Board of Directors

The Right Honourable David Johnston

Chair of the RHF Board

Governor General of Canada, 2010-2017

The Right Honourable David Johnston was Canada’s 28th governor general. During his mandate, he established the Rideau Hall Foundation (RHF), a registered charity that supports and amplifies the Office of the Governor General in its work to connect, honour and inspire Canadians. Today, he is actively involved as Chair of the RHF Board of Directors. In 2018, he was appointed Colonel to the Royal Canadian Regiment. Prior to his installation as governor general, Mr. Johnston was a professor of law for 45 years, and served as President of the University of Waterloo for two terms, Principal of McGill University for 3 terms. He was president of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada and of the Conférence des recteurs et des principaux des universités du Québec. He was the first non-U.S. citizen to be elected chair at Harvard University’s Board of Overseers from which he graduated in 1963 magna cum laude and was twice named all-American in hockey and was named to Harvard’s Athletic Hall of Fame. He holds degrees from Harvard, Cambridge and Queen’s and has received more than three dozen honorary degrees or fellowships. He has authored or co-authored more than 30 books. He was named Companion of the Order of Canada in 1997. He has chaired or served on many provincial and federal task forces and committees, and has served on the boards of more than a dozen public companies. He has been married for 59 years to Sharon and they have 5 daughters and 14 grandchildren.

The Honourable Janice Charette

Vice-Chair of the RHF Board

The Honourable Janice Charette served as Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet, until she retired from the public service in June, 2023 after serving nearly 40 years. Uniquely, Ms. Charette served in the role of Canada’s most senior public servant twice, under two Prime Ministers – the Rt. Honourable Stephen Harper (2014-2016) and the Rt. Honourable Justin Trudeau (2021-2023). In this role she led Canada’s largest employer - the non-partisan public service - and provided advice to Prime Ministers and Cabinet to formulate and drive the government’s agenda on the most complex and strategic issues facing Canada and Canadians during times of great uncertainty including through Covid, geopolitical turmoil and economic weakness. Prior to rejoining the Privy Council, Ms. Charette was the High Commissioner for Canada in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. As Canada’s most senior diplomat in the UK following the Brexit vote, she built relationships with key players in the government, business community and Commonwealth organizations across the UK, to ensure continued trade, economic and security cooperation between our countries. Ms. Charette held a number of key leadership positions before becoming Clerk - Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council and Associate Secretary to the Cabinet (2013-2014), as well as Associate Secretary to the Cabinet and Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs (2010-2013); Deputy Minister for Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (2006–2010); Deputy Minister for Citizenship and Immigration Canada (2004–2006) and Associate Deputy Minister for Health Canada (2003–2004). She has worked in nine federal departments and agencies during her career. In addition, she worked closely with the founding Chairperson and Board as the first employee of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, and as a principal in the consulting practice of Ernst & Young. Ms. Charette has been a member of the Board of Directors of organizations including the Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa; the Public Policy Forum; the Royal Ottawa Health Care Group; the Commonwealth War Graves and Commonwealth War Graves Foundation; the Imperial War Museum (UK) and the Board of Governors of the Commonwealth. Ms. Charette attended Carleton University, where she received a Bachelor of Commerce degree. She was granted an honorary doctorate from Kingston University, United Kingdom in July 2018 and also from Carleton University in June, 2023. In March 2021, Ms. Charette received the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors. Ms. Charette became a Privy Councillor in September, 2023.

The Honourable Rosalie Abella

The Honorable Rosalie Silberman Abella was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada in 2004. She was the first Jewish woman appointed to the Supreme Court. She was appointed to the Ontario Family Court in 1976 at the age of 29. She subsequently chaired the Ontario Law Reform Commission and the Ontario Labour Relations Board. Justice Abella was the sole Commissioner and author of the 1984 Royal Commission on Equality in Employment, creating the term and concept of “employment equity” and developing a concept of discrimination and equality the Supreme Court adopted in its first decision interpreting the new equality provision of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. She was the Boulton Visiting Professor at McGill Law School from 1988 to 1992, where she taught jurisprudence, administrative law, and constitutional law. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society, a graduate of the Royal Conservatory of Music in classical piano, a former judge of the Giller Literary Prize, former chair of the Rhodes Scholar selection committee, has written over 90 articles, authored or co-edited four books, was a pioneer in judicial education, and lectures extensively in Canada and internationally. She has 42 honorary degrees. She was married to Canadian history professor Irving Abella from 1968 until his death in 2022. They have two sons, both lawyers. Since her retirement from the Supreme Court, she has been the Samuel and Judith Pisar Visiting Professor at Harvard Law School.

