The demands on CEOs are changing rapidly. Artificial intelligence, economic uncertainty, shifting workforce expectations and new competitive pressures are reshaping how CEOs make decisions, build teams and position their organizations for long-term success.
Join MacKay CEO Forums and more than 200 CEOs for an evening of candid conversations, practical peer learning and meaningful connections at The National Club.
Hosted by Peter Aceto, Forum Chair and President of Ontario and Atlantic Canada, and Nancy MacKay, Founder and CEO of MacKay CEO Forums, the CEO of the Future Summit brings together accomplished Canadian leaders who have guided their organizations through significant growth, disruption and transformation. Through focused keynote presentations, they’ll share the strategic decisions they’ve made, the challenges they’ve navigated and the practical lessons they’ve learned along the way.
Featured CEO of the Future Summit speakers:
- Andrew Caprara, President and CEO, Softchoice
- David Poirier, Founder and CEO, The Poirier Group
- Dr. Alan Ulsifer, Chair & Chief Executive Officer, FYihealth group
- Jonathan Hess, Partner, Investment Banking, Fort Capital
The evening will also feature a future-focused panel with leaders from MacKay CEO Forums’ National Partner community, exploring how CEOs can prepare their organizations for what comes next, followed by facilitated peer learning at each table.
Featured National Fireside Chat speakers:
- Shilpa Mishra, Managing Director, MNP
- Purdeep Sangha, Founder & CEO, The Executive Lab
Participants will have an opportunity to reflect on the ideas shared, exchange perspectives with fellow CEOs and explore practical implications for their own organizations.
The evening concludes with a networking reception, providing additional time to connect with speakers, partners and fellow CEOs.
What to Expect
- Featured keynotes from accomplished Canadian business leaders
- A moderated panel exploring the future of leadership and business
- Facilitated peer learning with CEOs and executives at your table
- Practical ideas you can apply within your organization
- Meaningful networking with members of Canada’s business leadership community
- Hosted food and beverages during the opening reception
- Post-program networking at The National Club
Event Details
Date: Monday, November 2, 2026
Location: The National Club
Address: 303 Bay St., Toronto, ON
Registration and Welcome Reception: 5:00–6:00 p.m.
Program: 6:00–8:00 p.m.
Networking reception: 8:00–9:00 p.m.
Food and beverages will be served during the welcome and networking receptions.
Seating will be at round tables of 10 to support conversation and peer learning throughout the evening.
Tickets
Early Bird Registration
$795 (available until September 1, 2026)
Member Registration
$895
General Admission
$995
Special Offer
Become a MacKay CEO Forums member by November 2, 2026, and we’ll apply the full value of your Summit registration (up to $995) toward your first-year membership dues.
This offer is available to eligible new members who join a MacKay CEO Forum by November 2, 2026.
Your ticket includes:
- Admission to the full summit program
- Opening networking reception
- Hosted food and beverages
- Featured speaker presentations
- National Partner panel
- Facilitated peer-learning experience
- Post-program networking reception
Attendance is limited and advance registration is required.
Ticket Policy
Tickets are non-refundable.
Should you be unable to attend, you may transfer your registration to another eligible CEO or senior executive by contacting MacKay CEO Forums in advance of the event.
Transferred registrations remain subject to the event’s eligibility requirements. Tickets may not be resold or transferred through third-party platforms.
Eventbrite processing fees and applicable taxes should be identified separately during registration, unless they are included in the advertised ticket price.
Who Should Attend
The CEO of the Future Summit is designed for:
- CEOs
- Presidents
- Founders
- Business owners
- Managing partners
- Executive directors
- Family Enterprise CEOs and Executives
To preserve the quality and relevance of the experience, registrations may be reviewed for alignment with the intended audience.
Featured Speakers
Andrew Caprara
President and Chief Executive Officer, Softchoice
Andrew Caprara is President and Chief Executive Officer of Softchoice, where he is responsible for implementing the company’s strategic plan and supporting the growth and success of its customers, people and organization.
Since joining Softchoice in 2014, Andrew has held progressively senior roles across sales, business development, operations and corporate strategy. Most recently, he served as President and Chief Operating Officer, leading the company’s go-to-market, sales and services functions. During his tenure, he has helped strengthen Softchoice’s position in the technology sector, deepen its strategic alliances and nearly double the organization’s workforce.
Andrew brings a background in sales, strategy and business transformation consulting, with particular expertise in executing operational initiatives and building high-performing cultures. Before joining Softchoice, he held senior roles with McKinsey & Company.
He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and an undergraduate degree from McMaster University.
David Poirier, P.Eng., P.Log.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, The Poirier Group
David Poirier is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Poirier Group, a management consulting firm specializing in business transformation, operational strategy and performance improvement.
David has held senior executive leadership roles across the retail, general merchandise, food distribution, health and life sciences, and manufacturing sectors. He is known for translating complex strategic roadmaps into practical action, aligning executive teams and leading large-scale transformation initiatives across Canada, the United States and international markets.
His approach combines process improvement with organizational and human alignment, helping businesses strengthen performance while building the internal capabilities required to sustain change.
David holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of Toronto and is a Professional Engineer and Professional Logistician. His professional recognition includes the 2024 Ontario Professional Engineers Awards Engineering Medal in Management, the IISE Captain of Industry Award and fellowship in both the Engineering Institute of Canada and the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers.
Dr. Alan Ulsifer
Chair & Chief Executive Officer, FYihealth group
Dr. Alan Ulsifer graduated from the University of Waterloo School of Optometry in 1990, where he received several awards for clinical achievement, including the Ontario Association of Optometrists Award for Excellence in Patient Management and the T.T. Beattie Award. He began his career Airdrie, Alberta and 4 years later moved to Grande Prairie, Alberta, as a founder and managing partner of Northern Vision Centre, which grew to become one of Canada’s largest independent optometric practices.
