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I have over 25 years of strategic leadership experience consistently driving domestic and…
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Scott Ray reposted thisScott Ray reposted thisA BIG birthday calls for a LITTLE SickKids! 🎈 We're so excited to unveil a special birthday gift from our friends at Little Canada! Little SickKids is comprised of two of the buildings that make up The Hospital for Sick Children's campus – The Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, and the Slaight Family Atrium. This addition to the Little Toronto skyline also marks Little Canada’s very first little hospital! 🥳 Stay tuned for more little surprises coming soon!! 👀 #SickKids150
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Scott Ray shared thisSupport Canada. Support Local. Take your family and friends to see the spectacular tribute to all things Canadian.... Little Canada!! you will love it.Scott Ray shared thisWe’re all about supporting local and excited to kick off the Mini Media Made In Canada Spotlight - our new initiative to help Canadian-owned businesses shine! 🌟 Each month, we’ll be featuring one amazing business on our miniature digital billboards within our little world. 🇨🇦 First up: North Halton Reserve’s Paul & Karin West from Georgetown, ON! Their family-run sugar bush produces Little Canada’s very own Little Batch maple syrup, and we’re putting them in the spotlight all April long. 🍁🥞 Look for their ads featured on the digital billboards located in high traffic areas around the "country", and grab a bottle of their delicious, sustainably made syrup in our gift shop year-round! Interested in being featured? Canadian-owned businesses can submit their brands for consideration by filling out the Made In Canada Spotlight form, and learn more about Mini Media here: https://lnkd.in/eW9M6-GH. Little Canada will aim to feature businesses of different sizes, sectors and services from across the country, and will contact selected businesses to confirm and coordinate their ad placements. #MadeInCanada #SupportLocal #MiniMediaSpotlight #LittleCanada
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Scott Ray reposted thisScott Ray reposted thisWe are actively #hiring! Know anyone who might be interested?
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Scott Ray shared thisonce again #TonyChapman captures the essence of the challenge facing us as a Nation. what will we EACH do about repairing the frayed edges of our flag. Let's put our energies to reuniting from coast to coast and making our country the best we know it can be!Scott Ray shared thisSixty years ago, our new flag symbolized a nation built on unity, opportunity, and shared prosperity. At the time, a country of only 20 million buikd make the St Lawrence Seaway in five years and most of the Trans Canada Highway in a decade—two years later, Expo 67. A flag stitched on a backpack opened the arms of strangers worldwide. We created global brands like Blackberry, Nortel, Cirque De Soliel, Couche Tarde, Alcan, McCains, Bombardier, Magna, Canada Goose, Shopify, and many more. Our creative talent won top honours at the Grammys, Oscars, Cannes, and Emmys. We also built the Space Arm, Video Gaming, and AI. We dominated global mining, created massive energy projects and fed the world. Our banks stood firm against the 2008 Financial Crisis. Canada was the peacekeeper of the world. Our flag has not weathered well in the past decade—not because of time but because of us. We’ve allowed the left and right edges to fray. We have become deeply divided and easy to distract and deflect. We are increasingly indifferent to the lack of transparency, accountability, and global influence in our democracy, as well as the debt we have permanently duct-taped to our future generations. Affordable housing is now a tent, food banks are the new drive-through, and crime pays today. Billion have been spent preaching idealogy here and worldwide, and so little has been invested in Canadians and the ideas to power our new economy. We have no one to blame but ourselves for becoming so frayed. It’s not the Americans or any other external force squandering Canada’s potential—it’s us. It’s time to start stitching our flag back together, to reweave the fabric of this great country with a commitment to what truly matters: Purpose and Prosperity Opportunity and Shared Wealth Accountability and Action Complete transparency as to where our tax and borrowed dollars flow. Freedom to speak and protest. Canada’s future depends on you and me. Let’s ensure that when our flag flies for its next milestone, it represents a strong, united, and leading nation—not one being shredded. Thoughts? #CanadaAt60 #PurposeAndProsperity #TimeForChange #flag #MapleLeaf