Zeba Ahmad

Development Committee

Zeba Ahmad, a proud mom of two grown children, is a tireless volunteer locally in Saskatoon, provincially and nationally. Zeba began her professional career as a pharmacist and practiced for over 20 years, before moving on to other professional roles. She currently serves as the CEO for the Saskatoon Public Schools Foundation as well as providing consulting services for NexGen Energy. She has served on and chaired several boards including Royal University Hospital Foundation and Saskatoon Community Foundation. Additionally, she was the inaugural chair of Canada’s Great Kitchen Party (formerly Gold Medal Plates) and a member of the Thundering Ahead Campaign for Wanuskewin Heritage Park. She currently serves on Rideau Hall Foundation, Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation and Saskatoon Club Board of Directors. Zeba also serves as the Honorary Colonel for the 38th Combat Engineer Regiment. For her community involvement Zeba has received the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers, was named a Top 100 Alumni of Influence, College of Pharmacy & Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, and in 2021 was awarded the YWCA Woman of Distinction for Community Building.

Dominic Barton

Dominic Barton is Chair of Rio Tinto and the Chair of LeapFrog Investments, an impact-investment firm focused on emerging markets. He is also a Senior advisor and partner at Radical Ventures a leading AI investment firm. Dominic completed his role as the Ambassador of Canada to the People’s Republic of China in 2021, appointed by the Right Honourable Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2019. He was a Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company and served as Global Managing Partner for 3 terms from 2009 to 2018. Dominic was previously Chair of Teck Resources, from 2018 to 2019, and, in 2019, served as a Non-Executive Director at Singtel, and in June 2024, Dominic concluded his tenure as the Chancellor of the University of Waterloo.

James Baxter

James Baxter was the founding Editor and Publisher of iPolitics. Over a journalism career that spanned 30 years, Mr. Baxter has been an award-winning sportswriter, foreign correspondent, political journalist, bureau chief and editorial writer. He has degrees in journalism, international relations and business, and was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University in 2007-8. In early 2020, he joined the Assembly of First Nations and has been advising the National Chief and his team on crisis communication during the Covid pandemic. Mr. Baxter has also been a long-time governor of Ashbury College and served as the chair of the school’s foundation through it’s recent $10-million capital campaign. The foundation also stewards the college’s endowed funds and oversees its financial aid programs. He has also served a Director of the Board of the Michener Awards Foundation for the past decade and his election to the RHF Board will help to strengthen our partnership. He lives in Ottawa with his wife, Sarah, and three children.

Victoria Belbin

Bio to come.

Norie Campbell

Norie Campbell joined Thomson Reuters in 2023 as the company’s Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary. Prior to joining Thomson Reuters, Norie held a number of executive-level roles at a major Canadian bank. She has been recognized for her leadership by Catalyst Canada and the Women’s Executive Network (WXN) Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada. Norie is a Board Director for Toronto Metropolitan University and the Rideau Hall Foundation. She is also actively involved in United Way and has served as the Campaign Chair of Major Individual Giving for the United Way Greater Toronto Campaign Cabinet. She received her Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws degrees from Osgoode Hall Law School.

Dr. Elizabeth Cannon

Dr. Elizabeth Cannon is an Officer of the Order of Canada and Member of the Alberta Order of Excellence. She is president emerita of the University of Calgary after serving as president and vice chancellor. Prior to her term as president, Dr. Cannon was dean of the Schulich School of Engineering at the University of Calgary. Dr. Cannon is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Canadian Academy of Engineering as well as an elected foreign associate of the National Academy of Engineering. She served as co-chair of the Business-Higher Education Roundtable, was a past chair of Universities Canada, and was a member of the federal Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development’s Science, Technology and Innovation Council (STIC) in addition to many other boards and advisory councils. Currently, she is a member of the Board of Trustees the Aga Khan University, Vice Chair of the Board of the Creative Destruction Lab and a Director of the Gairdner Foundation in addition to being a corporate director and seed-stage investor.

