Edward Asare-Quansah is a Senior Manager with MNP Forensics and Litigation Support Services practice and has specialized in forensic and investigative accounting for the past 12 years. Edward has worked on large complex forensic accounting engagements for multinational accounting firms and has experience as an investigative accountant with the Alberta Securities Commission where he worked on engagements involving misrepresentations, fraud and review of public company’s disclosures regarding internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures. Edward has testified on the subject of forensic accounting before an administrative panel with the Alberta Securities Commission and has participated in pre-trial mediation.

Edward also has been an instructor at the University of Toronto, McMaster University, University of Lethbridge and Mount Royal University teaching courses on Understanding Financial Statements, Intermediate Accounting and Financial Accounting Fundamentals. He has also provided fraud awareness training both externally and internally. Edward graduated from Concordia University with a Bachelor of Commerce in 2002. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant (CPA, CA) in 2004 and received a Diploma in Investigative and Forensic Accounting (DIFA) in 2008. In 2016, Edward earned the designations of Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF), designed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), designated by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Edward is also currently enrolled in the Master of Forensics Accounting at the University of Toronto.

Darren Budd is a co-owner and senior consultant with Ottawa-based Orbis Risk Consulting, a firm that has delivered strategic advice, audit and consulting services to public and private sector organizations since 2006. Prior to joining Orbis in 2012, Darren led the internal audit function of a “big 4” consulting firm’s Ottawa practice following 7 years in the private sector where he led the internal audit functions for a multibillion-dollar energy company and a regional financial institution.

Darren has led dozens of internal audits and related engagements initiatives across a range of organizations and industries. In recent years, he has led a number of IT audits and IT risk consulting engagements related to IT security, governance and risk management. He is currently leading the Orbis team engaged by the Comptroller General of Canada to plan and deliver a government-wide audit of IT security. Darren is a former board member, and Audit Leaders Committee Chair, of the Institute of Internal Auditors’ Ottawa Chapter. He is also a frequent speaker on topics related to risk management and auditing.

Melissa is a second-generation IT professional with over a decade’s experience in a variety of technical roles, including application management, development management, systems analysis, project management and production support. At Iceberg, she delivers risk intelligence and leads the Archer business, supporting the team in creating repeatable and deployable success in GRC. With clients, she provides leadership and consulting services, driving the delivery of successful business-driven risk intelligence solutions. Melissa has multiple hobbies, including reading, music and powerlifting.

Aron Feuer is Valencia’s Managing Director for Cybersecurity. He is a cybersecurity consultant offering over 20 years of career experience in this field. Aron’s domain experience is in public sector, health care, critical infrastructure, and municipalities. He has supported or led engagements including IT Forensics investigation of the Robocall scandal, incident response to attacks by the hacker group Anonymous and the security certification of Canada’s classified networks. He’s worked with over twenty Canadian cities, ministries, agencies and departments that protect Canada’s critical information and infrastructure.

Aron is a member of Algonquin College’s Board of Governors for the Cyber Security program, and a regular volunteer and speaker at national industry conferences and board engagements on topics of effective cybersecurity programs. He is the co-author of Canadian Privacy & Data Protection for the Practitioner ISBN 1948771098. His field of expertise includes the following: Privacy and Security Audit & Assessment; Threat and Risk Assessments; Vulnerability Assessment & Penetration Testing; Certification & Accreditation; Strategy and High-Level Architecture; and Privacy Impact Assessments.

Claudine first joined the federal public service in 2010 as a Senior Auditor at the Office of the Comptroller General, Treasury Board Secretariat. In this capacity, she led internal audits in federal departments and provided recommendations to senior management, namely through the conduct of Core Control Audits, which had for objective to assess the design and operations of the governance, risk management, and control processes. Since 2013, she has performed a variety of audits for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Global Affairs Canada, and at the Public Service Commission, including audits in the area of grants and contributions, procurement, and regulatory compliance. In 2016, she became Manager, Internal Audit Directorate, at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), and now serves as the Vice President for the Institute of Internal Auditors Ottawa Chapter, the Co-Chair of the ISED Managers Community, and sits on the North American Learning Solutions Committee of the Institute of Internal Auditors. Claudine has a B.Admin from the University of Ottawa, an LL.B. in Civil Law from the Université de Sherbrooke, and holds a Certified Government Auditing Professional (CGAP) designation from the Institute of Internal Auditors.

