Board of Governors

Meet the Team

The TeamThe Board of Directors The Board of Governors

Colin Brown

VP Operations and Projects, Engineers Canada

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Nancy Collins

Strategic Initiatives Advisor, Office of the Associate Provost, HR, University of Waterloo

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Rodney C. Cook

VP, Workplace Health and Safety Services, Workplace Safety & Insurance Board

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Neil Crawford

Practice Leader, Strategic Human Resources Consulting
Stratford Managers Corporation

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Yvonne de Lint

Deputy Managing Director, Currency, Bank of Canada

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Marie Doherty

Director, Client Service Team, Queen’s University

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Dr. Hugh Drouin

Commissioner, Social Services, Regional Municipality of Durham

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Allan N. Ebedes

President & CEO, Excellence Canada

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Jennifer Elia

AVP Client Experience, Integrated Health Solutions, Sun Life Financial Canada

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Kevin Ford

President & CEO, Calian Group Ltd.

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Ed Kane

Assistant VP, University Services, Carleton University

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Dr. Peter Legge

Chairman & CEO / Publisher, Canada Wide Media Ltd.

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Michael Moser

Sr. Director of Marketing Strategy, Finance & Operations, CBC Communications, Marketing, Brand & Research

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Bob Nakagawa

Registrar, College of Pharmacists of British Columbia

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Laura Nashman

CEO, Pension Corporation

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Don O’Leary

VP Finance, Administration & Risk, University of Guelph

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Daniel O’Rourke

VP Business Excellence, Ceridian Canada Ltd.

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Antoine Pappalardo

President, Trans Capital Air Ltd.

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Richard Perri

Chief Financial Officer, Ricoh Canada Inc.

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David Rennie

Executive Director, Strategies & Initiatives, Regional Municipality of York

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Gary Seveny

Past Chair, Excellence Canada and Co-Founder, PB Capital Inc.

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Shirlee Sharkey

Chair, Excellence Canada and President & Chief Executive Officer, Saint Elizabeth

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Andy Taylor

Chief Administrative Officer, City of Markham

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David Thompson

CEO, Canadian Forces Housing Agency

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Christine van Staden

Regional VP, Group Customer, Toronto Consultant Office, Great-West Life

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John Wilson

Founder & CEO, CEO Global Network

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Colin Brown

Vice-President Operations
Engineers Canada

As Vice-President of Operations for Engineers Canada, Colin Brown provides business transformation and innovation expertise to staff and external stakeholders in business planning, project management, change management, continuous improvement, and monitoring and reporting. He leads the development of multi-year operational plans, oversees operational, financial and risk management processes, and builds the organizational enablers that help staff, volunteers and stakeholders achieve their business goals.

Previously, Colin was Vice-President, Centre for Business Excellence & Project Management Office, at Alterna Savings, one of Ontario’s largest credit unions. His portfolio included new product launches, business process improvements, technology infrastructure upgrades, facilities, technology application upgrades and regulatory changes. He was responsible for managing change-related risk and he led the ongoing development and improvement of the corporate project management methodology, business process methodology and business analysis practice.

Throughout his career, Colin has gained extensive experience in various sectors, including workplace automation, software development, telecommunications hardware manufacturing and telecommunications operations.

Colin holds a certificate in Telecommunications Technology from Peterborough College, England and is a Certified Professional Coach.

Nancy Collins

Strategic Initiatives Advisor
Office of the Associate Provost, Human Resources
University of Waterloo

As Strategic Initiatives Advisor in the Office of the Associate Provost, Human Resources, at the University of Waterloo, Nancy Collins works on a wide range of human resource strategies and initiatives, and provides advice and guidance on University-wide initiatives, including the University’s goal of achieving the Going-for-Gold Excellence, Innovation and Wellness (EIW) Standard. Located at the heart of Canada’s technology hub, the University of Waterloo is a leading comprehensive university with 35,100 full- and part-time students in undergraduate and graduate programs.

