Our fireside chats are a series of online addresses given by key note speakers working in the Business and Tourism Industries. These webinars will provide students with opportunities to receive current information about their discipline of study. Hearing from these high-profile entrepreneurs, managers, government officials and CEO’s, may allow students to feel comfort and inspiration during these uncertain times.
Fireside Chats are Learning Passport eligible.
Join with your Mount email account through TEAMS
Guest speakers will share their insights on the role of effective communication in achieving success within their respective careers and in life more broadly. Their talks will highlight how strong communication skills contribute not only to professional advancement but also to building fulfilling personal lives. They will also discuss the importance of maintaining a healthy work–life balance, offering practical advice on managing the often-competing demands of career and personal commitments. In addition, they will provide guidance on what it truly means to be successful, drawing on their own experiences to share lessons learned, strategies that have worked for them, and perspectives that can inspire others to pursue both professional excellence and personal satisfaction.
Watch previous Fireside Chats
Angela Lewis, Chief Commercial Officer, Stewart McKelveyAngela brings over 24 years of business leadership experience to her role as Chief Commercial Officer at Stewart McKelvey. She leads the firm’s growth strategy, overseeing branding, business development, client relationship management, communications, events, and sponsorships.
Before joining Stewart McKelvey, Angela built her career with some of Atlantic Canada’s most respected organizations, including McInnes Cooper, Eastlink, Stantec, Knightsbridge Robertson Surette and Fraser & Hoyt.
Outside of work, Angela is an active champion for women’s sport. She can often be found at the rink cheering on her daughters or advancing the game as President of Atlantic Canada’s largest female hockey association, Metro West Force.
Join with your Mount email account through TEAMS
Dave Reynolds, CEO, The Rumin8 Group Inc.Dave Reynolds is the founder and CEO of The Rumin8 Group Inc., a growth consultancy that helps organizations around the world shape strategy and execute with impact across three core areas: succession planning, performance management, and coaching culture. From scaling startups to transforming established enterprises, Dave and his team specialize in turning strategic ambition into measurable outcomes. With over 20 years of experience in business development, executive coaching, and leadership strategy, Dave partners with companies of all sizes and industries to align their people with their purpose, and drive results through action.
He is also a best-selling author and the creator of the Radicle Growth™ method, a people-first framework designed to help leaders grow with intention, lead with clarity, and scale sustainably. As a speaker and facilitator, Dave is known for his clarity, candour, and ability to translate big ideas into practical next steps. His sessions are engaging, actionable, and built for leaders ready to move beyond theory and into execution.
When he’s not coaching or consulting, you’ll find Dave training for endurance races or developing the next evolution of Rumin8’s growth playbook.
Andrew John, BA (Hons), JD, is a Mi’kmaq lawyer from Miawpukek First Nation (MFN} in Newfoundland. Having grown up on the small reserve he is seeking to better reflect Mi’kmaq values in the current justice system and to be a role model for youth in the community. As the Director of Justice and Legal Affairs for his community, Andrew is responsible for providing in-house legal counsel for the band, legal advice and assistance to band members, and administration of the Restorative Justice program. He graduated from Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University in 2016 and later went on to complete his articles through the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society Ku’tawtinu: Shared Articling Initiative. He then worked with the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq before finally working with MFN.
Andrew sits as a board member for both Exploits Services Limited, a motel recently acquired by MFN and has been active in efforts to increase indigenous tourism in both the Central and South Coast regions of Newfoundland. Moreover, Andrew represents MFN in a joint venture registered as Miawpukek Horizon Maritime Services which includes the only indigenous owned Polar class icebreaker ship the Polar Prince advancing research, tourism, and indigenous participation in the blue economy.
Students can log into the Learning Passport site to get the link.
About Premier Tim HoustonBefore being elected Nova Scotia’s 30th Premier, The Honourable Tim Houston worked in financial services and reinsurance. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and Chartered Accountant designation and, in 2020, was awarded his profession’s highest mark of distinction, the Fellow (FCPA) designation, by Chartered Professional Accountants of Nova Scotia. His political career began with his successful pursuit of the Pictou East PC nomination in 2012. He was first elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly in the 2013, and then re-elected in 2017 and 2021. In 2018, Premier Houston was elected Leader of the PC Party of Nova Scotia. He also serves as Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Trade.
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Leaders and HR professionals always have their eyes set for the future, and we can all benefit from CPHR Nova Scotia’s research efforts to better anticipate and pivot for what lies ahead. This session is built on the formal collection of over 6,600 survey participants (majority of which are leaders in HR) originating from 113 countries. Benefit from this exhaustive research and engaging speaker, Nick Beynon will guide you through future trends and what your priorities should be in anticipation of the coming to you sooner than you realize, future of work.
