Science, engineering, trades and technology (SETT) occupations are promoted as high-paying pathways, however the work of women and gender-diverse professionals across all disciplines within SETT is often undervalued.
Panelists will bring their expertise and continue the conversation on pay equity in Canada. They will explore pay equity, pay transparency and equal pay for work of equal value from legal, human resources, and advocacy perspectives.
Let’s bring the topic out from the silos of silence.
Event: Advancing Pay Equity in SETT
Date: September 24, 2026
Time: 1:30 pm NT, 1:00 pm AT, 12:00 pm ET, 11:00 am CT, 10:00 am MT, 9:00 am PT
Place: Zoom
This session will be recorded.
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This project has been funded by Women and Gender Equality Canada.
Moderator: Nikki Hill has been a public affairs leader for over eight years, bringing 25 years of working in senior roles in politics, campaigns, and public policy. She is the CEO at Hilltop Public Affairs, which she founded in 2025 after 6 years as a partner and top client lead at one of Canada’s largest public affairs firms.
Her commitment to advocacy on issues related to equity led her to become the founder and Co-Chair of United Way Period Promise in 2017 and the Chair of the Government of BC Period Poverty Task Force from 2022 to 2024.
Nikki was awarded the 2023 WXN Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100 Award for community impact. She is the recipient of the 2020 Greater Vancouver Board of Trade Wendy McDonald Community Catalyst Award, the 2020 United Way of the Lower Mainland Joe Morris Labour Community Service Award and a nominee for the 2021 YWCA Metro Vancouver Women of Distinction award for Business and the Professions.
Speakers:
Vicki Kilpatrick is a Human Resources Manager with McElhanney, specializing in compensation, workforce planning, employee relations, organizational design, and workplace culture. She leads strategic people initiatives that support organizational growth while advancing fair, inclusive, and employee-centered practices. Vicki is particularly passionate about helping leaders navigate complex people challenges, creating transparent and equitable employment practices, and building workplace cultures where employees can thrive and contribute their best work.
In addition to her work at McElhanney, Vicki is actively involved in industry initiatives focused on equity, diversity, inclusion, and workplace wellbeing. Through her participation on the ACEC-BC EDI Committee, she has contributed to conversations on topics including neurodiversity, menopause in the workplace, psychological safety, and inclusive leadership.
Samantha Olexson is a lawyer and public sector leader with extensive experience in pay equity, labour law, employment law, and human rights law. She currently serves as Legal Manager, Review Services at Ontario’s Pay Equity Office, where she leads a multidisciplinary team responsible for investigating pay equity disputes, and enforcing compliance with the Pay Equity Act. Over the course of her career, Samantha has worked for the government, unions, and in private practice, advising senior leaders on complex legal and policy issues and leading large-scale pay equity and salary discrimination initiatives. Samantha holds a Juris Doctor from Osgoode Hall Law School and has completed specialized professional development in diversity, inclusion, gender analytics, and workplace investigations.
Johanne Perron is a dedicated activist with a bachelor’s degree in international development from Dalhousie University and a master’s degree in environmental studies from the Université de Moncton.
Since 2001, she has served as the Executive Director of the New Brunswick Coalition for Pay Equity. Under her leadership, the Coalition secured the passage of the 2009 Pay Equity Act for the public sector as well as the Pay Transparency Act this year, and continues to advocate for extending pay equity to the private sector.
Johanne’s longstanding commitment to the Coalition and various women’s rights organizations has earned her several prestigious awards, including the YWCA Moncton’s Woman of Distinction Award (2018), the VIVE Award (2021), as well as the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal (2022) and the King Charles III Coronation Medal (2025).