In addition to her role in Human Resources, Nancy serves as an academic librarian at the University Library, which was the first department on campus to begin applying the EIW Standard. She has worked at the University since 2007, first acting as the Communications and Liaison Librarian for seven years and then as a Liaison Librarian for one year before transitioning to Human Resources. In these roles, Nancy managed the Library’s communications team and acted as liaison librarian for various academic departments.

She holds a Master of Information Studies degree from the University of Toronto and a BA from the University of Waterloo.

Rodney C. Cook

Vice President
Workplace Health and Safety Services
Workplace Safety & Insurance Boar

As Vice President of Workplace Health and Safety Services at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), Rod Cook oversees all aspects of the organization’s workplace health and safety programs, with an emphasis on being at the forefront of innovation and best practice.

Recognized as an outstanding leader of people, Rod has built a career around maximizing human capability and potential, and has pursued his passion for labour relations, strategic human resources, and delivery excellence in both private and public environments. He has developed specialized competencies in leadership, employee engagement, HR planning, labour relations, reward design and talent acquisition.

Prior to his current position, he spent four years as the WSIB’s Vice President of Human Resources. Under Rod’s leadership, the function transformed into an efficient, high-performing division that drives business results through strong leadership of people and effective use of metrics and analytics. Before joining the WSIB, Rod held leadership positions at Rogers Communications, Allstream and AT&T Canada.

He has a BA in Economics (with distinction) from Concordia University and a Master of Industrial Relations from the University of Toronto.

Practice Leader, Strategic Human Resources Consulting
Stratford Managers Corporation

Neil Crawford is currently Practice Leader of HR Strategic Consulting at Stratford Managers Corporation responsible for the financial performance and growth of the practice across a wide range of content areas including Human Capital Strategy, Change Management, Culture, Engagement, HR Effectiveness and Talent Management.

Prior to joining Stratford Managers, Neil was a partner of Aon Hewitt and led its Canadian Talent, Rewards and Performance Practice. For fifteen years, he also led the annual Best Employers in Canada study, conducted by Aon Hewitt and published nationally in Canadian Business Magazine.

Neil has worked extensively with many national and international organizations to define business-aligned people and rewards strategies, measure and improve employee engagement, track cultural change and improve the effectiveness of their HR functions. He is a frequent speaker on employee engagement, leadership, aligning people and reward strategies with business strategy, and creating great workplaces.

Neil is a mathematics graduate of the University of Waterloo and is a qualified actuary. He is also a Chartered Professional in Human Resources.

Yvonne de Lint, Deputy Managing Director, Currency
Bank of Canada

Yvonne de Lint was appointed Deputy Managing Director of the Currency Department at the Bank of Canada in April 2012. In this capacity, she is part of the Strategic Leadership Team responsible for all stages of the design, development, production, distribution and management of banknotes in Canada.

In addition, she is responsible for the Currency Department’s external stakeholder relations, evolving key relationships and creating strategic alliances. She also oversees strategic planning, organizational performance and, information and systems management.

Ms. de Lint joined the Bank in 2006 with more than 12 years of experience in strategic planning, business development and organizational performance management. She has developed excellence programs and led organizations to achieve the Canada Award for Excellence in both private and public sectors.

Ms. de Lint is from Ottawa, Ontario. She has a B.Sc. from the University of Ottawa, has been certified in Advanced Technology Management, and is a Certified Excellence Professional. She was also recognized by the Ottawa Business Journal as one of the city’s “Top 40 under 40” in 2004.

Marie Doherty

Director
Client Services & Organizational Development & Learning
Queen’s University

Marie Doherty is responsible for leading the HR team at Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, providing strategic Human Resources advice on employee relations and service delivery to the university. She leads HR strategies concerning talent management, improving employee performance and engagement, recruitment and selection, conflict resolution, building relationships, organizational development and change management, leadership development and training, and communication and orientation.

Marie is also responsible for overseeing management systems, competency development, education, training for HR-related policies and procedures focusing on continuous improvement, and advising and consulting with executives regarding people issues and strategies.

During the course of her career, Marie has acquired extensive HR experience, including labour relations and collective bargaining, from several organizations. Prior to her current position, she was Associate Director, Faculty Relations at Queen’s University.

