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What’s Next? From Full-Time Leadership to your Purposeful Third Act – Session 2

Date: September 15, 2026
Type: Online

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Offered in partnership with Purposeful Third Act (P3A).

The series will explore how to leverage a lifetime of strategic insight and networks to build a meaningful ‘portfolio’ of engagement – ranging from board service and advisory roles to civic leadership – and the societal benefit that ensues from leveraging leadership capital. Participants will be encouraged to view this transition as a period of active discovery, exploring how to align their skills and interests with new opportunities for impact and personal fulfillment.

Designing your Purposeful Third Act: How Executives can build their next chapter through practical pathways

Building on the mindset shift from Session 1, this session focuses on how to begin shaping a next chapter in practical terms.

Through real-world examples and peer perspectives, participants will explore the different ways leaders are translating their experience into meaningful engagement—across sectors, roles, and types of contribution.

The session will introduce a simple framework to help participants begin connecting three elements:

  • Their experience, strengths, and networks
    Areas of interest, curiosity, or purpose
    Opportunities to contribute in ways that are both meaningful and sustainable

The discussion will:

  • Highlight diverse pathways, including advisory roles, board service, mentorship, civic engagement, and new ventures
    Emphasize that this phase is often built iteratively—through exploration, testing, and refinement
    Provide a practical tool to help participants begin designing their own approach

Participants will leave with a clearer sense of possible directions and a practical starting point for shaping their own Purposeful Third Act.

Event Details

Date & Time: September 15, 2026, 13:00 to 14:30 ET

Audience: All Public Service executives across Canada and internationally are invited to attend APEX’s learning events

Cost: Free

Language: This event will be in English. Simultaneous interpretation will be available via Wordly, an AI-based interpreting service.

Platform: Participants will attend our virtual event via Teams webinar. A meeting link will be sent once you are registered.

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Meet the Panelists

Moderator: Lindsay Colley
Project Director, Purposeful Third Act (P3A)

Lindsay Colley is Project Director for Purposeful Third Act (P3A), a movement reimagining the stage of life after a full-time career as one of purpose, contribution, connection and joy. She also serves as Associate Vice President, ESG Strategy at Canadian Tire, and has a background spanning sustainability, philanthropy and social impact.

A CPA, CA, Lindsay has previously held sustainability roles at the Canadian Public Accountability Board, Tim Hortons and Ernst & Young LLP, and has taught corporate sustainability at both the University of Toronto and York University. Outside of her professional endeavours, Lindsay is active in her community and is committed to leveraging her background to build better systems and cities for people. She is a Director on the boards of Fred Victor and ParticipACTION and has previously served on the boards of Fairtrade Canada, the Toronto Public Library and the Canadian Environmental Law Association. She lives in Toronto with her husband and three active boys.

Danielle Lacasse
Former Public Servant

Danielle Lacasse has had a long career in the federal public service, where she has held senior management positions in various departments, including Library and Archives Canada, Public Safety Canada, Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, and Environment and Climate Change Canada. This diverse experience has enabled her to gain a deep understanding of complex issues and develop strong leadership skills.

She holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of Ottawa, where she also taught as a lecturer. She is the author of the published essay La prostitution féminine à Montréal, 1945-1970 (Boréal), a work that resonated with both academics and practitioners in the field. She has also published various articles in specialized journals in history and sociology. Her academic work focuses on social issues and violence against women.

Her civic engagement is a natural extension of her academic and professional background. A longtime feminist, she has served as chair of the board of directors of Maison Libère-Elles since 2022, an organization that supports women and children who are victims of violence.

In addition, she is the founder of Conservation Cantley, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting ecologically significant lands in her community and raising public awareness about environmental issues.

In short, Danielle’s journey combines academic expertise, professional leadership, and civic engagement, reflecting her contribution to society in the areas of social justice and environmental protection.

