Events

Nicole Boyer
Branch Manager - Commercial Lines, BrokerLink

Nicole leads the Commercial Lines team of Account Executives in the Foothills Region and brings over 24 years of experience across Alberta and British Columbia. With CAIB and dual provincial licensing, Nicole has built their career from personal insurance into commercial, spending a decade managing mid-sized accounts before moving into leadership and returning to their commercial roots in 2023. Nicole is actively engaged in the industry, serving a second term on the Alberta Insurance Council Appeal Board and as the incoming Vice President with the IBAA. Known for a client-first mindset, strong relationships with underwriters, and a people-centric leadership style, Nicole emphasizes mentorship, collaboration, and delivering an elevated experience for both their team and clients.

Courtney Brablec
Solution Consultant, Applied Systems

Courtney Brablec is a Solution Consultant at Applied Systems, supporting Canadian insurance brokerages in optimizing their workflows and technology strategy. With deep experience in brokerage operations, she translates real-world processes into practical, technology-driven solutions that improve efficiency, consistency, and user adoption.

Beth Gordon
Chief Execution Officer, Cornerstone Insurance

Beth began her insurance career in 2011, spending her first seven years as a dedicated Commercial Lines Account Manager. Her deep understanding of client needs, paired with a natural inclination for process efficiency, led her to transition into operations where her impact truly shines.

Now serving on the Operations Team, Beth specializes in system implementation, vendor relationship management, and optimizing company-wide processes. She brings a strategic lens to operational challenges, leading cross-functional initiatives that enhance both internal efficiency and client experience. With a strong focus on scalable solutions and organizational alignment, Beth plays a key role in ensuring that day-to-day operations support long-term business goals.

Beth draws on over a decade of industry experience to offer practical insight into operational strategy, change management, and technology integration. Her people-first approach and commitment to continuous improvement make her a trusted voice in conversations about sustainable growth and business transformation.

When not working, Beth enjoys a variety of sports including boxing, gymnastics, curling, and running. She also enjoys time with family and friends, especially around the campfire.

Matt Lane
SVP of Product Management, Applied Systems

Matt Lane is SVP of Product Management at Applied Systems where he is responsible for Epic, CSR24, Epic Quotes Personal Lines, and Applied Marketing Automation. Previously Matt led Product Management at Sabre Corporation serving airlines and travel agencies around the world. Earlier in his career Matt worked in consulting for Bain & Company and Fiserv. Matt holds a patent for optimizing results in digital marketplaces, an MBA from University of Chicago, and a BA from Vanderbilt University. Matt resides in Dallas with his wife and two daughters. He enjoys coaching youth sports, golfing, playing music, and skiing.

John McNeil
Program Coordinator of the Insurance Management Program, Humber Polytechnic

John joined Humber Polytechnic in 2017 as the Program Coordinator of the Insurance Management post-graduate certificate, helping develop it into one of Canada’s most recognized full-time college insurance programs.

As Program Coordinator of the Insurance Management program at Humber Polytechnic, John is passionate about shaping career-ready insurance professionals through industry-driven curriculum and practical, learner-centred education. By collaborating with faculty, technology firms, and industry leaders, he helps equip graduates with the skills, confidence, and professional readiness to succeed from day one.

John has built strong industry partnerships that have created student scholarships, licensing and technology sponsorships, work placements, and full-time career opportunities. He also partnered with industry leaders to develop two micro-credentials: the Insurance Broker: Commercial Account Manager program and the Disaster Recovery Manager CPL Certificate.

John holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, a Master of Education degree, and the Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP) designation.

Kari Montes
VP, Business Systems, Axis Insurance

Kari Montes is the Vice President of Business Systems at Axis Insurance Managers. She holds a Bachelors of Music (Distinction) from the University of Victoria, a Masters in Music Theory from the University of British Columbia, and has a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from Simon Fraser University’s Segal Graduate School. She also carries a Canadian Accredited Insurance Broker (CAIB) Honours Designation.