She has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of New Brunswick and is currently enrolled in the Master of Public Administration Program at Queen’s University.

Dr. Hugh A. Drouin

Commissioner of Social Services
Regional Municipality of Durham

A leader within the social work profession, Dr. Hugh Drouin has a varied and rich background having served as a clinician, college and university professor, administrator, consultant and seminar leader. He has conducted extensive research in the area of nurturing workplaces and their impact on the stress and morale of employees, and has presented to such diverse organizations as General Electric, Canada Post, Royal Bank, Ministry of Health, school boards, District Health Councils, churches, hospitals, social agencies and a variety of professional groups.

In his current role as Commissioner, Dr. Drouin oversees the Social Services Department which is the largest department in the Regional Municipality of Durham, with over 2000 staff across six divisions. Developing into a world-class organization, the department received the Order of Excellence in 2015, and the Gold trophy for Excellence, Innovation and Wellness in 2018.

Dr. Drouin has been on part-time faculty at the School of Social Work McMaster University and received the McMaster teaching award for his exceptional contributions. He holds a Master's Degree in Social Work from the University of Windsor, and a Ph.D. in Social Work Administration from Laval University in Quebec City.

Allan N. Ebedes

President and CEO
Excellence Canada

Since 2005, Allan Ebedes has led Excellence Canada, formerly known as the National Quality Institute. Working with the Board of Directors, he is responsible for setting the strategic direction of Excellence Canada and delivering on its business plan and mission.

Allan began his business career as a Chartered Accountant (CA) at Coopers & Lybrand, now PWC. He then became a partner at a small furniture and appliance chain, which grew significantly during his ownership, and was subsequently sold to The Brick. In 1979, he started a private career college called the Toronto School of Business, a division of International Business Schools, which grew to become the largest career college in Canada, with 50 locations coast to coast. Allan took the company public on the BASDAQ exchange.

In 2002, Allan founded Management Mentors International, a company dedicated to corporate training and development, coaching and mentoring. He was also appointed as President of the Academy of Learning, a chain of 100 computer learning centres across Canada.

Allan is a CA, CPA and earned an MBA from the University of Toronto (now Rotman School of Management) and an LLM law degree in Global Business through an evening program at the Faculty of Law. Allan is an ICD.D with the Institute of Corporate Directors and is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) and a group leader with the CEO Global Business Network.

Jennifer Elia

Assistant Vice-President, Client Experience
Integrated Health Solutions
Sun Life Financial

Jennifer Elia is a dynamic change leader with 20 years of diverse and progressive experience in financial services, with a focus on connecting health and business performance. In her current role, she leads a team of organizational health experts focused on meeting the healthy workplace objectives of Canadian businesses, including some of Canada’s most recognized employers. She is passionate about using health data and insights to support decision making, and delivering solutions that drive business performance.

She joined Sun Life in 2009 to help establish the health and wellness function before moving to Human Resources where she led the design and delivery of Sun Life’s Canadian employee benefits program.

Jennifer has an honours degree in Health and Psychology from Queen’s University, and is a graduate of the Workplace Wellness and Health Promotion program at Centennial College. In 2015, she was recognized on the Life & Health Professional Hot List and in 2016 she was nominated for the Premier’s Award for social and economic contribution in the Health Sciences category.

Kevin Ford

President and CEO
Calian Group Ltd.

Kevin Ford is President and CEO of Calian, a publicly traded (TSX:CGY) company with offices and projects that span Canada, U.S. and international markets. As CEO he reports to the Board of Directors and is responsible for the overall operations and success of the company. He leads Calian's strategic and operational business plans and represents the company in communications with all stakeholders, including shareholders, employees, customers and suppliers.

Kevin, who has been recognized as a top business leader through awards such as the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce 2017 CEO of the Year, has led the company to record revenues and market value. He has long described his key values as teamwork, integrity and commitment, and has worked hard to foster a corporate culture where Calian team members come to work happy and healthy, with an attitude for collaboration and high-performance.

