AI, Remote Work, & Productivity: An International Conference

Location: St. John’s Campus,  232 Elizabeth Ave.,  Science Building Room EN 2109

Join us online for an inspiring lineup of keynotes and panel discussions led by top researchers, policymakers and industry leaders.

May 9 morning sessions: Register now (external link) 

May 9 afternoon sessions: Register now (external link) 

Please note the program times listed below are in Atlantic Standard Time.

Herbert Ascherman Chair in Economics, Harvard University

Richard B. Freeman holds the Herbert Ascherman Chair in Economics at Harvard University. He is a research associate at the NBER and is currently serving as Faculty co-director of the Center for Labor and a Just Economy at the Harvard Law School.

Professor Freeman received the Mincer Lifetime Achievement Prize from the Society of Labor Economics in 2006. In 2007 he was awarded the IZA Prize in Labor Economics. In 2011 he was appointed Frances Perkins Fellow of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. In 2016 he received the Global Equity Organization (GEO) Judges Award and named a Distinguished Fellow of the American Economic Association as “an enormously innovative labor economist who has made pioneering contributions to virtually every aspect of the field.”

Professor Freeman’s research interests include the job market for scientists and engineers; the transformation of scientific ideas into innovations, Chinese and Korean labour markets; the effects of AI and robots on the job market; and forms of labour market representation and employee ownership

Professor of Economics, Rutgers University

Jennifer Hunt is a Professor of Economics at Rutgers University. From 2013-2015, while on leave from Rutgers, she served first as Chief Economist of the U.S. Department of Labor, then as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Microeconomic Analysis at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Prior to joining Rutgers in 2011, she held positions at McGill University, the University of Montreal and Yale University. Hunt is a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts and a Research Fellow at the Centre for Economic Policy Research in London. Her current research focuses on the geographic diffusion of technology adoption, while past research has also encompassed immigration, wage inequality, unemployment, the science and engineering workforce, the transition from communism, crime and corruption. She received her Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard and her Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Faculty of Information, University of Toronto
Dr. Ebrahim Bagheri, a Professor at the University of Toronto, is an interdisciplinary researcher who focuses on efficient and responsible information retrieval methods, and who has impacted industry, government and civil society through community engagement and knowledge translation. Before joining the Faculty of Information, Ebrahim held a Canada Research Chair in Social Information Retrieval and an NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Social Media Analytics at Toronto Metropolitan University. He also founded and directed the NSERC CREATE initiative on responsible AI that uniquely highlighted the need to balance economic development with social good. He is the Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Network Science and Engineering and ACM Transactions on Intelligent Systems and Technology. In 2019, Ebrahim received the Government of Canada NSERC Synergy Award for Innovation for his outstanding industry-academia collaborations

Associate Dean with the Faculty of Computer Science, Dalhousie University
Christian Blouin is acting Dean and Associate Dean (Academic) for the Faculty of Computer Science, Dalhousie University. He serves also as Institutional Lead (AI strategy) for Dalhousie. Within these roles, he is leading curriculum renewal in Computer Science and coordinating Digital Transformation and AI integration for Dalhousie’s academic mission and administrative functions.

Global Lead, AI Policy, Amazon Web Services
Marc-Etienne Ouimette leads global AI policy at AWS. Marc is a published author on R&D, industrial policy, and technology governance, with extensive experience advising organizations and governments. He serves on the B7 advisory committee and on the Partnership for AI Policy Advisory Board, and previously chaired the Montreal Centre of expertise for GPAI, sat on the WEF’s Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution board, and on the advisory board of Tortoise Media. He’s delivered keynotes at prestigious forums including the Rockefeller Foundation, SXSW, the Global AI Summit, the B7 summit, and InterAmerican Development Bank Governor’s meeting. Before AWS, Marc headed Public Policy at Element AI and practiced as a corporate lawyer at a major Canadian firm.

CEO, Foresight Cleantech Accelerator Centre

Jeanette is an experienced CEO and entrepreneur with broad expertise in strategy, innovation, business development, marketing, and operations. As CEO of Foresight since 2018, she has transformed the non-profit from a regional startup organization to Canada’s largest cleantech accelerator. With her expertise, Foresight has built a vibrant Industry Innovation Program and launched a sectoral approach to accelerate cleantech innovation and adoption.

Prior to joining Foresight, Jeanette was founding CEO of Light-Based Technologies, which she built into a scaling enterprise with venture capital support. In her subsequent role as President of The Brag Company, she oversaw the complete restructuring of the business and sale of the company in just two years.

Jeanette served as an Executive in Residence with Foresight for four years before becoming CEO, where she advised more than 25 ventures in several markets including bio-energy, electric vehicles, smart buildings, water tech, robotics, and wind.