Mark Carney

Mark Carney is a Vice Chair of Brookfield Asset Management and Head of ESG and Impact Fund Investing. In this role, he is focused on the development of products for investors that will combine positive social and environmental outcomes with strong risk-adjusted returns. Mr. Carney is an economist and banker who served as the Governor of the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020, and prior to that as Governor of the Bank of Canada from 2008 until 2013. He was Chairman of the Financial Stability Board from 2011 to 2018. Prior to his governorships, Mr. Carney worked at Goldman Sachs as well as the Canadian Department of Finance. He is a long-time and well-known advocate for sustainability, specifically with regard to the management and reduction of climate risks. He is currently the United Nations Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance and Co-Chair for the Glasgow Finance Alliance for Net Zero.  He is also Chair of the Group of Thirty and Bloomberg LP’s Board of Directors, as well as an external member of the Board of Stripe, a member of the Global Advisory Board of PIMCO, Harvard University, Rideau Hall Foundation, Bilderberg, the Peterson Institute for International Economics, the Blavatnik School at Oxford, and the Hoffman Institute for Global Business and Society at INSEAD, Cultivo, Senior counsellor of the MacroAdvisory Partners, and Advisor of the Watershed as well as President of Chatham House. Mr. Carney holds doctorate and master’s degrees from Oxford University and a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Harvard University.

Jean Charest, P.C.

As Deputy Prime Minister of Canada and Premier of Québec, and with a public service career spanning almost 30 years, Jean Charest is one of Canada’s best known political figures. Jean Charest was first elected to the House of Commons in 1984 and, at age 28, became Canada’s youngest cabinet minister as Minister of State for Youth. In 1991, he was named Minister of the Environment and Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs and Registrar General and Deputy Prime Minister of Canada in 1993. In 1994, Jean Charest was chosen Leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party. He held that post until 1998 when he became Leader of the Quebec Liberal Party. Mr. Charest then broke a 50-year provincial record by winning three consecutive election campaigns in 2003, 2007 and 2008. Furthermore, the Charest government initiated an unprecedented labour mobility agreement between France and Québec and was best known for a major initiative for the sustainable development of Northern Québec called “Plan Nord”. Jean Charest is notably the initiator of the negotiation for the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA). He is today a Partner at Canadian firm Therrien, Couture, Joli-Coeur, where he provides invaluable expertise to the firm’s clients with his in-depth knowledge and experience with public policy, corporate Canada, and international matters. As a strategic advisor with a unique perspective, he supports clients on complex transactions, projects, and international mandates.

Mark Cullen

Mark Cullen, C.M. has been broadcasting and writing about the gardening experience since the early 80’s. He has written 23 books, including two biographies. Mark began his professional retail career with his father Len Cullen in 1979. Together they created Cullen Country Barns in Markham Ontario, for which they won the Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the federal government in 1988. Mark is Director of the Barrett Family Foundation, and Chair of Canadian Trees for Life.

Paul Davidson

Governance and Nominating Committee

Paul Davidson joined the Rideau Hall Foundation as a Board member in 2020. He brings over 30 years of executive leadership in the public, private and not for profit sectors. He is the former President of Universities Canada (2009-2023), where he helped advance research, higher education and innovation for Canada. Paul served as Executive Director of World University Service of Canada (2002-2009) a leading international development agency, delivering programs in 17 countries overseas and on 70 campuses across Canada. Paul also held senior positions in Canadian book publishing including as Executive Director of the Association of Canadian Publishers. Early in his career, served as a political advisor to Ontario’s Leader of the Opposition, Treasurer and Deputy Premier. He currently Chairs the Board of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and serves on the Boards of the Ottawa Hospital and the Aga Khan Museum.

The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell

The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, OC, is the longest-serving Lieutenant Governor of Ontario (2014-2023). She carried out thousands of constitutional and ceremonial duties and encouraged Ontarians to think deeply about their role as residents of a province and as global citizens. She became known as Ontario’s “Storyteller-in-Chief”. Building a resilient and sustainable society was the focus of her mandate. Safeguarding democracy was her passion. Ms. Dowdeswell’s eclectic public service career has spanned provincial, federal and international borders and transcended disciplinary lines, engaging the public in complex issues of social significance. She contributed globally as Under Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme. She was the founding president and CEO of the Nuclear Waste Management Organization, and later the President and CEO of the Council of Canadian Academies. She has served on the boards of Canadian and international corporate and non-profit organizations. Ms. Dowdeswell is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a member of the Order of Ontario and is the recipient of numerous distinctions and fellowships. She holds 11 honorary doctorates.

