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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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Bryn Weadon

Chair of the DAC
Naval Supply Officer retired in 2009 at the rank of Rear-Admiral
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Tom McGuire

Treasurer
Executive VP at Scotiabank
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Geneviève Bonin

Board Member
Partner at McKinsey & Company
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Rick Byers

Board Member
Board Member at the TTC, PPP Canada Inc., and Advisory Board Member of InstarAGF Asset Management Inc.,
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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

Matthew Kelleher

Board Member
Partner at McCarthy Tétrault
Read Bio

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

SERVICES & RESOURCES

 

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.

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.

Tom McGuire

 

Tom McGuire is Executive Vice President and Group Treasurer of Scotiabank, responsible for managing Scotiabank’s global treasury and investment operations, including medium-term and capital funding, asset/liability management, liquidity and public and private investment portfolios.

Tom chairs the Group Asset-Liability Management Committee (ALCO) and is chair of Scotiabank’s Resolution Planning Steering Committee. Tom is also the Executive Sponsor of the Scotiabank Veteran’s Network.

Tom joined Scotiabank in 2018 as Deputy Treasurer, with responsibility for the bank’s funding and liquidity.
Prior to joining Scotiabank, Tom was Managing Director and the Americas Treasurer for the Barclays Group. In that capacity, Tom was also the Treasurer of Barclays’ U.S. intermediate holding company (IHC) wherein he helped implement Treasury requirements under the Dodd-Frank Act and enhanced prudential standards pursuant to Federal Reserve Regulation YY . Tom was responsible for capital and liquidity management for Barclays’ operations in the United States, Canada, the Cayman Islands and Mexico.

Tom joined Barclays in September 2008 as Head of the Capital Advisory Group where he devised capital, asset, regulatory and rating agency alternatives for bank, insurance and specialty finance companies. Prior to becoming Americas Treasurer, Tom worked in the office of the CEO Americas focusing on regulatory reform initiatives both in the U.S. and internationally, including those of the Basel Committee on Bank Supervision and the Dodd-Frank Act on capital and liquidity.

Before Barclays, Tom held a number of leadership positions within the financial services industry, including Head of Fixed Income Hybrid Capital Origination at Lehman Brothers, and the Financial Institutions Debt Capital Markets Group at Goldman Sachs. Previously, Tom practiced law at the New York law firm Coudert Brothers focusing on securities and international business transactions.

Tom served as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps from 1985 to 1994, achieved the rank of major, and served in the US, Europe, Africa and Asia. Tom is a graduate of the U.S. Army Airborne, RANGER and Military Freefall Schools, and the U.S. Navy Scuba Diver Course. Tom holds an A.B., magna cum laude, from Harvard College (1985), and a J.D. from University of Virginia School of Law (1997).

Geneviève Bonin

 

Geneviève is a partner with McKinsey & Company. Geneviève focuses on solving complex problems to bring value to society in working closely with Public Sector organizations. She specializes in strategy and innovation and has managed a number of complex transformational programs from strategy through value realization. She has spent the majority of her career working very closely with the public sector at all levels of government but also has experience in a number of other industries. Her international experience includes serving on global boards, studying and also serving as a member of the Canadian Forces overseas.

Geneviève is actively involved in the professional and broader public community and serves on a number of boards including the True Patriot Love Foundation, Toronto Global and the Royal Ottawa Hospital Institute for Mental Health Research. She is a member of the Young President Organization, the Treble Victor Group, the Royal Canadian Military Institute, CMC Canada and the Professional Association of Engineers of Ontario.

Geneviève is a thought leader and academic who has developed courses and taught at the undergrad, graduate and post-graduate levels. She frequently speaks publicly on topics of leadership and diversity. She is a Fellow Certified Management Consultant (FCMC) and a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.). In recognition of her philanthropy work, she has received the Telfer School of Management Philos award and the Veterans Affairs Ministerial medal for distinctive contribution to society.

Geneviève is an entrepreneur. During her career in consulting, Geneviève purchased, grew and sold a successful chain of retail stores. Prior to her career in consulting, Geneviève served with the Canadian Armed Forces as a Naval Engineering Officer.

Geneviève is married to her husband Christian and has four children named Samuel, William, Katrina and Maxime.

Rick Byers

 

Rick Byers is a business consultant and board member, having completed a thirty-three-year career in infrastructure investment, public sector investment banking, government, and accounting.

From 2008 to 2015, Rick was Executive Vice-President of Borealis Infrastructure, the infrastructure arm of the OMERS Pension Plan, where he was co-head of the transaction team and led global capital raising efforts.

From 1991 to 2007, Rick was Managing Director with BMO Capital Markets where he led transaction and advisory mandates for diverse transportation and energy infrastructure investments, including the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, the 407 ETR, NAV Canada, VIA Rail and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited. Prior to that, he served in the Office of Canada’s Minister of Finance and started his career in accounting with Thorne Riddell (now KPMG).

Rick currently sits on the boards of the Toronto Transit Commission and PPP Canada Inc., and the Advisory Board of InstarAGF Asset Management Inc., as well as the boards of Trinity College School and the True Patriot Love Foundation.

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 Grosch is a Partner and National Leader of the Digital Services Consulting practice at PwC Canada, with more than 20 years of experience spanning many industries, including financial services, the public sector and communications in Canada and the U.S. Working out of PwC’s Toronto office, he and his team help clients harness the power of the new digital reality and disruption to drive innovation. Philip strongly believes in the importance of identifying, inspiring and supporting top talent as a critical driver of business success.

Philip is the founding sponsor and joint architect of PwC’s innovative leadership program targeted at top talent and women, called Women in Leadership. This six-month, immersive leadership journey focuses on empowering PwC women to achieve their full potential. Several graduates have become PwC partners and many others are well on their way to achieving this career milestone. The program has received two external Learning Engagement and Development Awards for Innovation in Leadership Development and Best Use of Social Collaboration and Knowledge Management.

As a member of PwC’s extended leadership team, Philip advocates for diversity and inclusion, encouraging his peers to develop and sponsor diverse talent. His reputation as a sponsor and champion also led to him being named as PwC Canada’s ‘HeForShe’ Role Model, one of four within PwC’s global network.

Philip is a 2016 Catalyst Canada Honours Champion in the Business Leader category,
recognized for his exceptional corporate leadership and transformational contributions to advancing women and inclusion in the workplace. He is a member of the advisory board for WXN’s ‘Canada’s 100 Most Powerful Women’, as well as a board member for WNORTH, a boutique conference for the top and aspiring women business leaders.

Philip is a strong supporter of Veterans with a focus on their successful transition to civilian life. He is on the board of Treble Victor Group (3V) and a member of Canada Company. He has been awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal as well as a Commendation from the Minister of Veteran Affairs for his support of the veteran community.

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.