Jeanette is deeply invested in the Canadian cleantech community and has established herself as a passionate advocate for sustainability, championing the importance and impact of Canadian clean technologies in the global transition to net zero. She is a frequent speaker, media guest, and advisor to innovators, industry, investors and government, and has won numerous awards, including:
• 2023 YWCA Women of Distinction Award (Environmental Sustainability)
• 2023 Business in Vancouver Influential Women of Distinction Award
• 2020 Women of Inspiration Advocate and Catalyst for Change Award

Principal Economist at Canadian Climate Institute; Advisor, EnviroEconomics Inc.

Dave Sawyer is Environmental Economist with over 25 years of national and international experience. Dave has built a solid reputation as a leader in the economics of climate policy and energy futures in Canada. His advice is routinely sought by a wide cross-section of climate policy leaders around the world, bridging political realities with sound economic theory.

For over 20 years, Dave has provided insight on the impact of carbon policy. He was the lead author of a number of seminal Canadian reports on national carbon policy and has published on competitiveness impacts. Dave has also been working in developing countries on the socio-benefits of low carbon development.

Throughout this time, Dave has been working with a small group of energy and macroeconomic modellers to identify the key elements of low carbon pathways for Canada. Recent work on deep decarbonization pathways for Canada figured prominently in the Government of Canada’s Mid-Century Long-Term GHG Development Strategy and formed the basis of the policy package developed for Alberta’s Climate Leadership Plan.

Dave now co-leads Decarbonization Pathways Canada with Dr. Chris Bataille

Oxford University
Sam Hampton is a Senior Researcher in the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford and Research Fellow at the University of Bath. His research focuses on (1) public and business engagement for climate change, including the adoption of low carbon behaviours, lifestyles, and business practices; and (2) policy and governance for net-zero. Sam has conducted extensive research on the role of SMEs in the energy transition, and has published in journals such as Joule, One Earth, PLOS Climate and Energy Research & Social Science, and has worked closely with policymakers in local and national government

Director, Sustainability Strategy & Transformation, PWC LLP
Alison Joutsi is a sustainability professional with significant experience building ESG programs and managing sustainability risks and opportunities for corporate clients. Her diverse background in law, business and communication allows her to build ESG strategies that integrate with existing corporate goals and priorities generating longterm return on investment. She is regularly called upon to present to Boards and speak at various conferences on Sustainability regulation, disclosure, climate risk and is a frequent guest lecturer to students on Sustainability strategy and reporting.

Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development and Engagement, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
Rob Greenwood assumed the role of Deputy Minister, Rural and Regional Development and Engagement, and Chief Economic Development Officer, for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador on September 5, 2023. Prior to that, he served as Associate Vice President(Public Engagement and External Relations) at Memorial University and was the founding Director of the Leslie Harris Centre of Regional Policy and Development. His responsibilities also included the Signal Hill Campus, Alumni Engagement, Strategic External Relations, the Botanical Gardens, and the Newfoundland Quarterly. Before working at Memorial, Rob served as a Director and Assistant Deputy Minister of Policy in Economic Development departments in Newfoundland and Labrador and in Saskatchewan. In Saskatchewan, he led the development of the provincial economic strategy. He was Vice President of Corporate Development, Information Services Corporation of Saskatchewan and was the founding Director of the Sustainable Communities Initiative, a partnership of the University of Regina, the City of Regina, and the National Research Council of Canada.

Professor at University of Kentucky

David Freshwater is professor emeritus at the University of Kentucky. When he retired he was the H.W. Price Professor of Agricultural Policy in the Department of Agricultural Economics and held additional appointments in the Martin School of Public Policy at the University of Kentucky, and the Department of Geography at Memorial University.

David’s main areas of expertise are Agricultural Policy and Economic Development Policy in Rural Regions. He has been a consultant on these topics with the OECD since 1993 and was Head of the Unit for the Rural Programme in 2009. He also served as a member of the professional staff of the United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Nutrition, and as a senior economist for the Congressional Joint Economic Committee. From 1996 to 2001 he managed TVA Rural Studies, a large rural research programme jointly sponsored by the Tennessee Valley Authority and the University of Kentucky. In addition, he has worked with number of Canadian federal and provincial government departments on agricultural and rural policy issues.

Senior Advisor in the Economic Analysis Division at Statistics Canada
Wulong Gu is Acting Director of the Economic Analysis Division at Statistics Canada. His main research is on productivity, innovation, and competition. He has published numerous articles in economics journals, monographs and handbooks. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from McMaster University.

