Mrs. Marie-Lucie Morin, Deputy Minister for International Trade, has held the positions of Associate Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Trade Commissioner and Ambassador to the Kingdom of Norway. As a career foreign service officer she acquired extensive experience abroad during postings to San Francisco, Jakarta, London and Moscow. Mrs. Morin will discuss the various – and sometimes unexpected – materiel management requirements of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT). An effective materiel management system, one capable of adapting to foreign markets and rapidly changing environments around the world, plays a key role in the department’s success.

There are striking similarities in the procurement challenges and issues that both the US and Canadian federal governments are facing. Mr. Burton will provide an overview of federal procurement challenges and initiatives in the United States, with a particular focus on recent experiences and responses to the areas that have been identified as needing reform. Mr. Burton recently chaired an international group (including Canada) that provided input to the Organization for Economic Development report on “Integrity in Public Procurement”. He will provide an overview of the best practices in the areas of transparency, accountability and risk mitigation in public procurement systems that went into the report.

As the Assistant Deputy Minister for Corporate Services at DFAIT, a former High Commissioner to Singapore and a career diplomat with six postings abroad, Doreen Steidle will discuss the importance of effective materiel management and procurement not only for Canadian missions functioning in an international environment, but for Canadian government departments whose programs are delivered via the network of Canadian missions abroad. Ensuring effective and efficient processes, demonstrating stewardship, and fostering innovation in foreign environments are the challenges of materiel management and procurement at DFAIT.

Learn about the complexities of procurement in local foreign markets and managing unique logistical requirements. Find out more on the benefits and challenges in managing programs in this highly decentralized department.

How often have you bumped into clients, or customers, or someone you know you have been introduced to, perhaps two or three times before, but for the life of you, can't remember his name, or hers? And the harder you try to remember, the farther it seems to slip from your mind? Socially, this can be extremely embarrassing, but in business, it can be disastrous. With our lives already so hectic, and the number of people who are important to us increasing every day, we need an instant and easy way to keep each and every one of them active in our memory. The sweetest sound to someone is the sound of his or her own name. By forgetting a person's name, you show not only a lack of respect, but you might just as well say that this individual is of no importance to you. Conversely, by recalling a correct name, especially after only one introduction, you will not only engage and flatter its owner, but you will be remembered for your thoughtful interest.

In his amusing, unusual and empowering presentation, Bob reveals a wonderful method to easily recall and store into memory the names of new friends and business acquaintances. Having been taught the system, participants are quickly and easily able to recall both first and last names of several new acquaintances as they are introduced during the presentation. It’s an hilarious system that will have the audience in hysterics…and it works.