• Welcome by Nino Di Cara, Founder & President, Electric Autonomy
• Introduction by Jayson Myers, Chief Executive Officer, NGen Next Generation Manufacturing Canada
As the backbone of Canada’s auto industry, component manufacturing and vehicle assembly are also front and centre in the EV transition. New players are emerging and established producers are confronting a world in which everything they work with — materials, processes, suppliers, products, buyers — is in flux. In this session, leaders from manufacturing, labour and policy will frame the main themes and high-level challenges facing the sector and showcase examples of the strategies, partnerships and investments needed to survive and thrive.
• Marissa West, President and Managing Director, GM Canada
• Linda Hasenfratz, Executive Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Linamar Corporation
• Lana Payne, National President, Unifor
• Rachel Doran, Director of Policy & Strategy, Clean Energy Canada
• John Stackhouse, Senior Vice-President, Office of the CEO, RBC (Moderator)
Building on our opening panel, this short keynote examines what EV future market readiness looks like along the entire value chain. Who/what in Canada today has shown they can solve these challenges or has the potential to play a role in doing so? What strategies are needed/in place to ensure our entire industrial ecosystem is EV-ready?
• John Laughlin, Chief Technology Officer, NGen Next Generation Manufacturing Canada
• Matthew Fortier, President and Chief Executive Officer, Accelerate
Zero tailpipe emissions are just a small part of the EV ecosystem’s ESG story. Increasingly, industry economics, future investment, government support, and social license all hinge on responsible practices, community engagement and eliminating embedded emissions along the entire EV value chain. This session will focus on the key areas to tackle, showcase Canadian leadership in all these areas, and make a case that the automotive industry can be a catalyst and leader in clean and socially responsible industry globally.
• Rob Wildeboer, Executive Chairman & Co-Founder, Martinrea International
• Eva Carissimi, Vice President and General Manager, Lithion Recycling Inc.
• Simon Thibeault, Senior Director – Battery Value Chain, Investissement Québec
• Ahmed Elganzouri, Sustainability Director, Magna International Inc.
• Kunal Phalpher, President, Li-Metal Corp.
• Jennifer Rogers, National Automotive and Transportation Leader, EY Canada (Moderator)
Investments are critical to ensure a pipeline of innovations to support the development of tomorrow’s automotive technology. This discussion brings together the venture capital perspective on investments in the mobility ecosystem alongside two key corporate strategic players in the sector.
• Wally Hunter, Managing Director, EnerTech Capital
• Todd Janke, Vice President, Innovation, Cost Management and Modeling, Adient plc
• John Matovich, Executive Vice President, Energy Solutions and Growth, Alectra Inc.
The work to develop tomorrow’s batteries is happening today — a high stakes, global race that will revolutionize propulsion systems and energy storage, create new market opportunities and address societal challenges. What separates the competing technologies? What are customers asking for? This session will provide an insider’s view on some of the ground-breaking work led by Canadian expertise.
• Soroush Nazarpour, President & Chief Executive Officer, VoltaXplore
• Dan Blondal, Chief Executive Officer, Director & Founder, Nano One Materials Corp.
• Asmae Mokrini, Team Lead Materials for Energy Technologies, National Research Council of Canada
• Rafal Janik, Chief Operating Officer, Xanadu
• Adrian Tylim, Head Business Development Americas, Blue Solutions
• Mark McArthur, Director, Internal R&D, Novonix
• Emma Jarratt, Executive Editor, Electric Autonomy (Moderator)
The U.S. Inflation Reduction Act has significant implications for Canadian EV manufacturing. This discussion will focus on the current status of the IRA, Canada’s reaction to it and what it means for Canada’s ability to capture international business investment and for Canadian manufacturers looking for a pathway into the U.S.
• Birgit Matthiesen, Director for North America Manufacturing, ArentFox Schiff LLP
• Daniel Breton, President and Chief Executive Officer, Electric Mobility Canada
Leadership in the future EV economy can only be won with talent. Skilled workers and good schools are Canadian strong suits, but is that enough when there’s already a gap between the current demand for new talent and the existing labour pool? This session will focus on solutions, including industrial, academic and governmental partnerships that are integral to make our automotive ecosystem a global magnet for talent and investment.
• Guido Benvenuto, Vice President Engineering, Flex-N-Gate
• Lauren Tedesco, Senior Vice President, Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA)
• Simon Pillarella, Director, Skilled Labor & Funding, Propulsion Québec
• Ali Emadi, Professor and Canada Excellence Research Chair Laureate, McMaster Automotive Resource Centre, McMaster University
• Shelley Hirstwood, Director of Business Development, Kingston Economic Development Corporation (Moderator)
• Jean Marc Leclerc, President and Chief Executive Officer, Honda Canada Inc.
• The Honourable Victor Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, Government of Ontario
• Jayson Myers, Chief Executive Officer, NGen Next Generation Manufacturing Canada