Canada’s Cyber Future: From Strategy to Superpower

Event Overview

Canada’s National Cyber Security Strategy lays out a bold vision: to safeguard our digital society and position Canada as a global leader in cybersecurity.

In support of this mission, the University of Ottawa’s Professional Development Institute—together with Coding for Veterans and the Canadian Cyber Threat Exchange—is convening a high-impact collaboration summit on September 23, 2025.

This national event will bring together leaders from industry, government, and academia to identify the next steps in translating Canada’s strategy into action—and charting a path toward becoming a true cybersecurity superpower.

Agenda

Speakers

Kevin Tetreault, Associate Executive Director, Professional Development Institute, University of Ottawa

Kevin Tetreault is the Associate Executive Director at the University of Ottawa’s Professional Development Institute (PDI), where he leads a talented bilingual team dedicated to delivering world-class education and continuing professional development to Canadians and learners worldwide.

Before joining PDI, Kevin spent over a decade in public affairs, advising some of the world’s leading technology companies on their strategies and relationships with the Canadian public sector.

Kevin is a proud graduate of the Telfer Executive MBA program, Carleton University’s Master’s in Political Management program, and holds a Bachelor’s degree with a specialization in Political Science from the University of Ottawa. He is also a former infantry reservist with the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (CHofO).

Colin MacSween, Director General of National Cyber Security at Public Safety Canada

Colin MacSween is the Director General, National Cyber Security within the National and Cyber Security Branch at Public Safety Canada. Colin has previously worked with the Department of National Defence, the Canada Border Services Agency and, most recently, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. Colin holds a Master of Public Administration from Dalhousie University.

Craig McLellan, CEO, ThinkOn

Craig McLellan, Founder and CEO of Think On, Inc. has been at the forefront of technology innovation and data security in Canada and the U.S. for the past twenty-five years. Under Craig’s leadership, ThinkOn continues to grow, both organically and through strategic acquisition, and is ranked on both the Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ and The Globe and Mail’s list of Canada’s Top Growing Companies. A pioneer in cloud services, ThinkOn was one of the first companies in the world to receive VMware Cloud Verified certification and was recently recognized as the VMware Sovereign Cloud Partner for Canada. Craig currently sits on advisory boards for several industry-leading organizations including Veeam, Hitachi, and VMware, where he helps to guide strategy. Craig is also a passionate advocate for Innovate Cities—a first-of-its-kind, cloud-based community hub that promotes Smart City innovation.

Patrice Collin, Vice President, Government and Public Affairs, Ottawa

Patrice Collin is Vice President in Edelman’s Public and Government Affairs practice in Ottawa, bringing over 25 years of executive experience in both the public and private sectors. He has led high-impact initiatives spanning digital transformation, stakeholder engagement, and strategic policy development. At Edelman, Patrice advises clients across sectors including technology, artificial intelligence, infrastructure, information and data management, helping them navigate complex regulatory environments and align with federal priorities.

Patrice is recognized for his ability to distill complex issues into actionable strategies for senior leaders and government decision-makers. He has played a central role in supporting executive outreach, procurement strategy, and public policy positioning for major multinational and Canadian organizations. His client work draws on experience in business development, policy advocacy, and cross-sector collaboration. Recently, Patrice completed an Executive MBA from the Telfer School of Management, where he led an international business development project in Vietnam for an Ottawa-based firm. His commitment to public impact is also reflected in his long-standing advocacy for mental health and innovation ecosystems in the Federal Public Service.

Outside of work, Patrice is an avid woodworker and artist, contributing annually to fundraising efforts for Résidence Le Monarque. He lives in Aylmer, Québec with his wife.

Anne Broadbent, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Quantum, Communications and Cryptography Full Professor, uOttawa

Anne Broadbent is a Full Professor at the University of Ottawa and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Quantum Communications and Cryptography. She is internationally recognized for foundational contributions to quantum cryptography, including blind quantum computing, quantum zero-knowledge proofs, uncloneable encryption, and certified deletion.

Dr. Broadbent earned her Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Computer Science from the Université de Montréal, and her B.Math in Combinatorics and Optimization from the University of Waterloo. She has held fellowships from NSERC and CIFAR and is a recipient of numerous awards, including the André Aisenstadt Prize, the Ontario Early Researcher Award, and the John Charles Polanyi Prize.

In addition to her academic leadership, Dr. Broadbent is deeply engaged in industry and government collaboration. She has provided expert opinion to the United States National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee and Canada’s Parliamentary Committee on Quantum Computing, participated in joint Canada–EU strategy meetings, contributed to the Ericsson Quantum Research Hub in Canada, and collaborated with the Bank of Canada on quantum-safe cryptographic protocols to help secure national financial infrastructure. She is the lead investigator for major consortia grants including the Québec–Ontario Consortium on Quantum Protocols (QUORUM) and the Canada–EU Horizon project on quantum computing (FoQaCiA), and co-chairs the International Association for Quantum Information (IAQI).

