MBOT Annual Talent Forum: AI Meets Talent

Four Points by Sheraton & Element by Westin Toronto Airport
6257 Airport Road
Mississauga, ON L4V 1E4

Discover how AI is transforming talent and the future of work by helping organizations reduce costly turnover, retain top performers, and streamline hiring through data-driven strategies. Learn how to successfully integrate AI into your workforce to boost productivity, align talent with business goals, and drive revenue growth.

Full-Day Agenda

The way we hire, develop, and retain talent is changing faster than at any point in history. Artificial intelligence, automation, demographic shifts, global competition, and employee expectations are redefining what a strong workforce looks like — and how organizations must respond.

The 2026 Business Talent Forum brings together business leaders, employers, educators, and policymakers to explore practical, real-world solutions for building a future-ready workforce in Mississauga and across Ontario.

This half-day forum will focus on actionable strategies, not theory — helping employers:

• Integrate AI responsibly into talent and HR practices
• Address labour shortages through skills-based hiring and upskilling
• Retain top talent in a competitive, values-driven job market
• Strengthen employee well-being, engagement, and productivity
• Leverage partnerships with education, healthcare, and government

Attendees will leave with insights they can apply immediately, plus valuable connections across sectors.

Agenda

8:00 – 8:45 AM

Networking Breakfast & Registration

8:45 – 9:00 AM

• Opening Remarks
• David Wojcik, President & CEO, MBOT
• Followed by a 5-minute grounding and performance readiness session led by:
  Carol Heslin Leigh, The Sole Point Reflexology and Meditation– Workplace Emotional Intelligence Specialist

Keynote  | 9:00 – 9:45 AM

AI, Automation & the Evolution of Human Skills

Panel #1 | 9:45 – 10:45 AM

Bridging the Skills Gap: Building Tomorrow’s Workforce Today

Discussion Themes:

• Skills-based hiring vs credential filtering
• Micro-credentials & apprenticeships
• Employer-led upskilling models
• Recruiting Gen Z & early-career talent
• Integrating internationally trained professionals
• Education-industry ROI partnerships

10:45 – 10:55 AM

Networking & Refreshment Break

Keynote #2 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Well-Being, Performance & Retention in the AI Era

Part I (11:00 – 11:30 AM) - Carol Heslin Leigh, The Sole Point Reflexology and Meditation

• Emotional intelligence in high-change environments

• Reducing performance anxiety in AI adoption
• Leadership presence and resilience
• Creating space for reflection in high-output cultures

Part II (11:30 – 12:00 PM) Dr. Lisa Ramsackal, INNOVA Integrated Wellness Centre

• Workplace stress & cognitive overload
• Physical injury risk in tech-driven workplaces
• Why breaks, hydration, and movement matter
• AI as a support tool — not a substitute for human care
• The link between wellness and retention metrics

12:00 PM– 12:35 PM

Networking Lunch & Closing

Panel #2 | 12:40 PM– 1:45 PM

AI + People: How Technology Is Transforming Talent Management

Discussion Topics:

• AI in recruitment, onboarding, learning, and retention
• Not losing the humanity in the process/workforce
• Engagement affected by AI in the workplace
• Ethical AI, bias reduction, and data privacy
• Managing change, burnout, and psychological safety
• What technology can enable — and what only humans can deliver
• Hybrid workforce management
• Preventing burnout during digital transformation
• What tech enables — and what only humans deliver

1:45 pm – Closing Keynote

2:15 PM – Closing Remarks

The prices below are taxable and 13% HST will be added to the appropriate ticket. 

Corporate tables will receive preferred seating and a table sign.