CPKC Women In Leadership Summit

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See you in Edmonton!

Championing Change

Tuesday, August 18, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Fairmont Hotel Macdonald | 10065 100 St NW, Edmonton, AB

For ticket purchasing or any inquiries on the 2026 event, please contact cpkcwls@golfcanada.ca.

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Event Details

Tuesday, August 18, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Fairmont Hotel Macdonald | 10065 100 St NW, Edmonton, AB

The annual CPKC Women in Leadership Summit travels to Edmonton on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. The event brings together more than 200 leaders, professionals, and changemakers for an unforgettable day designed to inspire action, expand networks, and elevate the future of leadership.  

From emerging professionals to senior executives, the audience will include women in business and sport, male allies, entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and passionate sports and golf fans representing a diverse range of backgrounds, experiences, and career stages. Whether attendees are looking to accelerate their careers, grow their leadership impact, or connect with like-minded professionals, the Summit offers a powerful opportunity to learn from some of the most influential voices shaping leadership today.  

Set against the energy of Canada’s only LPGA championship event, the Summit will feature dynamic conversations with trailblazers from across sport and business, including LPGA Commissioner Craig Kessler and other influential leaders driving meaningful change in their industries. Through candid discussions and personal stories, attendees will gain insight into leadership, resilience, innovation, allyship, and the importance of creating pathways for the next generation.  

More than a conference, the CPKC Women in Leadership Summit is a catalyst for growth and connection. Attendees will leave with practical ideas, renewed confidence, and valuable relationships that extend far beyond the event itself. The Summit is designed to empower individuals to lead boldly, champion inclusivity, and turn inspiration into action within their workplaces, communities, and industries. With limited capacity and strong demand each year, the CPKC Women in Leadership Summit has become a must-attend event for those passionate about leadership, personal growth, and advancing meaningful change. 

  • Table for eight guests – $2,750 + GST (SOLD OUT)
  • Individual tickets – $345 + GST (SOLD OUT – Join the waitlist)

To join the waitlist for individual tickets and for event inquiries please contact: cpkcwls@golfcanada.ca.

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Event Schedule

  • 9:00 am – Registration Opens
  • 10:00 am – Opening Remarks
  • 10:15 am – Leadership Lessons from Inside the Ropes with Craig Kessler
  • 11:00 am – Beyond the Boardroom: Purpose, Performance and Resilience in Action with Myrna Khan, Elizabeth Hucker, Dr. Colleen Norris and Lisa Giannone
  • 12:00 pm – Seated Lunch & Networking
  • 1:00 pm – Driving Change: Building the Future of Women’s Sport with Angie Long
  • 1:45 pm – Closing Remarks
  • 1:50 pm – Charity and Cheers Event

Confirmed Speakers

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    Lindsay Hamilton
    Event Moderator, Anchor, Sportscentre

    Lindsay Hamilton joined TSN in September 2016 and is currently an anchor for SportsCentre, bringing viewers the most up-to-date news from the world of sports.

    Hamilton started working in broadcasting at a young age, becoming the first host of the Family Channel in 2008. For more than five years she interviewed some of the biggest entertainment icons, athletes, and musicians across North America.

    In 2012, Hamilton hosted events during the 100th Grey Cup Anniversary Week and by 2014 she joined Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment as a host for Toronto Marlies, IIHF World Juniors, and Toronto Maple Leafs games and team events.

    She’s also hosted a variety of major events during her time on TSN including: The Masters, CPKC Women’s Open, FIFA Women’s World Cup, The Grey Cup, Queen’s Plate and Curling Day in Canada.

    Hamilton competed in a variety of sports while growing up in Mississauga, Ontario, including playing varsity lacrosse at McMaster University and competing on Team Ontario. Today, Hamilton keeps busy with golf, squash, tennis, water-skiing, and running.

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    Craig Kessler
    LPGA Commissioner

    Craig Kessler was elected the 10th Commissioner of the LPGA in May 2025, bringing extensive leadership experience and a lifelong passion for the game of golf to one of the sport’s most influential roles.

    Prior to the LPGA, Kessler served as Chief Operating Officer of the PGA of America — a 30,000-member organization known for growing the game of golf, hosting the PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup. Craig was charged with overseeing all operations of the Association and the PGA’s non-profit foundation.

    Before his time at the PGA of America, Kessler served as COO and Head of Emerging Concepts at Topgolf from 2016 to 2021. He played a key role in the company’s expansion, growing it from 25 to 70 locations and leading a workforce of over 25,000 employees.