Dr. Broadbent has supervised over 40 Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) and authored over 50 refereed publications, reflecting a sustained and impactful research program at the intersection of quantum technologies and cybersecurity.

Imraan Bashir, Partner & National Public Sector Cyber Leader at KPMG Canada

Imraan is a seasoned executive with 20+ years of experience advising on cyber security and information technology matters to a wide variety of public and private sector clients. Imraan is well-versed in multiple areas of cyber security, including governance, strategy, incident management, cloud security, risk management, digital identity and more.

Imraan focuses primarily on helping public sector organizations adapt to the ever-evolving cyber threat landscape and prioritize cyber investments by providing ‘right-sized’ cyber security advice, capabilities and related managed services to offload work that can be done more effectively at scale. This makes a difference for clients by allowing them to allocate their limited cyber resources more effectively and focus on their core missions, thereby saving them time and money in preventing, detecting, responding to and recovering from cyber incidents quickly.

Prior to joining KPMG, Imraan was a senior executive in the public sector directing the policy, strategy, implementation, and oversight of the federal government’s enterprise-wide cyber initiatives, including leadership of key programs such as cloud security and digital identity. In this role, Imraan was exposed to a wide range of cyber security challenges from departments of varying complexity, which positions him well to provide tailored advice to organizations of all sizes.

Imraan prides himself on providing pragmatic security guidance whilst managing cyber risk appropriately, with a focus on enabling a safe and positive user experience in the digital world. Imraan’s work in this space has been recognized globally for its success, as he was named one of the world’s top 100 most influential people in digital government by Apolitical in 2019. That same year, he also landed a spot as a guest author in the CLX forum’s Canadian Cybersecurity 2020 book.

Bruno Couillard, CEO and co-founder of Crypto4A Technologies Inc

Bruno leads Crypto4A’s corporate vision and product architecture. He brings more than 35 years of experience in the fields of technology and cybersecurity in both the public and private sector, including Chrysalis-ITS (Thales) and Canadian Armed Forces. He holds an Electrical Engineering degree from the Royal Military College of Canada.

Bruno designed, developed and commercialized the Luna hardware security module (HSM) and played a leading role in the development of the PKCS#11 Standard, the API to cryptographic tokens, solutions that underpin the security of today’s internet. Bruno has authored numerous patents, including security of root key transfer, time stamping, and time synchronization.

As a board member of Quantum Industry Canada (QIC) association, co-chair of the Quantum Industry Developers and Users Working Group, and a member of the Canadian National Quantum Strategy committee, Bruno is actively involved in the promotion and development of a Quantum National Strategy for Canada.

Nicholas Scott, Manager of Cryptographic Engagement and Standards, Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS)

Nicholas Scott is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in cyber security practices and development. He currently serves as the Manager of Cryptographic Engagement and Standards at the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS). Nick has been instrumental in advancing cyber security initiatives within the Communications Security Establishment, leveraging his extensive expertise to enhance national security.

John Proctor, Partner at PwC Canada, Cybersecurity Privacy and Financial Crimes

John Proctor is a Partner in PwC’s Cybersecurity, Privacy & Financial Crimes practice, where he helps public- and private-sector organizations reduce cyber risk, recover from incidents and build resilient, intelligence‑driven security programs. A former Royal Navy aviator and Canadian Armed Forces intelligence officer, John brings more than two decades of operational leadership and threat‑informed decision making to his work with boards and executive teams. Before PwC he led global cyber at CGI and was President & CEO of Martello Technologies, taking the company public on the TSXV. John also serves on several regional boards — including the Ottawa Airport (chair, Infrastructure Committee), Ottawa Board of Trade, Juno Beach Centre Association and the Lower Ottawa Valley OPP Police Detachment board — where he focuses on governance, critical‑infrastructure resilience and digital risk oversight.

Julia Le, Sr. Manager of the Cyber Security Centre of Excellence, Province of Ontario

Julia Le is the Senior Manager of the Cyber Security Centre of Excellence at the Government of Ontario, where she spearheads initiatives within the Cyber Security Division. Her role involves overseeing Ontario’s Cyber Security Centre of Excellence, offering strategic guidance and fostering collaboration to enhance the province’s cyber resilience and meet the evolving digital service needs of Ontarians. Julia is a distinguished professional with a Bachelor of Law and Criminology from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Waterloo. Drawing on her extensive experience across all levels of government, she has held progressive positions in key areas including cyber security, innovation & economic development, and immigration. Recognized for her outstanding leadership and contributions, Julia was honored with the Women in Leadership Award in 2023. She plays a pivotal role in establishing and nurturing partnerships for the Ontario government in the realm of cyber security, driving impactful collaborations and advancing the province’s cybersecurity agenda.