Professor and Associate Dean for Research at the School of Management and Labor Relations, Rutgers University
Mingwei Liu is a Professor and Associate Dean for Research at the School of Management and Labor Relations, Rutgers University, and the Founding-Director of the Center for Global Work and Employment. His research interests include comparative employment relations and human resource management, high performance work system, labor standards in global value chains, and technology and work. His publications appear in journals such as ILR Review, British Journal of Industrial Relations, Human Resource Management, Journal of Business Ethics, China Economic Review, and Comparative Labor Law and Policy Journal. He has also co-edited two books: China at Work: A Labor Process Perspective on the Transformation of Work and Employment in China, and The Role of Leadership in Human Resource Management: Perspectives and Evidence from China.

Associate Professor of Economics and Director of China Institute, Bucknell University
Carl Lin is the Director (incoming) of the China Institute at Bucknell University—a liberal arts college in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania—and a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Economics. He is also a Research Fellow at the IZA – Institute of Labor Economics in Bonn, Germany, and at the China Institute for Income Distribution in Beijing, China. Prior to joining Bucknell, he taught at Beijing Normal University. His research focuses on labor and development economics, with particular emphasis on minimum wages, inequality, and ruralurban migration in China

Associate Director, Research & Evaluation, Future Skills Centre
Since 2001, Alex has led research, knowledge mobilization and innovation programs on skills and labour market development, post-secondary education and training, and tripartite approaches to workforce development. He has worked both in Canada and internationally and highlights of his career include leading the Canadian Council on Learning’s Work and Learning Knowledge Centre (20062009) and the Centre for Workplace Skills (2009–2012). Most of his international work was done with Colleges and Institutes Canada (2013-2020) where he led a capacity building project in Mozambique (2013 to 2015) and managed monitoring and evaluation for all CICan international programs. He joined the Future Skills Centre in 2022 where he is currently acting Director of Programs

President and CEO, Information and Communications Technology Council

Namir Anani is the President and CEO of the Information and Communications Technology Council (ictc-ctic.ca). He is the chief strategist and driving force in bringing ICTC’s world-class centre of expertise and services to industry, education and government, shaping Canada’s digital advantage in a global economy.

Before joining ICTC, Namir previously led Policy Development & Research at the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).

Namir has held several executive leadership roles in both the private and public sectors including the Department of Canadian Heritage (Director General & CEO), CGI consulting, Nortel, and Novartis (Switzerland). Mr. Anani’s experience extends to strategic policy development and implementation, learning and capacity building, business transformation, national/international strategic alliances, economic and market research, and technology innovation.

He has also held numerous board positions and is a frequent keynote speaker at national and international conferences on the digital economy. Namir holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Electrical Engineering from the University of Salford (UK) and a Professional Engineer designation in Ontario (P. Eng.)

Chief of Staff, Digital Supercluster
Elysa Darling (JD, LLM) is the Chief of Staff at Digital, overseeing the operations and ensuring efficiency and productivity across the organization. Elysa leads the integration of advanced technologies, including AI, to enhance business processes and drive innovation. A dedicated leader and mentor, Elysa fosters a positive and inclusive organizational culture, ensuring employee engagement and satisfaction.

Elysa is also a trained lawyer who practiced in the First Nations corporate commercial group. She has previously held roles in Public Affairs.

CEO, Magnet
Mark Patterson leads Magnet’s efforts in advancing workforce innovation and building partnerships that drive skills development and inclusive economic growth. As the creator of Magnet, Mark has shaped its vision to connect talent with opportunities across Canada and globally. A recognized expert in workforce and technology integration, he is at the forefront of emerging trends, including how artificial intelligence is reshaping skills development and the future of work. His leadership continues to influence how individuals and organizations adapt to these changes.

Director, Development and Accelerated Cybersecurity Training Programs, Rogers Cybersecurity Catalyst

Rushmi Hasham Dua is a seasoned leader in cybersecurity and strategic partnerships, serving as the Director of Strategic Partnerships at Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst, at Toronto Metropolitan University. With over 25 years of expertise in disrupting the tech-education and digital-talent sectors, she has forged new markets for national cybersecurity capacity development and led initiatives that have positive impact across the industry. Her work is characterized by a unique blend of continuously engaging industry insight, employer-led solutions, and a commitment to innovation—driving the development of rapid cybersecurity skills and training programs.

Rushmi creates pathways that have rapidly reskilled and upskilled over 1,000 cyber professionals, with many being women and girls, empowering them with the skills and confidence needed to excel in a career in cybersecurity. She loves to share stories of the mid-career career changers like Monica, who pivoted from a career in a high pressure restaurant as a chef to a successful career in cybersecurity. Impacts like Monica’s continue to inspire Rushmi’s work in rapid workforce development.

Frequently sought after as a leader at national events and as a member of key advisory boards, Rushmi’s strategic, action-driven approach and measurable outcomes continue to shape the future of cybersecurity talent in Canada and internationally.

