Speakers

The following speakers will be presenting at the symposium.

Click the picture to read a short bio.

Jennifer A. Bishop

Jennifer A. Bishop

Jennifer Bishop is a Business Law partner at Aird & Berlis LLP, and is Chair of the firm’s Sports, Media & Entertainment Group. She is currently an Executive Board Member of Tennis Canada, a member of the Davis Cup Committee, Chair of the Doug Philpott Inner-City Children’s Tennis Fund, an ambassador for Girls.Set.Equity and a member of the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Ethics and Governance Committee. Jennifer has been recognized as one of Lexpert’s Rising Stars: Leading Lawyers Under 40, is listed in Best Lawyers in Canada for Corporate Law and by Lexpert as a leading lawyer in Corporate Law. In 2024, Jennifer will become Chair of the International Bar Association’s Global Women’s Leadership Group.
Dieter Braekeveld

Dieter Braekeveld

Dieter Braekeveld works as an INTERPOL Training Officer on Integrity in Sports and is responsible for developing and delivering targeted trainings for different stakeholders on corruption and corruption in sports. Prior to joining INTERPOL, Dieter was an advisor on International Sports Policy within the Belgian Government administration, focusing on governance, match fixing, doping and funding. Dieter has worked on a wide range of policy issues and their underpinning international legal frameworks including environment and sustainability, in UN, EU and national settings.
Paul Burns

Paul Burns

Paul Burns was instrumental in establishing the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) in 2005, recognizing the need for a unified voice for the gaming industry in Canada. Under his leadership as the CGA’s Vice President, the association grew to include the industry’s leading operators, manufacturers, and suppliers nation-wide. Mr. Burns was appointed the CGA’s President & CEO in March 2018. He has been responsible for the development of industry-wide research and programs, including the release of the most comprehensive study on the economic impact of gaming in Canada, and the expansion of the industry’s national annual conference, the Canadian Gaming Summit.

Mr. Burns’ focus is on critical areas such as responsible gaming, addressing legislative and regulatory issues, and providing leadership on emerging issues. He is a seasoned public affairs practitioner with more than 20 years’ experience in the private and public sectors. He specializes in policy development and implementation, and has held key policy roles at all levels of government. As policy advisor to the Ontario Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations, he directed government initiatives in the gaming sector that included the expansion of gaming in Ontario in such areas as the introduction of slots at racetracks.
Mathieu Chamberland

Mathieu Chamberland

Chief Operating Officer at Canada Soccer since March 2023, Mathieu has nearly fifteen years of management experience in various sports organizations and has been working in the world of soccer for more than 20 years. From 2018 to 2023, he held the position of Chief Executive Officer at Soccer Québec. He graduated from HEC Montréal by completing a DESS in Sports Management.
Michael Copeland

Michael Copeland

Michael is currently the President, Commercial for Woodbine Entertainment where he leads the organization’s commercial and brand development vision and initiatives during a dynamic period of transformation and growth. Previously, he was a member of the Leadership Team at Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), President and CEO of the Toronto Argonauts (when they won the 105th Grey Cup), and President and COO of the Canadian Football League. He led several major initiatives for the CFL, including the establishment of a new salary cap system, the negotiation of new broadcast and digital rights agreements with TSN and ESPN, the negotiation of three new collective bargaining agreements with CFL players, the CFL’s first-ever drug testing policy, and the return of CFL football to Ottawa. Michael has a law degree from the University of Western Ontario and an MBA from Western’s Ivey School of Business. He is a recipient of the prestigious Caldwell Partners/Globe & Mail “Canada’s Top 40 Under 40” Award, and the Western Law W. Iain Scott Business Leadership Award.
Michael Croteau

Michael Croteau

Michael Croteau currently works with Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis (AGLC) in Investigations as the Senior Manager of the Anti-Money Laundering Unit. With over 31 years gambling operational experience, Michael has established himself as a court-qualified expert on Gaming Operations, Cheat At Play, and Money Laundering. Having been with the AGLC for over 20 years, Michael has completed extensive work in policy development, as well as facilitates training sessions/workshops for internal/external agencies on sensitive and illegal gaming operations. Most recently, the primary focus of the anti-money-laundering program has been the addition of the online gambling space in Alberta and single event sports wagering.
Ashley Ehlert

Ashley Ehlert

Ashley Ehlert is the Deputy General Secretary / Legal Director for the International Ice Hockey Federation (“IIHF”), where among other responsibilities she handles all integrity aspects related to operating a global sports federation. Ashley holds a Sport Master’s degree from the International Centre for Sport Studies, Juris Doctor and Masters of Business Administration from Stetson University and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Central Florida. She is admitted to practice law in the state of Florida, USA.

