Canada’s opportunity is to understand how training and workforce needs can be made more visible and useful across the system, including through trusted structures like shared frameworks and accreditation.
This workshop explores how stronger coordination and public-sector–anchored approaches along with pilot-scale coordination models can clarify and test practical solutions, helping turn strong programs into trusted support for Canada’s economic and national security priorities.
Guy-Vincent Jourdan is a full professor of computer science at the University of Ottawa, Canada, and the co-director of the uOttawa–IBM Cyber Range.
He now has over 20 years of experience leading research and industry collaborations in the field of cybersecurity, with a focus on cybercrime detection and prevention. His collaborators include industry leaders such as IBM, Cisco, Fortinet, and OpenText. He has co-authored over 120 scientific publications and holds 19 patents in partnership with various companies.
His long-standing collaboration with IBM Security teams around the world has earned numerous accolades, including four “Research Project of the Year” awards (2010, 2012, 2014, 2017), the “Faculty Fellow of the Year” award (2018), and the IBM CAS Canada Award of Excellence (2019). He received the Award for Excellence in Research Partnerships from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Ottawa in 2023, and he was an IBM Champion in 2025.
Charles Finlay is the Founding Executive Director of Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst at Toronto Metropolitan University — a major centre for cybersecurity training, commercial innovation, applied research and public education. Prior to founding the Catalyst, Charles served as Chief of Staff for the Ontario Minister of Economic Development and Growth, practiced law at BMO Capital Markets and Torys LLP, wrote for The Globe and Mail and other national publications, and worked as a technology researcher at Forrester Research. He is a regular commentator on technology and cyber issues in national and international media.
For more information on what’s taking place throughout the rest of the Conference, please visit the 2026 Conference agenda.