Paul C. Genest

Dr. Genest’s background includes government, academia and business. He has been Senior Vice-President of Power Corporation since 2016. He served in the Ontario Government in a number of portfolios as a deputy minister including intergovernmental affairs, francophone affairs, and deputy minister responsible for the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games held in Toronto in 2015. In 2007 he became President and CEO of the Council of Ontario Universities. He also served in the federal government as director of policy and research for then-prime minister Jean Chrétien. Paul has a doctorate in Philosophy from The Johns Hopkins University. In 2022 he received a doctorate, Honoris Causa from the University of Ottawa.

Anne-Marie Hubert

Anne-Marie Hubert is the Eastern Canada Managing Partner for EY Canada. She has served as a member of the EY Global Advisory Council and as a member of EY Canada’s Executive Committee. In her roles within and outside the firm, she enables organisations and people she works with to drive positive outcome for stakeholders. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Montréal International, the Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute (MILA), the Institute of Corporate Directors – Québec Chapter, the Conseil des relations internationales de Montréal (Corim), Zú and the Rideau Hall Foundation.

Roberta Jamieson

O.C.,I.P.C,LLB, LLd (Hon)

Roberta Jamieson is Mohawk who has achieved many firsts. They include being the first First Nation woman in Canada to earn a law degree; the first woman Ombudsman of Ontario; and the first woman elected Chief of the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. Roberta has long been recognized as an effective and visionary member of corporate boards, with an acknowledged expertise in Environmental, Social and Governance criteria. She is currently on the board of directors of Deloitte Canada and Chile, where she sits on the People, Purpose and Culture and the Clients, Industries and Markets committees, and the Royal Bank of Canada, where she sits on the Risk and Governance committees. She is also co-chair of the Indigenous Advisory Council advising the board and CEO of Canadian National Railway on matters relevant to CN’s relationship with Indigenous communities in Canada. At the request of Prime Minister Trudeau, she served on the inaugural Gender Equality Advisory Council during Canada’s G7 Presidency. As President of Indspire, Canada’s largest Indigenous charity, Roberta oversaw an eightfold increase in bursaries and scholarships. Charity Intelligence Canada named Indspire one of the 10 Canadian Charities with the most impact and Macleans and the Financial Post chose it as one of Canada’s Top Charities. Since 2004, Indspire has given a record $153 million in bursaries and scholarships to 49,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis students across Canada. During her time at Indspire, Roberta launched several highly successful initiatives: the first National Gathering for Indigenous Education, a unique conference for educators to network and learn best practices for improving educational outcomes for K–12 Indigenous students and the Indspire Research Knowledge Nest, which publishes the research and data produced by Indspire to encourage policy makers and corporate leaders to invest in Indigenous education and employment. She was also Executive Producer of the Indspire Awards, a nationally broadcast celebration of Indigenous culture showcasing the highest Indigenous honours awarded by their communities. The Indspire Awards has honoured 384 First Nations, Inuit, and Métis individuals for their outstanding achievements. Since leaving Indspire, Roberta has continued her involvement in philanthropy, most recently as a Founding Visionary of the Prosperity Project. Roberta Jamieson has received 30 honorary degrees, earned numerous awards and is an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Hélène Laurendeau

Hélène Laurendeau worked in the federal public service for over 30 years. She held various positions as Legal Counsel and Senior Legal Counsel at the Department of Justice and various senior management positions at the Treasury Board Secretariat, the Privy Council Office and the Public Service Commission. She held successively the positions of Associate Deputy Minister and Deputy Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada and oversaw the creation of the Department of Crown Indigenous-Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and acted as its first Deputy Minister. She most recently held the position of Deputy Minister of Canadian Heritage. She was raised in the beautiful region of Lanaudière while keeping deep roots in the Bas Saint-Laurent.