Founder and Executive Director, Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS)
Andrew Sharpe is founder and Executive Director of the Ottawa-based Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS). Established in 1995, CSLS is a national, independent, non-profit research organization whose main objective is to study trends and determinants of productivity, living standards and economic well-being. He has held a variety of earlier positions, including Head of Research at the Canadian Labour Market and Productivity Centre and Chief, Business Sector Analysis at the Department of Finance. He holds a M.A. and Ph.D in economics from McGill University, a maitrise in urban geography from the Université de Paris-Sorbonne, and a B.A. from the University of Toronto. He is also founder and Editor of the International Productivity Monitor, co-developer (with Lars Osberg) of the composite Index of Economic Well-being. From 2005 to 2024, he served as Executive Director of the International Association for Research on Income and Wealth, an international research association dedicated to the advancement of knowledge relating to income and wealth.

Professor of Economics, McMaster University
Arthur Sweetman is a Professor in the Department of Economics at McMaster University where he holds the Ontario Research Chair in Health Human Resources. He is also the Director of the Health Policy PhD program located in the Faculty of Health Sciences, and is codirector of McMaster’s Center for Health Economics and Policy Analysis (CHEPA). His research is primarily quantitative with a focus on health economics, social policy, and labour markets.

Stephen A. Jarislowsky Chair in Human Nature and Technology and Professor of Philosophy, McGill University
Jocelyn Maclure, FRSC, is Full Professor of philosophy and Jarislowsky Chair in Human Nature and Technology at McGill University. His recent work in the philosophy of AI appeared in journals such as Minds & Machines, AI & Society, AI & Ethics, and Digital Society. He was the president of the Ethics of Science and Technology Commission of the Quebec Government from 2017 to 2024.

Christopher Frank Parmeter Vice Editor, Journal of Productivity Analysis, and Associate Professor, University of Miami, School of Business
Christopher F Parmeter is Associate Professor in Economics at the Miami Herbert Business School. He presently serves as Vice Editor of Journal of Productivity Analysis, as well as being Coeditor at Environmental and Resource Economics. His work has been published in journals such as Journal of Economic Growth, The Economic Journal, Journal of Econometrics, Journal of Applied Econometrics, European Journal of Operational Research, Political Analysis, among others.

Professor of Economics, University of Waterloo, and Acting Executive Director, Waterloo Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute (CPI)

Anindya Sen is Professor of Economics at the University of Waterloo where he has taught since 1999, and has been the Director of the Master of Public Service, Founding Director of the Graduate Diploma in Computational Data Analytics for the Social Sciences & Humanities (CDASH), and the Acting Executive Director of the Cybersecurity & Privacy Institute. In 2014 he was recognized for his innovations in teaching and mentoring of students with the University Award for Distinguished Teaching.

He has published research on the relationship between higher cigarette taxes and smoking, the impacts of market power on prices charged to consumers and firm level productivity and innovation, and the effects of higher minimum wages on employment and poverty. His current work has focused on: using advanced Machine Learning models in the analysis of non-pharmaceutical interventions and vaccinations on the spread of COVID-19 and identifying best Emergency Room protocols to reduce readmissions from cardiac arrests; constructing welfare tests for socially efficient data sharing; the economics of data markets and privacy; studying human-computer interaction in the context of cybercrimes; and understanding societal trends in trust, and misinformation.

His research has been published in peer reviewed journals such as the Review of Income and Wealth, Canadian Journal of Economics, Journal of Law and Economics, Journal of Health Economics, Health Economics, Journal of Medical Internet Research, Journal of Regulatory Economics, International Review of Law and Economics, Labour Economics, and Canadian Public Policy, and has been extensively covered by The Globe and Mail, The Financial Post, CBC, and The Toronto Star.

Associate Professor of Economics, Memorial University of Newfoundland 

Dr. Derek Messacar is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at Memorial University. In addition, he holds appointments as a Senior Research Analyst at Statistics Canada, Research Fellow of the Retirement and Savings Institute at HEC Montréal and Board Member of the Atlantic Canada Economics Association and Canadian Labour Economics Forum. Dr. Messacar is an applied micro-economist with specializations in labour economics, public finance and education economics. He has written on numerous topics including gender inequality, returns to schooling, pensions, retirement, and the COVID-19 pandemic. His research has been published in national and international journals such as Review of Economics and Statistics, American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, National Tax Journal, Canadian Journal of Economics, and Canadian Public Policy. Dr. Messacar received his B.A. from Brock University, M.A. from the University of British Columbia, and Ph.D. from the University of Toronto.

