Krystal Abotossaway is from Aundeck Omni-Kaning First Nations and Chippewas of Rama First Nations. She is an urban Ojibwe Anishinaabe Kwe. Krystal is a well sought after expert, speaker and leader on Indigenous Peoples engagement. As Senior Manager at TD Bank, she is currently rotating through the various centres of excellence within the HR function providing strategic counsel, execution support, and collaborating across internal teams and external partners. Krystal has successfully completed her Master’s degree at York University in Human Resource Management as well we her Ivey Executive MBA with Western University.
As the President of the Indigenous Professional Association of Canada she is helping to redefine the agenda and identify new measures for advancing the opportunities for and the capabilities of Canada’s Indigenous Peoples.
Krystal is recognized across Canada--in the media and within the broader Indigenous community--as an expert spokesperson for bridging strategies that will enable more Indigenous youth to achieve their aspirations and dreams. Her thought leadership in advancing Human Resources knowledge on Indigenous engagement is informed by her academic background and ongoing leadership roles on multiple Boards in the GTA.
Andrew Arifuzzaman is a senior executive and visionary leader in higher education, public service, and governance. He currently serves as the Chief of Strategy and Administrative Officer (CSAO) at the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC), where he oversees campus operations, finance, infrastructure, and strategic planning. In this role, he supports the University’s academic and research mission while leading transformative initiatives that enhance institutional performance and community impact. Prior to rejoining the University, Andrew spent 10 years with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health where he first provided operational oversight for the Research portfolio and then the Clinical portfolio.
Andrew has led the development of the UTSC Master Plan which included the University’s first public/public and public/private partnerships that have helped achieve the $2 billion dollar redevelopment investment in the campus over the last decade and a half. A committed advocate for sustainability, Andrew has championed several groundbreaking projects at UTSC, including Canada’s first institutional Passive House Student Residence a net zero energy building, and now leading the development of Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health. His work reflects a deep commitment to environmental responsibility, social equity, and inclusive excellence.
Beyond the University, Andrew has held key governance roles that extend his impact across sectors. He served as Hospital Board Chair at Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences and currently serves on the Board at Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre, Canada’s largest multi-sport facility, where he advances health, wellness, and high-performance sport in the community. Over his career he has extensive governance expertise through previous leadership roles on the boards of community sports organizations and local mental health service providers.
Andrew received his undergraduate training in philosophy and neuroscience from York University Toronto, Health Leadership Training, through a joint program with Rotman School of Management and the Kings Fund (National Health Service, England) and holds a Masters of Business Administration from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.
Andrew’s leadership and public service have been widely recognized. In 2022 Andrew was inducted into the Scarborough Walk of Fame for his contributions to education and the community. Most recently Andrew was honoured as a recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal for service to the community and country.
Widely respected for his integrity, strategic insight, and collaborative approach, Andrew Arifuzzaman is committed to advancing institutional excellence, sustainability, and equitable community development across the public sector.
Carol Chiu is a Managing Director at CIBC Asset Management. She is responsible for Valuations and oversight of investment funds within Global Asset Management. Carol has over 25 years of experience in the Financial Services industry in leadership roles through Finance, Audit, Operations and Technology.
Carol has extensive experience in financial governance, internal controls and risk management and serves as a member of the STF Investment Committee and had served as the Treasurer for Young People’s Theatre for 7 years.
Carol is a Charted Accountant (CA, CPA) and has her Masters of Accountancy from the University of Waterloo.
A seasoned financial services executive with decades of experience, Rowena is passionate about bringing wellness and peace of mind to Canadians. Rowena leads Retail Advice & Solutions at Sun Life Canada encompassing the retail distribution omni-channel organization that delivers protection (life insurance), wealth, and health solutions to Clients at all life stages, in addition to the insurance solutions (life and health) manufacturing business. Rowena is known as an effective leader running large-scale businesses (current team of 4000 people and multi-millions in revenue); transforming business models and processes through data and innovative technology tools; and partnering/building relationships with multiple stakeholders, including various Regulators to achieve common goals and impact.
