Spring Tune Up 2021 recap
For the second year in a row, ACFO-ACAF was offered our members another successful virtual Spring Tune Up, our biggest annual professional development event. With nearly 2,000 attendees, we were able to deliver exceptional PD while respecting the current COVID-19 restrictions. The two-day activity spread across the afternoons of June 8-9 included inspirational presentations diving into different relevant topics from high-profile speakers.
Day One started with an opening word from AFCO-ACAF President Dany Richard and our emcee Oni The Haitian Sensation. Kicking off the Spring Tune Up speakers was futurist and technology specialist Nicholas Thompson, who focused on the wired future we’re heading towards. He discussed the various realities we may face with the advancements in AI, robotics and even social media. Through his presentation we were able understand why we should focus on the doors that have the potential of opening rather than those we’re worried could close due to technological advancements. According to Thompson, it’s time to rack up and perfect our individual skills.
Dr. Temple Grandin, scientist and autism advocate, was our next esteemed speaker. She passionately shared her views on the many importances of giving opportunity to those who have different minds to have the chance of excelling and being impactful in professional fields. The world is full of different minds, and while some of those minds are autistic, each mind has the capacity to do great things. If we want to do great things and make a change, we must make room for all minds.
Day One closed with business coach and innovation specialist Jean David, who delivered a fascinating presentation addressing the benefits and necessity of innovation in the world we live in and the world to come. He explained that innovation is not only at the heart of business development but also professional excellence. David put emphasis on the use of creativity in the pursuit of solving everyday problems.
Day Two began with the Comptroller General’s Roch Huppé, who spoke about the importance of leadership and work/life balance, particularly during the pandemic. This was followed by a riveting presentation by Shawn Achor, psychologist and author, who talked about the happiness advantage and the impact joy has on your capacity to reach your full potential.
This was followed by a compelling presentation from Cheryl Cran, entrepreneur and leadership expert, on the future of leadership. Cran presented the necessity of having good people within our organisations and how that should be of the utmost importance above the access to the best technology.
Finally, the Spring Tune Up ended with an inspiring testimonial of overcoming adversity delivered by Michel Chikwanine, former child soldier from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and human rights specialist. Michel shed some light on how Canadas’s diversity was essential in his success story. He reminded us that you’re not limited by your current or past circumstances, and with resilience, you’ll always be able to keep moving forward.
We’e very pleased to have been able to facilitate professional development virtually to our members across Canada. Although we’re still navigating the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, we hope that we can come together in person at the Spring Tune Up in 2022.
Video of the event is available for ACFO-ACAF members. To access a copy, please log into the my.ACFO-ACAF portal. Instructions on how to do so can be found here.
