Opening Main Stage
Scott Cawood
Ed.D., CCP, GRP, CSCP, CBP
Chief Executive Officer, WorldatWork
Scott Cawood is the CEO of WorldatWork. Prior to joining WorldatWork, he was the Global Leader, Organizational Effectiveness, at W.L. Gore & Associates Inc., a global manufacturer with 10,000 employees. At Gore, he led the organizational efforts to achieve the enterprise strategy, including maximizing associate engagement and aligning the culture with critical business priorities.
Prior to Gore, he served as president of Synygy, a global compensation and sales software company, and in senior leadership positions at Revlon and the Great Place to Work Institute, which selects Fortune magazine's 100 Best Places to Work.
Cawood holds an Ed.D. in organization- and work-based learning from the Wharton School of Business and an M.S. in education from the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania. He received his M.A. in labor and industrial relations and his B.A. in organizational communication, with a minor in education, from Michigan State University.
Our Moment for TR Optimization
In Canada and around the world, the fundamental idea of “work” is being redefined—faster and more radically than ever before. This also yields an exceptional opportunity to optimize your Total Reward programs in new and different ways. Dr. Scott Cawood explores the current state of work and how Canadian organizations can respond to the changing dynamics of an on-demand, modern, diverse, and ever evolving workforce.
As we navigate economic uncertainty, demographic shifts, AI disruption, and an intensified demand for purpose-driven employment, the employer-employee exchange must be retooled and rebuilt. Through this powerful opening keynote, Scott will share insights about how we can re-center people in our approach to Total Rewards and human capital strategy to optimize the value TR brings to employees and employers.
Join this session to gain insights and inspiration that you will need to lead through the shift, build trust, and reward for impact in a new world of work.
Tuesday Afternoon Main Stage
Peter Cheesbrough
MS - Strategic Advisor
For the last two decades, Peter has been a student of the art of leadership, performance, and growth. He is intimately aware of what it takes to rise and overcome challenges, perform under pressure, and achieve the uncommon.
Founder of Headstock360, and Uncommon Blueprint, an evidence-based high-performance consultancy (www.uncommonblueprint.com), he is an executive coach, advisor, and consultant working with individuals and teams to assist them in the achievement of peak performance in their respective fields. Peter has supported leaders and teams from Fortune 100 & 500 organizations, Canadian and US Federal politics, academic institutions, and many former/current elite athletes, artists, and founders. Peter offers a deep understanding of leadership, executive assessments, coaching, performance, influence, navigating complex political systems, communication, emotional intelligence, behavioral change, strategic culture creation and team dynamics and performance.
Peter is a former athlete in the javelin competing at the University of Georgia and for Canada and is a published academic author in advanced executive coaching, performance, and development.
Stefan Underwood
PCC, NLP
Founder & Executive Coach
Stefan’s journey spans two decades of coaching human performance. Over his illustrious career, he has supported elite athletes, Special Operations Forces members, and business executives from many Fortune 100 organizations. Stefan has guided them as they prepared for deployment, qualified for the Olympics, were drafted in the first round to the NFL, or stepped into the boardroom. Currently, as a strategic advisor to Uncommon Blueprint, he brings his diverse background to support in leadership development. Stefan holds a Bachelor’s in Kinesiology and a Master’s degree in Organizational Psychology.
Beyond his professional achievements, Stefan is a proud parent to a son and daughter and has been married to his best friend for 18 years. A citizen of the world, he has traveled extensively and lived full-time in four different countries. Now, he has found himself returning to his roots in Calgary, Alberta, where he was born.
This amalgamation of experiences, both professional and personal, brings a unique and approachable perspective to his speaking engagements, where he endeavors to inspire and uplift his audience
State Agility: The Secret to Uncommon IMPACT
In times of increased uncertainty, effective leadership is paramount to developing a human-centric workplace culture. To be clear, “leadership” is not a title but rather a behavior, and every human resource professional has the potential to increase their impact on their workplace culture through leadership traits. Effective leadership, particularly in the face of uncertainty, starts with a deep inner awareness. The ability to know thyself.
Gracefully navigating the delicate balance of organizational needs and people advocacy requires the ability to seamlessly balance between advanced competencies that are seemingly contradictory in nature. HR professionals must be both firm and kind, assertive yet empathetic, discreet but transparent, and results-driven while remaining understanding. Achieving this balance requires a level of awareness and finesse that is often elusive. The true essence of this level of leadership fluidity lies in the ability to deeply understand oneself, the organization, and its people, while nimbly shifting between emotional states with a rare sense of agility and self-care.
Join Peter Cheesbrough and Stefan Underwood of Uncommon Blueprint for this empowering session, where they delve into the evidence-based blueprints that connect regulation, recovery and the pursuit of uncommon performance and outcomes in uncertain times.