Kevin has worked in professional services for over 30 years. Prior to becoming Calian CEO in April 2015, he served as Calian's Business and Technology Services Division President for over four years. He worked for 11 years at IBM, where he was Partner in Global Business Services and responsible for the Canadian Defence portfolio. He currently sits on the boards of the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries, Saegis and the Ottawa Hospital Foundation, and is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Ed Kane

Assistant Vice-President, University Services
Carleton University

Ed Kane is a senior leader at Carleton University and within the Finance and Administration division in his capacity as Assistant Vice-President (University Services), a position he has held since 2004. University Services is made up of 11 units with a wide range of services, including dining, student and guest services, housing, and all purchasing on campus.

Ed is a key member of the executive strategy planning team at the university and has been the Chair of the Healthy Workplace Committee since 2009. He has overseen the implementation of this initiative which has achieved Platinum Level certification from the Canada Awards for Excellence, and Silver Level for Mental Health at Work.

Ed is involved beyond the campus in a number of organizations. Currently, he is the Chair of the Professional Development Committee for the National Association of College Auxiliary Services. In 2017, Ed received the Dr. Wright L. Lassiter Jr Legacy Award for his leadership, commitment to volunteerism and community service. He is a graduate of public administration from the University of Ulster.

Peter Legge

Chairman & CEO / Publisher
Canada Wide Media Limited

As Chairman & CEO of the largest, independently owned media publishing company in Western Canada, Peter Legge controls a network of more than 25 magazines and a diverse range of media services and products, with over $15 million in annual sales.

An internationally acclaimed professional speaker, Peter’s presentations are based on his everyday experiences as a community leader, husband, father and CEO. Among other speaking accolades, he is a member of the prestigious Speakers Roundtable, an invitation-only society comprising 20 of North America’s top professional speakers. In 1998, Peter was inducted into the Canadian Speakers Hall of Fame.

Peter has published 21 books, including The Runway of Life, The Power of Tact, Lunch with Joe, The Power of Tenacity, and his most recent, The Power of Tact 2.0. His books have motivated thousands of people towards positive change.

He is the recipient of three honourary doctorate degrees from Simon Fraser University, Royal Roads University and British Columbia Institute of Technology. He tirelessly devotes his time to many worthwhile organizations. In 2008, for his lifelong commitment to serving the community, Peter received the province’s highest award, the Order of British Columbia.

Sr. Director of Marketing Strategy, Finance & Operations, CBC Communications, Marketing, Brand & Research

Michael Moser is a strategy, finance and marketing executive with extensive experience in the broadcasting, media and telecommunications sectors. Currently, he leads marketing strategy, finance and operations for the full-service communications and media ad agency within CBC English Services. The agency markets all CBC content found on CBC's platforms including TV, radio one, CBC Music, CBC News Network, Documentary Channel, cbc.ca, CBC Gem and social media. Content marketing includes Kim’s Convenience, Murdoch Mysteries, The National, Hockey Night in Canada, the Olympics, Dragons' Den, CBC Music and radio one's Metro Morning to name a few.

As a key member of the marketing leadership team, Michael is responsible for go-to-market strategic planning for all CBC content. His strategic scope includes managing finance and budgets, maximizing CBC owned/partnered media assets and developing new business. His operational scope covers departmental planning, human resources, procurement and vendor management.

Previously at CBC, he has held responsibility for and led Employee Communications, Audience Relations, the Events Team, Research and Marketing. Prior to joining CBC, he worked in various marketing positions at TELUS and Bell Canada (BCE).

Michael has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from Ryerson and an MBA in Marketing from Clarkson University.

Bob Nakagawa
Registrar
College of Pharmacists of British Columbia

As Registrar of the College of Pharmacists of British Columbia, Bob Nakagawa leads the College’s relationship with its Board, informing and operationalizing its direction, in accordance with legislated requirements. He also manages and provides guidance to the College’s senior leadership team in the creation and fulfillment of strategic goals and initiatives. The College administers provincial pharmacy legislation and protects public health by licensing and regulating pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and the pharmacies in which they practice.

Bob is a registered pharmacist with over 35 years of experience in hospital pharmacy and public health administration. Prior to his current role, Bob was an Assistant Deputy Minister in the British Columbia Ministry of Health.

A leader in BC’s pharmacy profession, Bob has served in numerous positions, including President (Board-Chair) of the College of Pharmacists of BC and of the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists. He has also served as the Federal government representative on the Health Council of Canada and chaired the Medical Services Commission, the BC Drug Benefits Committee and the Federal Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee for Canada.

Laura Nashman

CEO
British Columbia Pension Corporation

Laura Nashman is the chief executive officer of the British Columbia Pension Corporation and has been in the role since December 2008.

Under Laura’s leadership Pension Corporation received “Gold” recognition from Excellence Canada, which demonstrates it is one of the best-managed organizations in Canada.

In 2018 Business in Vancouver magazine, Deloitte and TEC Canada recognized Laura as the public sector BC CEO of the Year and in 2017 Laura was named one of the Influential Women in Business. She was also called out as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network and recognized on Vancouver Magazine’s Power 50 list. Laura also has the designation of Director with the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D), and serves on several boards including Excellence Canada, the Conference Board of Canada and the Gustavson School of Business International Advisory Board. Laura is an active mentor for women leaders and emerging leaders who look to her for guidance and direction on their leadership practice and career development.

Laura is a high-performing senior executive who brings a fresh leadership style to her role. She has clear vision and her expertise as a strategic leader that gives her the ability to deliver results. Laura creates the right space for everyone in her organization to thrive. She emphasizes the importance of maintaining strong relationships with staff and all key stakeholders.

In 2012, she spearheaded the creation of a new strategic plan for Pension Corporation called 12 to 21 Our Way Forward. This nine-year strategy is an ambitious plan for business transformation that ensures Pension Corporation meets the changing needs and expectations of plan members, employers, trustees and staff. Above all Laura has reshaped the culture at the Corporation creating the organization-wide engagement and resiliency needed to bring the strategic plan to life.

Don O’Leary

Vice President
Finance, Administration & Risk
University of Guelph

Don O’Leary oversees six operational units at the University of Guelph: campus community police, emergency management and fire safety; financial services; hospitality services; human resources; physical resources; and the real estate division. He also participates in the Council of Senior Administrative Officers, an affiliate of the Council of Ontario Universities.

Don began his career with Coopers & Lybrand, Chartered Accountants. His accounting background led to senior positions with the Federal Business Development Bank in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and at the Montreal head office. Don then worked for J. D. Irving Ltd. as General Credit Manager and Real Estate Manager before changing his career focus entirely to the public sector and taking on the challenging role of Director of Economic Development for his hometown of Saint John, New Brunswick.

In 1992, Don moved to Oshawa to become Commissioner of Corporate Services. He then served as Vice President, Administration at Trent University before assuming his current role in 2011.

He has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of New Brunswick and has served on many professional and academic associations.

Daniel O’Rourke
Vice President, Global Operations Enablement
Ceridian Canada

As Vice President, Global Operations Enablement for Ceridian HCM, Daniel O’Rourke is responsible for leading or enabling strategic and functional area global operational development across Ceridian's business lines for both internal and external stakeholders. Prior to this, Daniel held the roles of Vice President, Business Excellence, and Vice President, Corporate Strategy Enablement. Daniel has driven a number of critical initiatives and designed innovative solutions to streamline, simplify and continually optimize the linkages between operational, employee and customer experience.

Daniel has more than 20 years’ experience in leading and developing operations, as well as integrating Lean organizational change within multiple industries. He spent most of his career in the manufacturing sector in senior operations leadership roles, prior to joining Ceridian in 2009.

Daniel holds an MBA from Athabasca University, and is a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, and senior member of the American Society for Quality.

Antoine Pappalardo

President & Director
Trans Capital Air Ltd.

Antoine Pappalardo is an international aviation entrepreneur who leads a Toronto-based group of family businesses with domestic and global reach.

Antoine is President and Co-owner of Trans Capital Air, a little known Canadian charter airline serving international peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts in some of the most troubled places on earth. Over the past 20 years, Antoine has driven the development of the company, having safely and successfully operated over 40,000 flights on long-term overseas missions in Afghanistan, Haiti, Timor-Leste, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Nepal, Central African Republic, South Sudan and Somalia. Trans Capital’s discrete global team of approximately 50 key-enablers operate and maintain an owned fleet of 9x deHavilland Dash 7 & 4x Diamond DA42 aircraft.

Antoine is also Director and Key Stakeholder of Stolport Corporation, an airport services, real estate and auto parking business with long-term interests at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.

Antoine has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Toronto.

Richard Perri

Chief Financial Officer
Ricoh Canada Inc.

Richard Perri is a key member of the Ricoh Executive Management team, overseeing critical business functions in addition to his financial responsibilities including Operations, IT, Strategic Planning, Business Transformation and Mergers & Acquisitions. He joined Ricoh in 2011, and was most recently responsible for the Services business, including strategy development and execution of the growth strategy. The Services business represents an exciting new growth area as Ricoh extends into the information mobility market.

Over his 15-year career in technology, Richard has earned a proven track record of helping organizations transform to respond to changing market demands. Prior to joining Ricoh, he served as Vice President of Finance for Pitney Bowes Canada, responsible for a portfolio of finance, operations and business groups.

Richard is a Chartered Professional Accountant, having obtained his designation in 2000, and is a graduate of the University of Toronto. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Avanti Systems and is an active member of the CEO Global Network.

David Rennie

Executive Director, Strategies & Initiatives
Office of the CAO
The Regional Municipality of York

David Rennie is a senior management executive with 29 years of public service experience in the municipal government and not-for-profit sectors. In his current role as Executive Director, Strategies & Initiatives in the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer at The Regional Municipality of York, David is responsible for bringing innovative and responsive approaches to work which includes strategic planning, emergency management, customer service, continuous improvement, business planning and administration, and a range of CAO-directed projects.

Prior to assuming his current role, David spent more than two decades in human services positions, including as General Manager of Social Services in the Community and Health Services Department of York Region. During that time David had the opportunity to contribute on the board of the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association where he served a term as president.

David holds an undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of Toronto and completed a graduate certificate in Municipal Public Sector Management with the York University Schulich School of Business.

Gary M. Seveny

Past Chair of Excellence Canada
Co-Founder
PB Capital Inc.

Gary Seveny has been active in the governance of Excellence Canada for several years and served as Chair of its Board of Directors from 2011 to 2016.

Prior to retiring from a career that spanned 35 years, Gary was President and Chief Executive Officer of two financial institutions, Alterna Bank of Canada and Alterna Savings and Credit Union, both headquartered in Ottawa with operations in western Quebec and throughout Ontario.

A recognized leader in the financial industry, Gary has been instrumental in achieving legislative change at both provincial and federal levels. He has been an active spokesperson for industry vision and regulatory change and has appeared before House of Commons Committees and Senate Committees.

Gary remains active in business, as co-founder and corporate director of PB Capital, developing new approaches to creating long-term funding of infrastructure projects under a Public Private Partnership (P3) model. He currently serves on the Boards of Telpay Inc. and ECHO Payment Services and is Chair of Yorkville Asset Management.

Gary has an MBA in Business and Leadership from John Molson School of Business, Concordia University.

Shirlee Sharkey

President & CEO, Saint Elizabeth
Chair of Excellence Canada

Shirlee Sharkey is the President and Chief Executive Officer of SE Health. Under Ms. Sharkey’s leadership, the social enterprise has enjoyed exponential growth and expansion, and facilitated transformative solutions in areas such as Indigenous health, end of life care, and caregiver wellness and support. Today, SE Health delivers 20,000 care exchanges daily through its team of 9,000 leaders and professionals.

Active in public service, Ms. Sharkey is the current Chair of Excellence Canada, and a board member of the C.D. Howe Institute and the Canadian Frailty Network. Academically, she is cross-appointed to the University of Toronto’s Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing and the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation as an adjunct professor. Committed to global influence, she has gained and shared health system insights through her experiences in the Middle East, Australia and northern Europe.

In 2017, Ms. Sharkey was presented with an honourary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology for her breakthrough leadership in community-based health care.

Andy Taylor

Chief Administrative Officer
City of Markham

As Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Markham reporting to the Mayor and Council, Andy Taylor leads the corporation with his Executive Leadership Team comprised of the Commissioners of Community & Fire Services, Corporate Services, Development Services and the City Solicitor. Markham, known as the high-tech capital of Canada, is a municipality of more than 350,000 residents centrally located in the Greater Toronto Area. It was the first large municipality in North America to use the Internet in a binding election in 2003 and has continued its use for all subsequent elections. Andy has been instrumental in introducing numerous e-government solutions, including the launch of the Markham Portal Website in June 2011.

Andy holds a wealth of experience in both the public and private sector. He holds a Bachelor of Science and from University of Toronto and Bachelor Honours of Commerce from University of Windsor. In 2017, Andy was elected as a Fellow by the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario. He champions several local initiatives and sits on a number of boards of directors. Andy is also the President of Markham Enterprises Corporation, a shareholder of Alectra Utilities.

David Thompson

CEO
Canadian Forces Housing Agency

As CEO, Canadian Forces Housing Agency (CHFA), David Thompson leads an organization that works to improve the quality of life of Canadian Armed Forces members and their families.

He joined the Public Service of Canada in 2005 in the Comptroller division of the CHFA – National Defence and worked in positions of increasing responsibilities. He then moved to the Infrastructure and Technical Services division, and was promoted to Regional Manager, Central, in 2011, where he managed offices across Ontario that delivered housing services to military members and their families. In 2014, he joined the Department of Justice as Director, Business Management, for the Public Safety, Defence and Immigration portfolio. Later, he was called back to the Department of National Defence where he was General Manager, Housing Operations, leading the delivery of operations and contributing to the implementation of one of largest investment programs in CFHA history.

He holds the designation of Professional in Critical Infrastructure Protection (PCIP), a Master of Infrastructure Protection and International Security (Carleton), a Master of Arts., Defence Management and Policy (RMC), and a Bachelor of Arts., Economics Honours (Carleton).

Christine van Staden

Regional Vice-President, Group Customer
Toronto Consultant Office
Great-West Life

Christine joined Great-West Life in 2015 as Vice-President, National Accounts, responsible for leading the National Accounts team in selling and retaining Group Retirement and Savings business in the large case segment through the consultant channel. Most recently, Christine was appointed as the Regional Vice-President, Toronto Consultant Office, and is now responsible for overall leadership and direction of the sales and service organization for Great-West Life’s Group Retirement Services and Group Benefits Services in Toronto. She serves on the Senior Leadership Team, Group Customer, Business Development which is responsible for strategic direction of the business.

Christine’s leadership skills were built over 28 years of experience in the pension and benefits industry, both in the U.S. and Canada. Her background includes senior leadership roles at Standard Life, Mercer, Hewitt Associates and Kimberly-Clark. She serves as the Vice-Chair for the Canadian Pension & Benefits Institute, Ontario Regional Council and is actively involved with the Association for Canadian Pension Management.

Christine holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Business Management from the University of Tennessee and completed her Pension Law Certification with Osgoode Hall.

John Wilson

Founder & CEO
CEO Global Network Inc.

John Wilson leads an exclusive CEO peer group organization that creates opportunities for learning and development through monthly group meetings, targeted one-to-one mentoring, and focused learning events. Over the years, John has coached hundreds of high-performing CEOs to greater success and is dedicated to fulfilling the mission of CEO Global Network: “To significantly improve the success and lives of CEOs and executives, their families, and their companies.” He also wrote the acclaimed business book GREAT CEOs and How They Are Made.

John began his career with Ultramar Canada where he worked for 18 years, initially as VP of Sales and Marketing, and then as CEO of Ultramar Ontario Ltd., before moving to California to run a billion-dollar business as part of the Ultramar team in the United States. In 1993, John started his own business that developed a network of fleet fueling sites across the southwestern United States. He and his partners built the business up from zero into a multimillion-dollar company before selling it in 1998.

John has an MBA from the University of Western Ontario.