In 2008 he led the creation of FYidoctors, bringing together a large group of independent optometry practices into a single doctor-owned company. It remains the largest business merger in Canadian history by the number of companies involved. The premise was straightforward: in an industry being consolidated by outside capital, the clinicians should hold the equity and set the direction.
That company is now FYihealth group, with more than 380 locations across Canada under the FYidoctors, Visique, Solis Optics and BonLook banners, and an expansion into the United States underway. It has been recognized as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies at Platinum Club status, has ranked among Canada’s 50 Best Workplaces for three consecutive years, and has been named one of Canada’s Best Workplaces with Most Trusted Executive Teams — a distinction based entirely on what employees say about their leadership.
Dr. Ulsifer was named Ernst and Young’s Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year for Western Canada in 2008 and Canada’s Top Entrepreneur in 2012. He holds the ICD.D designation and has served on boards across the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors, including the Alberta Association of Optometrists, Sorus Orthodontists, Optometry Giving Sight, Rotary, and the Grande Prairie Chamber of Commerce. He currently serves on the board of Dermapure, the world’s largest medical aesthetics consolidator, which he was instrumental in forming.
He has spent close to two decades on a question that will be familiar to this room: how to align a large group of accomplished, independent-minded owners behind a single strategy, and keep them aligned through sustained growth.
Jonathan Hess
Partner, Investment Banking, Fort Capital
Jonathan Hess is a Partner at Fort Capital, where he specializes in investment banking and serves as a Dealing Representative. With more than 25 years of experience in corporate advisory, capital markets and business development, Jonathan brings extensive expertise in mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, capital raising, valuations and strategic advisory assignments. His transaction experience includes initial public offerings, follow-on offerings, buy-side and sell-side mandates, fairness opinions and strategic alternatives.
In addition to his capital markets background, Jonathan brings an entrepreneurial perspective shaped by his experience as a business founder and senior executive. Before joining Fort Capital, he served as Managing Director at Marckenz Capital Partners, co-founded Tree Global Inc. and spent nine years with Scotia Capital as Director of Investment Banking.
Jonathan holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management and a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College. Beyond his professional work, he has volunteered as a minor hockey coach for more than a decade and serves on the Board of Directors of Tree Global Inc.
Nancy MacKay
Founder and CEO, MacKay CEO Forums
Nancy MacKay is the founder and CEO of MacKay CEO Forums, an organization that provides the highest impact and least time-intensive peer support groups for over 1,300 CEOs, executives, and business owners across Canada and around the world. Since founding MacKay CEO Forums in 2005, Nancy has been dedicated to fostering inspiring leadership through confidential peer learning and support.
Under Nancy’s leadership, MacKay CEO Forums has built a community of over 1,300 members, facilitated by 60+ Forum Chairs, delivering an ROI of 708% through increased profit, employee retention, and customer satisfaction as measured by the ROI Institute Canada in 2022.
A seasoned CEO coach, dynamic keynote speaker, former university professor, and Forbes-published author, Nancy draws on more than two decades of experience working with thousands of CEOs. Her latest book, It’s Lonely at the Top: CEO Strategies for Inspiring Yourself and Your Team, published by Forbes Books, is an Amazon Kindle bestseller across multiple categories. The book offers a practical and candid look at the realities of leadership at the top, and the importance of self-leadership and peer support in sustaining high performance.
Nancy is also actively involved in her community, serving on the boards of the Genwell Project and the Rick Hansen Foundation Campaign Cabinet, and co-chairing the Vancouver Committee for Canada’s Great Kitchen Party. She holds a B.Math and a Master’s degree in Management Sciences from the University of Waterloo, and a Ph.D. in Business from Canterbury University in New Zealand.
Peter Aceto
President, Ontario & Atlantic Canada and Forum Chair, MacKay CEO Forums
Peter Aceto is a three-time CEO and currently is President, Ontario & Atlantic Canada, and Forum Chair at MacKay CEO Forums. He works closely with CEOs navigating complexity, growth, and leadership inflection points. In parallel, he provides select CEO- and board-level advisory and consulting services through Aceto Leadership Performance, supporting organizations during periods of transformation, scale, and strategic reset.
Peter was a founding member of Tangerine Bank’s (formerly ING Direct) senior leadership team and served as President and CEO from 2008 to 2017. During his tenure, he helped transform ING Direct from a monoline savings institution into Canada’s most trusted “everyday” bank, culminating in its $3.1 billion acquisition by Scotiabank in 2012. Prior to becoming CEO, Peter held senior roles including Chief Risk Officer, Chief of Staff, Chief Lending Officer at ING Direct U.S., and General Counsel at ING Direct Canada.
Following Tangerine, Peter has remained deeply engaged in Canada’s financial services and fintech ecosystem as an operator, investor, board member, and advisor. He has served as CEO on three occasions, including leading the successful turnaround of one of Canada’s largest mortgage brokerage businesses, Mortgage Alliance, restoring performance, stability, and strategic focus.
Peter is a board member of Fintechs Canada and is widely recognized for his leadership in customer-centric transformation, culture, governance, and risk. He is the author of Weology: How Everybody Wins When We Comes Before Me, a Globe and Mail bestseller, and has received numerous awards for leadership in business, design, communication, and human resources, including the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for contributions to Canada and community service.
Presented By
The CEO of the Future Summit is presented by MacKay CEO Forums, with the support of our Platinum Partners.
MacKay CEO Forums brings CEOs, executives and business owners together in professionally chaired peer groups designed to accelerate performance, strengthen leadership and create meaningful impact.