Hamda Al Naimi is an award-winning multidisciplinary graphic designer who desires to contribute positively to the world through design. She specializes in print, branding, environmental and visual design. During her career, Hamda tackled editorial design and journalism while working at Gulf News in Dubai, brand and environmental design at Studio o+a in San Francisco, and visual and graphic design at Google in the bay area. Currently, Hamda is working on personal projects to expand her scope of knowledge in experimental typography and typeface design. 

During her childhood, she used visuals to navigate the complexities of learning in school, which led her to fall in love with and appreciate the importance of arts and design. Later in life, that background became her philosophy as a professional designer; one who strives to take the most tangled concepts and present them in the simplest way possible. 

Hamda’s work has been recognized by internationally known design competitions. A select list of her awards include Communication Arts, Print, International Design Awards, IJungle Awards, DNA Paris, and London International Creative Competition. Her projects were also featured in Packaging of the World and Women of Graphic Design. 

Lise Boullard is a passionate lifestyle editor and writer with over a decade of experience. After completing a master’s degree in publishing from Simon Fraser University, Lise’s French roots drew her east where she served as associate editor of Reader’s Digest in Montreal. Back in Vancouver, Lise joined Glacier Media, where she spent three years living the good life—and writing about it—as managing editor of Vita and Vancouver Living magazines. Lise now works at the forefront of Canada’s digital marketing industry, crafting copy that appeals to both humans (and algorithms), as the owner of Joie Digital Marketing. She also shares her lifestyle musings on her blog, The Editor’s Diary at theeditorsdiary.com. (Photo Credit: Ellen Hong Photography)

Julia Breckenreid is an illustrator in Toronto, fascinated by people and the stories they’ve lived. Her work has been awarded a gold medal by the Society of Illustrators in New York and acknowledged multiple times by American Illustration, Communication Arts and 3×3 awards annuals. Featured in a few books about illustration, but most notably in 100 Illustrators, as selected by Steven Heller & Taschen Books.

Keep an eye out for a non-fiction picture book that Julia has illustrated about art collectors Herbert & Dorothy Vogel, with a publication date set for the fall, 2021.

Tristan Bronca is a magazine writer in Toronto and formerly the senior editor at The Medical Post.

Joyce Byrne is Alberta Magazine Publishers’ past President and an award-winning veteran of the Canadian magazine industry, including the National Magazine Awards Foundation Outstanding Acheivement in 2018. She has led creative, marketing and sales teams and boards in Toronto, Edmonton and Calgary, and has worked on nearly every type of magazine, from literary to light industrial, with consumer, business, health and cannabis in between. Her personal brand is I Love Magazines.

Solana Cain is a photo editor at The Globe and Mail. She is passionate about ensuring diversity and inclusion behind the lens in news coverage. Solana has worked as a photo editor for Maclean’s, Getty Images and HELLO! Canada. She is a member of Diversity Photo, The Authority Collective, Women Photograph and a mentor in the newly launched BIPOC photojournalism mentorship program, Room Up Front.

For the past 23 years, Dawn Chafe has been executive editor of Atlantic Canada’s longest-publishing, most award-winning and largest circulation business magazine, Atlantic Business Magazine. Her tenure has been dedicated to the continuous improvement of the publication and the publishing industry, particularly with regards to an uncompromising editorial standard.

Claire Cooper is the managing editor of CAA Magazine, which goes out to 1.7 million members of the Canadian Automobile Association. Claire got her start in magazines at Toronto Life, and has almost 20 years of experience working in both custom content and newsstand publications. Stories about people and places are her favourites to work on, but Claire can help make just about any topic interesting to a variety of readers.

Kristin Doucet is a seasoned communications professional with over 25 years’ experience editing professional magazines. She is the managing editor of Professionally Speaking, published by the Ontario College of Teachers, which has a circulation of 250,000 readers. Prior to this position, Kristin worked in editing and communications roles in financial services for 15 years. She is the former editor of CMA Magazine (now Pivot magazine, published by CPA Canada) and FORUM magazine, published by Advocis, The Financial Advisors Association of Canada, where she was also the Director of Communications.