While at the IIHF, Ashley has created and implemented the IIHF Integrity Program and the IIHF Member National Association Integrity Officer Program. The IIHF Integrity Program is founded on four principles including Competition Manipulation and contains strong rules and a clear independent dispute resolution mechanism. Ashley and her team are currently focused on create a holistic approach to monitoring ice hockey globally including ensuring that all top leagues, high risk league and international competitions are not only monitored but also clear mechanisms are in place at the national level to handle violations. Ashley also sits on the Legal Expert Group for the IOC – Olympic Movement Unit on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions.
Benoit Girardin

Benoit Girardin

Benoit Girardin is President and CEO of LBB Strategies, a legal and strategic consultancy firm with more than 20 years of experience in sports law, strategic planning, organizational performance, major sporting events, governance, risk management, and sport integrity. Benoit Girardin is a member of the Canadian and Quebec Bar since 1998, and a sports law professor for the last 20 years at McGill University, Ottawa University, and HEC Montréal.

Mr. Girardin has held positions as a member of executive teams and boards of directors for private and public sports organizations. He was an international tennis coach, and was involved as consultant and counsel for Tennis Canada and the National Bank Open. Benoit is recognized in Canada and internationally as a sports law expert in Olympic, Paralympic and professional sports. He has managed Canadian legal affairs involving international events and pleaded before international federation disciplinary panels and the Court of Arbitration for Sport ad-hoc division at Olympic Games since 2000. He acts as neutral investigator in doping and sport-integrity-related matters as well as sports arbitrator and mediator.
Glen Grunwald

Glen Grunwald

Glen Grunwald is currently in his fourth season with the Memphis Grizzlies as Senior Advisor for the franchise’s Basketball Operations. He serves as Executive Advisor, Basketball Operations for Canada Basketball, where he recently retired as its President and CEO after three years at the helm. He also served as a member of the Working Group on Match Manipulation and Gambling in Sport in Canada.

Grunwald has nearly 20 years of senior executive experience, including seven seasons with the New York Knicks, and a decade with the Toronto Raptors, including seven seasons as General Manger. In addition to professional sport, Grunwald has experience at the Canadian university level, working for four seasons as Director of Athletics and Recreation at McMaster University in Hamilton, ON.

The Chicago native graduated from Indiana University, where he co-captained the Hoosiers’ 1981 NCAA Championship team before being drafted by the Boston Celtics in the 1981 NBA Draft. He earned his law degree from Northwestern in 1984 and added a master’s degree in business administration from Indiana in 1986.
Katherine Henderson

Katherine Henderson

Curling Canada’s CEO has a wealth of experience in leadership roles in sports, marketing and brand management that spans more than 25 years. She has led the organization into a new era of financial stability and sound business practices, coupled with four seasons of world-best results on the ice from Canada’s national curling teams.

Katherine was Senior Vice-President, Marketing and Revenue for the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games organizing committee and played a significant role in putting together the most successful non-Olympic sponsorship program in Canadian history with a who’s-who of Canada’s corporate community. She oversaw the negotiation of broadcast rights for the Games, and under her watch, the Pan/Parapan American Games broke records for attendance, ticket sales and television ratings.

A long-time runner in her spare time, Henderson holds a bachelor of science degree in nutrition from the University of Western Ontario, an MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University and a master’s in theological studies from the University of Toronto.
Doug Hood

Doug Hood

Doug is the Project Director for Gaming Modernization at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), an arm’s length regulatory agency overseeing the province’s gaming, alcohol and horse racing industries. In this role, Doug is leading the development and delivery of modern gaming regulatory frameworks in Ontario, with a current focus on casinos, lottery and iGaming. Previously, as the Project Director for Sports Betting, Doug was responsible for developing and setting the overall strategic approach and implementation plan for the AGCO’s expanded sports betting mandate. Since joining the AGCO, Doug has served in a number of diverse and escalating roles including in Strategy and Policy, Legal Services, Operations, Corporate Services, and Communications and Corporate Affairs. Doug received his Bachelor of Laws from the University of Western Ontario, graduating with distinction, and his Honours Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (minor in History) from Wilfrid Laurier University.
David Lech

David Lech

David Lech is a lawyer and for the past 15 years was the CCES’ General Counsel. In that role, he oversaw all Canadian doping cases and was involved in all aspects of the CCES’ operations and global initiatives. David was the primary drafter of the various versions of the Canadian Anti-Doping Program (the WADA-compliant set of anti-doping rules) and in 2022 created the draft template policy designed to address the risk of Competition Manipulation in Canadian sport. David has recently retired from the practice of law.
Jeremy Luke

Jeremy Luke

Jeremy Luke is the President and CEO of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES). With over 20 years experience in international sport integrity. Mr. Luke was the Director of Anti-Doping for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games (VANOC), where he led a team that developed and implemented a comprehensive anti-doping program to protect the integrity of the Games.