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Scott Ray shared thisonce again Tony hits the nail RIGHT on the head. Canada... time to get into gear and set a new growth course for our nation!Scott Ray shared thisCanada: It’s Time. We can lament a wasted decade, complain about lost opportunities, and complain about our differences. However, looking in the rearview mirror will not drive us forward. Canada and America are no longer partners. “Without this massive subsidy, Canada ceases to exist as a viable country.” That wasn’t from a dictator—it was from the President of the United States. The message is clear: cripple us economically or absorb us entirely. Canada. How do we react? With positivity and possibility. With bold, decisive action. With new allies. How: First, democracy still exists in North America. 1)Recall government. Liberals choose your leader. At the end of March, we have a national election. Throwing on more band-aids to hide our festering wounds is time and money we do not have. 2) Elect Red or Blue, I don't care. I care about boldness, speed, decisiveness, ideas, parking egos, and ideology. 3)Raise voters' financial literacy. 'There is no such thing as government generosity.' Everything we spend is due to taxpayers and their ability to underwrite more debt, a lifetime of servitude for future generations. 4)Stop spraying money like an unneutered cat. Cut billions in waste. Feed Canada versus feeding the government machine. Use AI to drive efficiency and transparency. 5)Our Loonies stops here. Every government contract stays here. $17 billion for multinational consultancies? Repatriate that money and invest in Canadian IP. Creativity and media - buy Canada. Wine and spirits. Small Business. 6)Repatriate world organization fees and invest in focused trade missions. 7)Strike and honour exclusive international deals for our food, rare minerals, uranium, lumber, content, and energy. 8)Build pipelines to the East and West Coasts with Ontario Steel. Refinery. 10)Scrap the carbon tax. Cut personal and business taxes. 11)Free trade across all provincial borders. 12)Rally our immigrants and their network abroad. Positivity and Possibility: We no longer need scale. The new economy is based on agility, flexibility, adaptability and capital. In a decade, we can be a superpower in ingenuity, AI, Content, food, rare minerals, energy, preventative healthcare, longevity, Indigenous medicines, data centres, nuclear, sustainability and more. In two decades, debt free. Tear out the rear-view mirror, hoping America will bring us into a deal we like or can trust. Accept that Trump sees America as his and the borders as his moat. He wants a toll to enter. He is very confident in America's might. He will be either very right or very wrong. Regardless. Trump sees Canada as something he can mug. I see the world moving on and away and Canada leading the charge. Pura Canada. If you are interested the 10-minute keynote I delivered at Excellence Canada, - https://lnkd.in/gv5ACW_T It’s about where Canada was, where we are, and where we can be. #chatterai #tarrifs #Trump #51ststate Rob Sacks
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Scott Ray shared thisAlison, Fantastic accomplishment !! Well done. Never a doubt in my mind of your superb capabilities.Scott Ray shared this🌟 I am truly honored to be named one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award Winners by the Women's Executive Network (WXN) in the "Dean Davidson C-Suite Executives" category. Being recognized among such an inspiring cohort of visionary and bold women leaders who are shaping the future is truly a pinch-me moment! This award celebrates women in the C-Suite who make significant strategic impacts within their organizations, and it’s humbling to be included in this powerful group. A heartfelt thank you to my incredible business partner, Jennifer Ménard-Shand, for creating a company that champions growth and empowers every member to reach new heights. Together, strategizing for this team is a joy and a journey that continually inspires me. Thank you, WXN, for this honor—and congratulations to my fellow award recipients. Here’s to all the bold, visionary women leading the way! 🌠 #WXNTop100 #WomenInLeadership #AnswerTheCall #BeBold Press Release: https://lnkd.in/gXB3pJFt List of Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award Winners: https://lnkd.in/gXNSjuWr
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Scott Ray shared thisMany thanks to Metro for their generous participation in the Luce Initiative golf event June 24th. Companies like Metro are making a real difference in the lives of those youth and their families struggling with the challenges and pressures imposed through mental health. Thank You, Thank you! #MetroCompactorService #Luceonthelinks #familynavigation #SunnybrookScott Ray shared thisWe're Teeing Up for Mental Health at Luce on the Links! ⛳️🏌️♀️ We're proud to announce our support for The Luce Initiative for #MentalHealth as a hole sponsor for their upcoming "Luce on the Links" Golf Tournament on June 24th at the Lambton Golf & Country Club. It's more than just a day on the greens - it's about raising crucial funds and awareness for mental health initiatives in our community. All proceeds will go to the Family Navigation Project at Sunnybrook, an organization that provides expert navigation of the mental health and addictions service system for youth and their families, who are living in the Greater Toronto Area. We invite our network to join us in making a difference. Learn more about the tournament and register your team here: https://lnkd.in/gcWHMA25 Together, let's drive positive change and ensure everyone has access to the care they need. #LuceOnTheLinks #MentalHealthAwareness #CharityGolf #CommunitySupport #MetroCompactorService
