Date: Friday, June 5, 2026
Location: University of Toronto
Event Program
Note: This schedule is tentative and subject to change.
Friday June 5, 2026
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 12:00-1:00 | Arrival and registration |
| 1:00-1:15 | Welcome Remarks |
| 1:15-2:00 | Keynote Address |
| 2:00-2:45 | Academic Speakers |
| 2:45-3:15 | Coffee Break |
| 3:15-4:00 | Industry Speakers |
| 4:00-4:30 | Panel Discussion |
| 4:30-4:50 | Honoree’s Speech |
| 4:50-5:00 | Closing Remarks |
⭐ Keynote Speaker
Erwin W. Hans
Professor of Operations Management in Healthcare, Department of Industrial Engineering & Management Science, University of Twente
Prof. Erwin W. Hans (U of T: MSc 1996) is a Full Professor of Operations Management in Healthcare at the University of Twente. He is the co‑founder of CHOIR (Center for Healthcare Operations Improvement & Research), a leading European center in healthcare logistics research. His work spans capacity management, planning and scheduling, healthcare operations research, and the design of decision-support systems. He teaches widely at the graduate and undergraduate levels and collaborates extensively with hospitals across the Netherlands.
Academic Speakers
Timothy C.Y. Chan
Professor, Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto
Prof. Timothy Chan is the Associate Vice-President & Vice‑Provost (Strategic Initiatives) at the University of Toronto and a Professor in Mechanical & Industrial Engineering. His research focuses on operations research, optimization under uncertainty, and applied machine learning with broad applications in healthcare, medicine, sustainability, and sports. He previously served as Director of the Centre for Healthcare Engineering at U of T.
John T. Blake
Professor, Department of Industrial Engineering, Dalhousie University
Prof. John Blake (U of T: IndE 8T8, PhD 1997) is a Professor of Industrial Engineering at Dalhousie University, specializing in the application of operations research to healthcare. His models for blood supply chain design, platelet and red cell inventory management, stem cell registry composition, and blood product characterization have influenced operational policies and practices that impact the health of Canadians. He has received multiple national awards from CORS and has held leadership roles within INFORMS and the Canadian OR community.
Renata Konrad
Professor, The Business School at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)
Prof. Renata Konrad (U of T: IndE 9T8 + PEY, MASc 0T5) is a Professor at the WPI Business School whose work applies industrial engineering, optimization, and simulation to healthcare delivery, anti‑human‑trafficking analytics, mental health systems, and patient flow. She has served as a Fulbright Scholar and contributed expertise to international and U.S. governmental committees addressing human trafficking.
🏢 Industry Speakers
Ali Vahit Esensoy
Associate Vice-President, Strategy & Enablement, Sun Life Canada
Ali Vahit (U of T: IndE 0T5, MASc 2008, PhD 2016) brings over 15 years of experience blending commercial, technology, and operational perspectives in new business strategy and execution. He currently serves as AVP of Strategy and Enablement at Sun Life Canada, where he drives rapid innovation to meet Canadians' evolving health, wealth, and protection needs. In his previous role at Sun Life, he launched innovative health products using novel approaches to health data and insights. Before Sun Life, Ali was VP of Consulting at Klick Health and established the Data and Decision Sciences group at Cancer Care Ontario. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he served as Senior Advisor on healthcare modelling to Ontario Health. Ali holds Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD degrees in Industrial Engineering from the University of Toronto. He remains active in research and teaching as adjunct faculty at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health.
Taylor Martin
Director, Workforce Optimization, University Health Network
Taylor Martin (U of T: MechE 0T8, MEng 2010, MHSc 2015) is the Director of Workforce Optimization at University Health Network. He has led hospital scheduling transformation initiatives and managed staffing operations across several GTA health networks. In past roles he has led the design of nursing recruitment initiatives, administered provincially funded nursing programs, and led the design and evaluation of models of care for palliative care. Taylor is a Professional Engineer and PhD candidate in Healthcare Operations Research at the University of Toronto. His research applies machine learning to simulate and optimize the structures and schedules of the nursing workforce. Taylor is also an adjunct lecturer at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto.
Graham Woodward
Vice President, Mental Health and Addictions Center of Excellence (MHA CoE), Ontario Health
Graham Woodward has focused his career on improving health care policy, planning, and delivery through better use of evidence, data, and collaboration. Prior to joining the MHA CoE, Graham held leadership roles in several of Ontario’s provincial programs. He co-led the merger of the Cardiac Care Network and Ontario Stroke Network to create CorHealth Ontario. Prior to CorHealth Ontario, Graham helped found the Ontario Renal Network and held leadership roles with Cancer Care Ontario and the Ontario Ministry of Health, as well as research positions with the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences and the University of Toronto.
Sponsors
