CPKC Women’s Leadership Summit

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Championing Change

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Event Details

Tuesday, August 19, 2025 | 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Boulevard Club | 1491 Lake Shore Blvd W, Toronto, ON

We are thrilled to announce the 2025 CPKC Women’s Leadership Summit will be taking place in-person on Tuesday, August 19 at Boulevard Club, Toronto.

Hosted by TSN’s Lindsay Hamilton, the Summit is a one-of-a-kind experience that brings together influential leaders across sport and business. Join us for a full day of important and inspiring conversations all focused on championing change!

The event will feature multiple speaker panels, a seated lunch, a charity and cheers networking session, special partner gifting courtesy of Hillberg & Berk, plus an ‘any day’ ticket to the CPKC Women’s Open at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club.

Table for eight guests – $2,750 + HST
Individual tickets – $345 + HST

To purchase your table, individual tickets, and for event inquiries please contact: cpkcwls@golfcanada.ca.

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Event Schedule

  • 9:30 am – Registration Opens 
  • 10:00 am – Opening Remarks 
  • 10:15 am – Driving Change from the Top: Executive Leadership Lessons      
  • 11:05 am Empowerment Exchange Panel: Women of Impact Roundtable
  • 12:00 pm – Seated Lunch & Networking
  • 1:00 pm Inside the Ropes: In Conversation with Trailblazers and Game Changers in Professional Women’s Sport
  • 1:45 pm – Closing Remarks made by LPGA Commissioner, Craig Kessler
  • 1:50 pm – Charity and Cheers Networking Segment 

Speakers

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    Roberta Bowman
    LPGA Chief Marketing, Communications & Brand Officer

    Roberta Bowman is currently in her third “tour of duty” with the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). She served on the LPGA Board of Directors from 2011 to 2017 and then as Chief Brand & Communications Officer from 2018 to 2022. In May 2025, she returned as Interim Chief Marketing, Communications and Brand Officer, overseeing the LPGA’s business intelligence, marketing, communications, public relations, television, website/digital, social media, branding, and creative services.

    Roberta describes her work with the LPGA as a “second mountain” career, dedicated to advancing opportunities for women on and off the golf course. Her first career was at Duke Energy in Charlotte, NC, where she held several executive leadership roles over more than 25 years. She retired in 2012 as Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer, serving on the company’s Management Committee and leading Duke Energy’s integrated strategy for managing environmental risks and opportunities.

    She currently serves on the Board of Directors of UPL Corp, a global agrochemical company, and recently concluded 20 years of service on the Board of Directors of Blue Cross North Carolina.

    Following her retirement from Duke Energy, Roberta advised leading global companies and served as an Operating Partner with expertise in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues at Broad Sky Partners, LP, a private equity firm,

    Roberta and her husband, Andrew, reside in Bluffton, South Carolina. They are looking forward to spending time with close friends at Mississauga Golf Club this week and watching the world’s best compete at the CPKC Women’s Open.

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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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    Jayna Hefford
    Senior Vice-President, Hockey Operations, PWHL

    Jayna Hefford is one of the most decorated Canadian Olympians of all-time. She has won multiple medals at the Winter Olympics and IIHF World Women’s Championships, as well as titles in the National Women’s Hockey League and Canadian Women’s Hockey League. Hefford helped Canada win four-straight Olympic gold medals from 2002 to 2014 and famously scored the gold-medal winning goal at the 2002 Winter Olympics. At the professional club level across three leagues, she scored 439 goals in 418 competitive games including a CWHL record 44 goals in 2008-09.

    Hefford was selected as only the sixth female in history to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on June 26, 2018. Raised in Kingston, Ontario – her childhood #15 jersey has been retired by the Kingston Minor Hockey Association and hangs from the rafters in all their arenas.

    In 2019, Hefford was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame and was the recipient of the Order of Hockey in Canada.

    Hefford now holds the position of Senior Vice-President, Hockey Operations for the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) and has been one of the leading voices of the PWHL movement over the last decade.

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    Kate Hussmann
    Chief Strategy Officer, Buffalo Bills

    Kate Hussmann has over a decade of experience working in strategy and operations across the sports industry, including stints with the National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), and Major League Baseball (MLB). 

    At the Buffalo Bills, Hussmann leads the Strategy and Analytics team and oversees long-term strategic initiatives like the Bills’ efforts in Southern Ontario, components of the New Stadium, and mixed-use development and master planning. 