Suzy McDonald
Former Public Servant
Head of School, Stanstead College

A proud Stanstead College alumna (Class of 1995), Suzy McDonald enjoyed a distinguished public service career in the federal government, spending 16 years at Health Canada followed by senior roles at Finance Canada, the Treasury Board Secretariat and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. She finished her public service career as Associate Deputy Minister of the Department of Finance. Suzy holds degrees from Smith College and Carleton University. A former College board member and trustee, she returned to Stanstead College as Head of School in 2025.

Marty Carr
Former Public Servant
City Councillor, Alta Vista Ward, Ottawa

Marty Carr is City Counsellor, Alta Vista ward in Ottawa. Marty attended University of Alberta where she graduated with a B.A. (Major: French language and literature) in 1994. In 1997 she moved to Quebec City to undertake an M.A. in Applied Linguistics from Laval University. She moved to Ottawa in 1999 and began working for the federal government in 2001 at the then Department of Human Resources Development Canada. She subsequently worked at Canadian Heritage, Canada Border Services Agency and the Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada, where she worked as the Director of Planning and Communications until she decided to run for municipal office in 2022, taking a five-year leave from the Federal Government to do so.

Amanda Reaume
Advisor, Outreach and Engagement, Volunteer Canada

Amanda Reaume serves as the Advisor of Outreach and Engagement for Volunteer Canada. She is a seasoned nonprofit leader with over 20 years of experience advancing innovation, strategy, and equity in the social sector. Most recently, as Executive Director of Volunteer Lethbridge Nonprofit Leadership Centre, Amanda spearheaded initiatives that supported 90 organizations, grew the budget by 35%, and developed a nationally scalable volunteer management model. Her career spans leadership roles in nonprofit organizations, municipal government, and adult education, including positions with the City of Lethbridge and Mount Royal University.

Holding a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from the University of Guelph and a Bachelor of Management from the University of Lethbridge, Amanda’s contributions have earned the 2025 King Charles III Coronation Medal and the 2023 Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal. She currently serves as Board Chair of Volunteer Alberta.

Jennifer Gordon
Executive in Residence, Telfer School of Management
Executive Director, Telfer Executive Programs

Jennifer Gordon is an Executive in Residence at the Telfer School of Management and Executive Director of Telfer Executive Programs. Jennifer is a dynamic senior leader with over 25 years of experience in adult education, complex change, and professional services. She is passionate about providing high-quality, relevant lifelong learning and professional development, and is known for delivering results and driving organizational change. Jennifer has presented nationally and internationally as a subject matter expert on effective lifelong learning and continuing development approaches and competencies.

Jennifer holds a Master in Education (MEd) from the University of Ottawa and a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom Hons) from Queen’s University. She also holds Certified Association Executive, Certified Professional in Continuing Professional Development (Healthcare), and Prosci change management certifications.

As Executive Director of Telfer Executive Programs, Jennifer oversees Telfer’s executive leadership development programs and services for clients and individuals in the National Capital Region, across Canada, and internationally. She supports Telfer in advancing their mission and developing robust and innovative executive programming solutions for clients in the public, private, healthcare, and not-for-profit sectors.

Greg Richards
Professor & Interim Director, EBPM Program, Telfer School of Management

Professor Gregory Richards conducts research into organizational performance management, Business Intelligence and Business Analytic practices and outcomes in public and private sector organizations. He leads the Centre for Business Analytics and Performance that explores emerging technical and social issues related to analytics, Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence.

Professor Richards has taught Strategy, Organizational Behaviour, Human Resource Management, Organization Design and Change Management. He currently teaches courses on Managerial Analytics and Business Intelligence/Business Analytics in the MBA and EMBA programs.

Prior to his academic appointment, Professor Richards worked at Transport Canada and at Consulting and Audit Canada as well as with Cognos Incorporated. His tenure with Cognos included extensive work with clients in North America and Europe related to integration of technology into management processes. He also has over 20 years of consulting experience and is a Certified Management Consultant, a Fellow of the CMC-Ontario Institute of Management Consultants, and an Academic Fellow of the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes.