Diana Duong is a health journalist who has written for a variety of publications including The Medical Post, Chatelaine, and CMAJ News. She’s passionate about the human impact healthcare has on us all.

Jacinthe Dupuis is a senior editor at Air Canada enRoute based in Montréal and a graduate student in Organizational communication at Université de Montréal.

Byron Eggenschwiler is an award-winning illustrator whose work has appeared in many publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and GQ. His work has been recognized by the Society of Illustrators (New York), Communication Arts, the National Magazine Awards and Applied Arts. He lives and works in Calgary, Alberta.

Daniel Fish is the senior editor at Precedent. He graduated from Carleton University’s journalism program and has a master’s in English from the University of Guelph. Daniel won Gold at the National Magazine Media Awards for his profile of Michael Bryant. He also won a Gold medal at the National Magazine Awards: B2B for the piece, “The mental-health crisis in law.”

Angelyn Francis is currently a reporter for the Toronto Star, covering equity and inequality. She regularly covers race, food, music, culture and community initiatives, sometimes all at once. Francis previously hosted season one of HuffPost’s award-winning podcast “Born and Raised,” which was about second generation Canadians and how food influences their lives. In addition, she founded Angelyn Francis Media, where she collaborates on video, photography, writing and hosting projects.

Deanne Gage is a Toronto-based editor and writer who specializes in personal finance. She’s the editor of FORUM magazine, and is a regular contributor to Globe Advisor. A recipient of several journalism awards, Deanne’s work has also appeared in Chatelaine, Today’s Parent, the Toronto Star, MoneySense, and leading B2B publications.

David Gambrill re-joined Canadian Underwriter as Editor-in-Chief in November 2017. He was previously Editor and Senior Editor of Canadian Underwriter between 2005 and 2012. Before returning to the publication, he worked as a Communications Consultant for four years at the Insurance Institute of Canada. From 2001-04, he was a staff writer and copy editor for Law Times, a weekly newspaper for the legal profession in Ontario, as well as a regular contributor to Canadian Lawyer magazine. His work has appeared in the Ottawa Citizen, The Kingston Whig-Standard and Maclean’s magazine.

Jeff Hannaford is an award-winning art director with over 20 years of experience. He has art directed Zoomer, Canadian Family, Salon, and Hamilton Magazine, and spent five years as the Associate Art Director of FLARE. He has previously judged for the Kenneth R. Wilson Awards, Applied Arts Magazine Design Awards, and has sat on the Les Usherwood Award committee.

Rebecca Harris is an award-winning writer with 20 years’ experience in business publishing. She was a writer and editor at Toronto-based Marketing magazine for 12 years, and held the managing editor post from 2009-2012. Now a full-time freelance writer, her work has appeared in Canadian Grocer, Foodservice & Hospitality, Hotelier, Canadian Business and Communication Arts. Throughout her career, Rebecca has won four Canadian Business Media Awards (formerly Kenneth R. Wilson Awards) and has been nominated for 14 awards.

Andy Holloway is an editor/writer who has worked for a variety of publications in a variety of roles over the past 30 or so years. Currently editor of Financial Post Magazine, features editor at Financial Post and a contributing editor at the National Post.

Elio Iannacci is an award-winning editor, writer and content creator. His work has been featured in The Globe and Mail, Maclean’s, the National Post, the Toronto Star, More UK and The Hollywood Reporter, as well as numerous North American and European publications. His media credentials also include two long standing tenures with Flare magazine (as Executive Editor) and FASHION magazine (as Features Editor). He is currently the Editorial Director of Experience magazine and last served as a jury member for The Writer’s Trust of Canada’s prestigious Dayne Ogilvie Prize. As one of the country’s most qualified and experienced arts and culture reporters, Iannacci has had the opportunity to speak to some of the world’s most fascinating people. Included in his list of in-depth profiles are names such as Karl Lagerfeld, Joni Mitchell, Beyoncé Knowles, Laverne Cox and Lady Gaga. His work has been featured on CNN, NBC News, Entertainment Tonight, Breakfast Television, CTV News and Global News. (Photo Credit: Alexandra Votsis)

Kendra Jackson is the deputy editor of Azure magazine, Canada’s leading publication that celebrates the very best in international architecture and design and the vanguard practitioners who are contributing to the betterment of the built world and beyond. Working in the magazine publishing industry for nearly 20 years, Jackson has successfully combined her passions for journalism and for contemporary design, and is continuously inspired by the people and projects she encounters through her position at the magazine, on both a national and global scale.