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Scott Ray shared thisTony references some of his guests such as Sylvia as sources of inspiration but I also think all those who follow Tony Chapman and Chatter That Matters realize that Tony constantly challenges our thinking and provides inspiration over and over. If you don't know his work the answer is simple: subscribe to Chatter That Matters and your personal ROL (Return on Life) will increase. Here's to you my Friend. See you back home soon.Scott Ray shared thisSunday reflections. It's April 14, and I changed my life this year. The question I ask myself is, can I maintain it? I have spent the past ten weeks with my wife and our two dogs, working from Costa Rica, but we will return at the end of next week. I am hosting a conference in Vancouver, a stop in San Francisco to see my daughter, her husband and my grandson, and several gigs in May in Toronto. Down here, it is easy to ignore the news and skip over the posts that show the decline of a country I love dearly or how, in our public service, self-interests now triumph over serving the people. I worked my entire career to be here, but time in Costa Rica has not been a holiday. I have yet to take a day off in 2024. But without these negative distractions, I feel refreshed and alive—more mentally and physically healthy than at any time in my life. My clarity and synthesis ability have never been sharper, and I have an insatiable appetite for doing even more. I am sometimes almost manic—with too many ideas for the next ten years. I consider choice a gift to be treasured and unwrapped with passion. I don't say this for applause or admiration, but I am a living testament to what it means to be off today's truly 'beaten' path. I used to skip over nature, but now, thanks to my wife, I am captivated by it. I am a voyeur in a world of growth and the many creatures who inhabit it. The ocean's profound presence hypnotizes me. It is alive, its tides are ever-changing, and the intensity of the waves varies from thunderous roars to gentle whispers, all of which contribute to our collective energy. We are surrounded by a community of people where conversations are often an exchange of ideas and observations rather than declarations of what one believes to be absolute truths. What I have to ask myself is this. Am I checking out and choosing to hide instead of battling the headwinds pushing against society, or am I checking in to what matters to me - my relationships and mental and physical well-being? And what will change to both when I return to a busy fabricated by social media, congested streets, and a society that seems increasingly uncoordinated, divided and cemented to their biases. Time will tell. But for now, and I hope always. Pura Vida. #chatterthatmatters #sunday #sundayreflections #inspiration #life Mary DePaoli Shelagh McGrogan Caroline Paxton If you are looking for an inspirational podcast for Sunday - this is from my back library. Sylvia Earle was TIME Magazine's first hero of the planet. She has dedicated her life to understanding our oceans and protecting them. It's an extraordinary and beautiful story, and if you do listen - imagine yourself off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii, standing on the ocean floor in an armoured diving suit called JIM, 1,250 feet (381m) below the surface. Many felt all she would experience was absolute darkness. What she saw was nature shining through. To listen: https://lnkd.in/epgUaisZ
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Scott Ray shared this
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Scott Ray liked thisScott Ray liked thisCEOs helping CEOs succeed At CEO Global Network, our annual group retreats are meant to enhance learning and bring new and different perspectives to our members. This year, our group travelled to the Highlands of Scotland to visit Walker’s Shortbread Ltd. The theme of our meeting was multigenerational business success, and what better example is there than what we witnessed here. Walker’s is a family-owned business based in the wee village of Aberlour, now being managed by the fourth generation with the fifth generation just entering the business. Each generation has made its unique mark on the business, and you can now find Walker’s iconic shortbread in more than 90 countries. Takeaways from these discussions were numerous. The group also enjoyed a tour of Ballindalloch Castle and Gardens, an estate of more than 22,000 acres, continuously owned by the Macpherson-Grant family since the 15th century. Now that is a succession plan! Lastly, we had a very entertaining and informative tour and tasting at Glenfarclas Distillery. The Whisky maker is now managed by the fifth generation of the Grant family and is the last independent, family-owned distillery in Speyside. Thank you to Alastair Walker and Carla Martin at Walkers for making this such a great experience for all.
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Scott Ray liked thisScott Ray liked thisAnother great CEO Global Network Global Leadership Training Program session. This month we had Rob Meikle with us to share valuable lessons about Innovation and the power of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategies.
