CARS National Railway Day 2021

Details Download to Calendar Speakers / Panelists Photos

November 2 and 3 , 2021

Hotel Bonaventure, Montreal

NRD 2021 Header

National Railway Day 2021 took place on November 2nd and 3rd, 2021
at Hôtel Bonaventure in Montréal, Quebec!

View the official program here: https://my.flipbookpdf.net/bYK9m

Conference Theme

The theme for this year’s conference will be "Advancing in Today's World." Innovation has always been important in our industry, and during one of the largest economic crises in history, being prepared to pivot, adapt, and embrace change is crucial. This year we explore the impact of new health and safety protocols, the shift from in-person to a digital world and its effects on forging new relationships, the role of cybersecurity on the rail industry, and adapting to the new normal as things reopen.

CARS Annual Award Recipiants

Safety Award:

The CARS safety award recognizes initiatives and people’s safety innovation technological advancements outstanding achievements and any other positive influence a supplier has brought forward to improve the overall safety of the Rail industry. This year’s recipient developed a more streamlined automated and real-time safety management system to support all employees 24/7 on all projects.

Universal Rail

Diversity Award:

This award was established to recognize and celebrate businesses that champion diversity in their companies, leaders for developing and cultivating diverse strategies in their organization in addition to communicating the rationale for these strategies for employees.

The recipients of this award have been progressive in demonstrating continuous growth in developing partnerships with indigenous communities and businesses. Earlier this year they collaborated to make a bold statement to commemorate the unmarked graves at various former residential schools across Canada by having one of their boom trucks wrapped with their indigenous relations logo as well as the statement every child matters.

REMCAN & Falcon Equipment

Innovation award:

The Innovation award is for members that developed advanced or innovative technologies to meet the needs of the railway industry. This business contributes to making a strong and rapidly growing innovative industry and is creating a positive impact on rail and the community. The recipient of the innovation award has developed a web-based platform providing real-time intelligence to monitor cars and their freight from origin to destination. Maximizing work capital, protecting freight optimizing fleets and streamlining the Supply chain.

TrinityRail

Event Sponsors 2021:

Remcan Sponsorship Page

Sponsorships Conference

Gala Dinner Sponsors 2021

Speakers / Panelists

Master of Ceremonies
- Jason Pierosara
  
  Manager of Business Development
  Jason Pierosara
  
  Manager of Business Development
  
  Jason Pierosara is the Manager of Business Development for the National Research Council of Canada’s Resilient Ground Transportation Program. In his role, he works to establish and secure collaborative research projects that push the development of game-changing rail technology for the benefit of NRC clients and Canada.
  
  Jason joined NRC in 2010, where he has held positions in various levels of management, but has always gravitated towards roles that allows him to engage directly with clients. He has received various awards for outstanding teamwork and account development.
  
  A 20 year sales and marketing professional, Jason started his career in the telecommunications and software industries at companies such as Nortel, Bell and Telus Mobility, but jumped at the opportunity to join the rail industry when the presented with the chance to apply his skills within such a unique environment.
  
  Jason has an MBA from McMaster University in Hamilton Ontario, and a BA in Psychology from Western University in London Ontario.
Joan Hardy

Vice-President, Sales and Marketing Grain and Fertilizer
Joan Hardy
Vice-President, Sales and Marketing Grain and Fertilizer

Canadian Pacific Railway

Joan is responsible for the commercial customer relationships and product marketing related to CP’s bulk business, including grain, fertilizers, potash and coal.

Joan joined CP in 2018 after 12 years at Richardson International, Canada’s largest agri-business and a global leader in agriculture and food processing, where she served as Vice-President, Transportation. Prior to joining Richardson International, Joan spent 21 years at Canadian National, where she held various roles, including Operations Superintendent, Assistant Vice-President, Sales and Senior Director in CN’s customer service centre.

Joan holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Manitoba. She is located in Winnipeg, the home of key grain shippers, where she is well-positioned to further CP’s goal of sustainable, profitable growth.