Deborah Jaremko is an industrial journalist who has been covering Canada’s oil and gas sector for more than 17 years, currently as director of content and website management for the Canadian Energy Centre. Previously Deborah was editor of jwnenergy.com and led oilsands content for the Daily Oil Bulletin. She was editor of Oilsands Review magazine from its launch in June 2006 to its close in spring 2017. Deborah graduated from the journalism degree program at Mount Royal College in Calgary in 2003. 

Alma Kamal is an award-winning graphic designer with a serious passion for print. Alma moved across the globe to learn more about design, herself and others. She believes that design can be applied to literally everything, but it works best when utilized to spread knowledge, love and compassion.Her work has been featured by major media including Adobe Live, Communication Arts, Print magazine and Print Finishes: Push your Designs from Good to Great.

Vicky Lee is the art director of Designlines magazine, as well as the associate art director of the award-winning Azure magazine.

Leata Lekushoff is an award-winning writer, editor and content creator with 15+ years experience in publishing and corporate communications. During her time as Senior Editor at Professionally Speaking/Pour parler profession magazine, dozens of contributors were nominated as well as rewarded for their work under her direction—both at national and international levels. Leata began her career in film and TV, and has a background in photography. She is proud to be part of the jury for the 2021 National Magazine Awards: B2B.

Colin Leslie is a journalist in Toronto who has worked at The Medical Post for over 20 years including the last 10 as editor-in-chief. He’s won gold and silver National Magazine Awards: B2B and before that a number of Kenneth R. Wilson Awards. He’s supervised editorial teams of different sizes over the years. The Medical Post is a six-times a year magazine and a daily newsletter for Canada’s doctors and is a magazine with a 56-year history.

Gil Martínez has more than two decades of design experience and has worked for publishers throughout North America. He has been a member of the Association of Registered Graphic Designers since 2004, where he has reviewed portfolios for junior designers and prospective members and participated in its Education and Ethics committees. He has received accolades from the HOW International Design Awards, the SoGood Design Awards, the Canadian Business Media Awards and others. In addition to his work as art director for Newcom Media Inc.’s Financial Group, Gil writes about branding and design for the financial industry, wrote a book about calligraphy and typography, and teaches editorial design at Centennial College.

Elisabeth Massicolli évolue depuis plusieurs années dans l’univers des magazines féminins. Elle s’intéresse de près à la mode durable, aux voyages, au féminisme et à la culture populaire. Passionnée des mots, elle est également éditrice et autrice. Son premier roman, La Bouche Pleine, est paru à l’automne 2020, chez Québec Amérique. 

Mya McNulty is an Art Director at Strategic Content Labs, the custom content division of St. Joseph Communications. She currently oversees the CAA group of magazines, which goes to almost 3 million members from Alberta to Newfoundland. Over the course of her career, she has created content for a wide range of clients, including Mazda, Sobeys, Acura and Aeroplan. Her work has crossed multiple channels and includes editorial, advertising, direct mail, and in-store, both in print and online. Mya graduated from NSCAD University with an honours degree in Communication Design.

Anna Minzhulina is an award-winning art director and designer, specializing in editorial and communication design. Her work includes National Magazine Award-winning feature designs, editorial packages and covers for titles such as Maisonneuve magazine. Her work has also been recognized by the Folio Awards, which recently acknowledged her designs and art direction for Experience magazine. Experience magazine was presented with awards for the “Overall Design,” “Cover Design,” “Feature Design,” and “Graphic Art”. Last year she was among nominees for the B2B National Magazine Awards for best art direction and cover design (which won gold). Currently, she is on the Board of Directors for the National Magazine Awards Foundation, an institution she has been working with for years. In 2018, she became the recipient of the Power Corporation of Canada Graduate Fellowship Award, from Concordia University. Now, she is in the process of finishing her graduate thesis on the importance of the sketch method during the design process.

