Neil Bouwer is a visiting professor of practice at the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University.  He has served as an assistant deputy minister at the Canada School of Public Service, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Natural Resources Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Privy Council Office. He has also held executive positions at the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, Human Resources and Social Development Canada and the Business Development Bank of Canada.

Graham Flack is secretary of the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. He has held several senior executive roles within the federal government, including deputy minister of Employment and Social Development Canada, assistant deputy minister in the Department of Finance, acting deputy minister at Public Safety Canada, deputy minister of Canadian Heritage and deputy secretary to the Cabinet at the Privy Council Office.

Lori Wanamaker is vice chair at BC Hydro. Prior to her retirement in January 2023, Lori served as the deputy minister to the British Columbia premier, cabinet secretary and head of the B.C. public service. During her career, Lori served as deputy minister for the ministries of Finance, Children and Family Development, Justice, Public Safety and Solicitor General, Tourism, Culture and the Arts, and Labour and Citizens’ Services.

Michael Wernick holds the Jarislowsky Chair in Public Sector Management at the University of Ottawa. His 38-year career in the federal public service culminated in serving as the 23rd clerk of the Privy Council from 2016 to 2019. He is the author of Governing Canada: A Guide to the Tradecraft of Politics, published by UBC Press in 2021. He contributes regularly to several publications, and advises and mentors emerging leaders and students. He is a senior strategic adviser to MNP Digital Inc.

David McLaughlin has over 30 years of governance experience at senior levels in federal and provincial governments, including most recently as clerk of the executive council, cabinet secretary, and head of the public service in the government of Manitoba. In the past, David has served as president and CEO of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy and as a deputy minister in the governments of New Brunswick and Manitoba. This includes deputy minister of Intergovernmental Affairs in both provinces, deputy minister of Policy and Planning and secretary to the Cabinet Committee on Policy and Priorities in New Brunswick, deputy minister to the N.B. Commission on Legislative Democracy, and deputy minister for the Climate and Green Plan Implementation Office in Manitoba. He also served as executive director, Council of the Federation’s Panel on Fiscal Imbalance. He has served as chief of staff to the federal minister of Finance and the Prime Minister of Canada. David has a BA (Honours) from Mount Allison University, an MA in International Affairs from Carleton University and an MBA from the University of Bath, U.K.