Executive Dialogues
Emerging Leaders. Real Conversations. Practical Leadership.
What does effective leadership actually look like?
Join CivicAction’s Executive Dialogues—a conversation series designed to equip emerging leaders with the skills, insights, and confidence needed to shape a better future for our region.
This isn’t a lecture series. It’s an honest exchange where you’ll discover what it actually takes to lead with impact in complex, civic-minded ways.
In these rooms we strip away the theory and get to the practice, with session building on the last. You’ll hear from leaders who have been in the room where decisions happen—and learn the concrete approaches they’ve used to succeed, adapt, and drive change.
With every session you can expect:
Candid Insights
Industry leaders from across sectors share the real story: the challenges, failures, pivots and wins.
Practical Strategies
Actionable strategies you can apply immediately to your work.
Driven Community
A peer network of emerging leaders working with intention towards similar goals.
Leadership Clarity
Clarity on the leadership skills, mindsets and experiences required to navigate modern challenges.
Emerging leaders face unique challenges: navigating systems you didn’t design, building influence without formal authority, and making decisions in an uncertain world.
This series is designed for emerging leaders who:
- Want to deepen their leadership skills and expand their impact
- Are navigating complexity and looking for practical, grounded guidance
- Care about civic leadership and want to contribute at a systems level
- Are ready to learn from others and grow alongside a peer community
No prior experience necessary. Come ready to listen, ask questions, and think differently about leadership.
The Executive Dialogue Series is part of CivicAction’s Emerging Leaders Network—a hub for rising leaders across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Not part of the Emerging Leader’s Network?
Upcoming Sessions
Session 1: October 6, 2026 | 5:30 - 7 PM | 111 Peter St, Toronto ON
Executive Dialogues with Jennifer Quinn
This inaugural Executive Dialogues event offers emerging leaders a candid look at what leadership really looks like in practice.
Through a moderated conversation with Jennifer Quinn, participants will explore the experiences, decisions, relationships and lessons that have shaped her career across the public and private sectors. The discussion will move beyond traditional leadership advice to examine how leaders navigate ambiguity, make difficult decisions, build alignment, and lead through complex challenges. Participants will leave with practical insights and reflections they can apply to their own leadership journeys, regardless of where they are in their careers.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Jennifer Quinn is the CEO of Nieuport Aviation, the terminal partner at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. Prior to Nieuport, Jennifer was a Partner and Government & Public Services Industry leader with Deloitte and spent nearly 7 years in Senior roles at Infrastructure Ontario. In 2024, she was awarded the Report on Business magazine’s Best Executive Award and was named one of Canada’s 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women's Executive Network.