    Previously, Kessler also served as Chief Executive Officer of Buff City Soap, a fast-growing, experiential retail company based in Dallas. Buff City grew from 100 to 260 locations after Kessler joined as CEO. Today, the brand has stores in 32 states.

    Kessler currently serves on the boards of the National Golf Foundation and the UT Southwestern hospital system. He has also served on the Dallas Mavericks Advisory Board.

    Kessler earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University. He began his career with the global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company. He then went on to become an operating partner at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) and Providence Equity Partners, two private equity firms. During this phase of his career, Kessler worked to evaluate potential investment opportunities, and he worked side-by-side with company management teams to improve company performance.

    Kessler, with the support of 40 fellow dads, authored a national best-selling book titled The Dad Advice Project. The book is a collection of stories and advice for new fathers. Kessler lives in Dallas with his wife, Nicole, and their three sons.

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    Elizabeth Hucker
    Vice-President, Sales & Marketing, Bulk, CPKC

    Elizabeth Hucker became Vice-President, Sales & Marketing, Bulk in February 2026. In this role, she is responsible for commercial customer relationships and product marketing for CPKC’s Bulk portfolio including grain, ethanol, potash, coal and sulphur — across Canada, United States and Mexico.

    Hucker joined CPKC in 2001 and has held several positions in Marketing and Sales and Customer Service, touching all the commodities CPKC ships. Most recently as the Assistant Vice-President, Sales and Marketing for Canadian Grain. In 2026, she was recognized with a Women of Influence in Rail, Leadership by Progressive Railroading.

    Hucker holds a Bachelor of Commerce with Honours, Marketing from the University of Ottawa.

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    Dr. Colleen Norris
    Leader in Women’s Cardiovascular Health

    Dr. Colleen Norris is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in women’s cardiovascular health. Her career has spanned decades of research, advocacy, and system level change to improve heart health outcomes for women. A Professor and Associate Dean of Research in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Alberta, she is a registered nurse by training and holds the Cavarzan Chair in Women’s Health Research.

    In 2023, Dr. Norris made history as the first woman to receive the CIHR ICRH/Canadian Cardiovascular Society Distinguished Lecturer Award in Cardiovascular Sciences, one of Canada’s highest honours recognizing an individual’s outstanding and sustained contributions to cardiovascular research. The award acknowledges the profound impact of her work in advancing evidence informed care and policy change in Women’s cardiovascular health.

    Dr. Norris’s research focuses on how biological sex and gender factors influence cardiovascular disease starting in women in their late 30’s and across the lifespan, addressing long standing gaps that have left women under diagnosed and under treated. She is a founding member and past Chair of the Canadian Women’s Heart Health Alliance Health Systems and Policy Working Group and has played a central role in elevating women’s heart health onto the national agenda.

    Over her career, Dr. Norris has published more than 400 peer reviewed articles, mentored over 90 trainees, and is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, European Cardiovascular Society, and the American Heart Association. As a Heart & Stroke Prov. Advisory member, Dr. Norris was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal for her advocacy and mentorship in women’s heart health research. Her leadership continues to shape research, policy, and practice — ensuring that women’s heart health is recognized, understood, and prioritized.

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    Angie Long
    CIO – Palmer Square Capital Management Co-Founder and Owner – Kansas City Current

    Angie Long is Chief Investment Officer and one of two Principal Owners for Palmer Square Capital Management, where she has key responsibilities for all investment-related activities.

    With her leadership, the firm has grown Assets Under Management (AUM) to just shy of $36 billion (as of 7/31/2025) expanding its global presence, notably with a fast-growing London office. She is widely regarded as a pioneer in credit and fixed income. Angie has a history of innovation including pioneering aspects of the credit derivatives industry and creating the HYDI (High Yield Debt Index), the first liquid credit trading index and predecessor to all of today’s indices (the Markit CDX).

    Angie’s career includes experience at JPMorgan Chase & Co. where she was named a Managing Director at age 29 and held many senior roles including Deputy Head of North American Credit Trading, Head of High Yield Trading, and Head of Credit Derivatives Trading. In addition, she worked with the Global Head of Credit Trading to help oversee risk management for the High Yield and High Grade credit trading books.

    Most recently, Angie has added the title of Professional Sports Team Owner to her long list of accomplishments, as she joined Co-Founder and Owner Chris Long and Co-Owner Brittany Matthews in bringing a National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) franchise to Kansas City. The team launched on an extraordinary timeline, playing its first professional match just 124 days after the franchise was announced. In 2025, Angie and Chris Long expanded their sports and entertainment portfolio by buying HB Koge Women, a top women’s team in Denmark taking their sports interests globally.

