What's New, Now, Next in Advanced Manufacturing

Linda Hasenfratz, the Executive Chairman and CEO of Linamar Corporation, a global manufacturing powerhouse with two key segments, Industrial and Mobility, and a presence in 17 countries generating $6.5 billion in sales in 2021. Beyond her impressive professional career, she is a dedicated advocate for philanthropy and women's empowerment, serving on influential boards and leading initiatives like the Canada-United States Council for Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs. Her extensive list of accolades includes the Order of Canada and international recognition for her remarkable contributions to the business world.

Jayson is an award-winning business economist specializing in industrial and technological change and is widely recognized as an influential policy advocate in Canada. He is an advisor to both private and public sector leaders and has counselled Canadian prime ministers and premiers as well as senior corporate executives and policymakers around the world.

Jayson has more than 25 years of experience building alliances among businesses, academic institutions, as well as community, labour, and advocacy organizations. Between 2007 and 2016, he served as President & CEO of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, Canada’s largest industry and trade association. He was also the founding Chair of the Canadian Manufacturing Coalition, Vice-Chair of Canada’s National Roundtable on Skills, and Vice-Chair of the Ontario and Great Lakes Manufacturing Councils.

Jayson studied at Queen’s University and the University of British Columbia in Canada, as well as at the London School of Economics and Oxford University in the United Kingdom. He has held appointments as a Research Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford, and as a lecturer in politics, economics, and international studies at both Oxford and the University of Warwick.

Geoff is the Head of Development at Brookfield Renewable where he leads the business team that is responsible for all renewable and transition development investments in Canada. Prior to this role, Geoff helped to coordinate global commercial and business development strategies across a portfolio of decarbonization solutions in North America, South America, Europe and Asia.

Geoff is keenly focused on understanding how a business can transition its operations in an increasingly carbon constrained world and drive value for all parties to a transaction. Geoff has been with Brookfield since 2013 in progressively senior roles in research, business development and management and has helped to deploy multiple billions of dollars across Renewable, Infrastructure and Private Equity transactions. With both public and private sector experience, Geoff brings a pragmatic, systems perspective to the challenges and opportunities associated with the energy transition.

Geoff is a volunteer director with QUEST, a national non-profit that supports communities in Canada on their pathway to net-zero and holds a Masters Degree in Economics from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario and a BA from the University of Manitoba.