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.

Dr. Huguette Labelle

Vice-Chair of the RHF Board

Huguette Labelle is a Companion of the Order of Canada and a recipient of the Order of Ontario. She served for a period of nineteen years as Deputy Minister of different Canadian Government departments including Secretary of State, Transport Canada, the Public Service Commission and the Canadian International Development Agency. A former Chancellor of the University of Ottawa and former Chair of Transparency International, she also serves on several Boards and Advisory Groups including the Advisory Group to the OECD Secretary General on Anti-Corruption and Integrity, the Board of the Global Centre for Pluralism, the Board of the Aga Khan Museum and the Board of Global Financial Integrity.

The Honourable Rosalie Abella

The Honorable Rosalie Silberman Abella was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada in 2004 after serving on the Ontario Court of Appeal for 12 years. 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 39 honorary degrees. She is married to Canadian history professor Irving Abella. They have two sons, both lawyers. She is the first Jewish woman appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada.

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 forthe Saskatoon Public Schools Foundation as well as providing consulting services for NexGen Energy and Murchison Minerals. 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 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 recently completed his role as the Ambassador of Canada to the People’s Republic of China. He was appointed by the Right Honourable Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2019 until 2021. Mr. Barton is also 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.

Norie Campbell

Norie Campbell is Group Head and General Counsel of TD Bank Group. She is responsible for the Bank’s legal, regulatory compliance, corporate citizenship, public affairs and corporate security functions. Norie leads the Bank’s Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy and is passionate about delivering on TD’s Purpose: to enrich the lives of its colleagues, customers and communities. As a member on the Government of Canada’s Sustainable Finance Action Council, she is working with public and private sector leaders to support the growth of a strong, well-functioning, sustainable finance market. In 2000, Norie joined TD from Toronto law firm McCarthy Tétrault. She was appointed General Counsel in 2011, joined the senior executive team two years later and has since led a diversity of mandates across the Bank, including human resources and marketing. Dedicated to making a positive impact at TD and in the community, Norie is past chair of TD’s Inclusion and Diversity Leadership Council and serves on the Boards for Ryerson University and The Rideau Hall Foundation. This year she is chairing the United Way of Greater Toronto’s Major Individual Giving campaign. Norie’s leadership has been recognized by Canada’s “Top 40, Under 40”, Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women, the WXN Hall of Fame and is a Catalyst Honours Champion.

Dr. Elizabeth Cannon

Dr. Elizabeth Cannon is an Officer of the Order of Canada. 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, a Fellow of the Creative Destruction Lab – Rockies 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, and is currently the United Nations Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance. He is also an external member of the Board of Stripe, a global technology company building economic infrastructure for the internet and a member of the Global Advisory Board of PIMCO, the Group of Thirty, the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum, the Harvard Board of Overseers, Oxford Blavatnik School of Government, as well as the boards of Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Peterson Institute for International Economics and the Hoffman Institute for Global Business and Society at INSEAD. Mr. Carney received a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Harvard University and a master’s degree and doctorate from Oxford 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 was President and CEO of Universities Canada from May 2009 until June 2023. As the voice of Canada’s universities at home and abroad, Universities Canada has advanced international student mobility, indigenous reconciliation, equity, diversity and inclusion on campus, and student mental health. Prior to joining Universities Canada, Mr. Davidson was the executive director of World University Service of Canada (WUSC) a leading international development agency. Mr. Davidson also held senior positions in Canadian book publishing including as executive director of the Association of Canadian Publishers. Mr. Davidson led the Toronto office of a prominent government relations firm after having served as a political advisor to Ontario’s Leader of the Opposition, Treasurer and Deputy Premier. Mr. Davidson holds an MA from Queen’s University where he studied southern African history, and a BA from Trent University, where he was in the first class of the Trent International Program.

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., a venture capital fund based in Vancouver, B.C. Previously, he served as President of Electronic Arts, Inc. (EA), responsible for all product development within its Worldwide Studios Group. He graduated from the University of British Columbia (UBC) with a Bachelor of Commerce degree and is also a Certified Financial Analyst. Mr. Lee served on the Minister’s Steering Committee for the Vancouver International Financial Institutions Sector and as a Director for the Vancouver Board of Trade. He has served as a member of the Premier’s Technology Council, the Vancouver Public Library Foundation’s Campaign Cabinet and on the board of Invest in Canada. He currently chairs D-Wave Systems, is President of the Quantum Gravity Society, and is a board member for Alberta Innovates, Asia Pacific Foundation, Faculty Advisory Board for UBC’s Sauder School of Business as well as various technology company boards.

The Honourable John Manley

Treasurer

Finance and Audit Committee

The Honourable John Manley, P.C., O.C., joined Bennett Jones LLP as Senior Business Adviser in September 2019. He previously served as Deputy Prime Minister of Canada and held several Ministerial portfolios in the Canadian Parliament. After 9/11, he was named Chair of a Cabinet Committee on Public Security and Anti-terrorism. Mr. Manley has continued to be active in public policy as a media commentator, speaker, and adviser to governments of differing political stripes. He is a Fellow of the CD Howe Institute, the Royal Canadian Geographic Society, and the Institute of Corporate Directors. In the private sector, he has practiced law and served as President and CEO of the Business Council of Canada. He graduated from Carleton University and the University of Ottawa and served as law clerk to the Chief Justice of Canada. Mr. Manley is the recipient of many awards and honours, including honorary doctorates from six Canadian Universities. He was born, raised and continues to live in Ottawa, and he enjoys spending time with his grandchildren.

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 Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, The BC Achievement Foundation, Windmill Microlending, and is the current Chair of St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation and recent Chair of The Vancouver Police Foundation. 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.

Louie Porta

Louie Porta is a leading Canadian environmentalist who has been appointed as the next President and CEO of the Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF). Louie currently serves as the Executive Director and founder of Oceans North, Canada’s foremost ocean focused charity. Louie is a high energy, high impact, and thoughtful leader who has led diplomatic missions on climate adaptation across Canada, Mexico, and the United States. He formerly served as lead political advisor to Mary Simon, presently Canada’s 30th Governor General, during her appointment as Minister’s Special Representative for Arctic Leadership. Louie is also a Canadian member and two-time chairman of the Joint Public Advisory Committee, which advises the international Commission for Environmental Cooperation. Mr. Porta serves on the Governing Council of the Ocean Tracking Network and board of directors of Oceans North Kalaallit Nunaat. He previously held senior advisory roles with the Students On Ice Foundation, the International Institute for Sustainable Developing, and Genome Canada. Louie lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia with his with wife and three children.

Stephen Smith

Stephen Smith, one of Canada’s leading financial services entrepreneurs, is the Chair, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of First National Financial Corporation. Mr. Smith is Chair of Canada Guaranty Mortgage Insurance Company, which he owns in partnership with Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. He is also Chair of both Duo Bank and Peloton Capital Management. Mr. Smith is a member of the Board of Directors of the C. D. Howe Institute, E-L Financial Corporation and the Canada Infrastructure Bank. He is also Chair of Historica Canada, producer of the Heritage Minutes and publisher of The Canadian Encyclopedia. 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 historic $50-million donation to the school. 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

Abdullah Snobar is the Executive Director of the DMZ and the CEO of DMZ Ventures. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, the DMZ helps start-up founders build, validate, and scale into world-class companies. Under Abdullah’s leadership, the incubator has expanded its global impact by establishing partnerships and satellite locations across North America, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Mr. Snobar serves on the Board of Directors for the Business Development Bank of Canada. 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 Ryerson 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 Prince’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 in 2019 as the Chairman of the Ismaili Leaders’ International Forum (LIF).

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.