Join us for a candid conversation with top CEOs in Nova Scotia as they share their career journeys, insights, and challenges.
Whether you’re exploring career paths or dreaming big, this is your chance to hear directly from leaders at the top.
Open to all students
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Joyce Carter is President & CEO of Halifax International Airport Authority, overseeing the management, development and operation of Halifax Stanfield International Airport. She holds leadership roles in various organizations, including being the first female Chair of Canadian Airports Council. A strong advocate for women in leadership, she mentors others and participates in programs like the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Mentorship Program. Joyce has received numerous accolades, being named one of Atlantic Canada’s Top 50 CEOs and one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women. She serves as Honorary Colonel of 12 Wing Shearwater, has been awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal for her contributions to transportation and commerce, and received a Doctor of Commerce, honoris causa, from Saint Mary’s University.
Halifax Stanfield is Atlantic Canada’s principal full-service airport providing passengers and cargo clients with direct access to markets across Canada, the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean Basin, Europe, and Asia. The airport is a significant economic generator, contributing $4.1 billion annually to the provincial economy. In 2024, Halifax Stanfield served 4 million passengers and processed 26,000 metric tonnes of cargo. A recognized innovator in the global airport industry, Halifax Stanfield is consistently ranked among the best airports in the world.
As a division of the Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage, Tourism Nova Scotia works with communities and industry to attract visitors to the province and support sustainable tourism growth in all regions of the province through experience and sector development, business coaching, marketing, and visitor servicing.
Darlene MacDonald serves as Executive Director of Tourism Nova Scotia, where she leads strategic efforts to grow the province’s tourism economy through sustainable development, sector collaboration, and innovation. With over 30 years of experience in tourism and economic development within the public service, she continues to play a key role in shaping policies and programs that support community-based tourism and enhance Nova Scotia’s competitiveness as a destination.
Darlene’s career began with the Federal Department of Industry Canada, followed by progressive leadership roles within the provincial tourism departments and agencies focused on advancing tourism product development. She is widely respected for her collaborative leadership style and her ability to unite stakeholders across sectors to drive meaningful and lasting outcomes. She holds degrees in Science and a degree in Tourism & Hospitality Management from Mount Saint Vincent University, and has pursued executive education in business administration and project management.
Mark Goldhar is a seasoned financial professional and entrepreneurial executive based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with over 17 years of experience in business development, financial strategy, and corporate leadership. Known for his ability to scale businesses and create significant value, Mark has co-founded a dozen companies, five of which were successfully exited to public companies or strategic acquirers, collectively valued at over $290 million.
Mark began his career as an accountant with a national accounting firm before transitioning into a finance manager role at an international bank. Building on his early success, he later founded and grew his own accounting firm, which he successfully sold, marking the beginning of his entrepreneurial journey. His expertise spans a range of industries, including cannabis, psychedelics, technology, and traffic control.
As a key player in the Canadian cannabis industry, Mark was a founding shareholder and CFO of Nova Scotian LP Robinson’s Cannabis Inc. (formerly Cannahort Agriculture Ltd.), where he played a pivotal role in facilitating its sale to Auxly Cannabis Group Inc. (formerly Cannabis Wheaton). He also served as CFO at Panag Pharma Inc., where he secured a strategic partnership with Tetra-Bio Pharma and played a crucial role in the company’s successful sale to TBP.
Mark also co-founded Psychedelitech Inc. (PsyTech), serving as CFO and board member, raising over $4.4 million and facilitating the sale of PsyTech to Wesana Health in September 2022.
In 2022, Mark co-founded Carbon6 Technologies, Inc., where he helped raise the initial rounds of financing that eventually led to the company acquiring 12 software companies. This initiative demonstrated his acumen for identifying high-potential opportunities and executing growth strategies in the tech sector. Carbon6 was subsequently sold to SPS Commerce, Inc.
Mark was a key advisor to Swell Advantage, a Halifax company that made software for marinas, that sold to Oasis Marinas Management.
Mark is also a founding shareholder and board member of Site 20/20, one of the largest traffic control companies in North America. Additionally, Mark is a founding shareholder and board member of The Well Creative Consultants Inc., a marketing agency based in Halifax. Mark is a founding shareholder and CFO of Harmony Acquisitions Corp. (TSXV: MONY.P), as well as
With a proven track record of raising over $350 million in capital, Mark has demonstrated an exceptional ability to drive value through strategic partnerships, acquisitions, and successful exits. His vision and leadership continue to shape the companies he is involved with, as he focuses on innovation and creating sustainable growth across a wide range of industries.
As CEO of Wenova Ventures, Mark continues to leverage his vast experience in finance, entrepreneurship, and business development to drive success and create long-term value for stakeholders. His commitment to excellence, combined with his strong network and strategic insights, positions him as a respected leader in the Canadian business community.
Patrick Sullivan is the President and CEO of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce. He leads his team in representing over 1,900 member businesses in the HRM. He meets with all levels of government regularly to advocate on behalf of businesses and continuously improves membership offerings to support the business community.
Mr. Sullivan is the Immediate Past Chair of the Canadian Global Cities Council (CGCC). Founded in 2015, the CGCC is a coalition of CEOs of nine of Canada’s largest urban Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade coast-to-coast: Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Brampton, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Halifax.
In March 2020, in response to the pandemic, Mr. Sullivan created and Chaired the Nova Scotia Business and Labour Economic Coalition to become a point of contact for government as they made rapid decisions, to advocate for business and their employees at this challenging time, to ensure all Nova Scotians are heard and supported, and to assist in the development of a recovery plan. The group represents over 5,000 organizations and over 200,000 people in Nova Scotia.
A passionate advocate for blending business and community, Mr. Sullivan sits on several boards: the Advisory Board for the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University, the Mount Saint Vincent University Board of Governors committee for Advancement and External Relations and is current Chair of the TELUS Community Board.
Mr. Sullivan enjoys running and has run half/marathons, marathons and in October of 2011 completed a 250km run across the Sahara Desert. This run helped raise over $100,000 for the National Advertising Benevolent Association or NABS. He is a proud MSVU alumni with a Bachelor of Administration.
