HRPA Meeting Details

Giorgio Follegati is a solution driven group benefit professional. Prior to joining Benchmark Benefit Solutions as an Account Executive in 2016, Giorgio worked as both a Technical Underwriter and Sales Representative in the Group Benefits department at one of Canada’s largest Third-Party Administrators. In 2015, Giorgio was recognized as a “Top Young Gun” under 35, by Insurance Business Canada magazine. Since entering the industry in 2010, he has made a high-level commitment to employee benefit education, having been mentored and coached by several of the most highly acclaimed employee benefit professionals in the country. Giorgio sits on the Ontario Council of the Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute and is also an organizer of DisruptHR Vaughan, an annual event bringing together HR professionals and business leaders in the Greater Toronto Area, to discuss innovation and advancements in the world of work.

Patrick is a Benefits & Health Consultant at Accompass. He provides critical advice and support for a wide range of plan design, financial management, and administrative services; such as communications support, employee meetings, disability management and wellness plans for all sized organizations. Patrick has been working in the benefits industry for over 12 years on both the insurance carrier and the consulting side of business. Before joining Accompass, he was a Senior Group Underwriter at one of Canada’s major insurance providers.

Chris cuts through the clutter with boldness, simplicity, and an appreciation for the information that clients find most valuable. Chris plays a key role in keeping Accompass’ clients up to date on the latest industry trends, news, and developments that matter to our clients. Chris is responsible for managing the firm’s brand, advertising, sponsorship, event management, communications, digital marketing and social media, thought leadership, PR and media relations, design, presentations, and email marketing.

He has 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, most recently as Director, Corporate Brand & Marketing at one of Canada’s largest insurance companies, where he was for six years, before joining our firm in 2014. He managed an in-house creative team, and played a leadership role in building and managing the brand and its standards. He has also been an account director for one of Canada’s largest banks at a Toronto-based creative agency.

Chris serves on the Board of Directors for the Greater Toronto Area Rewards Association as Vice President, Communications.

Chris has published articles in Canadian HR Reporter, Plans & Trusts Magazine, and has been featured as a speaker at various conferences, including HRPA, CPBI, WorldatWork Total Rewards, IFEBP, Benefits Breakfast Club, GTA Rewards Association, CUHR, Presidents of Enterprising Organizations, and Conference Board of Canada.

Peter is the Founder and President of PDF Employee Benefits and Co-Founder of Collage HR, organizations that are actively reinventing the way Canadian businesses manage Benefits and HR.

Seen as a leader in the Employee Benefits industry, Peter is frequently quoted in Benefits Canada publications as well as a regular speaker for HR.com and the Human Resources Professional Association (HRPA).

Holding an MBA (from the Schulich School of Business), CFP and CLU designations, and a Bachelor of Commerce (from the Rotman School of Management), Peter is a strong believer in continued education.

He continues to share his experiences by also teaching the Pension & Benefits course at Humber College within the Human Resources Management Post-Graduate program, teaching and creating content for the HRPA Canadian Benefits Program Certificate, and a frequent guest lecturer for the York University HR Master’s Program.

Leila is a Senior Pharmacy Strategy Consultant in the Pharmacy Strategy Team at Green Shield Canada (GSC). In this role, she is responsible for all facets of drug claims, including drug evaluations, formulary design and maintenance, pharmacy provider and stakeholder relations, and drug pricing and policy.

Leila brings a valuable mix of pharmacy and managed care experience from key roles in the US and Canada, including community pharmacy experience at various independent and chain pharmacies such as Walgreens, hospital pharmacy practice at Toronto General Hospital and pharmacy benefit management expertise gained during her time with Medco in the US (now Express Scripts) and now at GSC.

A graduate of the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (BScPharm), Leila also completed a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree at the University of Kansas. She is a licensed pharmacist in Ontario (Part A) and Massachusetts, and a member of the Ontario Pharmacists Association, Canadian Pharmacists Association and the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy.

Stephanie has over 20 years of experience in the group benefits industry, 9 of which are in her current role as an Organizational Health Consultant. Stephanie works closely with large Great-West Life customers and their advisors to develop and implement health, wellness and disability management. Stephanie is a graduate of McMaster University and holds a number certifications in the health, wellness and fitness industry. She has attained industry designation from the International Foundation of Employee Benefits Plans, Group Benefits Associate.

Lisa Stam practices all aspects of employment, labour and human rights law, and has a particular interest in legal issues involving technology in the workplace and the various methods by which people continue to mess things up with technology.

She regularly advises clients on the usual employment law fare: domestic and international employment advice, drafting offer letters and employment contracts, workplace policies and handbooks, advising on bonus and commission plans, benefits, workplace privacy issues, independent contractors, confidential and proprietary information, and discipline and terminations. She has also advised on a variety of human rights issues such as accommodating disabilities in the workplace, sexual harassment, discrimination and gender transition.

Lisa frequently speaks on and advises clients about the impact, risks and opportunities of technology in the workplace, including social media legal issues, privacy breaches, and ownership of data. She remains perplexed at humanity’s inability to more carefully set their social media privacy settings but continues to enjoy the juicy bits of evidence that could form the basis of a future best-selling novel.

Lisa is a member of the Canadian Netherlands Business and Professionals Association, Verity Women’s Business Club and various bar associations (the legal not fun kind). She graduated from the University of Toronto with a specialty in medieval history, and therefore went to law school, graduating from Dalhousie Law School in 2003, and has since been licensed to practice law by the Law Society of Ontario