Alix Dostal
Executive Director, International Affairs Division, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

After working as an insolvency lawyer and as Chief of Staff to the Ontario Minister of Northern Development and Mines, Alix joined the federal public service in 2007 where she is currently the Executive Director of the International Affairs Division with the Treasury Board Secretariat.

Prior to her current role, Alix held several positions at Finance Canada including Senior Chief of Framework Policy and Chief of Financial Stability within the Financial Sector Policy Branch. She began her federal public service career at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (now Global Affairs Canada). Alix holds a J.D. from the University of Toronto Law School and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in Political Science from Dalhousie University.

Mike Milito
Assistant Comptroller General, Internal Audit Sector, Office of the Comptroller General, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Internal audit is a professional, independent appraisal function that provides feedback on government management practices and activities, at both the departmental/agency and horizontal levels. The function assists in promoting the overall effectiveness and efficiency of government operations and the transparency of decision making.

Taki Sarantakis
President, Canada School of Public Service

From 2016 to 2018, Mr. Sarantakis was the Associate Secretary of the Treasury Board, a statutory Committee of Cabinet that governs most governmental expenditures and program authorities. This appointment followed three years as Assistant Secretary, Economic Sector at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, where he was responsible for providing ongoing support and advice to 28 departments and agencies and 15 Crown corporations on issues related to science and technology, environment, venture capital, innovation, regional economic development, infrastructure, natural resources, transportation and agriculture.

Prior to this, Mr. Sarantakis was the Assistant Deputy Minister of Policy and Communications at Infrastructure Canada. During his time there, he played a major role in the policy design and program delivery for the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund, the Border Infrastructure Fund, the Municipal-Rural Infrastructure Fund, all program initiatives under the $33 billion Building Canada Plan and $5 billion of stimulus programming announced in Budget 2009, including the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund.

In 2011, Mr. Sarantakis was awarded Canada’s Public Service Award of Excellence in Policy, and in 2013 he was a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Prior to joining the federal government, Mr. Sarantakis was a Doctoral Candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto, and he also holds a B.A. (Specialized Hon., 1992) and a Master of Arts (1993) from York University in Toronto. He is a graduate of the Rothman School of Management/Institute of Corporate Directors Director Education Program, holding the ICD.D designation.

James Meddings
President, Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
MA Public Policy and Public Administration

For nearly 10 years, FedDev Ontario has actively worked to advance and diversify the southern Ontario economy through funding opportunities and business services that support innovation and growth in Canada’s most populous region.

As one of Canada’s regional development agencies, FedDev Ontario is a key platform delivering the Government’s Innovation and Skills Plan in southern Ontario, ensuring that Canadians living and working in the region have tailored support to seize opportunities created by the innovation economy.

The Agency has delivered impressive results, which can be seen in southern Ontario businesses that are creating innovative technologies, improving their productivity, growing their revenues, and in the economic advancement of communities across the region. Read more about the impacts we are having in southern Ontario.

Joanne Lalonde
Director General, Workforce and Workplace Management, Canada School of public Service
B.Com, Human Resources Management and Management Information Systems, 1994

Joanne joined the Canada School of Public Service in 2014. She is a seasoned leader with 28 years of public service experience, including numerous leadership positions at the director general level in large decentralized departments and central agencies. Before joining the School, Joanne was Director General of Human Resources Programs at the Canada Border Services Agency and Director General of National Client Services at the Public Service Commission. Previously, she spent 16 years at the Canada Revenue Agency.

Joanne’s main expertise lies in leading people and organizations, having led large-scale transformations and change initiatives. She has been the Head of Human Resources, the Chief Security Officer and the Head of Real Property over the last 3 years at the Canada School of Public Service.

She holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Human Resources Management with a minor in Information Management Systems from the University of Ottawa.