Liz McKeown, Executive Director, Digital Community Management Office, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Liz (Elizabeth) McKeown has been involved in all things Digital for more than 30 years, focusing on building technical, change, and leadership acumen at all levels thus enabling organizational wide digital modernization. Liz joined the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat in August 2022 with a mandate to evolve the Digital Community Management organization to meet the complex and growing attraction, development and retention needs of the federal public service digital community.

Liz draws from her professional and personal experiences as an executive, as a teacher, as a Chief Information Officer, as a mother and as a volunteer, and applies them to her work with a specialized focused on development of cross Public Service Digital Community and Culture.

Major General Dave Yarker, Commander CAF Cyber Command, Department of National Defence

Major-General Yarker graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in 1993 and began his career as a Signals Officer with 2 Brigade. He has commanded at multiple levels, including 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Headquarters and Signals Squadron, the Canadian Forces Network Operations Centre, and the Canadian Forces Information Operations Group.

He has deployed as Canadian J6 to Kosovo and Afghanistan and, since 2010, has specialized in cyber operations, holding senior command and liaison positions with United States Cyber Command and Canada’s Communications Security Establishment. Appointed Cyber Force Commander following senior leadership roles in information management and cyber, he continues to advance Canada’s operational and cyber capabilities.

Jordan Zed, Senior Assistant Secretary to Cabinet, AI Secretariat, Privy Council Office

Jordan Zed is the Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet in Artificial Intelligence at the Privy Council Office (PCO) of the Government of Canada. He previously served as Assistant Secretary in the Foreign and Defence Policy Secretariat, supporting two Cabinet Committees.

Before joining PCO, Zed was Director General of the External and Trade Policy Branch at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, where he focused on international AI collaboration. A lawyer by training, he has held roles at the Treasury Board Secretariat, Environment and Climate Change Canada and Global Affairs Canada.

Zed co-founded thePANEL, a foreign policy think tank in Ottawa, and the Global Forum on Peace and Security, which analyzed UN Security Council activities while at New York University’s School of Law. He holds a Bachelor of Laws from Osgoode Hall and Dual Master of Laws Degrees at New York University School of Law in Law and the Global Economy and International Comparative Law at the National University of Singapore.

Sheref Sabawy, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development

Sheref Sabawy is the Member of Provincial Parliament for Mississauga—Erin Mills.

He now concurrently serves as Parliamentary Assistant to Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. He previously served as the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport from 2019 to 2023, the Parliamentary Assistant to Ontario’s Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery from 2023 to 2024; and the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Citizenship & Multiculturalism from 2024 to 2025.

Additionally, he is a member of the Ontario Legislature’s Standing Committee on Government Agencies.

Sami Khoury, Senior Official for Cyber Security for the Government of Canada

Sami Khoury serves as the Government of Canada Senior Official for Cyber Security, providing cyber security expert advice and guidance to deputy ministers and senior officials across the Government of Canada. This role, with Sami’s extensive experience and knowledge, is critical to safeguarding Canada’s digital infrastructure and advancing our national security interests. Previous to this, Sami was the Head of the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (Cyber Centre) from 2021 to 2024. The Cyber Centre is the primary source of expert advice, guidance, services, and support on cyber security for government entities, critical infrastructure owners and operators, the private sector, and the Canadian public. Sami embarked on his career at the Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSE) in 1992, initially as a research engineer specializing in the impact of emerging multimedia communications technologies. Over the years, he has held various operational and leadership roles. More recently, he served as Assistant Deputy Minister for Enterprise Technologies and Solutions. In this capacity, he was CSE’s Chief Information Officer, led CSE’s comprehensive Research program and the 24/7 Operations Centre. Sami holds a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering and a Master of Applied Science from Concordia University in Montreal. In 2016, he completed a certificate program in Public Sector Leadership at the University of Ottawa.Sami's contributions have been recognized through various accolades, including the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal and the APEX Award of Excellence for Innovation.

Nicolas Duguay, Co-Executive Director, In-Sec-M

Nicolas Duguay is the Co-Executive Director of In-Sec-M, Canada’s national cybersecurity cluster. Established at the suggestion of the federal government, In-Sec-M was created to unite the country’s cybersecurity ecosystem and foster collaboration both nationally and internationally.

In this role, Nicolas leads an organization that brings together a diverse network of members, including private companies of all sizes, research centers, universities, and other institutions across the country from Vancouver to Halifax. In-Sec-M plays a pivotal role in strengthening Canada’s cybersecurity sector by promoting innovation, facilitating partnerships with leading global ecosystems, and helping members expand their presence in international markets.