Work Your BA Speaker Bios
Daniel Seligman
Pop Montreal
Daniel Seligman was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1976. He has lived in Montreal for 13 years. He graduated from McGill University in the department of Religious Studies in 2000. He started his music career as a general schlepper for his brother’s band Stars shortly after graduating. This led him to booking, promoting and managing Stars for 3 years as their career took off. In 2002, while managing Stars, Seligman started a music festival called Pop Montreal with some friends and it is now a runaway success. After working with Stars for 3 years, he discovered the Unicorns and instantly fell in love, managing the Montreal weirdo pop sensations until their implosion in 2005. He has managed the eccentric Jewish hip hop artist Socalled since 2006. Seligman has continued his role as creative director for Pop Montreal booking artists as diverse as Patti Smith, Bun B, Loudon Wainwright III, Joanna Newsom, The Mighty Sparrow, Fever Ray,The Butthole Surfers, Metric, Mary Margaret O'hara and Roxanne Shante. He also remains firmly committed to working with emerging artists in Montreal and beyond booking shows across North America for artists like Plants and Animals, Braids, Malajube, Duchess Says, Think About Life and The D'Urbervilles. Through POP Montreal, Seligman has remained the promoter of record for The Arcade Fire in Quebec and has produced all their Montreal shows since the launch for their break through album Funeral in 2004.
Josh Tavlin
Sr. V.P. Group Creative Director
Ogilvy & Mather
I've worked at Ogilvy & Mather since 1992, starting as a Copywriter, working my way up to my current position of Sr. V.P., Group Creative Director. During this time I've headed up interactive teams as well as teams in the general agency, leading efforts on accounts as wide-ranging as American Express, IBM, SAP, Nestle, The New York Mets, GlaxoSmithKline, Sportsnet NY, Hershey, Delta Airlines, Ad Council, Miller Beer and Kraft. I was instrumental in introducing e-business to the world, and I was integral in putting Mr. Met on America`s Funniest Commercials. My work has appeared in CA, D&AD, the One Show, the Obies and Addy`s, to name a few. In between work and sleep, I teach digital advertising at the Pratt Institute. My experience is chronicled in: mypratlife.com Prior to earning a living, I attended McGill University in Montreal. Born and raised in New York City, I now live in Hoboken with my wife and two teenage boys.
David Lakoff
Manager, Corporate Communications NATIONAL Public Relations
During David's 30 years as a communications professional, he has implemented countless programs for private and public sector clients to build their reputation and manage contentious issues. After graduating from university, he worked for several years as a public affairs manager for a major Canadian bank. He joined NATIONAL Public Relations in 1994, and has since then been involved with client mandates in the fields of energy, banking, health care, insurance, resources, transportation, telecom, broadcasting and engineering, among others. David is a seasoned corporate writer with expertise in virtually every format, including speech-writing, by-lined articles and opinion pieces, corporate and product brochures, annual reports, presentations and business plans. He has assisted several of Canada’s business leaders in communicating their views through major speeches, articles and media interviews. David has an MBA, BA and Diploma in Education from McGill University. He mentors NATIONAL staff to develop their writing skills and provides a speechwriting workshop to the Ontario Government. He has spoken at conferences on issues management and stakeholder relations. He is married with three children, resides in Toronto and has a lifelong love affair with Montreal.
Hugh Walker, McGill B.A. (Honours) in Economics and History (1959)
Adjunct Professor of Health Economics
Queen’s University
Hugh Walker is an adjunct Professor of Health Economics in the Departments of Oncology and Community Health and Epidemiology in the Medical School at Queen’s University in Kingston. He was the principal economist with the NCIC Clinical Trials Group for ten years, and is now a Principal Investigator in the Cancer Care and Epidemiology division of the Queen’s Cancer Research Institute. He teaches the “Leadership and Management” course in the Masters of Public Health program at Queen’s and for several years taught “The Canadian Cancer System and Public Policy” and “Simulation Modeling for Health Care” in the Queen’s School of Policy Studies. Hugh is also a consulting health economist which he carries on through Walker Economics Inc. The firm specializes in the development of management tools for the Canadian health system, particularly simulation and optimization modeling tools to improve health system performance. He has 20 years experience as a senior official and deputy minister in the areas of health, finance, and occupational health and safety with the provincial governments of Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Hugh received his Ph.D. in Economics (1967) from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, his B.A. (Honours) in Economics and History (1959) from McGill, and taught health economics for over forty years at Vanderbilt, Indiana, McMaster, Toronto and Queen’s.
Jeremy Wiseman, McGill BA '96 History, McGill MBA '03
Senior Manager - Business Development
BCA Research
After receiving his BA in History from McGill in 1996, Jeremy Wiseman worked as an analyst in the business development group for an electronics company, and as a manager/director for an internet company. He received an MBA from McGill in 2003 and was a Consultant and Partner in the McGill Business Consulting Group. Jeremy is currently the Senior Manager for Business Development at BCA Research, an independent global investment research firm.
