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Board of Directors

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Board of Directors

Board of Directors

Meet our Board of Directors

Shaun Francis

Chair
Chair and CEO of Medcan
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Karen Adams

Board Member
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Geneviève Bonin

Board Member
Managing Director and Partner with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
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Rear-Admiral (Retired) Luc Cassivi

Chair of the DAC
Senior Advisor, BCG
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Mike Durland

Board Member
President and CEO of Melancthon Capital
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Robert Ghiz

Board Member
Premier of Prince Edward Island from June 2007 to February 2015
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Philip Grosch

Board Member
Board Member at Treble Victor Group (3V)
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France Hébert

Board Member
Vice-President and General Manager, Defence & Security Canada · CAE
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Matthew Kelleher

Board Member
Partner at McCarthy Tétrault
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Louis Vachon

Board Member
Former President and Chief Executive Officer of National Bank of Canada

Monica Valsangkar-Smyth PhD

Board Member
Researcher at Broadmind – Strategies for Mental Health/ Queen’s University
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Duncan Sinclair

Board Member
Chair, Deloitte Canada/Chile
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Bryn Weadon

Treasurer
Naval Supply Officer retired in 2009 at the rank of Rear-Admiral
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Shaun Francis

 

Shaun Francis is the Chair of New York City’s EHE, the recognized American leader in preventive medicine, and the Chair and CEO of Medcan, with headquarters in Toronto. Established more than 30 years ago, Medcan is a global leader in assessing their clients’ overall well-being and inspiring them to live well for life. In 2018 Medcan was recognized for overall business performance and sustained growth with the prestigious Canada’s Best Managed Companies designation, presented by Deloitte, CIBC, Canadian Business, Smith School of Business, TMX Group and MacKay CEO Forums and published by The National Post. This marks Medcan’s eighth year on the list and the second in the coveted Platinum status. Medcan joins a select group of Canadian companies that are noted for fearless leadership, a culture of teamwork, and a relentless focus on innovation.

Prior to his roles at EHE and Medcan, Shaun was one of the founding employees and the Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Development for Dallas-based Broadlane, Inc., a leading business process outsourcer for more than 900 American hospitals. In 2010, Broadlane was sold to MedAssets for US$850MM. Prior to joining Broadlane, Shaun worked for Morgan Stanley’s New York and Toronto investment banking divisions where he managed equity, debt and mergers and acquisitions transactions.

Shaun serves on the board of the Fraser Institute and is the Chair of the True Patriot Love Foundation, which he founded to benefit Canada’s military families. He previously served on the boards of the Invictus Games Canada, which he collaborated with the Royal Foundation to bring to Toronto; the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR); Toronto Pearson Airport; Upper Canada College; and he was the Chair of both the Ontario Chapter of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) and the PC Ontario Fund. In 2013, he was asked by Canada’s Minister of Veterans Affairs to Chair the Veteran Transition Advisory Council (VTAC). The Council was comprised of Canadian business leaders and assisted the Minister in drafting strategic recommendations for the transition of service personnel to the private sector.

The Globe and Mail featured Shaun as one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2008, when he selected by a national panel. In 2010, Canada’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Walter Natynczyk, awarded Shaun the Canadian Forces Medallion for Distinguished Service, the military’s highest recognition for a civilian. In 2011, Shaun was the convocation speaker at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario where he received his Honorary Doctor of Laws from Canada’s Minister of National Defence Peter MacKay. In 2012 he was selected by Toronto Life as one of Toronto’s top 50 most influential people. In 2013 he was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal by Senator Linda Frum and the Minister of Veterans Affairs Steven Blaney. In 2014 he was awarded the Veterans Affairs Commendation by Minister Julian Fantino for contributing in an exemplary manner to the care and well-being of veterans. In 2015 he was recognized by Toronto’s Junior Achievement chapter with their Bold Thinkers Inspiring Leaders award for taking risks and challenging convention. In 2016 he was awarded the Meritorious Service Cross by Canada’s Governor General.