She is experienced in all lines of General Insurance. During her 25+ years insurance career, she has handled all types of Personal and Commercial insurance. She also has19 years of experience in senior insurance management roles and is passionate about using technology and process to solve business problems.

She currently serves as Director at Large on the Applied Client Network board of directors, the largest group of educators and advocates for users of Applied Systems Software such as Applied Epic.

When not at the office, she enjoys keeping up with pop culture with her teenaged twin boys and trains agility and nosework with her three dogs – Vortex, Stark, and Ahsoka.

Ross Pambrun
CEO of the Memphis Group

An international keynote speaker, Ross ‘MEMPHIS’ Pambrun is a talented, spirited, and engaging presenter who uses humour and storytelling to enhance his varied speaking engagements. Ross recently spoke at the ‘Wall Street Journal Future of Everything Festival’ in NYC about the social progress of Artificial Intelligence. An Indigenous Métis business leader, Ross is the CEO of a cyber innovation company, The Memphis Group, a 2023 Innovation Award winner for their artificial intelligence developed technology aimed at protecting communities and values at risk from wildfires. A popular emcee with experience as an actor and musician, he is skilled at connecting everyone in a room. Ross’ recent popular presentation topics have included awareness, application, and the challenges of artificial intelligence. As well as his leadership talks, Ross presents on topics around navigating the Indigenous landscape and strengthening Indigenous relationships along with building awareness amongst attendees. Ross proudly wears medals awarded from the Province of Alberta and City of Calgary for his 24+ years of service as a professional firefighter. Ross completed a 100-podcast-episode series interviewing guests from diverse backgrounds and recently completed filming a Treasure Hunting TV show ‘Red River Gold’ with plans for national broadcaster release on May 5, 2025. With a strong Métis heritage, Ross is keen to share stories and build on a growing narrative through new and engaging conversations. Follow Ross ‘MEMPHIS’ Pambrun’s journey and learn more about him at www.rosspambrun.ca

Amanda Recchia
Director, Product Management, Applied Systems

Amanda leads product strategy and vision for communications and workflow management domains in Epic. With more than 18 years of experience across a wide range of roles at Applied Systems she is dedicated to understanding and solving real-world challenges to improve workflow efficiency and elevate the service experience between agents and brokers, and their customers.

Tammi Shapiro
SVP and GM, Benefits Solutions, Applied Systems

Tammi is the SVP and GM for Benefits Solutions at Applied where she leads product and GTM for the Benefits business. Tammi has built her career in enterprise software, with a deep focus in the broader financial services and technology space. Prior to joining Applied she was the global head of product for financial services at ServiceNow where she launched and led strategy and product management for the banking and insurance industries. Her prior experience includes roles at Fiserv, CashEdge, American Express and A.T. Kearney. She received her BA from Northwestern University and an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Jessica Traynor
Vice President, Intelligence and Technology Operations, Platform Insurance

Jessica Traynor, Vice President of Intelligence and Technology, leads the Business Intelligence and IT teams at Platform Insurance Management with over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry. Platform is a Canadian-owned brokerage that stands at the forefront of navigating complex risk landscapes.

Prior to Platform, Jessica held various roles, starting out in the finance department before launching the business analyst team at a brokerage with over 500 employees. She has extensive knowledge in data migration, accounting, analytics, project management, and data strategy.

Jessica has been a long-standing Applied Client Network member, currently volunteering as the Alliance Leader for the Canadian Alliance and has participated on several committees with ACN.

Steve Whitelaw
Senior Vice President and General Manager, Applied Systems

Steve Whitelaw leads Applied Systems’ Canadian business and oversees client and partner relationships across the region. He brings extensive experience in technology and operational processes that empower brokers and insurers. Prior to joining Applied, Steve served as Vice President of IT Planning, Execution & Operational Effectiveness at Travelers Canada. He has been an active contributor to industry organizations, including HCAIP, and most recently served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for CSIO. Steve holds a bachelor’s degree in science and a master’s degree in kinesiology from the University of Waterloo.