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Scott Ray liked thisScott Ray liked thisThese photos were taken in New York at InsurTech NY Demo Day in 2022 while Michael Malfa and I were pitching Boardwalk to investors. At the time, I was trying to understand whether venture capital was the right path for us. I spent a lot of time learning how fundraising actually works, how funds think, and what they need from the companies they invest in. The part that changed my thinking was understanding the fund model. A VC fund usually needs a small number of companies to produce most of its returns. That means a business can be good, profitable, growing, and still not make sense for venture capital. The potential outcome simply may not be large enough for the fund. I think a lot of founders miss that. They hear about raising money so often that it starts to feel like the natural next step for any ambitious company. Once you take venture money, the incentives matter too. The fund needs very large outcomes. You may be trying to build a great company, but your definition of a great outcome may not always be the same as theirs. You will also meet smart people with strong opinions about how your company should be run. Some of that advice will be useful. Some of it will come from a playbook that worked somewhere else. They probably know investing better than you do. You should know your own business better than they do. If you do not have enough conviction to push back when something does not make sense, it becomes easy to start running the company around someone else’s expectations. There is a lot I like about the ecosystem. The access is real. You get to meet people who have built serious products and companies. Many are generous with their time and experience. Capital can also make a huge difference when a company genuinely needs infrastructure, talent, distribution, or speed that it cannot fund itself. We still chose not to raise. Michael and I have bootstrapped most of Boardwalk’s growth over the past five years while also building our own technology. For most of that period, raising money became secondary to building the business. We paid ourselves very little and kept putting the money back into the company because we believed owning the data and proprietary technology behind the brokerage would matter more over time. Maybe that bet works. Maybe it does not. We are still building. Learning how venture capital works made me more comfortable with the path we chose. If I were starting again today, I would use AI, keep the team lean, and try to get as far as possible before seriously considering outside capital. I would exhaust the cheaper sources of growth first and be honest about whether the company really has the type of outcome a venture fund needs. Some companies do. We decided Boardwalk did not need to be built that way. Hopefully this helps another brokerage or agency founder think through whether raising is actually the right path for them.
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Scott Ray liked thisScott Ray liked thisToday, we're excited to announce a new partnership between WestJet and Tim Hortons, bringing together two Canadian brands that are passionate about creating memorable experiences for Canadians. Starting this fall, our guests will enjoy an exclusive Tim Hortons Flight Roast coffee blend, custom-crafted for the onboard environment. And in 2027, members will be able to connect WestJet Rewards and Tims Rewards to unlock more value from their everyday purchases and travel experiences. A heartfelt thank you to the teams at both WestJet and Tim Hortons who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to bring this partnership to life. Given the breadth of this partnership, spanning both coffee and loyalty, there are many, many people to thank across both organizations. Building something special like this required teams on both sides to push beyond their comfort zones, challenge conventional thinking, and stay focused on creating something meaningful for our guests and members. I truly appreciate the commitment, creativity, and hard work that have brought us to this point, and I'm excited to see it come to life. Flight Roast will be onboard starting November 30, with our loyalty partnership following in 2027. Cheers! ☕✈️ https://lnkd.in/ectiwbgYWestJet and Tim Hortons brew up a bold new partnership, bringing all-new Flight Roast signature coffee blend made with 100 per cent Premium Arabica to WestJet flights starting November 30, and a loyalty partnership in 2027WestJet and Tim Hortons brew up a bold new partnership, bringing all-new Flight Roast signature coffee blend made with 100 per cent Premium Arabica to WestJet flights starting November 30, and a loyalty partnership in 2027
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Scott Ray liked thisScott Ray liked thisPoints Africa is at the International Leaders in Loyalty Summit! Our CEO, Andrew M., alongside Len Llaguno of KYROS, as the Truth Loyalty & CRM International Leaders in Loyalty Summit gets underway in Cape Town. The summit brings together leading brands and loyalty professionals from across South Africa and around the world to exchange ideas, build connections and explore what��s next for the industry. “Excited to be at the International Leaders in Loyalty Summit 2026, connecting with all the great brands in South Africa and internationally, and for Points Africa to be part of this great experience.” — Andrew McBarnett, CEO, Points Africa Tomorrow, Andrew will take the stage as a panel moderator, leading a conversation with industry leaders and contributing Points Africa’s perspective to the wider loyalty conversation. We’re proud to see Points Africa represented among leaders shaping the future of loyalty, both across Africa and internationally. #PointsAfrica #LeadersInLoyalty #CustomerLoyalty #Loyalty #Africa
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Scott Ray liked thisScott Ray liked thisLast week, the Level5 team traded the office for pickleball courts at RCYC. 🏓 It was a great opportunity to mix up the teams, spend time together outside of work and enjoy some friendly competition. Collaboration is one of our core values at Level5, and afternoons like this are a good reminder that the relationships behind great teamwork are built well beyond the work itself.