Joan just completed a two-year term as Chair of the Board of Trustees for United Way Winnipeg and remains on the Board as past Chair. She is also a volunteer and past board member with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra.
Denis Andlauer

Director of Transportation Strategies
Denis Andlauer
Director of Transportation Strategies

CDPQ Infra

Denis Andlauer graduated from the École nationale supérieure des Arts et Métier in Paris in 1993. He also holds a university certificate in corporate governance from Université Laval.

He started his career at SNCF in the maintenance of TGV trains.

He directed the maintenance and operations of the Lyon metro, including the first fully automatic metro line in France.

In 2002 he was appointed as the Director of Maintenance for the RTC in Quebec City, and then took charge of all RTC operations.

In 2009, he was appointed Vice President of the Orleans Express Group. He developed urban and school transportation and participated in the creation of Keolis Canada.

In January 2012, he became President and Chief Executive Officer of Keolis Canada.

In October 2014, when he left Keolis, he founded DA Conseils stratégiques and carried out mandates surrounding the review of public transit governance in the Montreal region for several institutional clients.

In July 2015 he was appointed as the Director of Operations of CDPQ Infra, the subsidiary of the Caisse de dépôt et de placement du Québec. In this capacity he is part of the team at the heart of the REM project, the Réseau Express Métropolitain.

In 2018 he was appointed as an independent member of the steering committee of the tramway in Quebec City.

In 2019, he became Senior Director of Transportation Strategies for CDPQ Infra, where he actively participates in the development of various public transportation projects.
Eric Schmidt

Senior Cyber Security Advisor – Partnerships
Eric Schmidt
Senior Cyber Security Advisor – Partnerships

Canadian Centre for Cyber Security

A former Air Force telecommunications officer, Eric left the military in the mid 90s to work in Ottawa's growing telecom tech sector. In 2003, he joined CSE and has spent his career there performing various aspects of cyber defence, from hands-on analysis of computer attacks, to software development, to his current position with the Cyber Centre building cyber security partnerships.

Ancien officier de télécommunications de l'aviation canadienne, Eric a quitté les forces armées en 1995 pour travailler en télécommunications, secteur alors en pleine croissance, à Ottawa. En 2003, il s'est joint au CST et y a occupé divers rôles reliés à la cyberdéfense, à l'analyse des attaques informatiques, au développement de logiciels, etc. Dans son poste actuel au Centre pour la cybersécurité, Eric est responsable de créer des partenariats en cybersécurité.
Faye Ackermans

Board Member
Faye Ackermans
Board Member

Transportation Safety Board of Canada

Faye Ackermans had 25 years of experience in the rail industry, with over 15 of those years with senior positions in rail safety and regulatory affairs, before being appointed a member of the Board on 02 July 2014.

Mrs. Ackermans began her career with the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1982. From 1996 to 2008, as General Manager of Safety & Regulatory Affairs, she was responsible for corporate-wide oversight for safety management, security planning, operations regulatory compliance and occurrence investigations. Over that period, Canadian Pacific reduced train accidents by 65% and personal injuries by over 70%. She has held several rail industry committee memberships over her career, including the Safety & Operations Management Committees of both the Railway Association of Canada and the American Association of Railroads. Mrs. Ackermans received a Master of Business Administration from Concordia University in Montreal and an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Carleton University in Ottawa.
Nick Bennenbroek

Managing Director and International Economist
Nick Bennenbroek
Managing Director and International Economist

Wells Fargo Economics Group

Nick Bennenbroek Nick Bennenbroek is a managing director and international economist for Wells Fargo’s Corporate and Investment Bank, based in New York. With more than two decades of experience as a market economist and in policy analysis, Nick provides commentary on global macroeconomic developments and foreign exchange markets through several Wells Fargo publications, with a focus on both developed and emerging economies. Nick’s analysis of international economics, central banks and currency markets helps to support clients as they operate in global markets. Nick also appears frequently on business television and in media such as Bloomberg and CNBC, and his research is often quoted in financial publications such as The Wall Street Journal.