Professor in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics at Rutgers University 

Yanhong Jin received her Ph.D. in Agricultural and Resource Economics from the UC Berkeley. She is a professor in the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics at Rutgers University, as well as a graduate faculty in the Department of Economics and an affiliated faculty at the Center for Global Work and Employment. Her research focuses on applied microeconomics in agriculture, food, and health, with a significant emphasis on technology adoption. Her work examines R&D investment and the adoption of GMOs, industrial robots, and AI. She has published in leading field journals, including American Journal of Agricultural Economics, American Journal of Health Economics, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, and China Economic Review. She is an associated editor for Agricultural Economics. 

Professor, HEC Montréal, Directeur académique, CIQSS
Benoit Dostie is a full professor at the Department of applied economics of HEC Montréal, the business school affiliated with l’Université de Montréal. He is also the academic director of the Québec inter-University Centre for Social Statistics (QICSS), member of the board of the Canadian Research Data Center Network (CRDCN) and member of the Canadian Statistical Advisory Council (CSAC). He is a Fellow at the Institute for the study of labor (IZA) in Germany and at CIRANO. He received his Ph.D. in economics from Cornell University in 2001, and his research interests include statistical models for linked employer-employee data,  returns to human capital, firm-sponsored training, productivity, turnover, and labour reallocation. His work has appeared in numerous scientific journals like the Canadian Journal of Economics, Journal of Econometrics, ILR Review, Industrial Relations, Journal of Human Capital, Journal of Human Resources, and the Journal of Business and Economic Statistics

Associate Professor of Economics, University of Alberta 

Xingfei Liu is a labour economist in the Department of Economics at the University of Alberta. He is a research fellow at IZA (Institute of Labor Economics) and GLO (Global Labor Organization). His research guides public policy by estimating the effects of interventions in labour markets. He is interested in policies that might increase female labour force participation and reduce gender wage gaps but has a general interest in any policy that improves labour market outcomes for any disadvantaged group. I also study the effect of labour market institutions on economic efficiency, especially in China. A third research stream investigates the economic assimilation of immigrants in the U.S. and in Canada. He is also interested in human capital accumulation and its dynamics with other labor market outcomes.

Professor of Economics, School of Business Administration, American University of Sharjah

Dr. Emin Gahramanov is a Professor of Economics at the American University of Sharjah (AUS), where he has been teaching since 2014. Prior to that, he held a position at Deakin University in Melbourne starting in 2008, after earning his PhD in Economics from Colorado State University. He rose to the rank of Senior Lecturer during his time at Deakin. His current research covers a range of topics, including intergenerational transfers, intertemporal optimization, rationality, economic growth, and taxation. He has published in leading journals such as the International Economic Review, Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Economica, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, and Oxford Economic Papers

MA in Economic Geography at UBC and Research Fellow at Stephen Jarislowsky Chair

Graham King is a Master of Arts student in the Department of Geography at the University of British Columbia. He graduated from Memorial University’s Business Administration program (BBA) and has worked with the Stephen Jarislowsky Chair at Memorial University for four years. His research critically analyzes the resource curse thesis: both how it operates in Newfoundland and Labrador, and how the work of the pre-eminent political economist Harold Innis may constructively and geographically engage such modes of theorizing.

Associate Professor of Economics, McMaster University, Assistant Professor of Public Health, University of Toronto, and Senior Scientist, Institute for Work and Health

Dr. Emile Tompa is a senior scientist at the Institute for Work & Health. Tompa is a labour and health economist with an MBA from the University of British Columbia, an MA in economics from the University of Toronto, and a PhD in economics from McMaster University. He holds appointments as an associate professor in the Department of Economics at McMaster University and as an assistant professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. Tompa holds a six-year funding envelope as the nominated principal applicant from the New Frontiers in Research Fund Transformation Stream for a social innovation laboratory called Inclusive Design for Employment Access (IDEA). The initiative is focused on skilling up employers to advance their abilities to tap into diverse talent pools, with a focus on persons with disabilities. Through IDEA and beyond, Tompa has focused much time on creating collaborations between academics, community members and other stakeholders, including policymakers at the provincial/territorial and federal levels, disability community organizations, and disability support program administrators. A key collaboration is the Disability in Work in Canada (DWC) initiative, for which he sits on the steering committee. DWC has developed a disability and work in Canada strategy and hosts an annual stakeholder conference and federal-provincial/territorial policy roundtable

PhD Candidate in the School of Industrial Relations at Université de Montréal

Jo-Ann Johnson is a PhD candidate in the School of Industrial Relations at Université de Montréal, working under the supervision of Tania Saba, BMO Chair in Diversity and Governance. Her research focuses on the labour market integration of Québec’s diverse immigrant community, organizational policies aimed at integrating newcomers, employment equity, and firm performance. She has volunteered with various immigrant communities in the past and has extensive work experience in areas of governance and legal compliance

CEO of Pestun Consulting; Co-founder, The Finance Cafe

Shannon is the CEO of Pestun Consulting and Co-founder of The Finance Cafe. She also is a Senior Advisor to the Diversity Institute.