Vanessa specializes in data protection and information security law. She advises organizations on the operationalization of related concepts such as privacy and security by design. She is a Certified Data Protection Officer (CDPO) with proven experience in assisting organizations with data protection legislation, such as the General Data Protection Regulation, and other standards affecting entities operating on a data-driven market. Vanessa helps organizations, in particular in the sector of emerging technologies, to manage legal risks relating to data in a preventive manner, allowing organizations to build trust with their customers and acquire a competitive edge. Vanessa has aided organizations negotiating commercial agreements involving security and privacy requirements in the technology sector. She also advises boards of directors on risk management relating to data protection and information security, ensuring that both they and their organizations are compliant and avoid liability.

Vanessa holds a Master of Law (LLM) from McGill University on the topic of cyberespionage and teaches Corporate Cybersecurity Practices at St Thomas University (Florida, USA), where she is also a member of the Board of Advisors for the LLM program in Cybersecurity and Privacy. Her studies on the Dark Net were funded by the Quebec Bar Association and published in the Canadian Journal of Law and Technology. Not only a published author, Vanessa has appeared as an expert in various media events. She is sought after as a public speaker and has participated in key industry conferences around the world, including in Silicon Valley, Tokyo, and Paris. Prior to joining Fasken, Vanessa was Director of Legal and Data Privacy as well as a Data Protection Officer within the cybersecurity division of a multinational specialized in information technology, the internet of things, and emerging technologies. Vanessa is involved in organizations working for the cause of women in the technology sector and has membership in investment associations where she frequently discusses the impact of disruptive technologies on the securities market.

Mr. Hughes is a Chartered Professional Accountant. He has practiced as an auditor for over 20 years. Throughout his career, he has been engaged in the fields of audit, fraud investigation and internal control review, property taxation, finance and financial management. Mr. Hughes has worked in public accounting, management consulting, and has taught in the areas of audit, internal control and finance in private industry and both federal and municipal governments. Mr. Hughes is a Certified Fraud Examiner and has also earned an MBA, a Bachelor of Commerce and an ICD.D.

John Lark is an accomplished manager with broad experience in the management of staff, budgets and deliverables. He has managed research teams, chaired federal-provincial committees, and facilitated workshops at the Board level of large-scale organizations with domestic and international operations. He is a leader in risk management whose skills have been recognized internationally. He has worked with Canadian federal and provincial governments as well as the OECD, the US EPA, the Canadian Standards Association, the Risk Management Institution of Australasia and ISO, the International Organization for Standards. Mr. Lark has also been an invited speaker on Enterprise Risk Management, Operational Risk, Risk for Boards of Directors, and Internal Audit Control and convened an invited session of global leaders in risk management. He was awarded the global certification in risk management, CPRM in 2010.

He is a highly regarded global expert and has been an invited keynote speaker at international conferences in Washington D.C., Biel Switzerland and, Sydney, Canberra and Cairns Australia. Mr. Lark was one of Canada’s delegates to the ISO risk management Committee and was a Team Leader of several ISO Working Groups and Subcommittees. Mr. Lark was the sole author of the international ISO Guide to implementing ISO 31000:2009 released in January of 2016.

Mr. Lark also has extensive Board experience and is Chair of two Not For Profit Boards and sits on the board of several major charities. He recently completed the Director’s Education Program that is jointly offered by the Institute of Corporate Directors and the Rotman School of Management. After completing the course he successfully passed the qualifying exams and earned the ICD.D designation confirming his knowledge of Board obligations, structures and functions as well as all legal and regulatory obligations.