Carol Moskot is an editorial art director and creative director based in New York with 25+ years of magazine and custom publishing experience in the US and Canada. Carol is an award-winning designer specializing in art direction, photo direction and branding. Her studio, Carol Moskot Design + Direction, focuses on the intersection of publication design and story-telling for magazines and nonprofits to help them tell their stories for the common good. She has won over 80 awards for her work from the National Magazine Awards, Society of Publications Designers and Advertising and Design Club of Canada. One of her current projects is art directing Broadview, which she recently rebranded and redesigned for the United Church of Canada.

Elizabeth Pagliacolo is Editor In Chief at Azure, an independent Toronto-based publication that has covered the cutting-edge of design and architecture around the globe for over 35 years. A National Magazine Award–winning editor and writer, Pagliacolo has reported from international design fairs, covered major architectural projects and interviewed the leading lights of contemporary design. She has also participated on design juries in Toronto and New York. In 2017, she was the Director of Programming of the EDIT Festival, presented by Design Exchange in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme. She has also written for The Globe and Mail, enRoute Edition, Frame and many other publications.

Mariève Paradis a été journaliste pendant près de 15 ans. Elle travaille maintenant en communications dans le réseau de la santé en plus de poursuivre sa maîtrise en journalisme à l’Université Concordia.

Émilie Pontbriand is the Manager of Marketing & External Relations at Imagine Canada, overseeing communications, marketing and branding initiatives. Before coming to Imagine Canada, Émilie was the Director of Programs & Communications at the National Media Awards Foundation. Prior to working in the charitable sector, she worked in the music industry as the Marketing Manager for Celinedion.com. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and a certificate in Political Science from Laval University, as well as a Translation certificate from the University of Toronto.

Martha Porado is the managing editor of The Medical Post and Pharmacy Practice + Business and has written for numerous B2B publications including Benefits Canada and Advisor’s Edge.

Karyn Pugliese, aka Pabàmàdiz, is best known for her work as a Parliament Hill reporter and as the Executive Director of News and Current Affairs at APTN (Aboriginal Peoples Television Network), where she ran the news department for seven years. She joined Ryerson’s faculty in the Spring of 2020 while completing a Nieman Fellowship at Harvard University. Karyn has worked in both daily news and on long-form investigations at a variety of outlets including ichannel, VisionTV, CBC and CTV.

Karyn is a past president of the Canadian Association of Journalists, and she is a board member of Canadian Journalists for Free Expression. She is a Journalists for Human Rights Ambassador and worked as an expert trainer for the program in South Sudan in 2018.

Her journalism has been recognized by the Canadian Association of Journalists, the Canadian Screen Awards, the Native American Journalists Association and the Public Policy Forum. She holds degrees in Journalism and History.

Karyn is a citizen of the Pikwàkanagàn First Nation in Ontario, and is of mixed Algonquin and Italian descent. When she is not engaged in acts of journalism, you’ll find her paddling a canoe, shooting photos and eating frybread.

Elizabeth Raymer is Senior Editor for Canadian Lawyer and Lexpert, where she assigns and edits stories and newsletters, and covers the Supreme Court of Canada, national/federal and Quebec beats and litigation, among other topics. She cut her teeth in legal journalism as a staff writer for The Lawyer’s Weekly and has written broadly for other publications, including the CBA’s National magazine, University Affairs and The Bottom Line. She previously worked as an editor for Thomson Reuters, Rogers Publishing’s Pharmacy Post, the Book and Periodical Council’s annual Freedom to Read review, and for all three Toronto daily broadsheets.

She graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in Women’s Studies and Literature, holds an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Western Ontario and a diplôme de langue et de civilisation françaises (niveau avancé) from the Sorbonne.