Karen Caplan Altfest, Ph.D.
Karen is a Principal Advisor and Executive Vice President of Client Relations. She helps many of the firm’s clients on a variety of investment and financial planning issues. Karen is frequently a speaker on the subject of women and money and conducts educational seminars for recent widows and people looking to retire. She is often interviewed by the national media and wrote a monthly Financial Question and Answer column for All You magazine. Her Financially Savvy Woman™ programs, including the Women’s Financial $pa™, are popular with clients. Karen’s most recent book, Keeping Clients for Life, was published by John Wiley & Sons in 2001. An earlier book, Lew Altfest Answers Almost All Your Questions About Money, which she co-wrote, was published by McGraw-Hill and was named one of the best financial planning books by Money magazine. Worth magazine named Karen one of the “Best Financial Advisers” in the United States. She has been named one of the “120 Best Financial Advisers” by Medical Economics, and selected as “Planner of the Month” and one of “100 Top Advisors” by Mutual Funds magazine. Wealth Manager named Karen one of the “50 Distinguished Women in Wealth Management” in 2008. She is also listed in “Who’s Who of American Women” and in 2007 was awarded the Thornton Award by the Ph.D. Alumni Association of the Graduate Center of the City University of New York in recognition of her skills in combining the business world with that of academia. Karen received her Ph.D. in history from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. She also holds M.A. and B.A. degrees from Hunter College, is a graduate of McGill University in Montreal, and holds the CFP® designation. She is a member of the Financial Women’s Association and serves as Treasurer of Temple Shaaray Tefila in Manhattan. Karen is a member of the Professional Advisory Council of the Central Park Conservancy, sits on McGill’s Alumni Board of New York, and is a founder and former chair of the Yorkville Common Pantry. Karen is a former President and Chairperson of the New York Chapter of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) and a former Chairperson of the Northeast Region of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA). She was the co-Director of the Financial Planning and Investments Program at The New School in New York City and the Coordinator of the Certified Financial Planner™ program, a professional program for financial planners, which she originated at Pace University in White Plains, New York.
Anita Nowak
Director of Advancement & Alumnae Relations
The Study
Anita Nowak is currently the Director of Advancement & Alumnae Relations for The Study, in Westmount, Quebec. Prior to this role, she worked in the Development, Alumni & University Relations office at McGill University, heading up the fundraising efforts for the Faculty of Education (2005-7) and leadership giving at the Desautels Faculty of Management (2004-5). Anita joined McGill after many years in the private sector where she gained a wide range of experience in Corporate Communications & Speechwriting, New Business Development, Strategic Marketing and Event Planning. Anita graduated from McGill with a Bachelor of Commerce (1997), completed a Graduate Diploma in Communication Studies at Concordia (1999), obtained a Master’s in Media and Communication Studies from Nanyang Technological University (Singapore, 2001) and is currently pursuing her PhD in the Department of Integrated Studies in Education at McGill.
Arnav Manchanda
Director, Business Capture and Analytics
SecDev Group
Arnav Manchanda directs business capture and analytics for the SecDev Group, a Canadian operational consultancy. He is also a defence policy analyst at the Conference of Defence Associations, a Canadian defence advocacy group and think tank. Arnav holds a Master's in political science from McGill University. During university he was involved with Model United Nations activities and worked with students with learning disabilities. He was an intern at United Nations Headquarters in New York with the Department of Political Affairs, analyzing Security Council-related issues. He lives in Montreal.
Christine Herr, McGill BA ’06, Major in Anthropology, Minor in History
Christine has experience working for two African nonprofit organizations locally based in Ghana and Malawi. After graduating from McGill in 2006, Christine participated in a Canadian International Development Agency Internship and worked with the organization Pro-Link in Ghana. Christine later studied International Project Management at Humber College in Toronto and then took part in a professional volunteer program in Malawi. Christine worked as a Resource Mobilization Advisor with the Malawi Network of AIDS Service Organizations (MANASO). MANASO is a local nonprofit organization that is dedicated to mitigating the impact of the AIDS epidemic in Malawi and reducing the HIV prevalence rate through coordination, capacity building, mobilization and allocation of resources to AIDS Service Organizations in Malawi. MANASO was established in 1996 and is a member of the Southern African Network of AIDS Service Organizations.
Emma Williams, McGill B.A Political Science & Urban Geography 2010
Level One Citizen Service Office
Service Canada
Emma Williams is currently a level one Citizen Service Officer for Service Canada working at the Youth Café office. She got her start in the Federal Public Service while she was completing her B.A in Political Science and Urban Geography (2010) at McGill University. She enrolled in the Federal Student Work Experience Program in the Winter of 2008. In early 2009 she began working for Service Canada part time during the school year and full time during the summer months at different offices on the Island of Montreal until her graduation when she was bridged into her current position.