Jennifer Smith
President, Intergage Consulting Group Inc.
Follow, Certified Management Consultants of Canada

Jennifer Smith is President of Intergage Consulting Group Inc. and a Fellow of the Certified Management Consultants of Canada, the profession’s highest distinction. Over more than twenty-five years she has advised federal departments, Crown corporations, regulators and not-for-profits on strategic planning, governance, transformation and evaluation. She began her own career in the federal public service before moving into consulting practice.

A significant part of her work supports Canada’s reconciliation efforts. As a senior associate with Innovation 7, a wholly Indigenous-owned firm, she develops strategies that advance Indigenous self-determination, economic development and shared, sustainable outcomes.

Jennifer sits on the Board of CMC-Ontario and chairs its Eastern Ontario Council, where she is helping strengthen the standards, ethics and public credibility of the profession. CMC-Canada administers the Certified Management Consultant designation, the only internationally recognized credential in management consulting, and the professional code that governs it. For anyone considering consulting as a second career, it is the profession’s mark of trust.

She holds an MA in Public Administration from Carleton University, is Prosci change management certified and a Credentialed Evaluator with the Canadian Evaluation Society. She is an avid fitness and outdoor enthusiast.

Dr. Deborah Rosati, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D GCB.D, CCB.D
Award-winning Entrepreneur & Corporate Director
Founder & CEO, Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB)

Deborah Rosati, an award-winning entrepreneur and corporate director, has been described in three interconnected ways over her 35-year career: as a champion of corporate governance, a catalyst for change, and a builder of community.

As the founder and CEO of Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB), a social purpose company founded in 2015 with a bold vision to build a national movement, Ten Years of Trailblazing: Amplifying Women’s Voices, Transforming Boardrooms and Beyond, our mission is to connect, promote, and empower women to serve on corporate boards with confidence and courage.

Deborah is proud to amplify the voices of women leaders, board members, and professionals across Canada through education, mentorship, and allyship. She believes in the power of three: one woman in the boardroom is a token, two are a presence, and three are a voice.

Deborah’s dedication to inclusive governance and board diversity stems from her experiences as often the only woman in the boardroom. These firsthand encounters have reinforced her belief that greater women’s representation on boards leads to better business outcomes.

As innovative leaders, Deborah and her co-founders, Dr. Sherry Shannon Vanstone and Lara Zink, founded Women Funding Women Inc. (WFW) to address the funding gap facing women entrepreneurs.

Deborah’s commitment to sustainable change and empowerment, together with her broad governance and financial expertise and engaging demeanour, have made her a sought-after thought leader and speaker. Her perspectives on corporate governance, sustainability, inclusion, and social impact are clearly presented on her website, deborahrosati.ca.

Michael Maidment
President & CEO, Ottawa Community Foundation

Michael Maidment is President and CEO of the Ottawa Community Foundation, one of the city’s leading philanthropic institutions. Over two decades in the non-profit sector, he has led three major Ottawa organizations; the Ottawa Community Foundation, the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation, and the Ottawa Food Bank, giving him a rare vantage point on philanthropy at both the grassroots and institutional level.

Michael has also worked closely with government on policy. He sat on the roundtable that helped shape Canada’s National Strategy Against Human Trafficking and contributed to adding the trafficking-of-persons offence to the Criminal Code and has testified before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights and the Standing Senate Committees on Human Rights and on Finance.

His board leadership spans high-tech, health care, food security, and social services, including chairing Feed Ontario and co-chairing Food Banks Canada’s National Task Force on Governance and Structure, and he currently serves on the board of the Mississippi River Health Alliance. Michael holds the ICD.D governance designation.

Lori-Ann Beausoleil
Co-Founder, Board Diversity Network

Bio to come.

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