Prior to his current position, Nick was a senior currency strategist at Brown Brothers Harriman in New York. He began his career as an analyst with the New Zealand Treasury in 1994. He then spent six years as an international economist for Bankers Trust and Deutsche Bank in London, New York, and Auckland, New Zealand.

A native of New Zealand, Nicks holds a bachelor’s degree in management studies, where he received first-class honors, and a master’s degree with distinction with a concentration in economics from the University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand.
Bill Mandelos

Director – Locomotive, Railcar, and Multimodal Categories, Procurement & Supply Management
Bill Mandelos
Director – Locomotive, Railcar, and Multimodal Categories, Procurement & Supply Management

Canadian National Railway

Bill Mandelos is an experienced leader from a diversified range of mandates across the full value chain of an organization, from managing procurement and supply chain activities to leading and evolving major customer relationships and accounts. He joined CN in 2018 to help build a procurement business model and integrated project procurement approach for supporting large-scale technology programs such as, Positive Train Control. He has since held the role of Director of Procurement supporting the Engineering function and is currently Director of Procurement supporting Mechanical and Multimodal. Prior to joining CN, Bill worked in the aerospace industry for 9 years as well as management consulting where he had the opportunity to manage mandates across North America and globally in countries such as, Malta, Ireland, China, Mexico, Brazil, and Germany. While working in industry, Bill has been a part-time business Instructor at McGill University and Concordia University over the past 15 years, primarily in the areas of strategy, marketing, and international business. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Concordia’s John Molson School of Business and an MBA from HEC Montreal.
Cybersecurity in Rail

All railway systems can be a target of cyber-attacks that can potentially disrupt operations and impact safety.
- Tony De Thomasis
  
  President & CEO
  Tony De Thomasis
  
  President & CEO
  
  Tony De Thomasis was appointed President / CEO of Essex Morterm Limited on April 1, 2020. Essex Morterm Limited owns and operates the Essex Terminal Railway; a long-established local switching railway, Morterm Limited; a stevedoring and material handling company and Motipark Limited; a vehicle storage and multi modal logistics solution. Tony is responsible for all of the business activities for all three companies.
  
  Tony has been a senior executive member of the company since September 2015. In 2018 he was promoted to Vice President after demonstrating a proven ability to lead and execute projects with his notable experience in strategic planning along with thirteen years of service in numerous capacities in Public Administration, where he led many important initiatives, transitioning services, operations and asset management, bringing a unique organizational perspective and vision.
  
  Prior to his promotion to VP Tony held the position of Director of Corporate Development and Marketing, playing a crucial role in the development and execution of the newest company Motipark Limited, providing additional diversity to the Essex Morterm Limited group.
  
  Tony holds an Executive Mini MBA (EMBA) from McGill HEC Montreal and several certifications.
- Janna Dewar
  
  Sr. Manager, IT Security
  Janna Dewar
  
  Sr. Manager, IT Security
  
  Janna was first introduced to computer security while studying at McGill University, working with the IT Security Team and helping students, staff and faculty deal with computer viruses and worms. Fast-forward to today, she now has over 15 years of security experience and currently manages the cyber security program at VIA Rail Canada.
  
  Over the last 6 years, Janna has worked to improve VIA’s security posture, working with different Business Units as well as their third-parties to protect VIA’s operations and data.
- Angela Plater
  
  Security and Compliance Officer
  Angela Plater
  
  Security and Compliance Officer
  
  Angela has extensive experience in cybersecurity, compliance, risk, privacy and leadership which is pivotal in her developing, implementing and leading complex security programs in global environments.
  
  Angela is currently the Security and Compliance Officer at edjuster by Crawford & Company. Previously, she has held key senior cybersecurity roles including Director Information Security at MindBridge Analytics Inc., Consultant at Nakisa, CyberTitan Architect at ICTC and Security & Compliance Programs Manager at Pythian.
  
  Angela’s commitment to cybersecurity extends beyond her work. Angela frequently volunteers at #BSidesOttawa, promotes workforce diversity and mentors the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.