Dr. Jessica Riddell is a Full Professor of Early Modern Literature in the English Department at Bishop’s University (Quebec, Canada), specializing in early modern dramatic and non-dramatic literature. Dr. Riddell was awarded the 3M National Teaching Fellowship in 2015, the first recipient of the award at Bishop’s University. She holds the Stephen A. Jarislowsky Chair of Undergraduate Teaching Excellence at Bishop’s University; in this capacity, she explores innovative teaching and learning practices, creates mentorship opportunities for students and faculty, and participates in a wide range of consultations at the national and international levels. Dr. Riddell is also the Executive Director of the Maple League of Universities, a consortium of four universities – Bishop’s, Mount Allison, Acadia, and St. Francis Xavier – that share a focused commitment to quality undergraduate education. She works across the four universities to support high impact practices as part of a 21st century liberal education. She engages in public-facing activities and projects, including as an active contributor to public scholarship as a longstanding columnist for University Affairs Magazine (2015 – 2020), national media contributor (with CBC Sunday Magazine, The Globe and Mail, and other venues), as a keynote speaker at international conferences, and as a visiting scholar in the UK, Norway, and Australia. She sits on a number national and international boards, including the Future Skills Research Advisory Board (Social and Emotional Skills – SES), and is a member of Future Skills Talent Council.

Luc Rinaldi is a Toronto-based freelance journalist and the former editor of Pivot magazine. His work has appeared in Maclean’s, Toronto Life and Reader’s Digest.

Kelsey Rolfe is an award-winning journalist and editor based in Toronto, with bylines in TVO, the Globe and Mail, Maisonneuve Magazine and the Northern Miner, among others. She has worked as a section editor for CIM Magazine and an associate editor for Benefits Canada. Currently freelance, she writes about mining, employment and labour, health, technology and cities. Her work has been recognized by the National Magazine Awards: B2B, SABEW Canada’s Best In Business awards and the Canadian Association of Journalists awards.

Guillaume Roy est journaliste indépendant basé à Saint-Félicien au Lac-Saint-Jean. Diplômé en sciences de l’environnement et passionné de grandes aventures, il couvre l’actualité en lien avec les ressources naturelles, l’entrepreneuriat, les sciences et le plein air. Il collabore entre autres avec Espaces, Le Quotidien, Caribou, Unpointcinq, Quatre-Temps, L’Actualité, Québec Sciences, et Beside. Il est aussi le rédacteur en chef du magazine Opérations forestières. 

Sunaya Sapurji is an award-winning journalist who has worked in digital, print, TV and radio. Currently, she is currently a Toronto-based editor and writer at The Athletic. Her previous stops include the Toronto Star, Yahoo Sports and CBC News.

Amanda Silliker is the Branding and Communications Director at SendtoNews, an online video platform that delivers content, technology and monetization to publishers across North America. She was the gold winner in the Best Feature Article: Trade category at the 2020 National Magazine Awards: B2B for her article about health and safety for recent immigrants in Canadian Occupational Safety (COS) magazine. She also placed in the Top 25 Feature Articles for the same article at the 2020 Tabbie Awards. Amanda was the editor of COS, published by Thomson Reuters, for eight years as well as the project manager for the publication’s annual awards program, Canada’s Safest Employers. She has held previous roles at Canadian HR Reporter, Canadian Family and Dance Magazine. Amanda has a Bachelor of Journalism, Highest Honours, from Carleton University in Ottawa.

Bill Skerrett PhD has spent many years involved with the media industry in Atlantic Canada. He helped create the Atlantic Magazines Association and is the founding and current Executive Director of the 40 year old Atlantic Journalism Awards, which has a magazine awards component. He was a commentator/producer at CBC television and radio. Bill is an inductee into the Atlantic Journalism Hall of Fame and has written many articles for Atlantic magazines. He has operated his own film/video production/media company and as such is the key writer/producer/director for hundreds of documentaries, TV series and print publications. He has also lectured in writing, communication and media at several Atlantic universities.

Diplômée d’une maîtrise en Management de la culture et des médias de Sciences Po Paris, Marine Thomas est spécialisée dans la presse d’affaires. En 2011, elle pilote la refonte du magazine Premières en affaires, un bimestriel sur les grands enjeux économiques au féminin. Deux ans plus tard, elle participe à la création d’Inspiro, un magazine trimestriel destiné aux jeunes professionnels et entrepreneurs. Elle assure la supervision du contenu de ces deux publications jusqu’en 2015, puis devient rédactrice en chef de la revue Gestion de HEC Montréal. En décembre 2016, elle entre au journal Les Affaires à titre de directrice de contenu, Journal et Bulletin privilège avant d’en devenir la rédactrice en chef en juillet 2019. 