Kanwal Hayat, McGill BA Political Science & Economics 2008
Acting Team Leader CSC
Service Canada
I graduated from McGill with a B.A. in Political Science and Economics in May of 2008. I have been working with the public service since 2006. I started through the FSWEP program which is a program intended for students to get experience with the Public Service. Before graduating, I was working at the National Call Center in Montreal on a part time basis and was bridged to become a full time contractual employee as soon as I graduated. Since then, I have moved from the Call Center to a local processing Center where my position is that of an Agent II. My job is to interpret and apply the Employment Insurance law to cases that seem to be in a grey area. Since December of 2010, I have accepted a temporary position and am managing a team of Agent IIs until March 31st 2011.
Honorable Eleni Bakopanos, McGill BA Polical Science & History
Senior Director of Government Relations, McGill University
Eleni Bakopanos was first elected to the House of Commons in 1993 as the Member of Parliament for Saint-Denis and is the first Greek-born woman to be elected to Parliament. She was the Member of Parliament for Ahuntsic from 1997 to 2006. From 2006 to 2008 Ms. Bakopanos acted as special advisor for caucus to the Honourable Stéphane Dion, Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and worked in the Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition of the House of Commons of Canada. Ms. Bakopanos has served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development with special emphasis on the Social Economy (2003-2004); as Assistant Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons (2001-2003); and as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada (1997-1999). In July 2004, the Right Honourable Paul Martin, Prime Minister of Canada, appointed Ms. Bakopanos a member of the Privy Council and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Social Development with special emphasis on the Social Economy. She has also been Chair of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration and Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage in addition to serving on several other Standing Committees of the House of Commons of Canada, most notably Foreign Affairs and International Trade as well as Justice and Human Rights. Ms. Bakopanos has been a tireless advocate for issues related to social justice and social cohesion, equality, the fight against poverty, at-risk youth, seniors, new immigrants, and domestic and international human rights. Ms. Bakopanos is presently Senior Director for Government Relations at McGill University. Ms. Bakopanos holds a Bachelor of Arts with honors in political science and history from McGill University, where she also studied law. She is married and is the mother of two daughters.
Anne Sowden, AICI CIP
Image Specialist, Here’s Looking at You
Approachable and practical, Anne specializes in helping men and women present themselves with more confidence and impact. She also helps businesses ensure that their employees represent them in a way that is consistent with their brand. This includes: image enhancement advice, verbal and non-verbal communication skills coaching, and etiquette training.She is a Certified Professional Member of the Association of Image Consultants International (AICI) and a Past President of the Canada/Toronto Chapter. A recognized expert, Anne is often quoted in the media including The Globe and Mail, The National Post, The Toronto Star, AM 640, CFTO-TV, CTS TV and Canadian Business Magazine. As one of North America’s top corporate image experts, she was asked to contribute to Executive Image Power. This book is the key ingredient to building professional confidence, making a great impression and advancing your career in every meeting.
Bernard Rudny, McGill BA. 2009 History and Phychology
Bernard Rudny is the Elections and Program Strategy Coordinator for Apathy is Boring, a national non-profit that uses art and technology to educate youth about democracy. His daily work is a mixture of project management, political research, and caffeine consumption.
Though he spent most of his time at McGill writing and editing articles for the Daily and the Tribune, Bernard nevertheless received a B.A. in 2009 with concentrations in history and psychology. He currently lives in Montreal, and his name is an anagram of Run, Nerdy Bard.
Anurag Dhir, Concordia BA Political Science & McGill MA Integrated Studies in Education
Anurag Dhir is coordinator of the Community Action Toolkit (CAT), an initiative of McGill Student Services designed to create links between students and community organizations around Montréal.Launched in 2009, CAT focuses on various aspects of community-based learning and engagement as launching points for leadership development, social action, and personal inquiry. Upon earning a BA in Political Science from Concordia University, Anurag went on to work as a public relations/communications officer in the IT industry; as Managing Editor of Ascent Magazine, an independent, award-winning quarterly; as a published freelance writer in Matrix Magazine, the Hour and Mirror; in broadcast journalism as co-host and reporter for local television station CJNT; and as a video/film artist. Anurag is currently an MA student in the Department for Integrated Studies in Education at McGill University.
Cheryl-Jade Domingo, McGill BA2005: International Development Studies, minor in Italian Civilization
Part of the new generation of event professionals, Cheryl-Jadeunderstands the importance of relationships and network building incorporate and fundraising event planning. A McGill University graduatein International Development Studies, she has used her travel
experience and multi-disciplenary education to leverage herrelationships with clients and suppliers alike to create unforgettableoccasions for her high-profile clients. After 5+ years as an event producer and consultant to major corporations, she has recentlydecided to join forces with another dynamic woman to start their ownbrand of event services, producing occasions both in Montreal, Canadaand abroad.