Anna Sainsbury is Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of GeoComply, a leading company at the forefront of geolocation, fraud prevention, and cybersecurity solutions. With a deep understanding of the online world’s complexities, Anna has guided GeoComply to become an indispensable partner to the gaming, fintech, media, streaming, and cryptocurrency industries. The company’s advanced technologies address critical challenges such as fraud, compliance, and cyber threats, ensuring digital security for prominent brands like DraftKings, FanDuel, BBC, and Nextdoor.

Since co-founding GeoComply in 2011, Anna has been a driving force behind its growth into a global powerhouse, processing over a billion transactions monthly and safeguarding more than 200 million devices worldwide. GeoComply’s ‘Unicorn’ status has received accolades such as Deloitte’s Top 5 High-Growth Tech Companies and recognition from Fast Company as one of the Top 10 Most Innovative Enterprise Technology Companies.

Anna’s entrepreneurial journey is rooted in a passion for making the digital world a safer place for all. Beyond her commitment to technological innovation at GeoComply, she is a strong advocate for social responsibility and online safety, and actively collaborates with and donates GeoComply’s technology to organizations, like the Child Rescue Coalition, to combat child exploitation and protect vulnerable communities.

This isn’t just about robots; it’s about your bottom line.

Are you skeptical that AI can actually drive profitability? Are you overwhelmed by where to start? Or are you ready to supercharge your efficiency but need a roadmap? Whether you’re riding the wave or bracing against it, you need to be in this room. This isn’t a conversation about the future—it’s a conversation about now.

We are kicking off the MCABC Leadership Conference on June 11 with Vancouver’s own Anna Sainsbury, Chairman of GeoComply. Anna has built a global powerhouse using AI to make the internet safer, but she’ll be the first to tell you: AI isn’t a mysterious superpower reserved for tech giants. At GeoComply, it’s a culture of curiosity shared by every team member.

Spotlight on the Front Lines

Anna won’t just be talking tech. Following her keynote, she will moderate an industry panel that will drill down into real-world use cases, wins, and hesitations around AI. Come learn from the early adopters and innovators who are already proving what’s possible — and discover how they turned “uncertainty” into “The Power Move.”

In just 30 minutes, gain critical insight into the newly released Discussion Paper, the upcoming regulatory process, and how your voice can shape what happens next. With the consultation period open until July 7, this is a rare opportunity to get informed, get aligned, and get involved.

Featuring Brittany Schina and Katie Armitage, this session goes beyond theory—offering a practical roadmap for industry participation, alongside MCABC’s ongoing collaboration with ECABC, BCCA, and other key building and construction stakeholders.

Linda Nazareth is an economist, futurist, and respected authority on the future of work. As a newspaper columnist and an author, she knows how to frame things in ways that both educate and entertain. As the Senior Fellow for Economics and Population Change at think-tank the Macdonald Laurier Institute, she knows what she’s talking about. 

Linda’s career has taken some non-traditional turns for someone in her field. Her first jobs were as a government economist where she specialized in labour market planning, followed by a stint at a major financial institution where she spent years as a Senior Economist. Wanting to change things up while she could, she lobbied to have a job created for her on Business News Network (BNN, Canada’s answer to CNBC) while it was a start-up and spent a decade on-air as their in-house economist. 

In this keynote session, Linda will unpack where Canada and B.C.’s economy stands today and what lies ahead for the mechanical contracting sector. Her session will explore how businesses can adapt and find stability in times of financial market volatility and evolving government policies. With practical insight and forward-looking analysis, Linda will help leaders make sense of change, mitigate risk, and identify opportunity in an evolving economic landscape. 

Laura Lurz is responsible for providing strategic leadership across SkilledTradesBC, driving enterprise-wide strategic priorities, and overseeing performance optimization. With over 20 years of leadership experience, she has served at organizations including BC Infrastructure Benefits, Transportation Investment Corporation, ICBC and the Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. In her previous role as Senior Program Manager at TELUS, Laura led the execution of high-impact business initiatives, resolved complex operational challenges, and drove change management strategies that enhanced organizational effectiveness.

Kicking off this important industry focus will be Laura Lurz, Chief Strategy Officer, SkilledTradesBC, which is stewarding B.C.’s significant investment in the skilled trades over the next three years. Laura will share with industry the initial steps and early priorities guiding the multi-year process to:

•  modernize and strengthen B.C.’s trades training system
•  improve access to apprenticeship pathways
•  enhance certification and credential recognition
•  minimize barriers to progression

Keith Baldrey is highly regarded as one of BC’s best known political commentators.

He currently serves as the chief political correspondent and legislative bureau chief for Global BC where he provides insightful coverage and analysis on the latest developments in BC’s political landscape. In 2021, Baldrey was named Broadcast Performer of the Year by the BC Association of Broadcasters for his coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baldrey’s work is also seen in his weekly syndicated column on B.C. politics for a variety of Lower Mainland papers, including the North Shore News and the Now newspapers, and appears regularly on News Talk 980 CKNW.