Mr. Luke has been an active member in WADA initiatives, including six years on the WADA NADO Expert Advisory Group, five-time WADA External Code Compliance Auditor, and chair of the WADA Independent Observer (IO) Program for the 2018 Asian Games. He was a member of the IO programs for various Commonwealth and Pan Am Games, and a member of the International Olympic Committee Legal Working Group on Competition Manipulation.
Jerome McEniry

Jerome McEniry

Jerome McEniry works as Legal Counsel for the Canadian Olympic Committee. In addition to being the COC’s Special Point of Contact for sports betting and competition ,manipulation, he contributes to the COC’s mission in several key areas including safe sport, major game operations, sport system excellence and governance maters. Jerome holds a J.D, B.C.L from McGill University and is admitted to practice law in the province of Quebec and Ontario. Prior to joining the COC in early 2020, Jerome completed his articling in the Office of Audit and Investigations at the United Nations Development Program in New York.

Jerome has been involved in sports for over 20 years, including more than 10 years as a triathlon technical official where he worked at multiple international competitions such as World Triathlon Championship Events, World Triathlon Series Events and many more. He is also a cross-country ski coach working with high-performance/development athletes in the Montreal region.
Richard H. McLaren

Richard H. McLaren

Professor Richard H. McLaren, O.C., is an internationally recognized expert in sports law and arbitration, and has spent his career working at the highest levels to protect the integrity of sports. He is involved in the adjudication of sports-related disputes at both the amateur and professional level. As a member and Arbitrator of the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS), he has arbitrated key sport cases around the world. As an Ad Hoc Panel Member of CAS, he has participated in five Olympic Games during which he resolved disputes pertaining to anti-doping, athlete eligibility and intellectual property rights.

As a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) 2015 Independent Commission, he examined systemic doping and corruption in Russian athletics. In 2016, WADA once again called on his expertise to lead the investigation into allegations of sample tampering at the 2014 Sochi Games. In 2020, he led the investigation into financial fraud doping irregularities within the International Weightlifting Federation. He is currently an Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer for the Tennis Integrity Unit and President of the European Basketball Arbitral Tribunal.

Professor McLaren is an Officer of the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest civilian distinctions. It recognizes exceptional achievement, service and contribution to the country and the international community.
Jeffrey Mishkin

Jeffrey Mishkin

Jeffrey Mishkin, the former Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of the NBA, and for the past 23 years the head of the sports practice at Skadden, Arps, is now devoting full time to the mediation and arbitration of sports disputes at Phillips ADR, one of the most prominent ADR practices in the United States. For more than 40 years, Mr. Mishkin participated in every legal decision affecting the NBA. He has served as lead counsel in numerous major sports litigations, including as lead counsel for the NCAA, MLB, NBA, NHL and NFL in Murphy v. NCAA, the case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that the federal government could not prohibit state governments from authorizing sports gambling. In addition to representing entities and individuals in sports-related disputes, Mr. Mishkin has served for many years as an arbitrator with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, and the American Arbitration Association North American Court of Arbitration for Sport. Mr. Mishkin has been repeatedly recognized as one of the most preeminent sports lawyers in the U.S. and around the world.
Dominic Mueser

Dominic Mueser

Dominic Mueser is Head of Integrity Partnerships (Europe) and Anti-Doping Services (Global) at Sportradar with a focus on innovative, tech- and data driven solutions to protect the integrity of sports. He has worked for more than 15 years in anti-doping and is an internationally known industry expert.