Shaun enjoys endurance sports and in 2012 co-led an expedition to Everest Base Camp and the summit of Island Peak, a 6,189-metre Himalayan Peak adjacent to Mount Everest. The expedition featured 12 injured Canadian soldiers raising funds and awareness for the True Patriot Love Foundation and injured veterans. It was the subject of a national prime time documentary named March to the Top airing on the CBC in February 2013. In 2014 Shaun co-led another True Patriot Love Expedition to the Magnetic North Pole, which was also the subject of a national prime time documentary on the History Channel. In 2017 Shaun completed his third True Patriot Love Expedition retracing the route of Canadian explorer George Douglas in the Northwest Territories to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary as a nation.

Simon & Schuster published Shaun’s first book, Eat, Move, Think: The Path to a Healthier, Stronger Happier You, which debuted as a national bestseller in 2018.

Shaun earned his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science with honors and merit from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland after he received a nomination from President Reagan to attend as a Canadian. While there he also earned a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Canadian Army.

Shaun is married to Stacy Francis and is father to Robert, William, and Christopher. Born and raised in Canada, he has lived with his family in the United States, the United Kingdom and France, and has travelled extensively throughout the world.

He can be reached at shaun@medcan.com or @ShaunCFrancis on Twitter. Follow him on Instagram @shauncfrancis.

Karen Adams, MBA. ICD.D

Karen is a CEO and Board Director with international and multi-industry experience. She was recognized in 2017 as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network and was voted by her peers as “CEO of the Year” by Wealth Professional in 2019.

Karen has served as the CEO of numerous companies, including Fundserv Inc, Alberta Pensions Corporation, and HSBC Bank. She is a change leader, repeatedly managing large technology transformation projects and leading people through cultural change.

Although born and raised in Toronto, Karen spent much of her career outside Canada. She has lived and worked in Mumbai, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Beijing, Seoul, Dubai, London and Amman.

Karen snowshoed 100 km across the Article Circle on The True Patriot Love Women’s Expedition – Baffin Island 2019, raising over $1 million to support Canadian military members, Veterans, and their families.

Karen has a double major in Mathematics and Economics from Queen’s University in Kingston, an MBA in International Finance from The University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and an ICD.D designation from The Rotman School of Management and Institute of Corporate Directors.

Geneviève Bonin

 

Geneviève is a Managing Director and Partner with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). She focuses on building diverse high performing teams together to create impactful change and bring value to society. She is a leader in the BCG global public sector practice who brings a passion and focus on working with the Canadian public sector with a particular expertise in working with Defence & Security organizations. She is a thought leader on the topics of diversity, equity & inclusion, mental health & well being and leadership.

Building on her service as a Naval Engineering Officer in the Royal Canadian Navy, she also focuses on various philanthropic missions to support our serving members, veterans and their families. She serves on the Boards of the True Patriot Love Foundation, the Invictus Games 2025, the Royal Ottawa Hospital Institute for Mental Health Research and is a member of the Treble Victor group. She is a recipient of the Telfer School of Management Philos award and the Veterans Affairs Ministerial medal for distinctive contribution to society.

Geneviève graduated from the Royal Military College as a Chemical & Materials Engineer and holds an MBA from the Telfer School of Management. She is a Professional Engineer and Fellow Certified Management Consultant.

REAR-ADMIRAL (Ret’d) Luc CASSIVI, CMM, CD

Luc was born and raised in the Gaspé Peninsula, Québec. His experience in the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets led him to join the Canadian Armed Forces in 1983. He attended CMR St-Jean and upon graduation, underwent naval training and performed various duties ashore and at sea in both the surface and submarine fleets. He completed his service at sea by commanding 3 submarines and one frigate before assuming senior appointments within the RCN and the CAF. He also had the pleasure to serve in Australia, the United-Kingdom, The Netherlands and the United States of America.

His appointments at the rank of Rear-Admiral were Commander, Military Personnel Generation and Canadian Defence Academy (2017-2020), CAF Senior Liaison Officer to Veteran Affairs Canada (2020-2022), and Director General Culture Change at CPCC (2021-2022).

Luc received a BSc in computer science from CMR St-Jean in 1988, a MBA from the Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland in 2008, attended the Naval War College, Class of 2011, at Newport RI, USA, and attended the Harvard Kennedy School in 2018.

Luc completed his military service in September 2022 and after a few months of mental rest joined the BCG team in Ottawa as a Senior Advisor in January 2023.