He has a long history of understanding and commenting on BC politics – Baldrey joined The Vancouver Sun in 1984 and moved to the The Sun’s legislature bureau in 1986, eventually becoming its bureau chief in 1989. In 1995, he joined Global BC where over the course of his career, he has covered 11 premiers, 11 provincial elections, and 13 federal elections.

He makes public speaking appearances on B.C. politics, has written numerous magazine articles, and co-authored a book on former premier Bill Vander Zalm and his Social Credit government.

He lives in Victoria with his wife and fellow journalist, Anne Mullens, their two daughters, and their Shiba Inu dog, Teddy.

As the Chief Political Correspondent and Legislative Bureau Chief at Global BC, Keith has his finger on the pulse and is best placed to prepare attendees for the sentiment in Victoria.

After addressing these and other questions in his speech, Keith will sit down with MCABC CEO, Kim Barbero, to continue the conversation on the hot-button issues facing the sector.

Jacqueline leads BC Hydro’s Local Government Partnership and Market Transformation teams. Her work focuses on scaling capital delivery in municipalities, reducing permitting time and cost, driving community impact through collaborative tools, and strengthening partnerships to support energy efficiency targets. She has over 23 years’ experience at BC Hydro, including senior roles in Key Account Management, Distribution Design, and Customer Connections.

Learn how upcoming utility investments into infrastructure and programs, and changing energy demand, will shape where and how mechanical contractors can get involved.

Lucy Griffith is the Dean of Trades, Technology & Design at Vancouver Community College (VCC), where she provides strategic leadership across a diverse portfolio of programs spanning skilled trades, emerging technologies, and applied design. With over 17 years at VCC, Lucy began her career as faculty and has progressively advanced into senior administrative leadership, bringing a deep, practice-informed perspective to post-secondary education.

A dedicated advocate for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Lucy is committed to advancing responsive, industry-aligned programming that supports both learners and workforce development. Her work focuses on modernizing apprenticeship and training models, strengthening industry partnerships, and ensuring students graduate with the skills required for a rapidly evolving economy.

Lucy currently serves as Co-Chair of Trades and Apprenticeship for the National Council for Deans of Apprenticeship, Trades, and Technology, where she contributes to national dialogue and policy discussions shaping the future of trades education across Canada.

Lucy holds a Master of Education and brings a global perspective to her work, having taught and worked internationally. Her leadership is grounded in innovation, collaboration, and a strong commitment to ensuring TVET systems remain accessible, relevant, and future-focused.

On June 11, Lucy Griffith, Dean, School of Trades, Technology & Design at Vancouver Community College (VCC), takes the MCABC Leadership Conference stage to break down VCC’s modernized approach to skilled trades training—including the benefits, the opportunities, and industry’s role in delivery of the solution.

Why the urgency? Interest is already surging: there’s a wait list for the September 2026 launch of the Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Mechanic (RACM) foundational program—and planning is underway to launch Plumbing in 2027.

And this isn’t change for change’s sake. VCC’s delivery of the new Red Seal skilled trades training model is designed to remove common barriers by:

1. Reducing program time while ensuring competencies are met
2. Eliminating reliance on Employment Insurance (EI)
3. Integrating theory + hands-on practice
4. Synchronizing learning – online and even on weekends – as needed

Then we go deeper: panel + audience discussion

Immediately following Lucy’s presentation is a panel and audience discussion focused on the MAP and E-Prentice learning models—plus an opportunity to understand the operational and employer-facing aspects of the recently completed – and successful – Construction Electrician session.

Bring your leadership team and come ready with questions—because this session is built for company owners and employers who hire, train, invest in and retain the next generation.

Mark Brand is a social impact entrepreneur, chef, and relentless optimist working at the collision of food, community, and impact. With a dozen brick-and-mortar businesses, a multinational charity, and global partnerships under his belt, Brand builds models that center food security, poverty reduction, and cross-sector collaboration.

As the founder of UPWARD KITCHENS in Vancouver and Halifax, his teams serve over 6,500 scratch-made meals every single day—and have delivered more than 6.5 million meals to those who need them most. His work proves that dignity, opportunity, and true collaboration changes lives.

From Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside to the halls of Stanford University — where he’s a fellow and served as professor of innovation and design thinking — Mark teaches that lasting change starts with listening, and scales with love. At the heart of everything is his belief in radical collaboration: that there’s no “us and them”—only us.”

In this exciting and heart-opening talk, Mark Brand will illuminate the power of community, where trust and respect are literally built hand in hand, and where leadership can happen at every level.

This panel discussion will dig deeper into the Modernized Apprenticeship Pathway (MAP), including lessons learned from the first phase and the practical implications of reimagining apprenticeship delivery. Panelists will explore how industry collaboration is informing the next phase of development and why building flexible, trade-specific models is critical to meeting the evolving needs of learners, employers, and the skilled trades workforce.