Phil Racco is a senior manager in MNP’s enterprise risk services practice, specializing in enterprise risk management and business resilience, where he has provided input and support for the development of multiple enterprise risk management, crisis management, emergency response, and business continuity programs. Phil has worked with a number of public sector organizations conducting risk assessments, business impact analyses and process reviews, and is particularly noted for his work in strategy and plan development, training, testing, auditing and crisis management. He is particularly recognized for his ability to tailor solutions to fit client needs, his ability to adapt and scale have allowed him to work within a variety of industries. He is well versed in several internationally recognized standards, and utilizes best practices to emphasize that frameworks, tools and other solutions drive action and desired outcomes. Phil holds a masters in disaster and emergency management from York University, as well as several risk management designations, including the certified risk manager certification from the Risk and Insurance Management Society.

Mr Le Roux is a speaker and seasoned consultant with 12 years experience in defence, intelligence and cybersecurity. He is the founder of the Canadian Consulting Community and CEO of I&I Strategy, a Canadian information strategy consulting firm. Mr Le Roux received a Thales Innovation Award for his Critical Infrastructure Protection achievements. He also teaches at Polytechnique University in Montreal and frequently contributes to Canadian media on cyber security, intelligence and privacy matters. Mr Le Roux holds industry credentials such as US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Critical Infrastructure Protection, ISO 27001 Lead Auditor, Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). His past clients include Fortune 100 corporations, Wall Street firms, industry leaders and governments

Wendy Saschenbrecker-Tang is the Director of the Enterprise Risk Management Division within the Audit, Evaluation and Risk Branch in the Canada Revenue Agency. She has 15 years of experience in the federal public service in the region, in program delivery, and in headquarters. She began her public service career in the CRA in 2004 where she spent three and a half years in the province of Quebec gaining regional program and corporate experience. She then took a leave of absence to represent Canada at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in Fencing. She returned to the CRA at headquarters within the corporate strategy group where she occupied progressively more senior leadership positions in the area of performance measurement and results based management. She then spent two years working in international tax audit before taking on her current role of overseeing the CRA’s enterprise risk management process. Prior to entering the federal public service, Wendy spent five years in the private sector in the financial services industry. Wendy holds an Honours Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Ottawa and a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) from McGill University. She is a graduate of the Government of Canada Management Trainee Program and the Canada School of Public Service Aspiring Directors Program.

Leader and a member of the Enterprise Risk Services team. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience, Danny is responsible for leading and mentoring an experienced, highly skilled cyber security team in the delivery of customized, client-focused cyber security managed services, product solutions and professional services. Danny’s expertise includes working with executives and boards to assist with the development of prioritized and strategic cyber security strategies. By focusing on deliverables that fit clients’ unique business needs and objectives, he helps organizations improve awareness and reduce and manage overall cyber risk. Prior to joining MNP, Danny was the CEO and president of a cyber security company he co-founded that won numerous industry awards. Respected throughout the cyber security community, he travels across North America to attend and often speak at various industry events, sharing his knowledge and collaborating on the direction of cyber security in the marketplace. Danny also sits on the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA) Cyber Security Council & the E-Crimes Council, working to further cyber security within Canada. Danny holds the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) designation. His desire to lead and share goes beyond business to the community where he has been an active volunteer for more than 28 years.

Karen Zarrouki is currently Manager, Manager, Internal Audit Sector, Office of the Comptroller General at Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS). Karen entered into internal auditing in the Summer of 2014, and has undertaken several internal audit engagements ranging from audit to risk and control self-assessments, to the Review of Risk Management Practices at TBS. She has worked in TBS since 2006 and occupied the positions of Special Advisor, Security and Identity Management, Chief Information Officer Branch; acting Director, Centre of Excellence for Risk Management and Regional Federal Councils in the Priorities and Planning Sector; Manager, Office of the Auditor General Liaison; and Senior Policy Analyst, Cabinet Operations, Regulatory Affairs Sector. Her 28-year federal public service career also includes working at the Privy Council Office, Industry Canada (Broadband Access program) and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Karen holds a Master of Arts Degree in German linguistics, and a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree in French and German Language. Her area of specialization for internal audit is risk management and holds the Certification in Risk Management Assurance from The Institute of Internal Auditors. She is also certified in change management (Prosci).