FIRESIDE CHAT
DR. JOHN MILLOY
JUNE 5TH @ 7PM
JACK ASTOR'S (HUNT CLUB)
The Politics of Selling:
How salespeople and politicians have eerily similar jobs
Politics is about selling – your ideas, your vision and yourself. But just like real salespeople, politicians face many challenges; trying to get people’s attention in a noisy world; helping them understand the product and why they need it; dealing with competitors that distort the truth; and the disappointment of a public that often just doesn’t seem to be interested in buying what you’re selling.
Capturing the Ottawa spirit, we will be kicking off this year’s conference through a Fireside Chat with retired politician and political advisor John Milloy on the similarities between two of the oldest professions.
About Dr. John Milloy
From 2003 to 2014, John Milloy served as MPP for the riding of Kitchener Centre, holding several senior Cabinet posts in the Ontario government. He had previously worked on Parliament Hill, including five years on the senior staff of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien.
Upon retirement from politics, John entered academia, and holds positions at Martin Luther University College, Wilfrid Laurier’s Political Science Department, and the University of Waterloo's Master of Public Service Program.
KEYNOTES
OPENING KEYNOTE
ROGER KIRKNESS
CEO & CO-FOUNDER, CONVICTIONAL INC.
Trust Architects: Finding Signals in a World of Sales Noise
Biography
Roger Kirkness is CEO and co-founder of Convictional, Inc., on a mission to reinvent business operations with pro human AI. He led the founder sales stage, working with early customers and now leading a 12-person team with $28M USD in funding. Roger is also currently writing/co-authoring a book with Wharton AI Director, Stefano Puntoni, and two others about the decision context problem in business: misalignments between organizational goals, knowledge and decision-making processes. Prior to this role, Roger founded Modern Dropship and grew it to a company of 70+, raised $49 million USD and secured over 3000 paying customers. The business was acquired by Carro in early 2025 and he was recognized in Forbes 30 under 30 in 2023 for the impact of Modern Dropship and Convictional in Toronto tech. Roger has been married to his wife Jessica for 8 years, is father to 2 boys and resides in Waterloo.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-kirkness/,
IN CONVERSATION WITH...
Karen Peesker, PhD, MBA
Associate Professor @ Toronto Metropolitan University
Founding Director Ted Rogers Sales Leadership Program
WXN Canada Top 100 / Sales Coach
In the competitive sales world sales skills are needing to be more advanced and nuanced. Successful salespeople not only understand the basics of soft skills and technical areas, but they need to execute them in real world applications. Understanding how to take the learning and transforming it into an executable style, learning how to perform the subtle differences that win you sales and getting in the
About Nancy Dewar
Nancy Dewar is a sought-after Executive Coach and Keynote Speaker who engages audiences internationally through her experience and warm style. She is a Certified Executive Leadership Coach, PCC and Learning Strategist with a Masters of Education in Adult Learning and is a Certified Sales Professional, CSP. Her goal is to inspire others to the next level of greatest through leadership development, coaching and her Podcast Inspiring You.With a background in Coaching, Facilitation, Marketing, Academia and Business Development Nancy has a wealth of experience to draw from when working with clients and engaging audiences. Nancy is currently the Director of Professional Development at the Canadian Professional Sales Association.
