麻豆传媒

Workshop Facilitator: Heather Fraser, MBA, PMP (she/her) | 

I began my career in print media and publishing upon graduating from Saint Mary鈥檚 University in 2001 with a Bachelor of Commerce. I spent several years working as a project manager, developing project management, product management and supervisory skills. After a decade in private publishing and IT firms, I returned to Saint Mary鈥檚 University as an employee, starting as a project manager and building a Project Management Office over a period of a few years where I managed a team of project and technical professionals.

I joined 麻豆传媒 in 2017 as the Director of Project Portfolio Management. Through a leadership restructure I took on my current role as Director of Enterprise Applications, managing a team of roughly 45 people spanning technical development and systems administration, project management, enterprise architecture, and other technical and business roles. I am PMP and ITIL certified, and achieved an MBA-Leadership through 麻豆传媒 in 2022. In 2024 I took on the additional role of Deputy CIO where I support our CIO and our ITS department with central responsibilities in that portfolio.

I live just outside of Halifax with my husband and 3 kids, and have a busy volunteer life in our local community and sports associations.

Workshop Facilitator: Erin O'Keefe Graham (she/her) |  

Erin O'Keefe Graham leads the Emera ideaHUB, a deep tech incubator at Dal University in Halifax NS that builds ideas into physical products for a healthier world. Erin brings 25 years' experience in consulting, advising leadership of global enterprises and small businesses alike on corporate brand strategy and culture transformation. In her current role, she is dedicated to helping new technical founders develop the skills and habits they need to build organizations that fuel productivity and economic impact. Erin is also part of Women's Equity Lab Atlantic, and an angel investor.

Before moving to Nova Scotia in 2021, Erin was an entrepreneur working with scaling tech companies on leadership team and culture; she also delivered culture and digital transformation initiatives to large organizations as Senior Director at PwC Canada. Prior to that, Erin was Head of Global Brand Management at KPMG International, which included serving on global integration teams for acquisitions, as well as supporting 150 member firms on delivering a consistent customer experience. While at Interbrand North America as Brand Engagement Director, Erin built original methodologies to transform culture for better customer and employee experiences. Erin has served as a board member and HR committee chair for Inclusion NS, is a volunteer mentor for Black Women in Excellence, and has provided career guidance for newcomers in the Greater Toronto Area through ACCES Employment. She is a mom, stepmom, skier, triathlete, reader and ideaholic. 

Workshop Facilitator: Sarah L. Manley Robertson, ABC, Prosci (she/her) | 

Meet Sarah L. Manley Robertson, ABC, Prosci庐, a highly accomplished Thought Partner and Business Communications Strategist. With a career spanning over two decades, Sarah鈥檚 work drives alignment, engages stakeholders, and accelerates transitions for North American organizations. As a former executive leading engaged teams of 20+ and effectively contributing on commercial and corporate leadership teams, her expertise is tailored for those navigating the complexities of corporate environments, large firms and regulated industries, making her insights particularly valuable for aspiring leaders like you.

Sarah鈥檚 approach is rooted in purposeful communication and transformational leadership strategies drawn from positive psychology, psychometrics, proven leadership models and evidence-based change management principles. She has a proven track record of addressing and overcoming significant challenges such as leadership transitions, corporate culture transformations, trust gaps, and reputational crises.

Recognized as one of PR News鈥檚 Top Women: Industry Champion 2024 and Ragan Communications & PR Daily鈥檚 Top Women in PR: Crisis Navigator 2021, Sarah has built high performing teams who deliver corporate communications and social responsibility mandates for organizations with global or national reach. Her clients trust her to enhance their leadership in sectors like global digital business services, life sciences, healthcare, not-for-profit, global standards, and manufacturing.

Sarah most recently completed a certificate in Building Positive Workplace Cultures from 麻豆传媒 and achieved certification with Lumina Learning and Prosci庐; Sarah volunteers as an advisor to local and national social service charities, is President of the Canadian Public Relations Society Nova Scotia, and is a Registered Research Panelist with the Commission on Public Relations Education. She has also shared her expertise as part-time faculty at Nova Scotia Community College and through international publications and workshops. 

Workshop Facilitator: Carla Britten (she/her) |

Carla Britten (she/her) is an MSW graduate from 麻豆传媒 and is currently working as the Director, Residence Life at the Halifax campus. In her 18-year professional career at 麻豆传媒, she has worked in Residence Life, Student Accessibility, and most recently as the Ombudsperson for 麻豆传媒. Carla has also worked in research roles with Capital Health and Mount Saint Vincent University, in addition to serving as Principal Investigator for Halifax鈥檚 Community Action on Homelessness.

These roles have provided opportunities to explore the transformative experience for students as they leave academia to pursue their professional careers. Post-secondary education provides educational learning and growth as well as opportunities for skill development that are transferrable to future professional lives.

As an Ombudsperson, she focused on supporting students through their concerns and complaints. In many situations, conflict was at the heart of these concerns and complaints and required resolution and consideration of approach. Conflict happens all around us and in all facets of our lives, so it is essential that we understand our role in conflict and more importantly how to effectively resolve conflict.

Carla鈥檚 experience and engagement in conflict resolution will provide participants with insight into understanding conflict but also tools to utilize to manage and resolve conflict.

Workshop Facilitator: Sue Oland, MBA (she/her) | 

Sue Oland is an MBA graduate and former corporate executive with over 20 years of experience with brands such as Alexander Keith鈥檚, Empire Theatres, Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation and NS Power. She has developed business, brand and customer strategies, led digital roadmaps, broken down silos, integrated cross functional teams, and has both created and developed high performing teams. 

She began her consulting business, Good People, in 2020, and works to develop strong foundations in leadership for both business and individuals.  She is currently the Executive in Residence in the Marketing Department at the Schwartz School of Business at St. FX University. Her role with the Department is to bring the business industry to the School of Business, bridging theoretical course work with practical application and real world expectations in today's business landscape.

Throughout her career, Sue has had the good fortune of collaborating with many large corporations, gaining broad experience in engaging with professionals at all levels.