Summit
BIS Safety Summit: Workforce in Transition
- May 26, 2026
- 11:30 AM MDT
- Chateau Louis Hotel, Edmonton · $295 ($180 early bird)
Experienced workers are retiring as a new generation comes in, opening gaps in experience, expectations, communication and accountability. On May 26, safety leaders met in Edmonton to talk about what is breaking, what is working and what needs to change.
This summit took place on May 26, 2026, in Edmonton.
Event details:
- Date
- Tue, May 26th, 2026
- Time
- 11:30 AM MDT
- Where
- Chateau Louis Hotel, Edmonton
- Cost
- $295 ($180 early bird)
About the summit
The half-day summit at the Chateau Louis Hotel brought together three speaker sessions and an interactive industry panel on how organizations transfer critical knowledge, adapt leadership and keep a strong safety culture through workforce transition.
Thank you to our sponsor, MI Safety.
What the summit covered
- The safety risks created by retiring workers and lost institutional knowledge
- How generational differences affect communication, engagement and accountability
- Why traditional training approaches can often fail newer workers
- What experienced leaders can do differently to connect with a changing workforce
- How to build safety systems that support learning, not just compliance
- Where organizations are underestimating the impact of workforce transition
For safety professionals, safety leaders and operational managers dealing with a workforce in transition.
Speakers and panellists
-
Jeff Mulligan
Chief Operating Officer, ASTEC Safety Inc.
Helped lead ASTEC Safety's turnaround by building culture, operational discipline and inclusive leadership into everyday practice. Co-founder of Utility Safety Partners.
-
Rick Sikora
President and CEO, Cranemasters Hoisting + Rigging Training
Red Seal welder, electrician, millwright and overhead crane technician with more than three decades in the trades, building training on practical competency.
-
Tyler Foley
Managing Director and Founder, Total Buy In Safety Consulting
Calgary consultant who helps organizations align safety culture with corporate culture. A published author and speaker whose background includes stunt work and geomatics engineering.
-
Shilo Neveu
EVP, Health, Safety & Environment, Valard Group of Companies
A former labour and employment lawyer specializing in occupational health and safety, who also taught at the University of Alberta for a decade. Panellist.
-
Adam Thornton
Health and Safety Manager, Keyera
30 years in occupational health and safety, the last 16 in oil and gas, with a focus on hazard identification, safety culture, training and frontline supervision. Panellist.
-
Frédérique Douglas
HSE Compliance Manager, Lufkin Industries
20 years in oil and gas, specializing in regulatory compliance, risk management and governance across global operations. Panellist.
-
Grant LeDrew
Corporate Director of Health, Safety & Environment, Valard Group of Companies
Has led HSE on billion-dollar transmission and utility projects, including the largest transmission project in Canadian history. Panellist.