V. Paul Lee

V. Paul Lee is Founder and Managing Partner of Vanedge Capital Partners Ltd., (“Vanedge Capital”) a $400 million venture capital fund based in Vancouver, B.C. Vanedge Capital focuses on investments in hard technology, analytics and computational biology. Mr. Lee was a Principal of Distinctive Software that merged with Electronic Arts to become EA Canada and he went on to become President of Electronic Arts worldwide where he was responsible for all product development within its Worldwide Studios Group. He managed more than 6,000 employees over 14 studios worldwide and U.S. $1 billion in annual capital and operating expenses. Mr. Lee graduated from the University of British Columbia (UBC) with a Bachelor of Commerce with Honours degree and was one of six students selected to the prestigious Dean of Commerce Portfolio Management Foundation program. Upon graduation, he joined Chrysler Canada where he managed its pension, trust and corporate funds while concurrently obtaining his Chartered Financial Analyst accreditation. In 1994, Mr. Lee was named to the Business in Vancouver ‘Forty Under 40’. In 1996 Mr. Lee was awarded the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award from UBC, and in 2002 he was awarded the British Columbia Technology Industries Association Person of the Year Award. Mr. Lee has also received numerous awards for his community service including the Commemorative Medal for the Golden Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2003 and the Platinum Jubilee in 2022. In 2005 he was recognized as an Honorary Fellow of UBC’s Sauder School of Business and in 2009 he was awarded an Honourary Masters Degree in Digital Media from the Centre for Digital Media. Mr. Lee is currently Chair of the Quantum Gravity Society, a member on the Faculty Advisory Board for UBC’s Sauder School of Business, and on the boards of Rideau Hall Foundation and Vancouver Police Foundation. He is also a member/observer of the boards of SensorUp, Cogniac, Index Biosystems, Alice Technologies and Vendasta. Mr. Lee has been an active angel investor with successful investments in: Distinctive Software, a games developer, sold to Electronic Arts in 1991; ALI Technologies, a digital radiology information systems company, sold to McKesson in 2002; ActiveState, a spammanagement and open-source software company, sold to Sophos in 2003; Blast Radius, a leading strategic interactive marketing agency, sold in 2007 to the WPP Group; and Bycast, an enterprise cloud storage provider, sold to NetApp in 2010. Vanedge Capital was the largest shareholder in Recon Instruments, sold to Intel; Wurldtech, sold to General Electric; Metafor, sold to Splunk; Mediacore, sold to Workday; Privacy Analytics, sold to IMS Health; and Canalyst, sold to Tegus as well as an investor in Raxium, sold to Google; and numerous other technology companies.

The Honourable John Manley

Treasurer

Finance and Audit Committee

The Honourable John Manley, P.C., O.C., became Chair of Jefferies Securities Inc. on December 1, 2023, having served as Senior Business Adviser at Bennett Jones LLP since September 2019. He is best known as a former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the Canadian Parliament from 1988 to 2004 as M.P. for Ottawa South. From 1993 to 2003 he was a Minister in the governments of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, serving in the portfolios of Industry, Foreign Affairs and Finance, in addition to being Deputy Prime Minister. Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Mr. Manley was named Chair of a Cabinet Committee on Public Security and Anti-terrorism, serving as counterpart to Governor Tom Ridge, the first U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security. In recognition of the role he played following 9/11, which he refers to as his “moment of fame”, TIME Canada named him "2001 Newsmaker of the Year" (and gave him some free copies of the magazine). After a 16-year career in politics, Mr. Manley returned to the private sector in 2004 where he has continued to be active in public policy, as a media commentator, speaker and adviser to governments of differing political stripes. He is Fellow of the CD Howe Institute, the Royal Canadian Geographic Society, and the Institute of Corporate Directors. He is a founding member of the Wilson Center Global Advisory Council, a founding member of the Advisory Council of the Center for North American Prosperity and Security of the MacDonald Laurier Institute, a past member of the Brookings Institution International Advisory Council and served as Chair of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI) Advisory Council from 2012-2023. In the private sector, Mr. Manley has practiced law, and served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Business Council of Canada (from 2010 to 2018). He has been a very active corporate director, and currently serves as Chair of the board of directors of TELUS. He is past Chair of CAE and CIBC, including CIBC USA. He has been active in the not-for-profit sector with CARE Canada and is now a director of Rideau Hall Foundation and an adviser to the Juno Beach Centre.. An Officer of the Order of Canada, Mr. Manley graduated from Carleton University in mathematics and political science, and from the University of Ottawa in law where he was the gold medalist and subsequently law clerk to the Chief Justice of Canada, Bora Laskin. He is the recipient of many awards and honours, including honorary doctorates from 6 Canadian Universities. He is also proudly an honorary chief of the Blood Nation of Alberta. He was born, raised and continues to live in Ottawa where he enjoys his RedBlacks season tickets, and on Upper Rideau Lake, Ontario where he would always rather be. Married to Judith for over 50 years, his every day is made better by his 5 grandsons and 2 granddaughters who are perfect in every way.

