Hala Bissada is an international award-winning event-producer and one of Canada's foremost event fundraisers with over 20 years of experience.

Prior to establishing Hala Events and Communications Inc., an international events firm, Hala spent 5 years with SickKids Foundation (the fundraising arm of one of the top three pediatric hospitals in the world) where she managed several complex events including The 10th Annual Sick Kids Telethon, raising $5 million and the Wishing Well Lottery, the first mega-hospital lottery in Ontario, Canada netting $5.2 million. She also won her first national industry award (AHP Development Showcase Award) for her work on Miracles in Motion (Canada's largest step-aerobathon) in 1995.

As Chief Development Officer for the Children's Aid Foundation from 1996-2004, Hala increased revenue from $500,000 net to $3.8 million net. As part of her portfolio, Hala executed the following high profile events: The Teddy Bear Affair, The Women's Golf Classic, The Golf Classic and the EZ Rock Radiothon.

Since establishing Hala Events & Communications Inc. in 2004, Hala has won 6 international awards, 4 national awards and 5 provincial awards for her innovative work.

Hala was a member of the Advisory Committee that developed the Humber School of Media Studies and Technology, Fundraising Certificate Program and she also taught the Special Event course for four years. Hala is a part-time instructor at Ryerson University and has recently developed a new Special Event Certificate Program that will launch in September of 2012. She sat on the Board of the Association of Fund Raising Professionals for three years, chaired the 2003 Fundraising Day Conference, and is a much sought-after speaker.

Hala holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Ryerson University and is a Certified Fund Raising Executive. In 2003, she was nominated for Canada's national newspaper's (the Globe & Mail) Top 40 Under 40 award and for the 2008 and 2010 Royal Bank of Canada's Women Entrepreneur of the Year. Hala was selected as a prestigious 2010 Ryerson University's Alumni Achievement winner. Most recently, Hala was honoured with the coveted Event Professional of the Year award at the 2012 Canadian Event Industry Awards in Toronto.

Hala is one of twenty contributing authors of Excellence in Fundraising in Canada, the first comprehensive fundraising textbook written by Canadians for Canadians. In December 2011, the book made the Globe and Mail's Business Best Seller List.

On a personal note, Hala completed an Ironman in 2004 and loves to ride her motorcycle.