Conference Speakers.

John DeGiacomo is the manager of the Lakehead University student placement and co-operative education centre. Over 15 years of employment and career services experience in the education sector serves him well in his work with employers, students and alumni.

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He is experienced in managing in a multi-faceted and multi-functional organization, and currently volunteers as the vice-president with the Human Resources Professionals Association of Northwestern Ontario. John has a Human Resources Management Systems Certificate from the International Association for Human Resource Information Management and a Canadian Campus Recruitment Certificate from the Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers. John has worked as a highly productive and collaborative leader with HRDC and Confederation College. John has authored HR articles that have been published in Canadian journals

Ken Owen is the president of Norlink Innovative Web Solutions. With over 10 years of experience in the commercial Internet field, Ken brings Norlink customers unparalleled insight into what a business requires to succeed on the Internet. Ken started his first business while studying geography at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay. His first business was a retail computer sales company. Part of this original business involved using computerized Bulletin Board Systems to promote his venture. Computer sales were slow that first year, but interestingly the bulletin board he had created as a sales tool was quite popular. Ken reorganized his business to exploit this new thing called the "Internet" and the rest is history. He opened the first Internet service provider company in northwestern Ontario. He is president of the Young Entrepreneurs of Thunder Bay, sits on the loans committee for Canadian Youth Business Foundation, and is a member of several other boards in the community.

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Sandy Dickson, a former elementary teacher, has been in the tourism industry for 30 years. She is co-owner/manager of Canoe Canada Outfitters and co-owner and president of Atikokan Aero Services Inc., located in Atikokan. Sandy has been the provincial chairperson of the Ontario Fish & Wildlife Advisory Board for the past two and a half years. She has served as the president of the Atikokan Chamber of Commerce, and is active on a multitude of boards and committees in her community and throughout the North.

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Her company received the Northern Ontario Business "Company of the Year" award in 1990 and, in 2001, Northern Ontario Business also recognized her with its Influential Women of Northern Ontario Award. The Northern Ontario Tourism Outfitters Association has honoured Sandy with the Tourist Outfitter of the Year Award, and the Outstanding Woman in Tourism Award. In 2001, The Ministry of Tourism recognized her with the Bob Giles Award, for outstanding contributions to the tourism industry.

Wyne Fraser is one of three owners of Softub Canada and has been with the company since its inception in 1990. Wayne is responsible for the national marketing and sales of the Softub in Canada.

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Phenomenal sales growth earned Softub Canada the distinction of being placed #74 on the top 100 list of "Canada's Fastest Growing Companies" by 'Profit' magazine's annual poll. This honour placed Softub Canada among Canada's top growth leaders, marketers, strategists and innovators.

Additional awards include: 2001 Sima Groupe "Best Marketing Support Programs," 2000 NOBA "Company of the Generation" (16-50 Employees), 2000 Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce "Entrepreneurs of the Year" (under 50 employees), 1999 Sima Groupe "Best After Sales Service"

Wayne has worked extensively with Laurentian University and Cambrian College students in work placements and curricular programs, and has been a speaker in entrepreneur and business classes.