John Montalbano

Investment Committee

John Montalbano is the retired CEO of RBC Global Asset Management which managed $370 billion in assets. He serves as Director of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Aritzia Inc., AbCellera Inc., Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals, and Chairs White Crane Capital, a Vancouver-based hedge fund. He also served as Chair of the UBC Board of Governors, Killam Trusts Trustee, co-Founder of Take a Hike Youth at Risk Foundation and Chair of the Vancouver Public Library Capital Campaign. Mr. Montalbano is a director for The Gairdner Foundation, The BC Achievement Foundation, and Windmill Microlending, serving as the current Chair of the Windmill Microlending Capital Campaign, and a member of the UBC Sauder Faculty Advisory Board. He holds a Chartered Financial Analyst designation and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of British Columbia and holds an Honorary Doctor of Letters from Emily Carr University of Art and Design.

Natan Obed

Natan Obed is the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. He was first elected in 2015 and was acclaimed to his third consecutive term in 2021. He grew up in Nain, the northernmost community of Nunatsiavut (Northern Labrador). He graduated from Tufts University in 2001. President Obed is the national spokesperson for Inuit in Canada and also serves as Vice-President of Inuit Circumpolar Council-Canada. As ITK President, he implements the direction set out by Inuit Leadership from the four regions of Inuit Nunangat — the Inuvialuit Settlement Region of the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik and Nunatsiavut.

Yves Pelletier

Bio to come.

Louie Porta

Louie Porta a leading Canadian environmentalist and life-long wilderness explorer. He serves as the President and CEO of the Atlantic Salmon Federation. Previously, Louie was the founding Executive Director of Oceans North. Under his leadership Oceans North became Canada’s foremost ocean focused charity – helping to secure some of world’s largest ocean conservation areas. Louie represents Canada at the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, reflecting his commitment to international environmental collaboration. He serves on board of directors of The Rideau Hall Foundation, the Governing Council of the Ocean Tracking Network, the board of directors of Oceans North Kalaallit Nunaat, and is a longtime senior Advisor to the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Canada’s first Indigenous Governor General. Louie is a high energy, high impact leader known for his collaborative, partnership-based approach, and ability to build bridges across all aspects of society.

Stephen Smith

Stephen Smith is the Chairman and CEO of Smith Financial Corporation. Throughout his career, he has been an innovator in the development and utilization of various securitization techniques to finance mortgage assets and a leader in the development and application of information technology in the financial services industry. Through SFC, he has significant equity investments in a range of financial entities: First National Financial Corporation, Canada Guaranty Mortgage Insurance, Home Trust Company, Fairstone Bank of Canada, and Peloton Capital Management. Mr. Smith co-founded First National Financial Corporation in 1988, serving as CEO until 2022 at which time he was appointed Executive Chairman. He served as Chair of Canada Guaranty Mortgage Insurance Company from 2010-2023. He is the Chairman of Peloton Capital Management, a mid-market North American private equity firm, Glass, Lewis & Co., a leading global proxy advisory firm and Fairstone Bank of Canada, a 250 branch bank focused on consumer lending. Mr. Smith is Chair of Historica Canada, the creator of the Heritage Minutes and publisher of The Canadian Encyclopedia. He is the member of the Boards of the Rideau Hall Foundation and the C.D. Howe Institute and is a Honourary Governor of the Royal Ontario Museum. In 2015, Queen’s University announced the naming of The Stephen J.R. Smith School of Business at Queen’s University in honour of Mr. Smith and his then historic $50-million donation to the school. In 2019, Mr. Smith was inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame. In 2012, he was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. In 2023, Mr. Smith pledged $100-million to the Queen’s faculty of engineering, now named Smith Engineering, the largest gift ever made to an engineering faculty in Canada. Mr. Smith holds a B.Sc (Hons.) in Electrical Engineering from Queen’s University and a M.Sc. in Economics from the London School of Economics. In 2017, Queen’s University awarded him an honourary LL.D.