Rowena is a champion for underrepresented and marginalized segments and has spent decades focusing on improving equity for those that needed support the most. At the workplace, Rowena is determined to improve diversity, equity and inclusion for women and the underrepresented - she is the Executive Sponsor of Sun Life’s Canadian BrightWomen network and has achieved gender parity on her leadership team. She was also the Executive Sponsor of the TD’s Visible Minority network. In the community, she serves on the Board of the Inclusive Local Economic Opportunity (ILEO) initiative for United Way, committed to driving economic inclusion for those residing in the Golden Mile area.
Debbie is a seasoned corporate director with extensive governance experience serving on publicly-listed, advisory, private and public sector boards. She has held numerous board leadership roles (chair, vice chair and committee chair) in diverse sectors and industries including, financial services, health care, research, innovation, digital/technology and supply chain. She is currently an Executive in Residence at the Rotman School of Management, Centre for Health Care Strategy at the University of Toronto. She also consults on organizational and system transformation in the health care.
Previously, Debbie has held senior leadership positions in the private and public sectors. She was an Executive Vice President, Strategy and Organizational Development at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. In this role, she was recognized as a Canadian Diversity champion and she lead programs that received national recognition for culture, workplace wellness, quality, new Canadians and diversity. As Assistant Deputy Minister in the Ontario Ministry of Health, she spearheaded a major transformation of the Ministry which received an award from IPAC for its implementation and impact. She also held a number of senior consulting and executive HR management positions in international professional services firms--Ernst &Young, Cap Gemini and KPMG.
Debbie has a BSc (Neurobiology and Comparative Physiology) from McGill University and an MHA from the University of Ottawa. She also holds CHRE and ICD.D designations. She was awarded a Trudeau Medal from the Telfer School of Business at the University of Ottawa for outstanding contributions to the world of business, healthcare, their community and their alma mater.
Thomas Hofmann is a former RBC executive with experience in financial management, business performance and strategy. In 2007, he left the banking industry and began volunteering in the non-profit sector.
In addition to serving on the Michael Garron Hospital Board, Thomas is also a member of the University of Toronto's Governing Council, having previously served the university as a co-opted member of the Business Board. He is also a former board trustee of CAMH, and former board chair and director of WoodGreen Community Services. Thomas enjoys volunteer tutoring which he has done for many years.
Thomas holds a BSc in biology from Mount Allison University, an MBA in finance from McGill University, and the CPA/CGA and ICD.D (Rotman-ICD Directors Education Program) designations. He has also completed the Sustainable Investment Professional Certification (SIPC) at Concordia University.
Michael Holder is the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of North Star Consultants Inc., a regulatory compliance consulting provider and Managing Partner of North Star Legal, a boutique securities law firm.
Prior to joining North Star, Michael held senior positions at a number of firms including, BMO Financial Group, Borden Ladner Gervais, LLP and the Ontario Securities Commission. Michael earned an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario, a Bachelor of Law Degree from the University of Windsor and a Masters of Business Administration from Ivey Business School.
Muneesh Jha is the President of the Medical Staff Association at Michael Garron Hospital. He has been an Emergency Physician at MGH since 2010. He is an associate professor with the University of Toronto, Department of Family and Community Medicine, where he is currently involved in medical student and resident teaching. He is Co-Lead of the ER Wellness Team and in this role helps ensure physician support in the workplace as well as ongoing peer support in the department. He is also a member of the MGH Covid Assessment and Therapeutics Team.
Dr. Jha graduated from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 2005, and subsequently completed a family medicine residency with a specialization in Emergency Medicine at the University of Manitoba.
Dr. Jha has a commitment to the community and has served for 8 years as the family Lead Physician in a community based Family Health Organization.
