Presenter: Vanessa Giulianni

Topic: Identity Theft

SUN MEDIA

Presenter: Linda Leatherdale

Topic: Student Debt

Linda helps Canadians create wealth and fights to help them keep their hard-earned money safe. Her motto: One taxpayer, one pocket.

A crusader and believer in advocacy journalism, she has led many highly-charged campaigns for her readers. She’s fought high taxation, government waste, property tax madness, the high cost of bank fees and credit cards, gouging insurance costs, the hosing at the gas pumps, hydro madness, and on, and on.

She’s lobbied government and helped form new legislation, like the Loan Brokers Act of Ontario to protect consumers from scuzzy loan brokers and Ontario’s Taxpayer Protection Act, to protect taxpayers from big-spending, over-taxing governments.

Linda is also host of the popular, live Money Line TV show, which airs on Rogers Television, Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. And she is author of best-selling book, Money Is A Girl’s Best Friend.

She also stages popular seminars on financial and retirement planning and real estate, and makes regular appearances on national TV and radio.

She appears regularly on Sun TV, and was a financial commentator on City TV’s Before Breakfast Television, and on Global TV.

Before taking the helm of the Money section at the Toronto Sun, she was Business Editor of the Edmonton Sun and inaugural Business Editor at the Ottawa Sun. Prior to joining Sun Media in 1985, she served as Editor/Publisher of Ontario Business Magazine as well as Editor of a Key Publisher magazine.

Her writings have appeared in a number of publications.

Linda’s passion is raising money for The Hospital for Sick Children, where her daughter, Skye, a survivor of Hodgkins Lymphoma cancer, set up a Reach for Skye Trust Fund for cancer research. She helps raise money for other charities, as well.

Linda was born in the colorful Stephen Leacock Mariposa town of Orillia, Ont., where her journalistic career began at the Orillia Packet & Times.

She is married, the mother of Austin and Skye, and resides in Oakville, Ont..

Business News Network (BNN)

Presenter: Patricia Lovett-Reid

Topic: Couples and Money and Investing

Patricia Lovett-Reid, Senior Vice President of
TD Waterhouse Canada Inc., is one of Canada’s leading
and respected authorities on personal finance. She is a
regular market commentator for Business News Network,
Canada AM, CTV NEWSNET and CP24. Patricia is
the host of MoneyTalk, a national prime-time television
program on personal finance, airing every Thursday at
8:00 pm (ET) on Business News Network.

A sought-after speaker and commentator on wealth
management, she also co-authored the books Live Well
Retire Well, Surprise! You’re Wealthy: A Woman’s Guide
to Protecting Her Wealth, as well as Take Charge Now:
A Woman’s Guide to Personal and Family Finance and
the national best seller, Retirement Strategies for Women.

In addition, she has taken the role of Trusted Wealth Advisor,
with Indigo Chapters, which includes reviewing financial
publications and making book recommendations.

Patricia holds the designation of Certified Financial Planner
and a Honourary Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute.

Canadian Mortgage Housing Corporation (CMHC)

Presenter: Mark Salerno

Topic: Mortgages

Presenter: Tom Reid

Topic: Maintaining a good credit rating

Tom has served in senior roles at Eaton Credit Corporation, GE Capital Card Services, and
TransUnion.

As Director, Risk Management at Eaton Credit Corporation, Tom pioneered the introduction
of adaptive control software in Canada for authorization management, account management
and collections.

In his role as Senior Risk Manager - GE Capital Card Services, in addition to his
responsibilities for overall risk management, Tom led the development and introduction of a
dynamic trigger process for account management.

During his tenure at TransUnion, as National Account Executive, Tom managed relationships
with Bell, Aliant, Bank of Montreal, GE Capital, TD Bank, and Household Finance.

In his current Role as Director, Consumer Solutions, Tom’s primary responsibility is building
and managing TransUnion's Direct to Consumer business to provide tools, resources and
education to help individuals manage their credit health and achieve their financial goals.

Tom also serves on Data Quality Steering Committee and Internet Steering Committee.

Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC)

Presenter : Jane Rooney

Topic: Your rights and responsibilities regarding banking and credit cards

Prior to this role, Ms. Rooney was the Manager, Consumer Services with FCAC, where she undertook research and analysis on various domestic and international issues related to consumer trends and developments. She also contributed to the identification of key consumer and marketplace issues affecting consumers of financial products and services in Canada. In addition, Ms. Rooney had management responsibilities for FCAC’s correspondence unit and Consumer Contact Centre. She has been with the FCAC since January 2002.

Before joining FCAC, Ms. Rooney was a Policy Analyst with the Canadian Payments Association, the organization that developed and operates the Canadian payments system. In that capacity, she worked with a committee of senior financial institution representatives to develop the policy framework, and the industry rule, for the exchange and settlement of pre-authorized debits. Ms. Rooney also participated on various domestic committees that examined emerging payments policy issues. In addition, she represented the CPA at the U.S.A.’s National Automated Clearing House Association’s (NACHA) Internet Council whose aim is to facilitate global electronic commerce by enabling people to transact secure payments over open networks.

Ms. Rooney has also worked as an Assistant to Members of Parliament, helping consumers with their inquiries and complaints on a wide range of issues at the federal level.

Ms. Rooney holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Carleton University.