Mike Durland

 

Mike is the President and CEO of Melancthon Capital, a private company which provides capital and advisory services to socially purposeful emerging Canadian companies. Mike is the Chair of the Board of Directors of Dessa, Chair of the Board of TruLeaf Sustainable Agriculture, Chair of the Board of Receptiviti, Chair of the Board of Price Street Capital and is a founding principal in Cabot Resorts. Mike also holds the position of Professor of Practice at the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto, is a member of the Business Strategy Committee for the Global Risk Institute, a member of the Advisory Board of the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University, a member of the Advisory Board of the Center for Social Impact at Queen’s University and the Master of Management Analytics Program at Queen’s University, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation. Mike is a former Group Head and CEO, Global Banking and Markets for Scotiabank. Mike holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from St. Mary’s University, a PhD in Finance and Operations Research from Queen’s University and an honorary Doctorate from St. Mary’s University.

Robert Ghiz

 

Robert Ghiz served as Premier of Prince Edward Island from June 2007 to February 2015. First elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly in 2003, he was re-elected in 2007 and 2011 in District 13 Charlottetown-Brighton.

In addition to his role as Premier, Robert Ghiz served as Minister for Intergovernmental Affairs, Minister responsible for Acadian and Francophone Affairs and Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs.

Robert Ghiz’s highlights as Premier of Prince Edward Island included achieving major improvements to the education system with the introduction of kindergarten as a full-day program. In health care, Premier Ghiz was successful at modernizing the Island health-care system to ensure it is both more efficient and sustainable to meet future demands.

Robert Ghiz was the co-lead of the first Health Care Innovation Working Group alongside Premier of Saskatchewan Brad Wall. This Working Group has resulted in cost-savings for provinces in pharmacare and shared best practices among provinces and territories to enhance health care services for all Canadians.

During the recession, Robert and his government made strong investments in public infrastructure and played a key role in helping the province weather the recession. While Premier, Robert focused on growing the economy and led many trade missions to Asia, Europe, United States and South America. This enabled exports to grow and hit an all-time high during his mandate. The focus on creating jobs and protecting Islanders from the impact of the global recession resulted in PEI currently having an all-time high in regards to employment.

Before entering provincial politics, Robert worked as Special Assistant to Prime Minister Jean Chretien where he advised the Prime Minister on matters related to Atlantic Canada. He also served as Special Assistant to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and was employed in the private sector as Manager of Government Affairs for the Bank of Nova Scotia in Ottawa.

After leaving politics, Robert joined Gowling WLG, where he provided consulting services and strategic advice to a diversified number of Canadian businesses while being a sought-after public speaker.

Today, Mr. Ghiz is President and CEO of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association. He is also heavily involved in volunteering, serving on the Advisory Board of the Princes Charities of Canada and as a board member of True Patriot Love.

Robert Ghiz is married to Dr. Kate Ellis Ghiz. They have three children: Julia, Emma and Jack.

Philip Grosch

 

Philip spent 35 years in professional services, with more than 25 years as a consulting partner.  His primary and most passionate focus area was helping clients power accelerate the transformation of their customer facing functions powered by the rapidly changing technology. He had extensive experience with the leading technology platforms.

He provided key strategic and innovation leadership to his firm’s global front office transformation program that was powered by leading cloud platforms including Google and Salesforce.com. In this role he championed Introhive as an enabling capability resulting in a large enterprise scale global deployment. Overall the program was highly successful in accelerating the firm’s digital transformation and people enablement goals.

Philip acts as an occasional advisor to organizations and executives who are on the journey of digitally transforming their front office. His specific passion and focus is how these programs can empower people to achieve professional

Philip is a passionate supporter of veterans with a focus on supporting their transition and success in post-military careers. He is on the board of the True Patriot Love Foundation, and is a board member and Past President of Treble Victor Group. He was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition for his support of veterans.

France Hébert

 

France Hébert is Vice-President and General Manager, Defence & Security (D&S) Canada for CAE. France leads the D&S business in Canada, shaping the vision and the operational and commercial strategy for the division, which includes 16 sites across the country and a team of 700 employees, many of whom are embedded with military units. France is also the President of SkyAlyne and the President of CAE Military Aviation Training (CMAT). She currently sits on the boards of the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI) and True Patriot Love. France is CAE’s representative for D&S Canada with the federal Government and Canadians.

France has 35 years of experience working in defence and aerospace. Over the course of her career, France has held senior positions in strategy, business development and operations. She brings extensive leadership experience with a proven track record on complex billion-dollar programs. She successfully won business in Canada and abroad.