Dr. Courtney Jolliffe is Vice President of the Medical Staff Association at Michael Garron Hospital. She is an Obstetrician & Gynecologist and joined MGH in 2020. She is a Lecturer at the University of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine, where she is actively involved in both medical student and resident teaching. She is Lead of Undergraduate Medical Education for MGH in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and has won several Teaching Excellence Awards at department and university levels.
Dr. Jolliffe completed her medical and residency training in Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Toronto. In 2020, she completed an American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopy Fellowship in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center. Her clinical and surgical interests are in low risk obstetrics, pelvic pain, endometriosis and fibroids. She is a strong advocate for women’s health and equality. Her most recent passion project is to promote and teach methods of analgesia during office IUD insertion.
Melanie is President and CEO of Michael Garron Hospital (MGH). She is a talented, compassionate and dynamic health system leader with more than 20 years of progressive experience leading transformational projects benefiting patients, families and communities in Toronto and Ontario.
She came to MGH in June 2023 from the Ontario Ministry of Health (MOH), where she served as Assistant Deputy Minister of Hospitals and Capital Division. In this role, she oversaw multi-billion-dollar budgets supporting the operations and capital funding of Ontario’s hospital sector, including all 144 hospitals in the province.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Melanie was the Assistant Deputy Minister of Mental Health and Addictions at the MOH. In this role, she was responsible for the implementation of critical mental health investments supporting Ontario communities.
Prior to joining the Ontario Public Service, Melanie spent most of her career working in acute care hospitals. Most notably, she worked at St. Michael’s Hospital for over 12 years in operational and strategic roles, including strategy and corporate planning, project management and research administration.
Melanie holds a Master of Business Administration, with a specialization in Health Services Management, from McMaster University, and a PhD in Evidence-Based Strategic Decision Making from the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation.
She is highly regarded for her ability to develop meaningful and collaborative partnerships with colleagues and valued stakeholders across the health sector.
Dr. Sheila Laredo is the Chief of Staff and Vice President, Academics at Michael Garron Hospital. She received her MD from the University of Toronto in 1991, and specialized in endocrinology and metabolism. Dr. Laredo holds a PhD in clinical epidemiology. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine. Her clinical interest is in women's reproductive health and the role of insulin resistance and obesity on reproductive health outcomes. She is an enthusiastic teacher, has mentored many trainees, physicians and leaders, and has been the recipient of several research and teaching awards.
She has used her background to advocate for effective evidence-based interventions for children and adults with developmental disabilities on a provincial and national level. She advocates and participates in the creation of public policy that provides appropriate evidence-based services and support. She is teaching medical trainees about public health policy advocacy and has supervised social justice initiatives annually with these students. She created and chaired a multi-hospital committee that developed a Domestic Violence training manual that has been used province-wide in Ontario.
At Women’s College Hospital, as a clinical lead, she implemented Lean process change initiatives that improved clinical documentation, improved effectiveness and reduced wait times. She was Chief of Staff from 2013-2019, focusing on physician engagement and improvement, and quality initiatives that improve patient safety and care. She was responsible for a refresh of the hospital medical By-Laws. She worked for 2 years at the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Ontario, leading the Medical Advisory and Quality Management teams. In this role she successfully designed and implemented a province-wide hospital quality improvement partnership program, which is now being used at Michael Garron Hospital to support physician wellness.
Using a strengths-based and collaborative approach, Dr. Laredo has undertaken change management in several of her roles, including co-leading leadership teams to improve cross-departmental collaboration, enabling her teams at CPSO, and as Chair of the Board at Kids Brain Health Network, a national Network of Centres of Excellence, promoting a focus on evidence-based impact.
Mikki Layton is Vice President of Professional Practice, Programs, Scholarship & Chief Nursing Executive at Michael Garron Hospital in addition to a practicing Nurse Practitioner. She holds a clinical appointment as an Adjunct Professor at the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto and Professor for Centennial College School of Community and Health Studies Bridging to University Nursing: TMU.
Mikki’s career spans over 35 years at MGH in various nursing and leadership roles and she serves on the board of Shared Hospital Lab.