    Hussmann joins the Bills from the MLB league office, where she was hired in 2021 to launch MLB’s first cross-functional Club Advisory Group. Hussmann partnered with all 30 MLB Clubs to aggregate and standardize data across ticketing, sponsorship, and marketing, leveraging strategic insights to drive revenue and fan engagement across the League. 

    Prior to her time in baseball, Hussmann built and led the strategy team at Hornets Sports and Entertainment (HSE). While in Charlotte, she worked at the intersection of sports and technology, managing a portfolio of unique, large-scale projects for HSE, ranging from All-Star 2019 to the Hornets’ first Global Games appearance in Shenzhen and Shanghai, China, to the Time Warner Cable/Spectrum Center rebrand.  

    Hussmann graduated with honours from Boston University’s Questrom School of Business and earned her MBA from Wake Forest University. She grew up a three-sport athlete, constantly competing with her older brothers and cousins, and loves working in the industry that helped shape who she is and provided her with so many fond memories.   

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    Trace Molson
    Director, Programs and Procurement, Operational Excellence, at BentallGreenOak

    Trace Molson joined the Ontario Provincial Board in 2020. She is active in speaking to bring awareness about women’s heart health.

    Molson is the Director of Programs and Procurement, Operational Excellence, at BentallGreenOak. Previously, Molson ran her own firm providing management services. Prior to that, she was with Bentall Kennedy, managing one million square feet of office and industrial space for a leading Canadian financial institution. Molson’s management experience includes banking facilities, residential long-term care and student housing.

    Like many of us, Molson has numerous family members and friends who have been impacted by heart disease and stroke. Two of her children were born with congenital heart defects, one of whom required reconstructive heart surgery. Molson is deeply grateful for Heart and Stroke’s long-standing commitment to research and development; funding in the 1960s directly contributed to the development of repair techniques for congenital defects, saving thousands of children.

    Molson earned a BA from the University of Waterloo and an MBA in Finance from Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.

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    Cassandra Quach
    Vice-President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, CPKC

    Cassandra Quach began her career at the railway 19 years ago and has since made incredible strides in the industry. She began as legal counsel, handling litigation and commercial disputes, before overseeing the regulatory team. Quach advanced through several senior leadership roles before her appointment as Vice-President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary for CPKC.

    As a leader and a legal expert, Quach exemplifies excellence in all she does. Drawing on years of legal expertise and experience, Quach’s involvement in the CPKC combination was critical to our success as a company. She successfully defended the benefits of the combination to the Surface Transportation Board against opposition from other Class 1 railroads, various governmental agencies, industry associations and other interest groups.

    Quach serves on CPKC’s Pension Committee and the Diversity and Inclusion Council. She is also an active member in the Women’s Leadership Network, demonstrating her personal commitment to fostering an environment of inclusion, growth and inspiration at CPKC.

    Quach was honored with INTERNATIONAL Railway Journal’s Women in Rail Award in 2025.

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    Kelly Shouldice
    Vice President of Brand & Content for the Northern Super League (NSL)

    Kelly Shouldice is the Vice President of Brand & Content for the Northern Super League (NSL), Canada’s first professional women’s soccer league, which officially kicked off its inaugural season in April 2025. With over 20 years of experience in sports and media, Kelly leads the league’s marketing, broadcast, content, and communications strategies — driving fan engagement, elevating brand visibility, and delivering best-in-class broadcast experiences.

    Her background includes senior roles at Corus Entertainment as Director of Original Programming, the Canadian Football League as Vice President of Content, and True North Sports + Entertainment as Vice President of Content and Communications. Kelly’s deep expertise in data-driven strategy, storytelling, and strategic partnerships continues to shape the NSL’s brand and connect fans across the country.

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    Niki da Silva
    Chief People Officer at Golf Canada

    Niki da Silva is currently the Chief People Officer for Golf Canada, where she oversees the People and Culture function as well Participation Programs. Prior to Golf Canada, Niki was the Chief People Officer for Right To Play International, an NGO operating across 22 countries. Niki spent the first 15 years of her career in progressive leadership roles at both the Rotman School at the University of Toronto and the Ivey Business School at Western University. She earned her HBA degree from Ivey, her MBA degree from the University of Toronto, achieved her Certified Human Resources Executive designation and is a Certified Leadership Coach.

    Niki is on the Board of Special Olympics Ontario and held past Board positions with Sunnylea Childcare Centre and the YWCA. She is an active community volunteer across several community groups including the Islington Rangers Soccer Club, Brampton Minor Lacrosse Association, and Toronto Ski Club and is married with two children.

Additional panel speakers to be added shortly.

Watch the 2024 CPKC Women’s Leadership Summit below!

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