John Belton is the CEO and Principal Consultant of Belton Labour Management Inc., a consulting firm he established in 2014. With a comprehensive focus on labour and industrial relations, his firm provides essential services including contract negotiation, dispute resolution, M&A support, human resource service delivery, talent and skills development, employee wellness, return-to-work coordination, and disability management.
John's career is distinguished by his extensive, cross-border experience, having held roles in both the public and private sectors within Canada and the United States. His expertise spans a diverse range of industries, including provincial skilled trades, aerospace manufacturing, consumer packaged goods, food and beverage, hospitality, security and policing, post-secondary education, early childhood education (ECE) and daycare, as well as hospitals and long-term care.
John holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from York University.
Alex Brat is widely regarded as one of Canada’s leading experts in industrial relations and human resources, bringing more than 30 years of senior experience across higher education, management consulting, and manufacturing. His expertise spans labour and employee relations, collective bargaining, organizational strategy, change management, and leadership development.
For over 15 years, Alex served as Senior Executive Director of Labour Relations at the University of Toronto, where he led the negotiation and administration of 30 collective agreements covering nearly 25,000 unionized employees across multiple major unions. As the University’s chief spokesperson and lead strategist, he shaped institution-wide labour relations approaches and successfully navigated numerous complex bargaining rounds.
Before joining U of T, Alex held senior HR and labour relations roles at Capgemini, Bombardier Aerospace, Ford Motor Company, and ThyssenKrupp, earning a reputation for achieving collaborative, dispute free agreements in highly complex environments. Alex also teaches at the University of Toronto’s Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources, where he delivers graduate and undergraduate courses in HR strategy, labour relations, arbitration, alternative dispute resolution, and training. His teaching has helped launch many successful HR and LR careers across the public and private sectors. He holds a Master’s degree in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management and a Bachelor of Commerce.
416-435-0914
Amy Davies is the CEO of First30, an organization specializing in outplacement, employee onboarding and workforce planning services across North America. She is the host of Coffee 'n' Law: The Workplace Law Podcast, and currently writing her second book, Creating a Praise Culture: An Employer's Guide to a More Positive, Productive, and Profitable Workforce. Before founding First30, Amy worked in leadership roles for top-tier companies in North America and the UK, including Unilever, Mars/Wrigley, Grainger and Rogers.