David founded Knightstone Capital in 2001 and serves now as Founder and Chairman, he has actively shaped the corporate vision for the company tapping decades of real-estate experience. Working closely with the executive team, David advises and guides the ongoing management and growth of Knightstone’s diverse portfolio.
Under his watchful guidance, Knightstone has emerged as a leader in real estate development and investment and has gained a reputation for quality assets and consistent results focused in the development of retail, condominium, student housing, and hotels.
David has been actively involved in many community initiatives including Board of Directors of Canadian Blood Services (‘CBS’), past Chair McGill University Faculty of Arts Advisory Board, the Board of Directors of the Writers’ Trust of Canada, and serving as National Co Chair of the Advisory Committee for Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Awareness at CBS and the committee that established the National Cord Blood Bank at CBS. He also served as Captain of Team Knightstone in the PMH Ride to Conquer Cancer for 15 years.
Leah Myers is an experienced public policy executive, with a proven track record over her 30-year career with the Ontario government of shaping new strategic directions, working collaboratively with a broad array of stakeholders, and leading complex initiatives. She is a certified Board Director (ICD.D).
As Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) for Income Security and Pension Policy at the Ministry of Finance, Leah developed and implemented comprehensive pension policy reforms. She also led the Financial Services Policy Division on an interim basis at a time of significant policy development in auto insurance regulation.
As Executive Lead for the Commission for the Review of Social Assistance in Ontario, Leah helped deliver the first comprehensive review of Ontario’s social assistance system in over 20 years. She supported political decision-making on a range of strategic issues as ADM of Health, Social and Education Policy at the Cabinet Office.
Leah is currently an independent consultant, advising on strategic priorities, stakeholder relations and governance matters. She is the Chair of the Bruce Trail Conservancy, a member-driven, volunteer-based charitable organization and one of Ontario’s largest land trusts. She also sits on the board of directors of the Ombudservice for Life and Health Insurance, a free, fast, independent, and impartial alternative dispute resolution public service for Canadian life and health insurance consumers.
Don Nicol is Co-Chair of Michael Garron Hospital’s Volunteer Experience Council. At the hospital, he’s supported patients living with cancer and assisted Spiritual Care with religious services. Don currently volunteers in the Stavro Emergency Department.
Don grew up on a family Holstein dairy farm five kilometers north of Lake Erie. During his professional career, he served as a technician for CBC, worked at a bagel shop and completed home renovations. He also participated in twelve church-sponsored building projects in Mexico and East Africa.
Ron is currently the President and CEO of the Catholic Health Association of Ontario. Ron has achieved a Hons. B.Sc. in Kinesiology, a M.B.A. in Health Services Management and his Fellowship within both the Canadian College of Health Leaders and the American College of Healthcare Executives. He is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) with the Canadian Association of Management Consultants, a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA-CMA), a certified member of the Institute of Corporate Directors and was previously a certified long-term care administrator with the Ontario Long Term Care Association.
He has over 35 years of executive leadership experience within the healthcare industry, encompassing both the public and private sectors. Ron has provided leadership in the academic health science centre, community hospital, long-term care, community- based healthcare, private healthcare and consulting environments. He has served as Chief Executive Officer of a community hospital, Chief Financial Officer of a large community teaching hospital and CEO of a community-based provider of health care services. He has worked as a Principal consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers and has been the President of his own consulting firm. Ron has also served as the Chair of the Canadian College of Health Leaders, a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Healthcare Association and is a lead surveyor for Accreditation Canada. He has served as Treasurer for the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada Board and Governance chair for Vision Loss Rehab Canada (CNIB) and is currently a Board member Ontario Gateway North Habitat for Humanity, the Radiation Institute of Canada and the Michael Garron Hospital.
Ron has a proven a track record of delivering strategy, policy, operating and capital budgets on time and on budget while maintaining quality of care and strategic intent, leading organizations towards achieving their strategic objectives, pursuing life-long learning and contributing to the advancement of healthcare leadership within the Canadian Healthcare sector.