Over her career, Shannon has worked with academic, nonprofit, industry and governments from across Canada to build a more inclusive economy. Her experience, advocacy and leadership have made her a sought-after advisor and trusted voice on inclusive economic transformation.

Shannon is an accomplished speaker who has spoken not only across Canada but internationally, sharing the challenges and successes of building an inclusive and sustainable economy. Her compassionate and warm expertise speaks across differences to show how together we can break down barriers, build sustainable partnerships, unlock innovation and create a more inclusive economy.

As a Métis woman, Shannon is passionate about reconciliation and the economic empowerment of Indigenous Peoples. In 2020, she created the Gifting Circle Bursary for Indigenous women entrepreneurs raising nearly $200,000 in support of advancing Indigenous women’s entrepreneurship in Canada.

Originating from the Métis homeland in Treaty 1, Shannon now resides in Treaty 7. She is a proud member of the Métis Nation of Alberta

President & General Counsel, Charity Village LTD. 

Mary Barroll is an online business executive and lawyer with a background in media, technology and IP law.  A former CBC journalist and independent TV producer, Mary was appointed President of CharityVillage Canada’s largest online job board, career resource and learning hub for charities and nonprofits in Canada in 2021. The appointment came after 8 years of service as General Counsel & VP of Media Affairs at CharityVillage and 25 years of private practice working with award winning television and film producers, broadcasters and digital media developers.  At CharityVillage, Mary merges her background in media production and content marketing with her business and legal experience to help job seekers become career ready with virtual tools, e-learning courses and online resources and to help employers attract, recruit and engage employees across Canada in both the nonprofit sector.  A soughtafter public speaker on talent acquisition, employer branding and employee engagement, Mary also hosts the national podcast, CharityVillage Connects.  The podcast explores vital issues impacting the nonprofit sector in Canada with subject matter experts and thought leaders to offer insights and solutions to help nonprofits and charities navigate challenges and deliver on their missions.  Wrapping up its second season, CharityVillage Connects was recently named a finalist for the 2025 Gold Quill Awards for best B2B Podcast by the International Association of Business Communicators.       

Abstract: Covid-19 changed the place where many workers worked, from offices and other business locations to their homes (WFH), where thanks to digitalization, powerful software including AI assistants, and the Internet, workers could avoid lengthy commutes and do their jobs at home. Firms found that WFH was more productive for some jobs but less productive for other jobs while in all cases saving costs on offices and other buildings. Since the location of work can vary in any time period, the stage would seemingly be set for a new postCovid equilibrium in the labor market with hybrid work locations, compensating differentials for WFH depending on worker desires, effects of WFH on productivity, and savings on office expenses. While some f irms and workers have adjusted to workers new preference for WFH, many major firms have insisted on return-to-office (RTO) practices in the mid-2020s over the objections of workers, creating a major fault line in the labor market in the foreseeable future. What is preventing the market adjudicating the differing desires of employers and employees? Who will win the RTO vs WFH battle over where workers will work? Will AI tip the balance to RTO or to WFH? This presentation will explore these questions in the never-ending struggle between labor and capital in economic life.

Richard Freeman, Herbert Ascherman Chair in Economics at Harvard University, Research Associate at NBER, and Faculty co-Director of the Center for Labor and a Just Economy at Harvard Law School

Abstract:  Despite fast growth in AI patents, Canadian productivity growth has ground to a halt. This could be due to slower growth in relevant Canadian research, in the conversion of this research into inventions or in the adoption of U.S. and European inventions. AI innovation could be less meaningful for growth than hoped or could yet revitalize growth with a lag. Since Canadian wages may have decoupled from productivity growth, these considerations may be of little import for Canadian workers on average. However, it seems likely that the advent of generative AI will disrupt the current pattern of returns to skills, creating winners and losers.

Jennifer Hunt, James Cullen Chair in Economics and Professor in the Department of Economics, Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences 

Abstract: This presentation explores AI’s potential as a general-purpose technology to drive innovation and productivity growth in Canada. It begins by analyzing micro-level evidence on AI adoption, revealing uneven uptake across firms and industries, along with its effects on product and process innovation. The discussion then connects AI to broader economic trends, including rising industry concentration and declining business dynamism, while assessing its implications for competition and market structure—key factors shaping AI’s aggregate productivity impact. To quantify AI’s influence, the presentation introduces a source-of-growth accounting framework, decomposing labor productivity growth into three components: skill upgrading (via task automation/ augmentation), capital deepening (investment in data/intangible assets), and multifactor productivity (MFP) growth (through technological diffusion and business dynamics). Finally, it benchmarks Canada’s performance in data, intangible assets, and MFP against the U.S. and Europe, offering insights into AI’s role in shaping cross-country productivity trends.