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Scott Ray liked thisScott Ray liked thisBefore you spend another dollar on lead generation, do something that costs nothing. Go to your own website, fill out the contact form with a personal email address, and start a timer. I call it the ghost lead test. I've watched businesses pour thousands into Google Ads, SEO, content and a new website, then blame marketing when none of it turns into revenue. Nobody in the building has ever experienced what happens after someone raises their hand. So run it yourself. Did anything happen in the first 60 seconds? A confirmation screen, an email, a text, anything that tells you the form worked? If not, the person who filled it in is already wondering whether it went through. Keep the timer running until a human responds. Not the autoresponder. Someone who uses your name and knows what you asked about. Then find out where that lead went internally. Did it land in your CRM with an owner and a next step? Or in a shared inbox where everyone assumes somebody else has it? Now the part that gets missed most. What happens when the prospect doesn't reply to that first email? One email isn't follow-up. If nobody touches that record again, you paid to generate the click, paid to get them onto the site, paid to convert them, then quit after one attempt. Call that what it is. A revenue operations problem, showing up on the marketing report. When leads go quiet, it's easy to blame Google, the targeting, the traffic quality or the agency. So businesses change campaigns, change channels and spend more at the top of the funnel. The leak is underneath it. Before I spend more money creating demand, I want to know what the business does with the demand I already paid for. Run the ghost lead test on your own company today. How long before someone who can write you a cheque hears from a real human? That number will tell you more about your revenue problem than your marketing dashboard will. 🤘
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Scott Ray liked thisScott Ray liked thisPressure doesn’t create leadership. It reveals it. On a recent episode of the CEO Global Network Podcast, I spoke with Marcelo Tamaki, Founder and CEO of Red X Carbon, about what happens when technology fails, the stakes are high, and your team is looking to you for direction. His advice was simple: don’t let the pressure control your response. Step back. Collect your thoughts. Stay calm. Then lead. As Founder & CEO of CEO Global Network, I’ve seen how important this is. Your team takes its cues from you, especially when things go wrong. Follow me for more conversations on what it takes to lead at the highest level. 🎧 You can listen to the full Podcast with Marcelo here: https://lnkd.in/eqsuv2yy
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Scott Ray liked thisScott Ray liked thisBlack Friday can drive volume. But volume alone doesn’t always create long-term value. For retailers, the bigger opportunity is using promotional demand more strategically. Loyalty can help protect margins, influence what customers buy, encourage incremental spend and give shoppers a reason to return after the sales end. Our latest article looks at how retailers can think beyond blanket discounting and use loyalty as a commercial growth lever before, during and after Black Friday. Read more below. #PointsAfrica #BlackFriday #Loyalty #Retail #CustomerLoyaltyPreparing for Black Friday: How Loyalty Programs Drive Retail-Season SalesPreparing for Black Friday: How Loyalty Programs Drive Retail-Season Sales
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From Skincare to Venture Capital, Richelieu Dennis Makes Access His Mission Adcolor's 2025 Beacon Award honoree has built an empire on equity and community. This development highlights an interesting trend: while enterprise companies debate implementation timelines, small businesses are quietly leveraging these innovations to punch above their weight class. The pattern mirrors what happened when cloud computing emerged. Small agencies suddenly had access to enterprise-level web development tools, AI-powered design software, and sophisticated advertising platforms that previously required massive IT budgets. Successful small businesses approach industry news differently. Instead of asking "Can we afford this technology?" they're asking "How quickly can we implement this to gain an edge?" This mindset shift often translates to 30-50% faster growth rates compared to businesses waiting for "perfect" timing. Whether it's a new CSS framework that speeds up web development, an AI tool that personalizes advertising creative, or a marketing automation platform that nurtures leads while you sleep—the competitive advantage goes to businesses that can adapt and implement quickly. The most successful small businesses treat industry developments like this as their R&D department, constantly scanning for practical applications that larger competitors might overlook. #SmallBusinessTechnology #WebDevelopment #MarketingAutomation #BusinessInnovation #DigitalTransformation
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FLYNTH
In today's dynamic digital landscape, a robust and scalable web presence is non-negotiable for Toronto businesses aiming for sustained growth. At Spark Studios, we champion the power of React and Next.js, not just for building websites, but for crafting high-performance, future-proof digital experiences. React's component-based architecture offers unparalleled flexibility and efficiency, allowing for rapid development and seamless maintenance. When paired with Next.js, these benefits are amplified, delivering lightning-fast load times, superior SEO capabilities, and an exceptional user experience that truly converts. We understand that your digital platform is a critical business asset, which is why our strategic approach to React and Next.js development focuses on long-term value and measurable impact. Considering the evolving demands of the modern web, how are you ensuring your digital infrastructure is poised for tomorrow's challenges and opportunities? #ReactJS #NextJS #WebDevelopment #TorontoBusiness #DigitalTransformation
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