Dr. Rajwani is President of North York Healthcare Associates and Rehab2go, where he manages and works with a multidisciplinary team of medical consultants, overseeing complex medical care both in the facility and in the home. He is the Executive Officer of the Aga Khan Council for Canada, where he oversees the social governance of the Ismaili Community in Canada. He graduated as a Doctor of Chiropractic in 1994 and holds postgraduate certifications in Occupational Health and Sports Sciences.
Dr. Rajwani has volunteer experience in the Health Care Sector. He presently serves as the Co-Chair of the Coalition of Health Professional Associations in Auto Insurance Services in Ontario. He serves as Vice President for World Spine Care (WSC), which was established to address the significant gap in evidence-based treatment of musculoskeletal and spinal conditions in underserved areas worldwide. He was previously a board member of Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services, which provides health care services to marginalized members of the community, including refugees and new immigrants in the GTA.
He has previously served as an Allocations Chair for Children and Youth Services for United Way of Greater Toronto and Chairman of FOCUS Canada.
He is a recipient of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Volunteer Award, the OCA Volunteer Service Award and has received an award from the Ministry of Citizenship for 25 years of service to the community.
Catriona is a partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP with over 28 years’ experience serving global clients in the Financial Services industry, both in Canada and the US. She was previously a member of the PwC Canada assurance leadership team in the role of people experience leader and has been involved in a number of global transformation initiatives and steering committees. In addition to her role as the Chair of the Michael Garron Hospital board, she is a member of and chair of the governance committee of the board of PwC Canada.
Over the course of her career, Pamela has worked in the technology and in financial services industries (pensions, insurance), including publicly traded, private and regulated entities in Canada and abroad.
As president and CEO of Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada), Pamela leads one of the largest professional accounting bodies in the world.
Prior to assuming this role, she was the chief financial and corporate strategy officer at Payments Canada where she oversaw the organization’s finance and corporate planning functions. Previously, she was the chief financial officer and head of finance and employer services with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board.
Today, Pamela sits on the boards of the Global Accounting Alliance and Michael Garron Hospital. She is an active and founding member of the advisory board for the Institute for Sustainable Finance. Also, she currently sits on the University of Waterloo’s School of Accounting and Finance advisory council. She is a past Chair of the CFA Society Toronto and was a founding member of the Canadian Chapter of the Accounting for Sustainability CFO Leadership Network.
Pamela is a CPA Fellow and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst and Chartered Business Valuator designations. In 2019, she was awarded Canada’s CFO of the Year.
Eric Tripp is the retired President of BMO Capital Markets, following a career that began when he joined Burns Fry Limited in 1983. He is an Advisory Board Member of Connor Clark Financial Group and CDIC(Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation). He is also a Board Member of IMCO(Investment Management Corporation of Ontario), Branksome Hall Foundation and a former Board Member of TMX Group. Eric was the Founder and Executive Sponsor of the BMO Capital Markets Diversity Council and he remains engaged in diversity issues through the Advisory Board of Versify(formerly Women in Capital Markets). His family members are active philanthropists and he received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 for his community engagement.
Eric is the former Chair of the Michael Garron Hospital Board. He joined the Michael Garron Hospital Foundation Board in 2016 and was appointed Chair in 2017.
Natasha vandenHoven is a head and partner in the Stikeman Elliott LLP’s National Pensions & Benefits Group. Her practice focuses on statutory and governmental plans, governance, fiduciary obligations, investment and administration issues, trusts, and compliance matters. In particular, she advises clients on pensions and benefits issues relating to corporate transactions, creditor/debtor agreements, and bankruptcy and insolvency matters.
Natasha is experienced in executive compensation and advises clients on matters including equity and non-equity based compensation, supplemental retirement arrangements and bonus plans. She has also developed an expertise in de-risking strategies involving complex annuity buy-in and buy-out transactions including with respect to regulatory discharges.
