Each year the Goodman School of Business presents a panel of industry experts to discuss business topics of interest to the community.
Emotional Intelligence: What it means and why it matters
Thursday, April 2 from Noon to 1 p.m.
Webinar and Q&A
Join us for an engaging discussion on what emotional intelligence means to our panelists, how it influences both personal and organizational success, how it can be developed, and its importance for leadership, coaching, and mentoring. In past Business Matters discussions we have examined the influence that AI plays in different contexts—there’s no time like the present to dive deeper into understanding what emotional intelligence is all about, and why it matters.
Meet this year’s panel
Christina Garnett
Fractional Chief Customer Officer
Christina Garnett is an award-winning Fractional Chief Customer Officer, customer experience strategist, and the author of Transforming Customer–Brand Relationships (Kogan Page, 2025). Her work focuses on helping brands build emotional connection, customer advocacy, and long-term loyalty through intentional customer experience, community engagement, and brand storytelling.
Christina has worked with small businesses, startups, and Fortune 500 companies through her roles at neuemotion, HubSpot, the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), and ICUC. Her insights have been featured in Adweek, Campaign US, Forbes, and HubSpot Academy, and she has spoken at global industry events including INBOUND, CNX, and Digital Summit.
With a background in CX strategy, social listening, and community-building, Christina helps organizations design customer experiences that are felt, not just measured.
Goldie Chan
Founder, Warm Robots
Goldie Chan, dubbed the “Oprah of LinkedIn” by Huffington Post, is one of the original LinkedIn Top Voices, author of bestselling Personal Branding for Introverts (Basic Venture, 2025) and the founder of Warm Robots, an award-winning social strategy agency. She was named a Woman To Watch In Leadership for 2026 and has been featured in the New York Times, Entrepreneur, NASDAQ, Fast Company and more where she is valued for her fresh brand insights in an ever-changing marketplace.
As a Forbes alum, cancer survivor and global keynote speaker with nearly half a million followers across platforms, she helps both Fortune 500s and individual leaders build lasting community and presence through brand storytelling. Known for her warmth and strategy, Goldie’s novel work spans major business campaigns, Archie comics, and cozy product branding.
She lives in sunny Los Angeles with her very happy plants.
Gillian Dale
Research Associate with the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre
Member, Water Resilience Lab
Dr. Gillian Dale is a Research Associate with the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre and a member of the Water Resilience Lab. She holds a PhD in Cognitive Psychology and has over 15 years of experience with complex research design, instrument development and validation, advanced quantitative and qualitative analysis, and individual differences research.
Her previous research explored individual difference factors (i.e., personality, affect, motivational intensity, etc.) that explain variations in cognitive performance and behaviour.
Her current work focuses on understanding how individual differences in cognition and emotion explain variations in environmental perceptions, as well as developing strategies for enhancing pro-environmental attitudes.
Past Business Matters Events
Business Matters
Business with purpose: Responsible management for a better future
Wednesday, April 2, 2025 – Webinar and Q&A
Thank you to our panelists:
- Dave Bouckenooghe, Professor of Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management, Goodman School of Business
- Mark Carpenter, Chief Growth Officer, ChangeMakers
- Rhonda Klosler (BBA ’93), Chief Operating Officer, RSM Canada
- Christina Garnett, Chief Customer and Communications Officer, neuemotion
Business Matters
Songs in the Key of ChatGPT
Wednesday, March 27, 2024 – Webinar and Q&A
Thank you to our panelists:
- Eric Alper, Owner, Eric Alper Public Relations
- Chelsea Masse, Market Research and Data Specialist, Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA)
- Noah Mintz, Senior Mastering Engineer, Lacquer Channel Mastering
- Kirsten Robertson, Associate Professor of Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources, School of Business, University of the Fraser Valley
Business Matters
A DISCUSSION ON THE EVER-CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Tuesday, March 28, 2023 – Webinar and Q&A
Thank you to our panelists:
- Christina Garnett, Principal Marketing Manager, Offline Community and Advocacy at HubSpot
- Meg Shannon, Communications Manager at Broadbent Institute
- Carly Snider, Strategy Director at Hughes & Co.
Operating in a changing climate
A conversation ON SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS PRACTICES
Tuesday, March 29, 2022 – Webinar and Q&A
Thank you to our panelists:
- Jessica Blythe, Assistant Professor, Brock’s Environmental Sustainability Research Centre
- Gabriel Demarco (BSc ’13), Winemaker and Viticulturalist at Cave Spring Vineyard
- Natalie Lowe, President of Celebrate Niagara and the Sustainable Events Forum
- Mikayla Richards (BBA ’19), Sustainability Analyst at EcoVadis
Inclusive Decision-Making Matters
A conversation on what it means to be inclusive when making decisions
Thursday, April 13, 2021 – Webinar
Thank you to our panelists:
- Leela MadhavaRau, Director, Human Rights and Equity at Brock University
- Ivana Musich, VP, Managing Director, Digital Products at No Fixed Address Inc. | Founder of Nomad
- Yvonne Nasri, Founder & CEO of Victory & Co.
- Mark Dockstator, Member of the Oneida Nation of the Thames | Professor at Trent University
Crafting the Brand
A conversation on what it means to take an artisanal approach to business.
Wednesday, April 10, 2019 – Goodman Atrium, Brock University.
Thank you to our panelists:
- Conrad Davies, General Manager at Breakwall Brewing Company
- Geoff Dillon, President of Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers
- Tamara Jensen, Brand Strategist for Form & Affect and proprietor of Dispatch restaurant
- Nadia Senchuk, Co-founder of Leaning Post Wines
Women in Business Matter
A discussion on the importance of women as entrepreneurs and business leaders to building a vibrant economy.
Wednesday, April 4, 2018 – Scotiabank Atrium, Brock University.
Thank you to our panelists:
- Bonnie Lysyk, Auditor General of Ontario
- Shawna Chen, Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship, Goodman School of Business
- Taylor Book, Co-owner, Beechwood Doughnuts
- Mishka Balsom, President and CEO, Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce
Making Business Matter
A discussion on social responsibility in the business world.
Tuesday, April 4, 2017 – FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre.
Thank you to our panelists:
- Shannon Passero, Owner, Shannon Passero Design
- Jim Letwin, CEO Jan Kelley
- Betty-Lou Souter, CEO, Community Care of St. Catharines and Thorold
- Dr. Todd Green, Associate Professor of Marketing, Goodman School of Business
Innovation Matters
Tuesday, March 22, 2016 – FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre
- Jim Treliving, one of five judges on CBC’s Dragons’ Den and Chairman and Owner of Boston Pizza International Inc.
- Bruce Croxon, co-host of BNN’s The Disruptors and CEO of Round13
- Deborah Rosati, corporate director and co-founder of Women Get On Board
- Jason Sparaga, co-founder and co-CEO of Spark Power Corp. and founder of Spara Capital Partners.
Music Matters
Thursday, March 19, 2015 – Sean O’Sullivan Theatre
- Alan Cross, host of “The Ongoing History of New Music”
- Murray Foster, musician
- Paul Morris, HTZ FM Music Director
- Noah Mintz, an audio mastering engineer who has worked with some of Canada’s most successful acts and
- Eric Alper, director of media relations for eOne Music Canada and well-known music commentator.
