2026 Conference Speakers

Session 1: Marketing Tips and Strategies for Business and Export Growth
Presenter/Panelists:

Sean Williams, Dashboard Marketing

With over 30 years of sales and marketing experience in Canada, the US, the Middle East and Australia, Sean Williams has a unique view of business planning, human behaviour, marketing trends, and brand engagement. He has worked with some of Canada’s top brands including MolsonCoors, Nikon Canada, Kraft, CIBC, Dare and Toyota. He also spent time with some of Canada's leading advertising agencies - Dentsu and Leo Burnett.

For the last 20 years, as co-founder of Dashboard Marketing, Sean has developed brand and marketing strategies for organizations in retail, higher education, automotive, IoT, tourism, startups, as well in the boat building sector. Sean is also an active speaker on the topic of branding and strategic marketing. He has presented at conferences and post-secondary institutions across the country. Sean is extremely passionate about branding and storytelling.

Session 2: Best Practices for Wet Exhaust
Presenter: Dave Gerr, CEng, FRINA - Gerr Marine

Dave Gerr is a naval architect with over four decades of experience designing a wide variety of vessels. A Chartered Engineer (CEng) and a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (FRINA), Gerr served as the director of the Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology from 2003 through 2015. For the past ten years, he has been a senior lecturer at SUNY Maritime College, where he teaches naval architecture. The author of Propeller Handbook, The Elements of Boat Strength, Boat Mechanical Systems Handbook, and The Nature of Boats, Dave has also published over 400 articles on boats and boat design.

Session 3: Opportunities in Defence
Presenter/Panelists:

Carri Mitchener, Procurement Manager, Small Vessel Construction - Public Services and Procurement Canada
Andrea Plante, Advisor - Marine, Aerospace, Defence and Marine Directorate, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Sheldon Gillis, Managing Director - Defence, Invest Nova Scotia

Moderator: Colin Ross, Director - NSBA

Carri Mitchener has been the Procurement Manager for the Small Vessel Construction team, since August 2023. In this role, she is leading a team of Procurement Officers providing small vessel construction and purchases to various Federal Government departments; from coast to coast to coast.

Prior to this appointment, she was Regional Procurement Manager, for the Goods & Services team in Atlantic Region. In this role, she was responsible for leading a team of Procurement Officers providing a variety of goods and services procurements for various Federal Government departments in Atlantic Region. Carri has also held positions as Procurement Manager for Nova Scotia, and Regional Manager Labour Relations & Compensation in the Atlantic Region.

Carri joined the federal public service in 2002 with the Department of National Defence, and worked for Veterans Affairs and Service Canada, before joining Public Services and Procurement Canada in 2007. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Saint Mary’s University.

Andrea Plante has worked for the Government of Canada for almost two decades across Agriculture and Agri-food Canada (AAFC), the Federal Economic Development Agency of Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) and has found her forever home at the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). As the Marine Advisor in the Aerospace, Defence and Marine Directorate, she is responsible for collaborating with industry, research organizations and government partners to leverage regional investments from Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Coast Guard procurement projects including the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP), River-class Destroyers (RCDs), Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS), Polar Icebreakers and the future Continental Defence Corvettes. As part of her role, Andrea is a trusted advisor on the Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) Policy and defence procurement opportunities. Her work also involves helping shape procurement strategies and partnerships, supporting Primes and Industry alike.

In Andrea’s previous roles, she has led modernization efforts, strengthened compliance frameworks, and improved operational efficiency for Grants and Contributions programming, specializing in Contribution Agreement implementation and Claims Management and process modernization. Andrea was the recipient of the Deputy Minister’s Gold Harvest Award in 2018.

As a recognized leader in inclusion and collaboration, Andrea is a member of Women in Defence & Security (WiDS), a Positive Space Ambassador, and sits as one of ACOA’s Co-Chairs for the Public Service Pride Network (PSPN), and in 2021 was a PSPN Award recipient. She brings a practical, values-driven approach to advancing public service priorities and building strong partnerships across government, industry, and communities.

Sheldon Gillis has 25 years of experience in the Canadian Armed Forces where he Commanded the frigate HMCS ST. JOHN’S on NATO operations, Commanded the Atlantic Fleet, and was Director of Naval Requirements in NDHQ leading the RCN’s procurement programs. On retirement in 2024 he was employed by Babcock Canada Inc in Business Development and then as Campaign Lead for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Program.

Sheldon joined Invest Nova Scotia in January 2026 as the Managing Director for Defence. He leads the defence portfolio and is responsible for Industry and Federal Government stakeholder management, supply chain development and Academic/Innovation engagement related to Defence Procurement Programs.