Through her varied career, she was an officer in the Canadian Armed Forces and worked for three companies playing major roles in Canada, namely: Bombardier, Nortel, and General Dynamics Mission Systems – Canada (GDMS-C). .

France is a Professional Engineer who holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Physics) from the Royal Military College of Canada. She has also received a certificate in Business Administration from McGill University and holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) designation. .

Matthew Kelleher

 

Matthew is a partner of McCarthy Tétrault in Toronto and a member of the firm’s Board of Partners. Matthew is ranked in the 2018 edition of Chambers & Partners, a peer-validated guide to the best lawyers in Canada, and is listed in the Canadian Lexpert Directory as a leading lawyer in the areas of corporate and private equity. Matthew has extensive experience leading complex and important mergers, acquisitions and other commercial transactions across a wide range of industries. Matthew is often engaged on high-profile transactions, with particular experience advising clients pursuing disruptive or transformative change within an industry or organization. His matters often involve public and governmental sensitivities or diverse stakeholder interests. Matthew is a Director of the Canadian Host of the Invictus Games, an international sporting event for wounded, injured and sick military personnel, a charitable initiative led by Prince Harry. He is also a member of the firm’s national pro bono committee.

Monica Valsangkar-Smyth PhD
Board Member

Monica is a researcher and educator who is passionate about serving the military family community. She received her PhD in Psychology from the University of Alberta, where her research focused on Lateralization Issues in the Brain, and she continued this research at Dartmouth College as a Research Fellow. Monica has been an adjunct Assistant Professor for over 20 years at Queen’s University (Kingston, ON), where she has developed and taught courses in Biopsychology, Perception, Cognition and Neuropsychology. Since 2019, she has also been a research advisor for Broadmind Inc., a company which strives to educate and inspire employees and leaders about mental health. Monica provides information and expertise to ensure the Broadmind material is current, evidence-based, and vibrant as well as presenting information sessions on mental health topics such as burnout.

Having been a military spouse for 25+ years, she is also very involved with the military family community and has served on many different MFRC Boards and MFS Advisory Councils, where she has highlighted the importance of community engagement and support, especially as it relates to mental well-being.

Monica has been on the Board of Directors of the True Patriot Love Foundation since 2022 and is also part of the Disbursement Committee.

 

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Duncan Sinclair

Duncan is currently Chair of Deloitte Canada and Chile Board. He is also a member of the Deloitte Global Board including a member of the Governance, Risk and Membership Affairs Committees.

Over his 30-year career, Duncan’s professional activities include serving clients across six continents and multiple industries. Duncan has been a facilitator in various labs designed to help Chairs and Boards of Directors increase their operating efficiency and effectiveness. He has also been part of board assessment work in the public and private sector looking at how boards can create a shared agenda with their executive teams.

In addition to his professional responsibilities, Duncan is an active member in the community and currently serves on the Board of The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the Global Projects Centre at Stanford University, the Lazaridis Institute at Wilfred Laurier University, and the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University.

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Bryn Weadon

 

Bryn Weadon is a naval supply officer who retired in 2009 at the rank of Rear-Admiral after 35 years of military service. He graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Collège Militaire Royal de Saint-Jean in 1979. In addition to serving both at sea and ashore with the Navy, Bryn served as the Commander of the Canadian Forces Recruiting Group, Director General Financial Management, and finally as Assistant Deputy Minister Finance and Corporate Services and Senior Full-time Financial Officer for the Department of National Defence.

Bryn completed the full range of Leadership Courses at the Canadian Forces College, as well as earning both a Certified Professional Accounting (CPA/CMA) and Professional Logistician (P.Log) designations. He remains an active volunteer with a number of organizations related to both finance and logistics, including an online facilitator and session leader for the CPA Professional Education Programme.

Upon retirement, Bryn remained involved with the Canadian Forces community for a decade, initially as a member of the Canadian Forces Non-Public Property Board of Directors and then as a member of the Staff of NPF Pension Investment Committee. Bryn has been the Treasurer of the Royal Military Colleges Foundation since 2009 and he also serves as a volunteer Treasurer of the Navy League of Canada as well as the Canadian Naval Memorial Trust. He has recently been appointed as a Governor of Commissionaires Nova Scotia.