Rotman Debate: Is Remote Work Killing Innovation?

The Rotman School of Management invites you to a thought-provoking debate on the proposition: "Reduced office presence is damaging innovation and productivity."
The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically accelerated the shift towards remote work, forcing knowledge workers and their managers to navigate a new reality of teams regularly working from home. Technologies like Zoom, Slack and Teams have buoyed these changes by making electronic communication more dynamic than ever.
But, as leaders consider how to navigate these changes, there is growing concern that key ingredients for innovation and productivity – like spontaneity and group collaboration – are being stifled by reduced time together at the office. And, how can emerging leaders grow their networks and knowledge base when they’re reducing their presence in an active learning culture?
Opposing this view, advocates for remote work are presenting compelling evidence that flexibility and autonomy lead to higher job satisfaction and efficiency. They argue that these benefits support a better work-life balance, contributing positively to mental health and overall performance.
This debate is essential for business leaders, managers, HR professionals, and employees who are navigating the new normal of remote work and seek to understand the future of work.
Mark your calendars and be part of the debate that matters. Join us at Rotman School of Management to explore whether the traditional office will make a comeback or if remote work is here to stay.

ARGUING FOR THE PROPOSITION WILL BE:
Jon Love, Founder & Executive Chair, KingSett Capital
Jennifer Reynolds, CEO, Women Corporate Directors Foundation

ARGUING AGAINST THE PROPOSITION WILL BE:
John P. Trougakos, Professor of Management, University of Toronto, Scarborough Department of Management and Rotman School of Management
Brian Elliott, Executive Leader of Future Forum; SVP, Slack

MODERATOR:
Anne Gaviola, Senior Digital Broadcast Journalist, Global News

Jon Love is the Executive Chair and Founder of KingSett Capital, Canada’s leading private equity real estate investment firm. Founded in 2002, KingSett Capital is a Canadian private equity real estate investment business which creates and co-invests in real estate investment solutions to deliver sustainable premium risk weighted returns. KingSett manages $18 billion in assets across its Growth, Income, Urban, Mortgage, Residential Development and Affordable Housing strategies.
Jon began his real estate career with Oxford Properties in 1980, becoming President in 1987 and CEO in 1992. Jon led Oxford’s initial public offering in 1995 and oversaw $7 billion in acquisitions over the ensuing six years. Oxford was acquired by the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) in 2001 in a $4 billion privatization.
Jon is a member of the Business Council of Canada, the Chief Executives Organization, and Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO). Jon is also an Emeritus Advisory Board member at Western University’s Ivey Business School, where he received an Honours degree in Business Administration. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Western University in 2016 and became a member of the Order of Canada (C.M.) in 2018. Jon received the Ivey Business Leader of the Year Award and the NAIOP Rex Icon Award in 2023.

Jennifer Reynolds is an accomplished executive and board member. Her more than 25-year career has spanned various areas of the financial services industry and has included senior roles in investment banking, venture capital, and global risk management working with multi-billion-dollar firms and M&A transactions.
She currently serves as CEO of Women Corporate Directors Foundation (WCD) the world's largest network of women corporate board directors, with more than 2,500 members serving on more than 8,500 public and private boards around the globe.
Jennifer serves on the board of BF&M Insurance Group Ltd, (“BFM.BH”, BSX); on the board of Agrinam Acquisition Corporation (“AGRI.V” TSX), on the board of the Canada Development Investment Corporation ("CDEV"); and on the board of Women’s College Hospital Foundation. She has served on or chaired multiple committees across boards, including, audit, compensation, nominating and governance, HR, and investments. Jennifer previously served on the board of Citibank Canada and was the Co-Chair of the UN convened Financial Centres for Sustainability Network (FC4S). Jennifer currently serves on the Advisory Council for the Canadian Institute of Sustainable Finance.
Prior to joining WCD, Jennifer served as the President & CEO of Toronto Finance International (TFI), a public-private partnership which promotes and develops Canada’s financial services sector, nationally and internationally. Prior to joining TFI, Jennifer was the President & CEO of Women in Capital Markets (WCM), Canada’s largest industry association and advocacy group for women in the financial sector. Throughout these roles she worked on innovation, ESG, and DEI initiatives. Previously she held executive roles with multi-billion-dollar investment banks and asset managers such as OMERS, BMO, and Scotiabank.
In 2015 and 2017, she was named a Women's Executive Network (WXN) Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award Winner. Jennifer is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Women's Leadership program, and she received her MBA from McGill University, as well as a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Economics and Political Science from McGill University. Jennifer also holds the Institute of Corporate Directors Designation, ICD.D.

John P. Trougakos is a Professor of Management at the University of Toronto, Scarborough Department of Management, and Rotman School of Management. His work focuses on the dynamics of employees’ daily organizational life, seeking to provide insights into current organizational challenges as well as those of the rapidly evolving workplaces of the future. He specializes in issues related to leadership, group dynamics, employee well-being and productivity, work breaks and recovery, as well as implementation of novel work methods (e.g., hybrid models, shortened work weeks, etc.). John's award-winning research has been published in numerous leading academic journals and has been featured widely by a variety of media outlets. Some of his industry collaborations include Staples Canada, Bell Canada, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Defense, the Canadian Securities Trader Association, the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, and the Work Time Reduction Centre of Excellence, among many others.

Brian Elliott is a leadership advisor and noted expert on the future of work. After 25 years in tech as a startup CEO and executive at companies like Google and Slack, Brian founded Future Forum, a think tank focused on the future of work. He also co-authored the bestseller and was named to Forbes’ .
His work enables leaders to build a future of work that’s better for people and organization, and is rooted in research combined with practical, tactical advice from his work with a wide range of organizations.
You can follow his latest on LinkedIn.

Moderator: Anne Gaviola is a Senior Digital Broadcast Journalist who is a national anchor, reporter and host at Global News. Based in Toronto, she has been covering the business beat for more than 15 years and her areas of interest include behavioural finance, disruptive technology, housing and the future of work. Anne’s career in journalism includes experience at CTV, BNN Bloomberg, VICE, CBC and The Weather Network.

This event is available to attend in-person only.

Rotman Events is committed to accessibility for all people. If you have any access needs or if there are any ways we can support your full participation in this session, please email Megan Murphy [[email protected]] no later than 2 weeks in advance of the event and we will be glad to work with you to make the appropriate arrangements.

• The event will be hosted at Desautels Hall at the Rotman School of Management (105 St. George St., Toronto, ON M5S 3E6). Your registration fee includes a seat at the session and the reception.

Questions: [email protected], Megan Murphy

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