Q U E E N ' S B U S I N E S S F O R U M O N T H E F A S H I O N I N D U S T R Y
SPEAKERS
Through QBFFI, your passion becomes inspiration. QBFFI provides a platform to motivated individuals to grow, discuss, and become exposed to the surging business behind the fashion industry. Students who participate in the QBFFI conference are some of the brightest students from various faculties – not only from Queen’s University, but from universities all across Canada. If you choose to attend this groundbreaking conference, you will have the pleasure of speaking to a group of enthusiastic students who are the future professionals of the fashion industry. These are students that mirror the ambition and talent that have driven you to success, and will grow with the knowledge of your experiences. You will also have the opportunity to interact with other speakers from the industry who have been successful in their chosen fields. Finally, this is a chance for you to recruit and network with students from some of the top universities in the country who excel both in academics and in their extracurricular activities. The exceptional support from our past speakers has been a key factor in the success of QBFFI. Such encouragement has consistently enabled our conference to serve its purpose in motivating delegates to pursue their dreams of thriving in the fashion industry.
PAST SPEAKERS
QBFFI has been privileged to host some of the most influential and upcoming names in the fashion world. Engaging speakers educate delegates about all aspects of this dynamic industry, through both motivating keynote addresses and interactive seminars. QBFFI continues to attract industry leaders from both creative and business backgrounds. Some of the inspiring speakers that we have been honored to hear from in the past include:
Debra Margles
PRESIDENT // MICHAEL KORS CANADA
Debra Margles has over 25 years of experience in sales, marketing, business strategy and retail. After spending four years at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Business and Economics and a degree in Marketing, Debra landed her first job in NYC where she worked for designer Perry Ellis. In September 2001, she became the President of Kasper and Anne Klein Canada. In 2004, Debra resigned as President of Kasper and Anne Klein Canada and was hired to be the President of Michael Kors Canada. Debra’s leadership skills and her unparalleled sales and marketing strategy have allowed for Michael Kors to become the aspirational luxury brand leader in the Canadian marketplace.
Lacey Norton
HEAD OF RETAIL // KIT AND ACE
After receiving a business degree with a focus in marketing, Lacey began a career that afforded her the opportunity to be creative within her work and explore unique opportunities and experiences via the world of retail and design. After a 10 year career with Lululemon in roles that spanned across a variety of departments that ultimately finished up by establishing and running the companies design and ideas incubator called “the lab”. In 2014, Lacey joined Kit and Ace as the Head of Retail for North America and has been working to develop and design in shop experiences that connect people to the brand and culture.
JoAnne Barresi
GENERAL MERCHANDISE MANAGER // TJX CANADA
JoAnne is one of the Senior Vice Presidents, General Merchandise Manager for TJX Canada. She is responsible for the Beauty division across Winners, Marshalls, and HomeSense, and Merchandise Operations. Prior to her current role of Sr. Vice President, General Merchandise Manager, Beauty and Merchandise Operations, she was the Vice President, Divisional Merchandise Manager, Men’s Accessories and Active Wear, and the Vice President, Divisional Merchandise Manager, Ladies Hand- bags, Luggage and Beauty. JoAnne is always running something—whether it’s an executive business plan or a marathon. She loves athletics and is also an avid hiker and a huge football fan.
Andrea Stairs
MANAGING DIRECTOR // EBAY CANADA
As eBay Canada’s managing director, Andrea Stairs leads the Canadian strategy and operations of one of the world’s largest online marketplaces and Canada’s second largest e-commerce business. In this role, Andrea is responsible for cultivating eBay’s community of Canadian users -- from individual consumers to established brands and retailers -- and for overseeing all of eBay’s Canadian functions, including product management, marketing, business development, and public and government relations. Andrea was most recently head of marketing for eBay Canada, managing the brand’s marketing strategy and execution. She was also instrumental in launching eBay’s French-Canadian website and in leading the eBay Motors team in Canada.
Lindsay Cook
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING // JOE FRESH
Lindsay Cook has been with Loblaws for over 10 years. She was on Marketing Magazine’s top 30 under 30 marketers in 2012, and was the recipient of the Marketer on the Rise from the American Marketing Association, Canadian Chapter. She currently lives in New York City and oversees the global marketing for Joe Fresh, managing teams in Toronto, New York and Barbados. Since joining the Joe Fresh team, she has been involved in launching Freestanding Stores in Canada as well as launching the brand in New York City. She also helped launch the first global stores in South Korea, the Middle East and Mexico.
Dani Reiss
CEO OF CANADA GOOSE
Dani Reiss heads the iconic outerwear company, Canada Goose. Founded in 1957 by his grandfather, the company can be seen everywhere from the South Pole research facilities and the Canadian High Arctic to the streets of New York City, Stockholm, Milan, Toronto and Tokyo. The Canada Goose brand has built an international reputation for quality, functionality and style. Dani is also the chairman of the board for Polar Bears International, an organization that seeks to protect the iconic northern animals from the effects of climate change. Fittingly, the company has aligned itself with another Canadian icon – the polar bear.
INTERESTED IN SPEAKING?
Please feel free to reach out to either of our speakers coordinators. We look forward to working with you.
SPEAKER'S
PACKAGE