Engagée dans la communauté, Marine est vice-présidente du conseil d’administration du Y des femmes, présidente-fondatrice du comité philanthropique Génération W, et administratrice de Lire et faire lire. 

Joe Thompson has been covering the Canadian manufacturing sector for nearly two decades. He is responsible for the day-to-day editorial direction of Canadian Metalworking magazine, providing a uniquely Canadian look at the world of metal manufacturing. An award-winning writer and graduate of the Sheridan College journalism program, he has published articles worldwide in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, pharmaceutical, medical, infrastructure, and entertainment.

Based in Toronto, Michael Tong is the art director at Group SJR, a global marketing and advertising agency. He has worked on multimedia projects for a variety of luxury and lifestyle clients including Fairmont, Birks, Lindt, Air Canada, Bombardier, Hudson’s Bay, Interac and Related Companies. A cross-platform creative, Michael brings his interests in food, travel, design, and culture to life through comprehensive art direction and graphic design.

Lisa van de Geyn is a self-proclaimed life-long magazine junkie and a nearly 20-year veteran in Canada’s magazine industry. The award-winning magazine writer and editor has worked on staff and freelance for a variety of publications, including Chatelaine, Canadian Living, Today’s Parent, CPA Magazine, House & Home and Living Luxe. She’s a mom to two tweenagers and loves her Netflix subscription.

Jeff Wasserman is a Toronto based food, drink and still life photographer. Previously, Jeff was the Photography Editor at the National Post for thirteen years—the flagship paper for Canwest Global (which later became Postmedia). There, he led a team of photo editors, staff photojournalists and a large roster of freelance photojournalists around the world to produce award-winning content. Before that Jeff was a photojournalist at The Globe and Mail and the Financial Post, covering a wide range of national and international assignments. Jeff’s roots are in Windsor, Ontario where he began his photographic career as a commercial photographer, shooting catalogues and other commercial assignments in the Windsor area, before moving to Toronto.

Tim Wilbur is a licensed lawyer and current Editor-In-Chief of Key Media’s print and digital law publications including Lexpert, Canadian Lawyer, InHouse, and Law Times. He is a graduate of McMaster University with a degree in Philosophy & Human Rights and Juris Doctor Law degree from the University of Toronto. He has over 14 years of publishing experience, starting as the Focus Editor on The Lawyers Weekly publication at LexisNexis and managing legal editorial content for Thomson Reuters.

His reporting covers all areas of law in Canada, and he also oversees content for Key Media’s legal events, including the inaugural Canadian Law Awards and Lexpert Rising Stars. He has appeared on panel discussions and has chaired and emceed leading events for the legal community in Canada.

Rachel Wine is a freelance art director and photo editor based in Toronto. She has worked at The Globe and Mail, where she was the photo editor for documentary features and lifestyle publications Globe Style Advisor and Globe Pursuits. Prior to The Globe, she worked at Air Canada’s enRoute magazine and was a contributing editor at Maclean’s and Canadian Business. She is an independent curator who lectures, writes and consults on photography and visual projects.

As editor of the Pharmacy Group of media at EnsembleIQ, Vicki Wood oversees content in Canada’s leading pharmacy publication, Pharmacy Practice+Business, and on pharmacists’ most popular information site, CanadianHealthcareNetwork.ca.

Vanessa Wyse is the founder and Creative Director of Studio Wyse. A native of Sydney, Australia now based in Toronto, Canada. Studio Wyse creates print and digital editorial visual solutions, branding and strategy for some of the world’s largest media brands and institutions including The University of Toronto, Chatelaine, xtramagazine.com and The Globe and Mail to name just a few. Previous to launching Studio Wyse, Vanessa was the founding Creative Director of the internationally recognized city weekly The Grid. Her work has received awards and accolades from the NMAF (Canada), SPD (U.S.), ADCC (Canada), Applied Arts (Canada), SND (U.S.), Type Directors Club and D&AD (UK).