Wulong Gu: Senior Advisor in the Economic Analysis Division at Statistics Canada

Abstract: The impact of automation on productivity remains a subject of ongoing debate, with empirical studies yielding mixed results. Drawing on data from the 2019 and 2021 waves of the Korean Workplace Panel Survey (WPS), this study finds that automation has a positive effect on productivity. Our analysis highlights changes in occupational structure as a key mechanism linking automation to productivity gains. However, these gains are not evenly distributed: they vary significantly across industries and between unionized and non-unionized workplaces. Furthermore, the effect of automation is moderated by the intensity of worker training and the degree to which workers are involved in decision-making related to technology adoption.

Mingwei Liu, Professor and Associate Dean for Research at the School of Management and Labor Relations, Rutgers University 

Abstract: This paper examines the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption on labor market outcomes in China, drawing on comprehensive individual-level household survey data from 2010 to 2022 and an extensive dataset of two million AI firms spanning 2010–2024, obtained from China’s National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System. The study classifies firms as AI-related based on keywords in their registered business scope, including machine learning, big data analytics, cloud computing, data mining, virtual reality, natural language processing, robotics automation, smart home systems, voice recognition, deep learning, and autonomous driving. By merging these datasets, the analysis explores how the expansion of AI firms influences employment and wages. The paper places particular emphasis on regional heterogeneity, highlighting how variations in technological adoption and economic development across jurisdictions shape labor market outcomes. This research offers a novel empirical perspective on the labor market implications of AI diffusion in a rapidly evolving economy.

Carl Lin, Associate Professor of Economics and Director of China Institute, Bucknell University

Abstract: Since 2019, labour productivity growth in Canada has been abysmal. Between 2019 and 2024 business sector output per hour advanced at only a 0.4 per cent average annual pace, compared to around 1 per cent from 2000 to 2019 and of course much higher productivity growth rates before 2000. The objective of this presentation is to examine the reasons for the productivity drought or emergency, as it has been called by the Bank of Canada. The presentation also assesses the chances of Canada retuning to the pre-2019 productivity growth trend, either with or without policies targeted to improve productivity. Particular attention will be paid to the potential of AI to boost productivity, and to the impact of remote work on productivity.

Andrew Sharpe, Founder and Executive Director, Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS)

Abstract: OnSPARK (Ontario Supporting Partnerships to Advance Care and Knowledge; https:// onspark.ca/) is Canada’s largest (only?) long-term care (LTC) electronic medical record (EMR) datasharing platform. It is a secure, real-time, and AI-driven data platform that integrates clinical, operational, and workforce data from LTC homes to drive quality improvement, research, and policy innovation. OnSPARK is a learning health system for LTC, designed to leverage real-world data from, at present, over 200 homes and 90,000 residents for continuous care improvements and AI-powered decision-making. OnSPARK, and various ongoing initiatives using the platform, will be discussed.

Arthur Sweetman, Professor of Economics, McMaster University

Abstract:  Deep artificial neural networks—including LLMs—demonstrate impressive capacities. They can extend human cognition in various ways, support human judgment and be turned into a suite of virtual assistants. Many inferred from these advances that machine learning-based applications would have a profound effect on the economy and the job market, increasing both productivity and unemployment. Yet, contra the prognostications of several economists and tech leaders, AI adoption is much slower than predicted, and its effects on employment are hard to discern. I will argue that this is mainly due to the fundamental epistemic limitations of the best deep learning systems, as well as to the ethical risks that their deployment raises. If this view is accurate, it suggests that AI is unlikely to lead to massive unemployment, as the orientation that should guide public and private organizations that seek to implement AI technologies should be to ensure genuine human control over AI.

Jocelyn Maclure: Stephen A. Jarislowsky Chair in Human Nature and Technology and Professor of Philosophy, McGill University 

Abstract: This study compares self reported measures of telework between the 2015 and 2022 Statistics Canada Time Use Surveys and evaluates changes in hours of work and well being. Results from econometric models indicate that teleworkers in both years reported experiencing more stress relative to non-teleworkers. On the other hand, while teleworkers in 2015 were more likely to report lower life satisfaction, the opposite is true for 2022 respondents. Teleworkers also report working fewer hours.