Prior to his role at Sportradar, he was the Director Education and Prevention at the National Anti-Doping Agency Germany (NADA) from 2007-2019. His responsibilities at NADA Germany included the development and implementation of a national anti-doping education and prevention strategy and the direction of a multi-channel behavioral change program. While at NADA Germany, Dominic played an active role in WADA initiatives, including serving as a member of the education committee and the education standard working group. Dominic holds a master’s degree in Sport Science with a focus on fitness and health for children and youth.
Eric Noivo

Eric Noivo

A native of Montreal, QC, Eric Noivo joined the Canadian Football League in 2015. Eric first joined the CFL as an Intern out of Concordia University and has since held various roles in both the sport and business operations units. Prior to returning to the CFL, Eric spent time working in professional esports with OverActive Media. In his current role with the CFL as Associate Vice President, Health & Safety and Football Operations, Eric oversees various programs integral to the day-to-day operations of the CFL. These responsibilities include the CFL scouting combines, development & deployment of league-wide health & safety protocols, and ensuring club compliance with the league’s collective bargaining agreement. Of note, Eric has spearheaded the development of revised match manipulation policies and procedures to ensure the league is prepared for the new era of Canadian sports betting. Eric and his wife Erin currently reside in Toronto, Ontario.
Jean-François Reymond

Jean-François Reymond

After a sporting career in professional basketball, Jean-François joined the sport trade union movement where he started his second professional career. For more than 10 years he worked for the French basketball player association (SNB), followed by two years as CEO at the French rugby player association (PROVALE).

In 2021, Jean-François started his own company, HURDLER, a concierge services for athletes on administrative and legal issues. He continued to consult for organizations working in the field of sport, and on sport betting in particular. In 2022, he became IBIA’s Education Ambassador to create and implement their education strategy on the risks of match-fixing among stakeholders in the US and Canada.

Jean-François’s experience in the field of sport integrity is well known in Europe. He was the coordinator of three European Commission-funded projects that educated professional athletes on the risks of match-fixing and helped player associations create programs to protect whistleblowers. He was also a member of the French National integrity and sports betting platform from 2016 to 2019. In 2020, he co-produced a documentary on match-fixing called “Fixed : a football comedy” about the football match between Togo and Bahrein.
Olivia Roffe

Olivia Roffe

Olivia is the Head of Sport Intelligence and a Senior Investigator for Harod Associates. She specialises in the investigation of match manipulation and corruption in major sports and is currently leading investigations into extensive match fixing networks which span Europe and Asia.

Olivia also leads the sport intelligence work for Harod, creating and developing the sports intelligence capability for International Sport Federations.

Olivia comes from a legal and law enforcement background where she investigated corruption and misconduct within the police.
Jacqueline Simoneau

Jacqueline Simoneau

Jacqueline Simoneau is a two-time Olympian (Rio 2016 & Tokyo 2021) and a multi–World Series Medalist in the sport of synchronized swimming. Simoneau is currently completing her doctorate in podiatric medicine at the University of Quebec in Three Rivers (UQTR). As an International Olympic Committee “believe in sport” ambassador and member of the Canadian Olympic Committee Athletes’ Commission, she remains committed to promoting the Olympic values.
Ben Smith

Ben Smith

After 10 years as a defense attorney Ben switched to military service, deploying to Afghanistan and Iraq in specialist roles. He co-founded Clearspeed on leaving the military, a company focused on assessing risk through speech. During the R&D phase of the Clearspeed technology, Ben led field testing in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia and Uganda and secured validation from US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) of the accuracy of the risk assessment results. Today, as Senior Vice President, International Markets, he oversees projects as diverse as national security, sports integrity, anti-doping, anti-bribery/corruption, and counter insurance fraud.
Chris de Sousa Costa

Chris de Sousa Costa

Chris de Sousa Costa is a former karate national team athlete, competing in the men’s kumite +84kg category from 2004-2015. During his athletic career, he was an 11-time Canadian champion, three-time Canadian Grand Champion, three-time Commonwealth champion, two-time Pan-American champion, three-time North American champion, and winner of the US Open. Chris retired from competition in 2015 and continues to coach at the national team level.

Chris has extensive experience in governance and advisory work, having been the Athlete Representative on Karate Canada’s Board of Directors for nine years, and is an advisor on their High-Performance Committee. Chris created and served as chairperson of Karate Canada’s inaugural Athlete Council. Chris is the current Treasurer of AthletesCAN, a national not-for-profit organization advocating for national team athletes.

Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Communication Studies from York University, a Graduate Diploma in Business from Queen’s University through a scholarship between Game Plan and the Smith School of Business at Queen’s, and a Master of Business Administration from Queen’s University where he was also the CEO of the Queen’s University Alternative Assets Fund, managing over $600,000 in AUM. Professionally, Chris is a Client Executive at a boutique Canadian insurance and advisory firm, providing complex financial and executive risk transfer solutions for professional service firms.
Jordan Spencer

Jordan Spencer

Jordan Spencer is a professional basketball player from Milton Keynes, England. Jordan has competed at both the National & International level, including Augustana College in the NCAA, representing Great Britain on the National Team on the U-16 and U20 teams. Jordan has also played professional basketball in Germany and the United Kingdom.

