Panel Discussions
The Future of Responsible Work in an AI-Driven World
This year's Responsible Leadership Day will focus on the potential impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the workplace. AI’s influence is expansive and continuously evolving, presenting organizational leaders and human resource (HR) practitioners with a spectrum of ethical and legal challenges. These challenges encompass AI’s effects on future career opportunities and expectations, including how AI-driven automation may reshape job roles and skill requirements. Additionally, issues such as equitable compensation practices and fostering inclusive workplaces are crucial considerations as AI integration progresses.
Panel Moderator: Dr. Stephanie Kelley
Dr. Stephanie Kelley is the Scotiabank Professor in Innovations in Business Technology and an Assistant Professor of Management Science at the Sobey School of Business at Saint Mary’s University, where she studies the ethics of artificial intelligence (AI). She investigates algorithmic and governance solutions and has projects on explainable AI, measuring AI governance, and AI ethics audits. She has worked with several organizations to implement AI ethics, including the Monetary Authority of Singapore, OSFI, Lululemon, Stewart McKelvey, and several Canadian banks. Before returning to academia, she held various marketing, sales, and analytics roles in the pharmacy and home hygiene industry at Reckitt Benckiser.
Panellist: Roshanak Sadeghi-Zadeh
Roshanak Sadeghi-Zadeh (she/her), CPHR, SHRM-SCP, LSSGB is an HR professional with over two decades of progressive experience in private, public and not-for-profit sectors. Presently, she holds the role of Director of People and Belonging at Izaak Walton Killam Health (IWK Health). In this role, she oversees all HR functions such as HR system management and technology modernization, workforce planning, recruitment and retention, HR and labour relations, learning and development, total compensation, volunteer resources, and centralized staffing office.
Roshanak’s academic background includes a Master of Science in Physics. She began her career as a high school science teacher. In the early 2000s, she immigrated to Canada from Iran, landing in Toronto, where she pursued her postgraduate education in Human Resources Management, Adult Education, Lean Six Sigma, and change management.
Her professional approach centers on intersectionality, striving to foster an inclusive environment that celebrates the full spectrum of diversity. Her mission is to contribute to the transformation of Nova Scotia into a welcoming and inclusive province, one organization at a time. Her areas of expertise lie in applying equity and diversity lenses to HR and Administrative policies, procedures, practices, HR systems, and programs to create a welcoming organization where everyone feels a sense of belonging.
Panellist: Saeed El-Darahali
Saeed El-Darahali is the President and CEO of SimplyCast, a leading provider of a self‑service, multi‑channel engagement platform empowering organizations worldwide to create, manage and track their own online and offline messaging. The driving force behind the company, he has helped it grow into a global success with clients in more than 150 countries.
A successful entrepreneur and thought leader in Nova Scotia’s technology economy, Saeed brings a wealth of experience in business and leadership to the Chair role.
Saeed serves on the Board of EduNova, an international student organization mandated to support post-secondary institutions and language schools to attract students to the region. He has served as a Board member for the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, Immigration Association of Nova Scotia, the Black Business Initiative, Digital Nova Scotia, and many others. Saeed has also provided advisory and consulting support to various organizations and programs such as the Government of Canada's Federal Innovation Round Table, the Wage Standard Survey, and the Bank of Canada. His career spans more than 20 years of experience in corporate financing, strategic growth, operations, sales, and marketing management.
An innovator by nature, Saeed’s many awards include recognition as a top 50 Atlantic Canadian CEO two years in a row. SimplyCast was a recipient of the Lieutenant Governor's Diversity and Inclusion Employer Partnership Award, and among many other honours, has also been recognized for leadership in youth employment and experiential learning.
Panellist: Sandra Pasquini
Sandra Pasquini is the Senior Vice President, Human Resources for Empire Company Limited. She leads the HR Business Partner team nationally, driving engagement and the employee experience across all of Empire’s banners. In addition, she is accountable for Talent Acquisition, Labour Relations, Integrated Health Management and HR Shared Services for the company. She joined Empire in 2022. Prior to Empire, Sandra was Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Rogers Communications. There, she led HR for Rogers Wireless, Residential and Customer Experience divisions, and she led National Talent Acquisition. Sandra holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from York University, she has her CHRP designation and she is an ACC certified executive coach who has a passion for driving change and building high performing teams.
About Empire
Empire Company Limited is Canada’s second largest grocery retailer. Key brands include Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland, FreshCo, Farm Boy, Longo’s, and Voilà by Sobeys. Empire and its subsidiaries, franchisees, and affiliates employ approximately 128,000 teammates, making the company one of the largest private employers in Canada.