Anindya Sen, Professor of Economics, University of Waterloo, and Acting Executive Director, Waterloo Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute (CPI)

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic led to a surge in the number of employees working from home in Canada and around the world. However, many employers have now implemented return-to-work policies to foster collaboration and boost productivity. Despite these recent changes, the effect of telework on productivity is not well understood. In this study, we provide nationally representative estimates of the effect of telework using a comprehensive data linkage environment from Statistics Canada. The data permit us to estimate changes in the share of employees working from home during the pandemic at the firm level and then track the resulting effects on sales and firm survival. We control for the endogenous adoption of telework using firms’ telework capacity—an exogenous measure of the share of employees who could in principle carry out their work from home. We find little evidence that telework capacity improves or impedes firm productivity and survival in the short run.

Derek Messacar, Associate Professor of Economics, Memorial University of Newfoundland

Abstract: The United States experienced an accelerated shift toward remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using ACS data (2010-2023) at the individual level and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Productivity and Technology database (2010-2023) at the industry level, this study aims to address the following two critical questions: What factors influenced its adoption, and how did it impact productivity? We find that remote work, which surged during the pandemic, was influenced by job characteristics and demographics and was associated with substantial productivity gains and wage premiums. Furthermore, remote wage premiums varied across employer types, industries, and occupations. As hybrid and remote arrangements become a lasting feature of the post-pandemic workforce, nuanced policy and managerial responses are needed.

Yanhong Jin, Professor in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics at Rutgers University

Abstract: This research surveyed 71,420 Quebec public service employees (April 2024) on telework impacts. Results show broad satisfaction, with 62% reporting higher productivity remotely versus 35% seeing no difference. Managers (n=2,690) held mixed views: 58% rated team efficiency as equal across settings, while 27% favored telework, though performance evaluation was deemed slightly easier onsite. Preferences for hybrid work diverged—63% of employees wanted 4-5 telework days weekly, while managers leaned toward 3 days (30.2%). Key benefits included reduced commuting (64%) and improved focus (65%), but challenges like isolation (44%) and weakened team cohesion (37%) emerged. The findings highlight telework’s popularity for work-life balance but underscore tensions in implementation, particularly between staff desires and managerial oversight needs.

Benoit Dostie, Professeur, HEC Montréal, Directeur académique, CIQSS

Abstract: This study analyzes immigrant earnings assimilation in Canada using census (1971–2021) and Labour Force Survey (2006–2021) data, focusing on employed individuals aged 25–55. While immigrants consistently earn less than native-born Canadians at entry, the gap has narrowed over time for most cohorts. However, significant disparities persist, especially for recent arrivals, women, and older immigrants, with incomplete convergence even after a decade. Earnings growth trajectories vary substantially by cohort, gender, and age at arrival, with sample selection strongly influencing observed patterns. The study also examines labor market integration through discrete choice models, revealing immigrants are less likely to hold high-income, full-time jobs and more likely to work in low-income sectors. Even after 10 years, many remain underrepresented in stable, high-paying roles, with notable gender and cohort differences in occupational choices. These findings highlight the heterogeneous nature of immigrant assimilation, driven by cohort-specific factors, institutional barriers, and regional labor market dynamics.

Xingfei Liu, Associate Professor of Economics, University of Alberta

Abstract: In Canada, hybrid work has significantly influenced product innovation, management complexity, talent retention, and operational costs, among other factors (Fang 2024). This study theoretically examines the trade-offs between remote work’s network externalities and the loss of agglomeration benefits, alongside cost savings due to remote work versus increased monitoring risks. We utilize Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey and remote work anticipation data (2023–2024Q1), and observe an inverted U-shaped relationship: a 1% rise in remote work increases wages by 4.818% initially, but this effect reverses beyond 10.78%. Instrumental variable (IV) analysis confirms causality with steeper thresholds. Industry heterogeneity is pronounced: Finance and Insurance peak at 7.83%, while Agriculture and Manufacturing decline at 0.91% and 1.96%, respectively. U-shaped sectors like Transportation (threshold=6.25%) highlight technology-driven efficiency rebounds. Mechanism tests further show stronger wage gains for parents of school-aged children, long-tenured employees, and full-time workers, while gender-dominated industries exhibit significant rigidity.

Emin Gahramanov, Professor of Economics, School of Business Administration American

Abstract: Remote work arrangements are powerful examples of an organization’s capability for using digital technology. This study uses data from a representative survey of Atlantic Canadian employers to assess three phenomena: how remote work changed over the course of the recent COVID-19 pandemic; the determinants of such changes; and the effects of such changes on business outcomes. Our results indicate that urban firms, technologically advanced firms in certain highly skilled industries, and firms that provided more flexibility to do remote work, were most likely to increase remote work practices during the pandemic. For the average firm,  an increase in the share of remote work was associated with increased organizational productivity, employee performance, and new product/ service innovation. The main downside was increased management complexity. Variation was seen along industry and provincial lines.

Graham King, MA Economic Geography at UBC, Research Fellow at Stephen Jarislowsky Chair Research Team at Memorial University of Newfoundland