Abdullah Snobar

As the Executive Director of DMZ and CEO of DMZ Ventures, Abdullah leads the global startup ecosystem. Through its world-leading Incubator, Talent Academy and investment fund, DMZ’s global startup ecosystem equips founders with the tools to build, validate and scale impactful startups while producing skilled professionals ready to contribute to the innovation economy through expert-led tech and business courses. Committed to levelling the playing field for all entrepreneurs, Abdullah has championed several key initiatives within DMZ for underserved founders, including its Black Innovation and Women Innovation Programs. These programs provide tailored resources, funding and support to overcome barriers and create a more inclusive startup ecosystem. Under Abdullah’s leadership, the global startup ecosystem has significantly expanded its impact by establishing global hubs across North America, Latin America, Africa, and Asia; broadening its support to serve upskilling professionals in tech and business foundations; and launching DMZ Ventures’ investment fund for pre-seed and seed-stage tech startups. Abdullah serves on the Board of Directors for the Rideau Hall Foundation, the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery and the Indigenous Prosperity Foundation. Recognized as one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40, Abdullah is a member of the Forbes Tech Council and has previously served as a Board Director for the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) and the Ontario Trillium Foundation. He has previously held roles with the Canadian Armed Forces, Fairmont Hotels, and Marriott Hotels & Resorts. Abdullah holds an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors and MBA and BComm degrees from Toronto Metropolitan University.

Malik Talib

Malik Talib was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, educated at McGill University and trained as a lawyer at the Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto. He is an entrepreneur and corporate director leading the Talmont Group based in Vancouver, British Columbia. He has served as Chair or Board Member for various organisations, including the King’s Trust Canada, the B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation, United Way for the Lower Mainland Cabinet, Vancouver Foundation, Mulgrave School and LIFT Philanthropy Partners. For more than 30 years, Mr. Talib has served in various leadership positions within the Ismaili Community, including President and Vice-President of the Aga Khan Council for Canada, by appointment from His Highness the Aga Khan. In addition, he is a Director on the Board of the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto and a member of Global Centre for Pluralism corporation in Ottawa. Most recently, he was appointed by His Highness the Aga Khan as the Chairman of the Ismaili Leaders’ International Forum (LIF) as well as a Senior Official of the Ismaili Imamat.

Dr. Annette Trimbee

Dr. Annette Trimbee’s professional journey has taken her from the water’s edge to the city's core, and she brings a wealth of experience and knowledge as a leader in both the post-secondary and the public sectors. Dr Trimbee currently serves as president and vice-chancellor of MacEwan University. Prior to joining MacEwan in 2020, Dr Trimbee served as president and vice-chancellor of the University of Winnipeg. After an early career as an aquatic biologist, Dr. Trimbee embarked on a distinguished, 25-year career with the Government of Alberta that allowed her to develop deep expertise in a broad range of systems—water, energy & environment, health, higher education & innovation, and finance. During this period, she held several senior leadership positions, including appointments as deputy minister with Advanced Education and Technology and with Treasury Board and Finance. Dr. Trimbee currently serves on the board of World Universities Service Canada, the board of Edmonton Global, the board of The Conversation Canada, and is a member of the International Red River Watershed Board that assists the International Joint Commission in matters related to the water management along the Canada-U.S. boundary. In 2022, Dr. Trimbee received the Indspire Award in Education, the highest honour bestowed by the Indigenous community, for her commitment to advancing Indigenous equality in society and in higher education. An accomplished academic, Dr. Trimbee holds a PhD (Ecology) from McMaster University, a M.Sc. from the University of Manitoba, and was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Alberta.

Stephen Wallace

Program Committee

Stephen Wallace grew up in an Atlantic Coast naval family and has worked for over 30 years in international affairs and public administration. A deputy minister in Canada’s federal government, he held a number of senior appointments with the Canadian International Development Agency, the Treasury Board Secretariat and the Department of Canadian Heritage. He served as Secretary to the Governor General until the end of 2017. After retiring from public service, he has served as executive advisor to Deloitte Canada, senior fellow of Massey College and board director for a number of commercial and charitable organizations.