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Our host Nick Beynon, CPHR, SHRM-SCP, has enjoyed a career in Human Resources, winning a few industry awards like Rising Star, HR Award of Excellence and an Innovation award. However, in the interest of finding a new challenge, and something very different, he found an exciting opportunity with CPHR Nova Scotia in a role that allowed him to play a more influential role in the HR profession. A few years ago, he accepted the position of CEO of the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources of Nova Scotia. Since then, he has expanded the influence of HR beyond Nova Scotia into the whole Atlantic region in creating CPHR Atlantic. Bringing together the four provinces has increased the quality and quantity of offerings to our region and the collective CPHR brand and designation.
Chef Michael Smith Restaurateur, Innkeeper, Author, Food Network Host, Sustainability Advocate, Nutritional Activist. Chef Michael Smith, one of Canada’s best-known chefs, is a passionate advocate for simple, sustainable home cooking and an inspiration for families creating their own healthy food lifestyle. He’s the host of numerous cooking shows seen on Food Network Canada and in more than 100 other countries. Chef Michael and his wife Chastity are the proprietors of The Inn at Bay Fortune on Prince Edward Island. They’ve re-launched the property where Michael gained international fame in the 1990s with a new spirit of five-star hospitality and an innovative dining experience, the FireWorks. In 2019 they debuted The Inn at Fortune Bridge.
Michael is a member of the Order of Canada, Prince Edward Island’s food ambassador, a best-selling cookbook author, innkeeper, educator, professional chef and home cook. His ten cookbooks have all been best sellers and he regularly travels the globe hosting special culinary events. Michael is an avid map collector, long-time windsurfer, and novice kite sailor. While he is a true chef at large his favourite role is Dad, at home on Prince Edward Island with his wife Chastity and his children:
Gabe, Ariella and Camille!
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Saeed El-Darahali is the President and CEO of SimplyCast, a leading provider of self‑service, multi‑channel marketing services empowering small businesses to create, manage and track their own online and offline marketing campaigns. The driving force behind the company, he has helped it grow into a global success with clients in over 175 countries.
With over 15 years of management experience, Saeed brings his experience in corporate financing, strategic growth, operations, sales, and marketing management to his business and the IT industry. He started his career as a technology commercialization officer before moving to the venture capital industry where he managed a multi-million-dollar fund to support the startup community in Nova Scotia, while working as a part-time lecturer at Saint Mary’s University and teaching a computer information systems course.
An active member of the community, Saeed volunteers on many boards to share his experience and help others achieve their goals. As the Chair of Youth Retention & Immigration for the OneNS Coalition, he helped develop the “OneNS – Now or Never Report”, which proposes visionary goals to encourage Nova Scotians to aim for change. Saeed is also a board member of EduNova, an international student organization mandated to support post-secondary institutions and language schools to attract students to the region.
Saeed has provided advisory and consulting support to various organizations and programs such as the Government of Canada’s Federal Innovation Round Table, the Wage Standard Survey, and the Bank of Canada. Devoted to his work with youth in his community, he is involved in various organizations such as Junior Achievement Nova Scotia, the Sobey School of Business, the Canadian Youth Business Foundation and the Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Network.
Saeed holds a Masters of Business Administration, a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, a Certificate of Human Resource Management and Minor in Economics, from Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Missed it? You can watch it now
Deborah Rosati is an award-winning champion of business, corporate governance and of women in governance, and a sought-after speaker and advisor. She is a valued Corporate Director, an accomplished entrepreneur, and a Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant with more than 35 years of high growth and transformational leadership experience in the technology, consumer, retail, cannabis, life sciences, private equity and venture capital sectors. Deborah currently serves as a member of the board of directors of TAAL Distributed Information Technologies (an enterprise blockchain transaction processor) and Khiron Life Sciences (a global cannabis medicinal company). She previously served as Vice-Chair and Chair of the Audit Committee of Lift & Co. Deborah is the founder and CEO of Women Get on Board, a member-based social purpose company that connects, promotes and empowers women to corporate boards.
Check out her website.
And her blog.
Missed it? You can watch it now
A graduate of MSVU (Bachelor of Business Administration ’06), Premier Rankin speaks to his career journey to Premier, his experiences in government and his vision for the provincial economy and tourism sector. Premier Rankin has been a supporter of future generations of community and business leaders by giving of his time and expertise at professional development opportunities for MSVU students.
Ben Cowan-Dewar, Founder & CEO of Cabot and Chairperson of Destination CanadaWatch the video on YouTube
Michael Hyatt – one of Canada’s top entrepreneurs!
Honourable Geoff McLellan