2026 Annual Conference & Trade Show

Based in Ottawa, Vassy Kapelos is Host of CTV’s weekly political journal of record, QUESTION PERIOD, and Host of CTV News Channel’s weekday marquee political program, POWER PLAY. She is also the host of the weekday national radio program THE VASSY KAPELOS SHOW on the iHeartRadio Canada Talk Network. Born in Toronto, Kapelos is a three-time Canadian Screen Award winner, having been recognized for Best Live Production Social Media (2020), for CBC’s coverage of the B.C. by-election that saw Jagmeet Singh win his seat in Parliament, and Best Talk Program or Series (2021), for POWER & POLITICS, and Best Political News Program or Series (2024), for CTV News’ Power Play. She also received the 2021 Leitch Lecture Award from the University of Alberta and University of Calgary’s Faculties of Law after delivering a lecture on the political effect of the COVID-19 health crisis in Canada. Kapelos has extensive experience covering federal and provincial politics in Canada. Prior to joining CTV News, Kapelos was host of CBC’s POWER & POLITICS. Previously, she was Global News’ Ottawa Bureau Chief and host of THE WEST BLOCK. Before working in Ottawa, Kapelos covered provincial politics in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Kapelos graduated from Western University with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and then from Dalhousie University with a Master of Arts. She speaks English.

Tanya Woods leads Government and Regulatory Affairs at Questrade Financial Group, a successful private Canadian company with $45B+ AUA and a portfolio of leading companies offering innovative financial, home, lending, and insurance services online to help clients become more financially successful. She is a dynamic and specialized technology, regulatory, and trade lawyer, former trade negotiator, and technology policy expert who advises governments and companies on issues such as intellectual property, open finance, emerging technologies and digital trade.  She has served in advisory, board and C-suite legal and executive roles for over 20 years, successfully advancing the commercial and regulatory agendas of technology companies, including Microsoft, Nintendo, Interac, and BCE Inc. Woods also launched and led Canada’s first blockchain and digital assets trade association, was General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for the listing of Canada’s first digital asset miner on NASDAQ, advised on the development of the first global charity-led algorithmic (AI) literacy program, and sat on the Board of Canada’s first publicly traded 4D “metaverse” studio. Tanya’s leadership and contributions have been published and recognized as leader in technology and global impact by the Government of Canada, IT World, the Obama Foundation, Toastmasters International, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, amongst others.  Woods studied law at the London School of Economics, American University, and Ottawa University and received her ICD.D from Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto.

Paula has been with BMO since 2006 in various retail roles including Regional Vice President for the Downtown Toronto and Toronto West markets. She likes to say that she was “raised in retail”, where she has demonstrated immense success in optimizing customer experience, delivering sales results and maximizing profitability, all while ensuring superb productivity in her market. One of Paula’s key strengths is her ability to lead and develop individuals and teams by identifying and harnessing talent and coaching to higher levels of performance. In her current role as Regional Vice President, BMO BrokerEdge of Ontario and Atlantic Provinces, she is very excited to continue her legacy of building teams and driving business results.

She believes strongly in the power of community building. She volunteers and serves as an adviser to local organizations and on several non-profit boards over the years, most recently with the Board of Governors of Exhibition Place Toronto for 5 years.

Paula and her family live in Toronto. She is tremendously proud of her son Miguel and her new grandson, Kai. Her husband is Peter, a proud Newfoundlander who shares her love for books, traveling, music and theatre, experiencing different foods and a developing interest in the frustrating game of golf.  Paula is very family-oriented, taking annual trips to visit her family in her native country Portugal and the beautiful city of Lisbon.

Pierre has been working in the mortgage industry for over 15 years and is recognized as a seasoned leader and manager in credit operations and sales. Pierre is a result-based leader, striving for service excellence while managing and developing relationships with brokers partners and other mortgage industry professionals. Pierre is currently the VP, Mortgage Lending at Home Trust and leads HTC’s sales force. Pierre was recently the VP, Underwriting at Home Trust. Prior to that lead numerous credit operations teams for Radius Financial, Paradigm Quest and Macquarie Financial. He is fully bilingual in English and French and holds an MBA Finance from Ecole Superior de Gestion from Paris France.  

Elena was part of the First National team as their first Business Development Manager during its early years in the industry.  She rejoined in 2018 to help launch the Excalibur program, First National’s alternative lending division.  Elena brings numerous years of industry expertise to her role as Vice President, Residential Sales National.  Throughout her three decades in the industry, Elena has mastered her sales, business development, management and training skills.  Elena was recognized as CMP’s Women of Influence in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 and listed as an Elite Women in the Global Best in Mortgage 2022 and 2025 Mortgage Global 100.

Doug Adlam is a nationally recognized entrepreneur, speaker, and strategic advisor in Canada’s mortgage and financial industries. With a career spanning over 17 years, Doug has co-founded and exited multiple ventures, including an industry disrupting mortgage technology that was acquired in 2020.

Doug began his journey by growing his family’s mortgage brokerage 40X. Later he went on to serve as Director of Strategic Growth for a national brokerage, and played a pivotal role in scaling it into a national powerhouse—quadrupling its operations in just two and a half years and helping lead it to billions in annual originations. He also co founded a successful wealth management startup focused on corporate financial planning, which he exited in 2023.

A former professor at the University of Guelph, Doug taught marketing, consumer behaviour, and information management for six years and founded the university’s Entrepreneurship 4100 course. He holds an Honours Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing Management and a post graduate degree in Marketing and Consumer Studies, following an early academic start in Computer Systems Engineering. Today, Doug is the founder of Adlam Innovations, a strategic platform focused on helping leaders scale businesses that operate—and eventually exit—without them. He is a sought-after keynote speaker, podcast guest, and advisor to founders, executives, and high-growth teams.