Natasha was Senior Policy Consultant of the Pension Initiatives, Income Security and Pension Policy Division at the Ministry of Finance, following a leadership position within the Ontario Government where she worked on the development of the newly proposed Ontario Retirement Pension Plan. Natasha practiced pensions and benefits law in private practice for a number of years and was a pension analyst with the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (formerly the Pension Commission of Ontario).
Jennifer is a seasoned executive with 20 years of experience leading large, multi-functional teams in private sector, government and agency environments. Her diverse expertise spans marketing, brand, digital strategy, corporate transformation and project sponsorship, PR, issues management and communications.
As Senior Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications with the Toronto Region Board of Trade, Jennifer leads an integrated team of communications, public relations, and digital specialists dedicated to building the voice and brand of the Board and driving economic growth on behalf of the Region’s business community.
Prior to joining the Toronto Region Board of Trade, Jennifer’s passion for city building was fueled through her time with Metrolinx, the agency responsible for the province’s $70B transit expansion program and operator of UP Express, PRESTO and GO Transit services. Her recognized ability to lead people and drive change moved her through multiple areas of the business including Brand, Marketing and Creative Services, and VP with the Planning and Development Division, stepping in over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic to serve as Chief Planning Officer and then Chief Communications Officer. Jennifer has also held multiple senior roles within Cabinet Office at the Government of Ontario, working closely with Premier’s Office on brand, marketing, digital communications strategy and market research to deliver dozens of award-winning campaigns in partnership with over 20 ministries across government.
Jennifer is fueled by a passion for building strong, cohesive teams with a reputation for sound judgement, trusted relationships and responsibly brave strategy. She is a proud East-Ender and mom to two boys born at Michael Garron Hospital, a volunteer mentor with the AMA, and former Advisory Board Committee Member with the Salvation Army and Not-for-Profit Committee of the Canadian Marketing Association.
Niranjan is currently Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer for the Commercial Bank at RBC. As a member of its Operating Committee he has responsibility for the overall business strategy and shaping the business for the future. He oversees HSBC integration priorities and leads the Commercial Bank's segment and sector teams, ESG and Climate Strategy. Niranjan also manages the Commercial Bank’s overall business performance, business management and transformation agenda and plays a key role in building and strengthening external relations with key partners, regulators and industry stakeholders.
Niranjan has spent his career at RBC in progressively senior roles across various lines of business and functional groups. As SVP & Head of Loyalty, Merchant Solutions & Enterprise Partnerships, he transformed the largest proprietary loyalty program, enabling a two-sided marketplace that brings consumers and merchants together through a data driven, digitally enabled engagement platform.
Prior to this, he held numerous executive positions leading the overall P&L for the retail term investments and savings business in Canada. This included setting the strategic direction, product development, distribution strategy and pricing and yield management. He also led RBC Healthcare, the integrated healthcare business for RBC providing holistic banking and beyond banking solutions for the healthcare sector.
Prior to this he held numerous other executive leadership roles with more than 25 years of experience in product, strategy and distribution within Retail & Commercial banking in Canada.
Niranjan is a member of the Board of Directors of Michael Garron Hospital (Formerly Toronto East General Hospital), the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and Ontario Global 100 (OG100). He is also past Vice Chair of the MGH Foundation and the MS Society of Canada, Ontario Division.
Niranjan and his wife Sara have two daughters and reside in Toronto.
Michael is a seasoned executive in the financial services industry with a career spanning 25 years at local and global institutions particularly in Banking, Capital Markets and Wealth Management. Currently, he is Senior Vice President, Chief Risk Officer at RF Capital Group acting as an executive officer leading the enterprise risk, credit, project management and compliance operations supporting the overall business strategy and execution. Previous to this role, Michael was the Chief Operating Officer for HSBC Global Banking and Markets Americas leading the Canadian operations.
Michael is currently on the Board of Directors of Michael Garron Hospital, CAMH Foundation and the Investment Industry Association of Canada. Most recently, Michael joined other Black professionals as a Founding Member of the Black Opportunity Fund.
