside such exceptional fellow board members to help Canadians transition to the economy of tomorrow."
- Jenny Poulos, Chair of the Future Skills Centre Advisory Board and Senior Vice President, Workforce Strategy and Employee Experience, RBC

"We are fortunate to have assembled an outstanding group of distinguished leaders for our Advisory Board. The work they will do providing the Future Skills Centre with strategic guidance will have a meaningful impact on skills development across the country. I would also like to acknowledge and thank the interim Advisory Board for the important work that they contributed to the start up phase of the Future Skills Centre."
 - Steven Liss Vice President, Research and Innovation, Ryerson University

About the Future Skills Centre
The Future Skills Centre – Centre des Compétences futures is a forward-thinking centre for research and collaboration dedicated to preparing Canadians for employment success. We believe Canadians should feel confident about the skills they have to succeed in a changing workforce. As a pan-Canadian community, we are collaborating to rigorously identify, test, measure, and share innovative approaches to assessing and developing the skills Canadians need to thrive in the days and years ahead.

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The Future Skills Centre – Centre des Compétences futures is funded by the Government of Canada's Future Skills Program.

SOURCE The Future Skills Centre

Media Contact: Eglantine Ronfard, Communications Manager - Responsable Communication, Future Skills Centre - Centre des Compétences futures, Phone: [phone], Email: [email protected]