Opportunity Locks 2021: Tackling The Cybersecurity Talent Challenge

In honour of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the Government of Ontario is pleased to invite you to attend the annual Opportunity Locks event. This year’s event will focus on Tackling the Cybersecurity Talent Challenge.

In recent months, we have seen an unprecedented acceleration of digitization of business operations and the advent of digital-first both professionally and personally. Reliable data protection and cybersecurity have become cornerstones of economies around the world, and consequently, we have seen significant increases in the demand for cybersecurity products and services.

Even before the pandemic, the cybersecurity sector experienced a global talent shortage. Many industry leaders agree that tackling this cybersecurity talent challenge is crucial to ensure continued growth in the sector in Canada.

This event will be an excellent opportunity to network virtually with peers and meet some of the icons from the cybersecurity industry. You will also hear from Ontario’s leading experts on how to address the issues surrounding the shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals. Secure your future, today.

Agenda
9:00 a.m. – Opening Remarks
Anne Bermonte, Assistant Deputy Minister, Innovation, Scale-Up and Regional Economic Development Division, Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade
9:10 a.m. – Keynote Speaker
Jeff Musson, Executive Director, Coding for Veterans
9:25 a.m. – Industry Leaders Panel Discussion
Moderator: Charles Finlay, Executive Director, Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst, Ryerson University
• John De Boer, Senior Director for Government Affairs and Public Policy, BlackBerry
• Jonathan Gagne, Chairman and CEO, F8th Inc.
• Jenna Magnus, Manager of Human Resources and Corporate Communications, Digital Boundary Group
• Sem Ponnambalam, Co-Founder and President, xahive
9:50 a.m. – Q&A
Philipp Kornitzky, Senior Account Executive, Innovation, Scale-Up and Regional Economic Development Division, Ministry of Economic Development, Job