Women In Leadership Luncheon

Date: Tuesday, May 27
Location: Sheraton Hamilton Downtown
Time: 11 – 1 p.m.

The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the YWCA, presents the Women in Leadership Luncheon — a platform to empower and connect women leaders across our community.

Join the conversation as we discuss leading through uncertainty, breaking barriers and building equity, and how women are drivers of economic growth.

Don’t miss this opportunity to network and elevate your leadership journey!

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Candace Laing | President & CEO | Canadian Chamber of Commerce  Candace is an accomplished executive with over 20 years of leadership experience across sectors including mining, manufacturing, agriculture, education, and healthcare. She has held senior roles in both the private and public sectors and brings a strong entrepreneurial focus on strategic initiatives that drive performance and long-term value. At Nutrien, she spent more than a decade leading Sustainability and Human Resources, serving on the Executive Leadership Team and spearheading the company’s ESG strategy. As Chief Human Resources Officer, she aligned people and inclusion initiatives with business goals. Candace joined the Canadian Chamber’s Board of Directors in 2019, served as Vice-Chair (2021–2022), and became Chair in 2022. She helped shape the Chamber 2025 Strategic Plan, a transformative vision for the organization. A proud Saskatchewan native with deep agricultural roots, she holds a B.Comm with Distinction and a Certificate in Public Policy Analysis from the University of Saskatchewan, a Master’s in Leadership from Royal Roads University, and a Certificate in Sustainability from Harvard. She is also a Fellow of Chartered Professionals in Human Resources (FCPHR).

Saher Fazilat | VP, Operations & Finance | McMaster University Saher oversees McMaster University’s administrative and ancillary services and ensures that all financial, physical systems and human resources are effectively utilized and contribute to the operational excellence of the university. Her portfolio includes over $5 billion in financial assets, 400 acres of land and over ten million square feet of building space. Through McMaster’s human resources services, the work and well-being of more than 11,000 staff and faculty members are supported. Saher trained as an engineer in India, receiving her BSc degree in civil engineering from Aligarh Muslim University and her Masters of Building Engineering and Management from the School of Planning and Architecture in New Delhi. She earned her MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University and completed Finance, Leadership and Change Management Executive training at Harvard. Beyond her work at McMaster, Saher is the Vice-Chair of the Board of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce. She also sits on the boards of McMaster Innovation Park and the Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO).

Tracey MacArthur | President & CEO | Hamilton Health Sciences Tracey is a distinguished hospital executive with more than 25 years’ experience in progressive leadership positions at several prominent, research-intensive hospitals in Ontario including University Health Network and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, having served at the latter as President and Chief Executive Officer prior to joining HHS. Tracey is a mission-driven, results-oriented leader who maintains a strong focus on quality improvement and patient and workforce safety. She has demonstrated experience advancing research and teaching in hospital organizations with an emphasis on collaboration and relationship-building. She is a champion of embedding equity, diversity and inclusion principles in all aspects of an organization’s operations.

Lisa Marcuzzi | VP, Corporate Affairs, Legal, and Diversity & Inclusion | ArcelorMittal Dofasco Lisa is Vice President, Head of Corporate Affairs, Legal, and Diversity & Inclusion at ArcelorMittal Dofasco, a role she assumed in 2022 after joining the company in 2013 as General Counsel. She became VP in 2015 and was named the company’s first Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer in 2020. Previously a partner at an international law firm, Lisa specialized in corporate law, M&A, infrastructure financing, and governance. At ArcelorMittal Dofasco, she leads communications, legal, government relations, sustainable development, trade, and D&I, and serves as Regional General Counsel for ArcelorMittal Canada. She sits on the company’s Pension and Audit & Risk Committees. Lisa holds a BA from Western, an LLB and MBA from Windsor, and completed Harvard’s Sustainability Leadership Program. She is a member of the Ontario Bar and an active member of her community as a member of the Legal Leaders for Diversity, a member of WGCC – Women General Counsel of Canada, a board of director member of Royal Botanical Gardens, and a national board of director member of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters.

For sponsorship inquiries, please contact Katie Stiel (k.stiel@hamiltonchamber.ca).

Event hosted in partnership with the YWCA: