Sonia A. Baxendale Chair
Sonia Baxendale joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2007.
Ms. Baxendale is Chair of the Board of SickKids Foundation and a member of the Board of Trustees for the Hospital for Sick Children.
Ms. Baxendale is currently President & CEO of Global Risk Institute. The Global Risk Institute is the premier organization that defines thought leadership in risk management for the financial industry. globally. It brings together leaders from industry, academia and government to draw actionable insights on emerging risks globally.
Ms. Baxendale is also a Director on the Board of Laurentian Bank, Foresters Financial™ and RSA Group PLC.and Toronto Artscape Inc.
Ms. Baxendale was previously the President of CIBC Retail Markets, where she led the Retail and Wealth Management businesses from 2005 to 2011.
From 1992 to 2011, Ms. Baxendale played a key role in developing strategy and direction for CIBC and held various leadership roles including Senior Executive Vice-President, CIBC Wealth Management, Executive Vice-President, Asset Management, Card Products and Collections, and Executive Vice-President of Global Private Banking and Investment Management Services. Prior to CIBC, Ms. Baxendale held various positions with American Express Canada and Saatchi & Saatchi.
Ms. Baxendale was named one of the “Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada” for three years in a row and then joined the ranks of the Top 100 Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2000, she was recognized as one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto, where she was named University of Toronto, Victoria College Alumni of Distinction in 2017.
Lalit Aggarwal Board Member
Lalit Aggarwal joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2016.
Mr. Aggarwal is the President of Manor Park Holdings, a real estate development and operating company. Previously, Mr. Aggarwal invested for H.I.G. European Capital Partners, Soros Fund Management, and Goldman Sachs.
He is a past fellow of the C.D. Howe Institute, a former Director of the Centre for the Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine and served as Board Chair of the Alcohol & Gaming Commission of Ontario.
Mr. Aggarwal holds degrees from the University of Oxford and the University of Pennsylvania.
Kevin Au-Yeung Board Member
Kevin Au-Yeung joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2020.
Mr. Au-Yeung is the founder and President of InnoVision Holdings Corporation, a Canadian based group of international apparel brands and companies, which includes Nobis Inc. and Fan Ink Limited. Nobis is a global outerwear brand that designs and manufactures technical products that are sold internationally in luxury department stores, specialty retailers, and mono-brand properties. Fan Ink Limited is a football (soccer) inspired apparel and accessories brand with international licenses from top European football clubs.
Mr. Au-Yeung is also the President of the Association of Chinese Canadian Entrepreneurs (ACCE), a leading national Chinese Canadian entrepreneurs’ organization with members residing from coast to coast across many diverse industries. He is a notable delegate in the China and Japan trade missions hosted by the city and is active within the Chinese Canadian community. He is passionate about entrepreneurship and leveraging his diverse experience to support multiple local initiatives such as the Telus Pitch business competition.
Mr. Au-Yeung holds a Master’s Degree in Economics and a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance and Computer Science both from the University of Toronto. He lives in Toronto with his wife and children.
Jordan Banks Board Member
Jordan Banks joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2013.
Mr. Banks sits as the Executive Chair of Great Canadian Entertainment, which is owned by the global private equity firm, Apollo. Great Canadian Entertainment is the largest entertainment, gaming and hospitality company in Canada with a strong presence from coast to coast. Mr. Banks is also the co-founder of Thunder Road Capital where he continues to provide investment and advisory services to North American tech companies.
Named one of Canada’s 50 Most Powerful Business People by Canadian Business magazine, as well as one of the 25 Most Influential Innovators in Canada by Financial Post magazine, Mr. Banks is a well-respected global leader in business and philanthropy. He was previously named one of Canada’s “Top 40 Under 40” honorees, as well as one of Hugo Boss’ Canadian Men of Distinction. Additionally, he was named one of “Canada’s Leading Men” by the Weizmann Institute for Science for his contribution in the fields of research and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.
Mr. Banks is an active and dedicated member of the community where he sits on the Board of Directors of Cineplex, the Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation, as well as the Black North Initiative.
Previous roles include President of Rogers Sports & Media (RSM); Managing Director of Facebook and Instagram, Canada; Facebook’s Global Head of Vertical Strategy; Chief Executive Officer of publicly traded JumpTV; Managing Director at eBay Canada; an executive in the Licensing and International Business group at the National Hockey League Players’ Association; and, a lawyer by profession, he also practiced corporate law at Goodmans LLP in Toronto.
Jordan Bitove Board Member
Jordan Bitove joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2012.
Mr. Bitove is the Publisher of the Toronto Star, the owner of Torstar Corporation, and CEO of NordStar Capital.
Mr. Bitove’s distinguished career at the forefront of Canadian business includes real estate, hospitality, natural resources, and distribution. In 1998 he founded Vision Companies, an industry-leading experiential marketing firm whose clients included Formula One, the National Football League, the Olympic Games, and Canada’s Walk of Fame. He also founded Great Moments in Catering in 1990, which became Canada’s largest privately held event catering company.
As a leader in Canada’s sports industry, Mr. Bitove helped launch the Toronto Raptors basketball team, the first NBA franchise awarded outside the United States, and he was part of the ownership consortium that built the SkyDome (now Rogers Centre). He also helped orchestrate Toronto’s bid for the 2008 Olympics.
Mr. Bitove previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Toronto International Film Festival, the Board of Governors of Western University, and the Canadian Advisory Board for Right to Play. In 2012, he was a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal for his philanthropic work.
Mr. Bitove is a graduate of Western University and holds the position of Honorary Consul to the Republic of North Macedonia.
Emily Burnett Board Member
Emily Burnett joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2016.
Ms. Burnett has been an active community volunteer with organizations that focus on children, education, health care and the arts. She has chaired or founded a number of fundraising events, collectively raising over $7 million for various organizations throughout Toronto, including: the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, the United Jewish Appeal, CJPAC (Canadian Jewish Political Action Committee), Camp Oochigeas and The National Ballet of Canada.
She has been a member of SickKids Foundation’s Development Committee since September 2015 as well as a weekly Child Life volunteer with patients in the Hospital. Ms. Burnett is a member of the Board of Directors of Camp Oochigeas and the Mabin School.
Prior to her community work, Ms. Burnett worked as a management consultant with SECOR Consulting.
Ms. Burnett graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania where she earned dual degrees from the Wharton School of Business and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
Ms. Burnett lives in Toronto with her husband and their four children.
Dr. Ronald Cohn, MD, FACMG Board Member
Dr. Ronald Cohn joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation and has served as President and CEO of the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, Canada since May 1st, 2019.
Dr. Cohn joined SickKids in September 2012 as the Chief of the Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics, Co-Director of the Centre for Genetic Medicine, and Senior Scientist at the SickKids Research Institute. He became the Inaugural Women’s Auxiliary Chair in Clinical and Metabolic Genetics in April of 2013, and joined the department of Molecular Genetics at the University of Toronto. In 2016 he was appointed to the position of Chief of Paediatrics at SickKids, and Chair of Paediatrics at The University of Toronto.
Dr. Cohn received his medical degree from the University of Essen, Germany. After his postdoctoral fellowship at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in the laboratory of Dr. Kevin Campbell, he moved to Baltimore where he was the first combined resident in paediatrics and genetics at the Johns Hopkins University. He subsequently joined the faculty of the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine at Johns Hopkins where he became the director of the worlds' first multidisciplinary centre for Hypotonia, which has earned national and international recognition. Dr. Cohn was also the director of the medical genetics residency program at Johns Hopkins. He has received numerous awards including the David M. Kamsler Award for outstanding compassionate and expert care of pediatric patients in 2004; First Annual Harvard-Partners Center for Genetics and Genomics Award in Medical in 2006; and the NIH Young Innovator Award in 2008.
Over the last few years, Dr. Cohn has developed an interest in applying a concept of Precision Child Health to the care of children. His own research focusses on implementing genome editing technologies for the treatment of neurogenetic disorders.
Erin Donohue Board Member
Erin Donohue joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2019.
Ms. Donohue is a management and marketing advisor to private equity companies. She brings years of experience in the luxury fashion and travel industries to her advisory roles.
Ms. Donohue has held senior management positions with LVMH in New York and Toronto, including Director of Events, Louis Vuitton North America, Managing Director for Louis Vuitton Canada and Bermuda and General Manager for Givenchy Canada. Ms. Donohue was also Director of Brand and Corporate Marketing for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts worldwide.
Ms. Donohue received her B.A. from St. Lawrence University. She received her M.A. in International Marketing from Emerson College after completing her graduate studies in Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Ms. Donohue is committed to giving back through various charities and causes. She is particularly passionate about children’s healthcare as well as neurodegenerative diseases.
Ms. Donohue moved to Toronto in 2002 from New York City and loves calling Canada home. She and her husband have one daughter, who is a brain tumor survivor and patient of SickKids Hospital.
Douglas Farley Board Member
Douglas (Doug) Farley joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2019.
Mr. Farley is Senior Vice President and Portfolio Manager for Guardian Capital Advisors LP (GCA). Mr. Farley joined GCA in 2000 and has more than 30 years of institutional investment experience. In his current role he is focused on bringing Guardian’s proven investment philosophy and propriety processes to private wealth and endowment clients. He has responsibility for management of portfolios for non-profit organizations (foundations and charitable endowments), and both domestic and non-domestic private clients. He has chaired several investment committees at GCA and is a member of the Asset Mix team.
Prior to joining GCA, Mr. Farley was a senior partner and portfolio manager at one of Canada's largest trust companies, where he managed diverse mandates for high net worth clients (including estates and continuing family trusts) and for non-profit sector such as charitable and cooperative groups.
An economist by formal training, Mr. Farley received his Honors BA (Economics) from the University of Western Ontario. He has also completed the academic credits required to obtain his MTI designation from the Trust Companies Institute in the field of Finance and Portfolio Management. Additionally, Mr. Farley is a long standing CFA® charter holder a member of the Toronto Society of Financial Analysts, and has been an active participant in many of their academic training seminars and events.
Mr. Farley sits on the Board of Directors of Michael Garron Hospital and is currently on the Audit and Finance Committee, and the Redevelopment Committee, and has served on several other Committees at the Hospital
Mr. Farley also is a board member on six private client foundations that have broad relations with most of the leading hospitals in the Greater Toronto Area
Mr. Farley regards civic and community involvement as an important responsibility in ensuring that our neighborhoods are safe, secure and well managed. He is president of the Yonge Ridge Homeowners Association; a position he had held for more than ten years.
Mary Federau Board Member
Mary Federau joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2020.
Ms. Federau is the Executive Vice President of Mattamy Asset Management. Previously she held senior roles at Mattamy Homes, MDS Inc. (an international life sciences company), and the Hospital For Sick Children (finance, corporate services and patient services.)
Ms. Federau holds an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business. She earned the Chartered Director designation from the DeGroot School of Business and is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors.
Ms. Federau is the Chair of the Peter Gilgan Foundation and sits on the Board of the Good Shepherd Ministries. She was previously named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40.
Ms. Federau lives in Toronto with her husband David, and they have two grown children, Elisabeth and Peter.
Stephen Forbes Board Member
Stephen Forbes joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2016.
Mr. Forbes is Executive Vice-President, Purpose, Brand and Marketing for CIBC.
Mr. Forbes has been with CIBC for 18 years, most recently as Chief Commercial Officer where he led CIBC’s bank-wide client strategy as well as brand, marketing, communications and public affairs teams. In his new role, Mr. Forbes’ mandate is to make CIBC the most relationship focused bank in the country.
Prior to joining CIBC, Mr. Forbes was Vice President of Communications at Moore Corporation from 1997 to 2001. He also held management positions at Rogers Communications.
John Francis Board Member
John Francis joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in November 2003. He concurrently serves on the Board of The Hospital for Sick Children. He served as Chair of the Board of Directors at SickKids Foundation from 2011 to 2014.
Mr. Francis is founder and Managing Director of Fraser Kearney Capital Corp. and most recently was President & CEO of Trader Media Corporation, Ontario’s largest publisher of classified advertising magazines and websites. Previously he worked in New York and Los Angeles in investment banking for various firms, specializing in mergers and acquisitions. John has an HBA from the Ivey School of Business at Western University.
Nilam Ganenthiran Board Member
Nilam Ganenthiran joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2022.
Mr. Ganenthiran is the founder/CEO of Beacon Software, a Toronto based firm which buys/builds/grows great vertical-market-software businesses. Mr. Ganenthiran was previously a Partner at D1 Capital and the President of Instacart - the world's largest grocery e-commerce marketplace, which he helped scale from 12 to ~3,500 corporate employees - overseeing a 1,500x increase in enterprise value.
Outside of Beacon, Mr. Ganenthiran serves on the Board of Directors of: Discount Tire, Udaan, The Aviation Institute of Maintenance, and the Bishop Strachan School. He lives in Toronto with his wife and two children.
He holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School, and a BBA from York University's Schulich School of Business.
Jordan Gnat Board Member
Jordan Gnat joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2016.
Mr. Gnat is founder and CEO of Playmaker Capital Inc. Playmaker is a game-changing platform that sits at the nexus of Sports, Media, Gambling and Technology that is marrying an ecosystem of sports fans across multiple channels with product tools to create outsized fan value and loyalty for sports betting companies, advertisers and sports leagues around the world.
Prior to founding Playmaker, Mr. Gnat was Group Senior Vice President of The Stars Group (the parent company of PokerStars) and Chief Commercial Officer of FOX Bet (2018-2020). Mr. Gnat was Senior Vice-President, Strategic Business Development at Scientific Games (2011-2018), President & CEO of Boardwalk Gaming and Entertainment (2004-2011), Executive Vice-President Kilmer Van Nostrand Company Limited (2002-2011), and President & CEO Midnorthern Group (May 1994-2002).
Mr. Gnat is currently on the Board of Directors of Lazydays RV (NASDAQ:LAZY) and is a member of the Board of Playmaker Capital Inc. (TSXV:PMKR).
Mr. Gnat was previously named one of Canada's “Top 40 Under 40" honourees.
Wesley J. Hall, ICD.D Board Member
Wesley J. Hall joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2013.
Mr. Hall came from very humble beginnings in Jamaica to become one of the most influential business people in Canada. He has established himself as the preeminent leader in shareholder advisory services and contested investor situations. The Globe & Mail has called him one of the nation’s “most influential powerbrokers” and Canadian Business magazine named him one of the “most powerful business people” in 2016. Mr. Hall was also the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year® Award Recipient in 2009.
As the Founder of Kingsdale Advisors, Mr. Hall delivered an unparalleled track record of success for North America’s biggest names including: Air Canada, Barrick, BHP Billiton, Citigroup, CN, CP, Encana, Goldcorp, Talisman, and Suncor. He has been sought out to lead some of the highest profile deals and activist campaigns in North America.
Mr. Hall is also the owner of QM Environmental, a leading national environmental and industrial services provider with over 700 employees; Titan Supply, a top manufacturer and distributor of rigging and wear products serving industries in the oil & gas, construction and transportation sectors; and Harbor Club hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton, one of St. Lucia’s premier resorts.
In 2011, Mr. Hall received the designation ICD.D from the Institute of Corporate Directors in partnership with the Rotman School of Management of the University of Toronto.
Mr. Hall serves as a Board Member Pathways to Education, and Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
Mr. Hall has also changed the lives of thousands of children in the Caribbean, donating both his money and time. In 2015, Mr. Hall was the recipient of the Vice Chancellor’s Award and in 2017 received an Honorary Doctorate, both from the University of the West Indies.
Claudia Hepburn Board Member
Claudia Hepburn joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2022.
Ms. Hepburn is the CEO of Windmill Microlending, an organization that reduces poverty and labour shortages by helping immigrants and refugees restart their careers in Canada. Since 2005, Windmill’s affordable loans and supports have enabled over 10,000 newcomers to reaccredit or upskill. The average Windmill client triples his or her income as a result.
Before joining Windmill, Ms. Hepburn co-founded and ran NEXT Canada, to create Canada’s next generation of high-impact entrepreneurs. Since 2010, NEXT has launched over 1000 entrepreneurs and helped over 500 ventures scale.
Ms. Hepburn is active in the private sector as an advisor, board member and investor. As a board member and investor, she supported the growth of Kids & Company, from a start-up to Canada’s largest childcare company. Ms. Hepburn currently serves on the board of the LCBO and is a member of the C.D. Howe Institute’s Human Capital Council. Ms. Hepburn is a recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for her contributions to the non-profit sector.
Jake Herman Board Member
Jake Herman joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2013.
Mr. Herman is President of Woodbourne Canada Management Inc., a private equity firm focused on investing in Canadian real estate on behalf of pension funds, endowments and other institutional investors. Prior to founding Woodbourne Canada in 2007, Mr. Herman led the real estate investment banking groups at both HSBC Securities and Desjardins Securities. Mr. Herman is a graduate of the Sauder School of Business at The University of British Columbia and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.
Deland Kamanga Board Member
Deland Kamanga joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2022.
Mr. Kamanga has been a Member of the Board of Trustees of The Hospital for Sick Children since 2020.
Mr. Kamanga is Group Head of BMO Wealth Management, leading the strategic direction of five business units: Private Wealth Canada, U.S. Wealth Management, BMO Global Asset Management, BMO InvestorLine and BMO Insurance. Together these businesses provide solutions to retail and institutional clients.
He has more than 30 years of banking experience, most recently as Head, Global Markets within BMO Capital Markets providing markets-based solutions to BMO’s corporate, institutional and government clients. Previously, as Head of Fixed Income, Currencies and Commodities, he oversaw origination, sales and trading of cash and derivatives products.
Mr. Kamanga is a proud champion of diversity and received the 2021 Catalyst Champion Award for his trailblazing work accelerating progress for all women through workplace inclusion. He serves on the BMO Leadership Committee for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, acts as an Executive Sponsor of Women in Capital Markets Return to Bay Street program and is the founding Executive Sponsor of BMO Black Professionals Network Canada.
Mr. Kamanga also serves as a member on the board of Women in Capital Markets as Treasurer and as Director at the Jackie Robinson Foundation.
Mr. Kamanga graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a B.A. in economics and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).
J. Kevin Kaye Board Member
J. Kevin Kaye joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2017.
Mr. Kaye is Retired President of Citizen Watch Company of Canada. The watch brands represented include Alpina, Arnold & Son, Bulova, Caravelle, Citizen and Frederique Constant. Mr. Kaye opened the first Canadian division of Citizen Watch in 1992, overseeing sales, marketing, product development, distribution and finance.
Mr. Kaye serves as a Director of the Odette Kaye Family Foundation, the Canadian Jewellers Association and Jewellers Vigilance Canada. He is Past Board member of Rosedale Golf Club.
Jeffrey Kimel Board Member
Jeffrey Kimel joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2023.
Mr. Kimel is the President and CEO of Harlo Capital where he leads the executive team and oversees Harlo’s growth strategy. He is chiefly responsible for providing strategic oversight for raising capital, investment management, project acquisitions, as well as seeking new development opportunities and partners.
Mr. Kimel actively serves on various boards and charitable organizations and is highly committed to helping them carry out their individual missions. He is a co-founder of ‘The Tourney’ (an annual golf and/or pond hockey tournament in support of various children’s charities). Previously, he sat on the board of CAMH Hospital Foundation, SickKids Campaign Cabinet and co-chaired the Barrie to Baycrest annual bike ride.
Mr. Kimel is also a Director at Overactive Media, PolicyMe, CAS Cyber Security and Shake Shack Canada. In addition, he formerly sat on the board for the Pittsburgh Penguins Hockey Club and was a Director at the Chase Hospitality Group.
Christian Lassonde Vice Chair
Christian Lassonde joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2011.
Mr. Lassonde is the Founder and Managing Partner of Impression Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on investing in companies that either improve current financial products or develop new products that ultimately provide lower costs or better access for consumers. Impression Ventures has over $150M in assets under management and top decile returns since inception in 2013.
Impression Ventures has invested in over 20 businesses in the US and Canada innovating in almost every facet of the financial system. Investments include Wealthsimple, Symend, Brim Financial, Fraction, Safekeep (exit to CCCS), Goose and many others. Mr. Lassonde sits on numerous corporate boards including Brim, Fraction, and 401Go.
Mr. Lassonde is a serial entrepreneur, having started four technology companies prior to Impression Ventures. He spent a decade in San Francisco, California building Virtual Greats, a luxury online property rights broker, and Millions of Us, a leading social media digital agency. Prior to that he built software for Second Life, LucasArts and Electronic Arts and sold solutions to Sony, Nike, Warner Brothers, General Motors, Coca-Cola, Intel and many other Fortune 500 companies.
He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of San Francisco, a Bachelor of Engineering Science in Computer Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Western University. In 2022 Mr. Lassonde was awarded with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Ontario Tech University.
Mr. Lassonde is a Board Director of the Toronto French School. He has served on the Fintech Advisory Council for the Ontario Securities Commission, and is a former member of the Board of Governors at Western University and former Chair of the Toronto French School Foundation.
Claudette McGowan Board Member
Claudette McGowan joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2020.
Ms. McGowan is a global information technology leader with more than 20 years of success leading digital transformations, optimizing infrastructure and designing new approaches that improve service and cybersecurity experiences. She has worked in the technology industry for several organizations such as Deloitte, Metropolitan Police Services, North York General Hospital, Bank of Montreal and TD Bank. At BMO, she served as the Chief Information Officer, Enterprise Technology Employee Experience, and at TD she was the Global Executive Officer for Protect Fusion & Cyber Experience.
Ms. McGowan is currently the Chief Executive Officer for Protexxa, a Canadian-based cybersecurity software and services company.
Ms. McGowan completed her studies in Canada and holds a Bachelor of Arts from Lakehead University and a Master of Business Administration from Athabasca University, along with certificates in Artificial Intelligence, IT Management, Project Management and Smart Buildings. In June 2022, she was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from Carleton University in recognition of a distinguished career as a global information technology leader.
Over the past few years, Toronto Life recognized Ms. McGowan as one of the city's Top 50 Most Influential Torontonians, Digital Finance Institute honoured her as one of the Top 50 Canadian Women in FinTech, IT World Canada named her as Top 20 Canadian Women in Cybersecurity, and the Women’s Executive Network recognized her as one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada.
In 2022, Ms. McGowan received the DMZ Women of the Year Award and NACO named her as a Nation Builder of the Year in Canada.
Ms. McGowan is an active member of the Canadian innovation ecosystem. She is the chair of the Coalition of Innovation Leaders Against Racism (CILAR), a group of senior business leaders committed to fighting systemic racism within the innovation economy. Ms. McGowan recently co-led the launch of Phoenix Fire & The Firehood, a multi-million dollar women-focused angel fund and network for women in technology.
Ms. McGowan’s commitment to community is evidenced by her multiple board seats for leading organizations such as MaRS Discovery District, Black North Initiative, The Coalition of Innovation Leaders Against Racism (CILAR), Elevate Technology Festival, and the U.S. Consul General of Toronto U.S-Canada Innovation Council.
Barry McLellan Board Member
Barry McLellan joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in December 2021.
Dr. McLellan is a Senior Healthcare and Forensic Investigation Consultant and Investigating Coroner for the Province of Ontario. He has advised the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care in a number of different roles including Chair of the Ministry Team negotiating a Patient Services Agreement with the Ontario Medical Association, Lead for the Panel for Redesign of the Scarborough/West Durham Hospital System and Lead for the Investigation into Surgical and Pathology Issues in Windsor and Leamington. He was also an Advisor on the Alberta Health Services Review (2019/20).
Dr. McLellan was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre from 2007 to 2017. In this role, he provided leadership for one of Canada's largest academic health sciences centres with more than10,000 staff and physicians, 1,300 beds and an annual operating budget of more than $1 billion, including more than $100 million in research. Prior to this position, Dr. McLellan was the Chief Coroner for the Province of Ontario.
Dr. McLellan graduated from the University of Toronto with a Medical Doctorate in 1981 and subsequently trained in Emergency Medicine, receiving a Fellowship in 1985 (Specialist in Emergency Medicine). Dr. McLellan was the Director of the Trauma Program and Vice President of Specialty Services at Sunnybrook. He was also the Director of the hospital's Emergency Department, Base Hospital Program (paramedic program) and Trauma Research.
Dr. McLellan is a Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto. He has published more than 80 scientific papers, written a textbook on trauma care and lectured extensively including international presentations in the fields of healthcare leadership, trauma and forensic investigation.
Derek Neldner Board Member
Derek Neldner joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2017.
Mr. Neldner is CEO & Group Head, RBC Capital Markets.
Mr. Neldner has 23 years of experience with RBC Capital Markets in investment banking including: corporate finance, debt and equity financing, mergers and acquisitions, and other capital markets advisory experience. He most recently served as Head of Global Investment Banking with oversight for the firm’s investment banking practices worldwide, with senior client coverage responsibility for a number of RBC Capital Markets’ most important corporate clients. Mr. Neldner previously served as the Head of Canadian and Asia Pacific Investment Banking, following 10 years in Calgary as Head of Canadian Energy Investment Banking, and 10 years in the Equity Capital Markets group based in Toronto.
Mr. Neldner is a member of the firm’s Operating Committee, the Loan Commitments Committee and the M&A Opinion Review Committee. He is also a member of the Major Individual Giving campaign cabinet for the United Way of Toronto & York Region.
Mr. Neldner holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance from the University of Alberta and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Isaac Olowolafe Jr. Board Member
Isaac Olowolafe Jr. joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2020.
Mr. Olowolafe is an award-winning real estate entrepreneur, angel investor and philanthropist. His corporation, Dream Maker Inc., successfully operates multiple divisions including a real estate development, wealth management, private equity and insurance. The Development division celebrated the completion of the first major mixed-use development (condos, townhomes, retail) called Dream Residences at Yorkdale, located directly across from Yorkdale Mall, and has more developments underway across the GTA. Through his love of sports, Dream Maker Developments became the jersey sponsor of Canada’s Men and Women Senior National Basketball Team (2018-2020).
Mr. Olowolafe is the recipient of the Arbor Award from the University of Toronto, Toronto Board of Trade Award for Business, Harry Jerome Business Award, Enterprise Business Award by Planet Africa, Business Leadership Award by Leadership and Governance Canada Inc. and featured in City Mogul 2019 list.
In addition to his membership in the Ryerson Innovation Circle, Mr. Olowolafe made a generous donation which named the Isaac Olowolafe Jr. Digital Media Experience Lab in Ryerson’s iconic Sheldon & Tracy Levy Student Learning Centre (SLC). Mr. Olowolafe also funded the launch of the 1st Black Tech Incubator out of Ryerson DMZ, and joined the board of DMZ.
In 2019, Mr. Olowolafe launched Dream Maker Inc. Fellowship in Sickle Cell Disease at SickKids in partnership with Dream Legacy Foundation.
Mr. Olowolafe received a Bachelor in Economics from the University of Toronto, is married with 3 daughters.
Dustin Reid Board Member
Dustin Reid joined The Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2020.
After many years of working in the US, Mr. Reid returned to Canada in 2018 and joined Mackenzie Investments as Chief Fixed Income Strategist where he helps oversee the team’s $55B in assets, in addition to serving on the firm’s Global Investment Committee. A frequent external speaker, Mr. Reid also co-hosts Mackenzie’s Get Sharpe podcast. Before joining Mackenzie, Mr. Reid served as Senior Managing Director and Chief Market Strategist at Medley Global Advisors in New York where he was a member of the firm’s Operating Committee. Prior to his role at Medley, he was Executive Director and Global Head of Foreign Exchange Strategy at BBVA and served on the bank’s Global Foreign Exchange Management Committee. Previous to joining BBVA, Mr. Reid held progressively senior markets positions in quantitative research, economics, strategy and trading at RBC, UBS, the Bank of Canada and ABN Amro throughout Canada and the US.
While living in the US, Mr. Reid served on the Board of Governors at the New Canaan Community School in the capacity of Vice President, Finance where he oversaw the school's budget process and investment allocations.
Mr. Reid, a former "SickKids Kid," obtained his Bachelors degree in Economics from McGill University and MBA from The Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. He has also completed executive course work at both Harvard and Stanford Universities.
Suzanne Rogers Board Member
Suzanne Rogers joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2020.
Ms. Rogers is a Canadian fashion enthusiast and a notable supporter of the Canadian fashion industry. Her passionate involvement extends across a spectrum of events and organizations, including most recently benefactor of The Suzanne Rogers Designer Grant for International Development Additionally, she is a columnist for the quarterly luxury lifestyle magazine S/Magazine.
Ms. Rogers supports a wide spectrum of programs that directly help to improve the lives of children within Canada and around the world. She has raised over $3.7 million for children’s charities with her signature events “Suzanne Rogers Presents,” which welcome international designers for a full fashion show and gala, including Victoria Beckham, Diane von Furstenberg, Oscar de la Renta, Marchesa and Zac Posen.
Ms. Rogers has also provided continued support to the fashion programs at Toronto’s Ryerson University, including The Suzanne Rogers Fashion Institute (SRFI), which serves to enrich the next generation of Canadian design talent and bridge the transition between education and practice.
Ms. Rogers further contributes her leadership skills to: Covenant House and its recent campaign “Just Like a Girl You Know” to combat sex trafficking; the Butterfly Ball in support of Boost Child & Youth Advocacy Centre; and Haute Affair in support of The Dotsa Bitove Wellness Academy and The Darling Home for Kids. Since 2006, Suzanne has been an active, dedicated committee member with SickKids Foundation Scrubs in the City event in support of The Hospital for Sick Children. She also served as the Honorary Chair of the Governor General Performing Arts Awards from 2015-2017.
Ms. Rogers and her husband Edward have three children; Chloé, Edward and Jack. They reside in Toronto.
Clare Sellers Board Member
Clare Sellers joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2016.
Ms. Sellers recently served on the board of LawPro, a FRSA regulated indemnity company, and as a Lay Bencher of the Law Society of Ontario, the regulatory body for over 55,000 legal professionals in the province. Her other Not-For-Profit work included serving as a Trustee of Over the Wall UK, an organization that runs residential camps for children in the United Kingdom affected by serious and life-threatening illnesses, as well as serving as a Trustee with the University of Western Ontario United Kingdom Foundation.
Previous professional roles focused on global finance include working as the Managing Director for Investment 2020, the Director & Chief Operating Officer at ABN AMRO Rothschild in London, UK and as Vice-President, Corporate Finance, at Midland Walwyn Capital in Toronto.
Ms. Sellers is a graduate of the Masters program at the Ivey Business School at Western University, a Chartered Financial Analyst and holds the ICD.D designation.
Sachin Shah Board Member
Sachin Shah joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2022.
Mr. Shah is a Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer of Brookfield Asset Management, Chief Executive Officer of Brookfield’s insurance solutions business and Vice Chair of Brookfield’s Renewable Power Group. As CIO, he is actively involved in all investments made by the firm and oversees its growth into new lines of business. As CEO, he oversees a seasoned team focused on providing capital-based solutions to insurance companies and their stakeholders. As Vice Chair, he supports business development initiatives for the renewables business.
Mr. Shah joined Brookfield in 2002 and most recently served as Chief Executive Officer of Brookfield Renewable Partners where he was instrumental in growing the platform into a global business diversified across multiple technologies.
Mr. Shah earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto, is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada and serves as Chair of the Board of the Ryerson University Brookfield Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Walied Soliman Vice Chair
Walied Soliman joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2012.
Mr. Soliman is Chairman of Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP in Toronto, where he is also Co-Chair of the Special Situations Team focusing on Canada's leading shareholder activist and defense mandates and complex reorganization transactions. In addition, his practice focuses on public and private mergers and acquisitions and financings, corporate governance and structured products. Mr. Soliman has been named to Lexpert Magazine's Top 40 Under 40 lawyers in Canada and Best Lawyers in Canada, 2013 and 2014.
Mr. Soliman holds an LL.B from Osgoode Hall Law School.
Christina Sorbara Board Member
Christina Sorbara joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2019.
Ms. Sorbara is a business executive, strategic coach, author, speaker and national team athlete.
Within the multi-generational family-run real estate development company, the Sorbara Group of Companies, Ms. Sorbara is Vice President of Corporate Knowledge, part of the strategic business oversight platform, focussed on operations, engagement, communications and improving job performance of the collective teams. The Sorbara Group of Companies has been involved in shaping Ontario’s real estate community for over 76 years.
Ms. Sorbara also serves as Chair of her family’s charitable foundation, The Sam Sorbara Charitable Foundation, managing the day-to-day operations and is actively involved at all levels in numerous charitable organizations in the GTA.
Ms. Sorbara is a member of SickKids VS Campaign Cabinet and a SickKids Innovator Advisory Council Member.
Ms. Sorbara is a Director of the Board of Bannockburn School, and a past Director of the Board of The Toronto Santa Clause Parade. She is the current Captain of Team Canada Women’s Inline Hockey, having competed in 8 World Championships.
Ms. Sorbara holds a B.A. of Business Economics and International Relations from Brown University. She is an active volunteer for the Brown Sports Foundation, as past Captain of the Women’s Ice Hockey Team, and a member of the Admissions Alumni Interviewing Program.
She is also a trained strategic coach through Adler International Learning / OSIE, University of Toronto.
Jennifer Suess Board Member
Jennifer Suess joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2022.
Ms. Suess is the Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at RioCan REIT. In her role, Ms. Suess has oversight of a wide variety of functions including a diverse and full service Legal team, overseeing Environmental, Social & Governance initiatives for the organization, Lease Administration, Insurance and managing the Board of Trustees.
Prior to joining RioCan, Ms. Suess held a variety of in-house positions, most recently at Alcon Canada Inc, a division of Novartis, where she was their first-ever General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, Head of Meetings & Events and Head of Communications. Previously, she held similar roles at Janssen Inc., the pharmaceutical division of Johnson & Johnson.
Ms. Suess is a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors Program at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Business (ICD.d), the University of Windsor law school (LLB) and the University of Toronto (BSc). She began her legal career at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP before moving to Goodmans LLP, with a focus in corporate, securities and life sciences law.
Under her leadership, Ms. Suess and RioCan have received a variety of awards and recognition including the 2021 Lexpert Canadian Lawyer Female Trailblazer Award, the 2021 Chambers Award for Diversity & Inclusion North America (In-House Outstanding Contribution), the 2021 Innovation Award for Law Department Management and the 2019 Canadian General Counsel Award for Environmental, Social and Governance leadership.
Kathleen Taylor Board Member
Kathleen (Katie) Taylor joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in May 2004.
Ms. Taylor is Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Hospital for Sick Children and a Co-Chair of the SickKids Capital Campaign. She served as Chair of the Board of Directors at SickKids Foundation from 2014 to 2020.
Ms. Taylor is also Chair of the Board of RBC. She has served on the Board since 2001, where she has chaired the Human Resources and Corporate Governance Committees, and served on the Audit and Risk Committees. Ms. Taylor also serves as Chair of Altas Partners, a Toronto-based private equity investment firm. Ms. Taylor is a director of Air Canada, the Vice-Chair of the Adecco Group, and a director of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.
Her many accolades for business achievement include the Schulich School of Business Award for Outstanding Executive Leadership and the inaugural Medal for Career Achievement from the Hennick Centre for Business and Law at York University. She has been inducted into the Canadian Marketing Hall of Legends and was named one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network (WXN) in 2011, 2014, 2016 and 2017. In 2016, Ms.Taylor received the Governance Professionals of Canada Peter Dey Governance Achievement Award and was made a Member of the Order of Canada. Report on Business magazine named Ms. Taylor among the 50 most powerful people in Canadian Business in 2017, and was also named a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Directors and became a Fellow of the National Association of Corporate Directors. In 2021, she will chair the Governor General’s Leadership Conference (GGLC).
Ms. Taylor has an MBA and an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the Schulich School of Business and a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Toronto. She also received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from McGill University and Trent University and an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Mount Saint Vincent University.
Ms. Taylor is a member of the C.D. Howe Institute’s National Council where she Co-Chair’s the Human Capital Policy Council. She also serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council of the Schulich School of Business and on the Principal’s International Advisory Board at McGill University.
Ms. Taylor lives in Toronto with her husband and has three grown children.
Maryann Turcke Board Member
Maryann Turcke joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2016.
Ms. Turcke is currently a Senior Advisor to Brookfield Asset Management in the Infrastructure division, serving on various portfolio company boards.
Prior to Brookfield, Ms. Turcke was the Chief Operating Officer of the National Football League. In this capacity she oversaw broad facets of the league including marketing, technology, social and digital media, NFL Network, brand, global events and corporate functions.
Renowned for a wide breadth of executive leadership roles and team building skills, Ms. Turcke was previously Group President, Bell Media, Media Sales, Local TV and Radio, where she leveraged Bell Media properties and brands across all platforms to support its strong position in the competitive advertising marketplace.
Ms. Turcke was formerly Executive Vice-President of Bell Field Operations, leading Bell’s team of 12,000 installation and service technicians in delivering Fibe TV, Internet, and other Bell residential and business services. Ms. Turcke joined Bell in 2005 as Vice-President, Customer Experience and Operations for Small and Medium Business.
A member of the Women’s Executive Network Hall of Fame she was also named the 2015 Woman of the Year by Women in Communications and Technology. In 2016, she was named one of Toronto Life’s 50 Most Influential People. In 2018, she was named on of Adweek’s most Powerful Women in Sports and one of Forbes 50 Most Powerful Women in US Sports. Ms. Turcke Chairs the advisory board of the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University and is also a member of the Board of Trustees at Queen’s.
Ms. Turcke holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from Queen’s University, a Master of Engineering from the University of Toronto, and a Master of Business Administration from Queen’s.
Tianshu Albert Wang Board Member
Tianshu Albert Wang joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in June 2017.
Mr. Wang is the Founder of Lorenzo Developments Inc., a Toronto based real estate development company which does custom homes, subdivision homes, rental apartments and condominium developments across the GTA. Mr. Wang also manages Acre Realty Group, a licensed private equity fund that focuses on mortgage investment in Canada. Prior to establishing his own business, Mr. Wang was the Co-Founder and CFO of Pantheon Group Inc.
Mr. Wang has a Master’s Degree in business economics from Brock University and a Bachelor’s Degree in economics from the University of Western Ontario.
Mr. Wang came to Canada in 2008 as a first-generation immigrant with family background in development in China. Mr. Wang has two children.
V. Prem Watsa Board Member
Mr. V. Prem Watsa joined the Board of Directors of SickKids Foundation in January 1998.
Mr. Watsa is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, a financial services holding company which, through its subsidiaries, is engaged in property and casualty insurance and reinsurance and investment management.
In 1985, Mr. Watsa took control of Markel Financial which was controlled by the Virginia based Markel family. In 1987 he then re‐organized and renamed it Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited. He has served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since its inception.
Since 1985, Fairfax has compounded book value by over 22%. Fairfax has total assets of approximately US$36 billion, revenues in excess of US$8 billion and common shareholders’ equity of approximately US$7 billion. The company is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Mr. Watsa holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras, India and obtained his MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst.
Mr. Watsa is a member of the Board of Trustees of The Hospital for Sick Children, member of the Advisory Board for the Richard Ivey School of Business, member of the Board of Directors of the Royal Ontario Museum Foundation, on the Board of Blackberry and Chancellor of the University of Waterloo and Chairman of the Investment Committee of St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Toronto.