    Angie received an AB degree in Economics from Princeton University and was a member of two National Championship Rugby teams and named an All-American in 1997. Angie has continued her involvement with Princeton as she served on the Women in Leadership Committee of Princeton and founded the Greater Kansas City Princeton Women’s Network (PWN).

    Angie serves on the Board of Directors of Union Station as well as the KC 2026 World Cup Board. She has been recognized for her work being named to the 2022 Women’s International Champions Cup Best XI, 2022 Sports Business Journal Power Player, 2023 Business Journal’s Bizwomen 100, University of Missouri – Kansas City’s 2023 Entrepreneur of the Year, Ingram’s 2023 class of WeKC – Women Executives Kansas City, Kansas City Magazine’s 2023 Power List: The 50 Top Power People in KC. Angie is a recipient of The W.F. Yates Medallion for Distinguished Service from The Trustees of William Jewel College. In November 2023, Angie was inducted into the Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City Business Hall of Fame. Angie is also a member of the National Advisory Council for Women Leaders in Sports. For Harvard Business School, Angie is a member of the Harvard Business School Board of Dean’s Advisors.

    Angie is a member of the 100 Women in Finance and is a CFA® charter holder.

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    Myrna Khan
    Executive Director, Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation 

    Myrna has worked collaboratively with government, civil society, communities and business to move complex and important agendas forward for over 30 years.

    As an early leader in corporate sustainability/CSR in Vancouver, she provided guidance to Canada’s largest companies in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal on community investment and stakeholder engagement.

    Prior to her time in corporate sustainability, Myrna worked for CN Rail in Toronto and Montreal where she was a member of the IPO (initial public offering) team. She also learned how to drive a train.

    Myrna moved back to Edmonton in 2013 and was inspired by how the city had grown. Innovation, entrepreneurial spirit and a ‘get sh*t done’ attitude are pervasive here. She took on a role at the United Way of the Alberta Capital Region as Vice President Resource Development and realigned and led the United Way team and a campaign cabinet of Edmonton’s business of community leaders to at that time, the most successful fundraising achievement to date – $75m over 3 years.

    Myrna joined the City of Edmonton as Head of External Relations in December of 2016. This was a new executive role leading a new function at the city. She built a team of professionals that stewarded and strengthened the City’s relationships with business, post-secondary institutions, government and non-profits.

    While at the City, she was recruited to be MacEwan University’s first Vice President University Relations. She led a team of creative and talented individuals (fundraising, marketing, communications, government affairs, community relations, alumni engagement) dedicated to MacEwan’s ambitious plans for growth. She led a strategy that helped secure $125m in funding for a new school of business building and spearheaded MacEwan’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

    As a lifelong Edmonton Oilers fan and someone who is passionate about community, inclusivity, and impact, Myrna is now in her dream role as the Executive Director of the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation. She conceived of and launched foundation’s ambitious new initiative ‘Every Kid Deserves a Shot’ that aims to inspire and impact 100k kids across Oil Country through the power and spirit of hockey.

    Myrna is a proud alumnus of the University of Alberta (BSc with distinction, 1991) and completed an MBA in 1994 from McGill University and Copenhagen Business School.

    Finally, she is a chocolate addict, an over 50 wannabe hip hop dancer, and proud mom to Gracie and life partner to Andrew. She spends her spare time cheering at soccer games, and (still) learning to love the winter.

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    Lisa Giannone
    President and Chief Operating Officer, BFL CANADA

    Lisa Giannone is President and Chief Operating Officer of BFL CANADA, where she drives sustainable growth and innovation through strategic vision and a client-centric approach. As a dynamic leader, she is dedicated to building and cultivating high-performing teams across the country and fostering a culture of excellence and collaboration.

    Since joining BFL CANADA in 2009, she has brought over 30 years of experience in the insurance brokerage and risk management industry. She excels in strategic planning and high-level negotiations and is recognized for her ability to develop alternative and creative solutions for clients. Fostering trust and building strong partnerships with clients and insurers are a defining trait of her leadership, turning collaboration into a catalyst for long-term success.

    Throughout her career, she has held numerous leadership roles and has been involved in designing insurance and risk management programs for Canadian companies with international operations, leveraging an innovative digital approach.

    Beyond her professional achievements, Lisa is deeply engaged in community initiatives, supporting organizations such as the Concordia Centre for Women Entrepreneurship and Leadership, the Barry F. Lorenzetti Foundation, and the Italian-Canadian Community Foundation.

    Lisa holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Concordia University, with a double major in Finance and Marketing, and the title of Associate Insurance Broker.

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