When Jordan was found to have placed bets on his own team’s victory, it nearly signaled the end of his sporting career. After receiving suspensions and a fine, and straining his relationships with those closest to him, he is determined to help others avoid making the same mistakes.
Chiel Warners

Chiel Warners

Chiel Warners is coordinator of the National Platform against Matchfixing in the Netherlands. He combines his experience as an Olympian on the field with his knowledge and network off the field as a tax lawyer, wealth manager and sports administrator, to make sure sports are safe, clean and fair for generations to come.
Owen Welsh

Owen Welsh

Owen Welsh is a highly accomplished sports marketing professional who combines his joint passions for sports and business development to achieve significant business value. He has honed his skills in a number of roles in the sports industry, including the CFL, the Toronto Blue Jays, IMG, and across several sporting domains, including hockey, golf, baseball, and football.

Currently, Owen is Associate Vice President of Sports Betting, Gaming, and Innovation at the CFL, a new division in the League that will leverage his extensive expertise in partnerships to enhance fan engagement and achieve new revenue growth by capitalizing on the opportunities presented by sports betting and gaming.

Owen actively contributes to the sports marketing and sponsorship community in Canada. He is a member of the Sponsorship Marketing Council of Canada, where he serves as a co-chair of the SMCC Activate! Mentorship Program.

In 2019 he was honored with the prestigious 5-to-Watch award, presented to only five Canadian sports business professionals each year who have achieved remarkable career success prior to their 40th birthdays.
David White

David White

David White has served as a Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for over 20 years including 18 years on Organized Crime Squad in Chicago. Special Agent White led and supervised numerous successful complex organized crime case cases during his tenure which have earned him several awards and honors. He has had extensive experience related to investigations involving sports gambling domestically and internationally. He has substantially contributed to the revitalization of the FBI’s Integrity in Sports and Gaming initiative, and he serves as the Chicago Division coordinator for that program. Special Agent White received undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Iowa and holds a law degree from the Indiana University-Bloomington Maurer School of Law.
Shelley White

Shelley White

Shelley White is a visionary leader who has dedicated her life and career to empowering organizations that create better futures for people and communities. In 2017, she became the CEO of the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) which is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of gambling harms around the world.

Ms. White leads the organization in their mission to promote responsible gambling and reduce problem gambling. It accomplishes this in four ways: conducting research to develop evidence-based responsible gambling policies, programs and standards; using the research to develop and implement innovative prevention, education and social marketing programs; by supporting operators with the development of their RG strategy through the RG Check Accreditation Program and advisory services under RG+; and working collaboratively with academics and regulators to provide thought leadership to the ongoing development of responsible gambling policies and standards.

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Scott Vanderwel

Scott Vanderwel

Scott Vanderwel has led PointsBet Canada as CEO since 2021, spearheading the company’s steadfast commitment to bring Canadian sports fans a legal, safe, and reliable sportsbook with best-in-class customer experience. Since launch, PointsBet has established itself in Canada as a locally relevant, product-led, Sportsbook and Casino. Prior to PointsBet, Vanderwel served as Senior Vice President for Rogers Communications, where he oversaw corporate strategy, operational improvement, and digital operations. Prior to that, Scott led the Canadian practice for a global business strategy consultancy called Monitor Group, which was later acquired by Deloitte.

A graduate of the HBA Program at the Ivey Business School at Western University, Vanderwel is the former chair of the Ivey Alumni Network Board and a current member of the Ivey Advisory Network Board. Scott is also a recent addition to the CGA Board.

Outside of work, his passions include cycling, running, and especially skiing.
Geoff Zochodne

Geoff Zochodne

Geoff Zochodne joined Covers as a sports betting journalist in May 2021 amid the legalization boom. Prior to that, he spent time writing about business and politics at the Financial Post and QP Briefing. He lives in Hamilton with his wife and two beagles.

Speakers

Jennifer A. Bishop

Dieter Braekeveld

Paul Burns

Mathieu Chamberland

Michael Copeland

Michael Croteau

Ashley Ehlert

Benoit Girardin

Glen Grunwald

Katherine Henderson

Doug Hood

David Lech

Jeremy Luke

Jerome McEniry

Richard H. McLaren

Jeffrey Mishkin

Dominic Mueser

Eric Noivo

Jean-François Reymond

Olivia Roffe

Jacqueline Simoneau

Ben Smith

Chris de Sousa Costa

Jordan Spencer

Chiel Warners

Owen Welsh

David White

Shelley White

Scott Vanderwel

Geoff Zochodne