Speakers 2019

Ben is the national private equity industry leader of RSM Canada. In his role as partner, capital markets & M&A advisory, Ben focuses on supporting and managing local and cross-border transactions, and leading M&A and capital advisory transactions in the private and public company sectors across a variety of industries. He leverages the firm’s full financial service offering, ranging from transaction advisory to assurance and tax structuring, driving value to all stakeholders in corporate finance mandates.

Ben brings his extensive corporate finance and advisory experience working in Australia and Canada to all of his transactions, whether they are large corporate transactions or small cap private company processes. Ben graduated with a Bachelor of Materials Engineering (Honours) from the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia in 2004 and completed a Graduate Certificate in Applied Finance from the Financial Services Institute of Australia in 2008. Ben was admitted to partnership of RSM Canada’s predecessor firm in 2015.

Josh O’Kane covers technology for The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business. He joined the newspaper in 2011, and has written extensively about innovation, small business and music, among many other subjects. His 2016 book, Nowhere With You, examines the music and career of Joel Plaskett, and is a national bestseller. Josh’s longform journalism has been showcased by Harvard’s Nieman Storyboard and Great Canadian Longform. In 2018, he was part of the Globe team that won the SABEW Best in Business Canada Award for breaking news.

As the founder and CEO of The Poirier Group (TPG), David is a dynamic and visionary leader who brings considerable experience developed from senior executive roles in the retail, general merchandise, food distribution, health and life sciences and manufacturing industry sectors. He is a Senior Executive and Accomplished Leader who creates and executes operational strategies, business transformation and process improvements that positively impact the organization. He brings a unique set of tools, methodologies and techniques aimed at improving operations in US, Canadian, and international businesses. David thrives at running multiple global divisions in complex and ever-changing business environments and effecting positive cultural shifts that impact bottom line performance.

The Poirier Group was a natural progression for David, who has become adept at understanding complexity in an ever-changing landscape. He started the company 13 years ago, helping mid and large sized organizations with their futures both strategically and operationally. David has a unique ability to ensure balance between improving business processes and building human alignment, which has led to his success over the years. His talent for managing multiple client engagements, while overseeing significant transformation projects, ensures that every client will receive his personal attention.