Board of Directors

Paul co-founded Polar Asset Management Partners in 1991. As Chairman and Co-Chief Investment Officer, he sets investment strategy and oversees Polar’s investment management team.

Paul started his career at Burns Fry Ltd. in 1982, gaining experience in research and equity trading. In 1987, Paul became a Director at Burns Fry, and a member of the Executive Committee.

Paul is a member of the Advisory Board of the Ivey Business School; Chair of the Board of the Morrisette Institute for Entrepreneurship at Western University; a board member of the Trillium Health Partners Foundation, CanStage Theatre, and the Canadian and Indigenous Acquisitions Committee at the AGO. Paul is currently Co-Chair of THPF’s Capital Campaign and actively supports the annual fund raising campaign of the United Way Greater Toronto.

Paul holds a BA from University of Toronto in 1975, from an MBA from the University of Western Ontario (now Ivey) in 1980.

Veni is the Executive Vice President, Enterprise Real-Estate & Workplace Transformation at CIBC where she is responsible for providing strategic direction and leadership in the development and implementation of workplace transformation across the CIBC group of companies. Prior to accepting this role she held various senior leadership roles at CIBC where she began working in 2007, most recently as Executive Vice President, Communications, Public Affairs & Workplace Transformation.

A champion of inclusivity and diversity in the workplace, she is inducted into the WXN Hall of Fame of Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100.

She holds an MBA from Royal Roads University and a Corporate Director designation (ICD.D) from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.

Rory is a taxation advisor assisting taxpayers and small businesses located in Mississauga and surrounding communities. Rory spent nearly 40 years in public accounting prior to retiring from Deloitte and Touche LLP as a Senior Partner in Taxation focusing on domestic/international corporate tax. He also serves the community as a member of the Audit Committee of the Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board, a member of the Finance and Risk Committee of The Compass, and Co-Chair of the Finance Committee of St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic church.

John is President and Chief Executive Officer of Purolator, leading a team of more than 14,000 employees across North America, where he is responsible for overseeing the company’s rapid growth and transformation.

In the course of his career John has worked across all logistics and transportation modes and in leading businesses in transportation and logistics and high-value supply chain solutions.

Prior to Purolator, John was President and CEO of SCI Logistics, where he led its transformation into a leading supply chain solutions company with operations across Canada.

John was named Canada’s Most Admired CEO of 2021 (Enterprise) and currently serves on the board of directors of SCI Logistics and is an active member in YPO (Young Presidents Organization). Previously, he held board of director positions with the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Ontario Trucking Association, the national board for Boy Scouts of Canada and the Niagara College Foundation.

John holds a Corporate Director designation (ICD.D) from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.

Recognized as a dynamic and collaborative leader, Carrie is the President of Canada Goose. She oversees the global commercial business, as well as Marketing, Experience, and Insights. Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, she is responsible for driving the company’s growth and customer engagement. Previously serving as President, North America, and has held the roles of Chief of Staff and Chief Communications Officer, helping lead the company through its successful IPO and development of its industry-leading Sustainable Impact Strategy, and Project Atigi, a social entrepreneurship created to celebrate Inuit craftsmanship.

Prior to joining Canada Goose in 2012, she was a Senior Vice President at a North American communications agency specializing in coaching executives and building the brands of some of North America’s largest retail, technology and consumer goods companies.

Ralph Chiodo is the President of Active Green+Ross Tire & Automotive Centre, which operates 70 franchise locations in Ontario. Ralph is also President of Peel Chrysler JeepFiat, a Chrysler automotive dealership that he founded in 1980.

An active member of his community, Ralph has held various positions on boards for a number of organizations. Roles past and present include President of the Rotary Club of Etobicoke, Chairman of the IC Savings Foundation, and Member of the Board of Trustees of the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, with further responsibilities as the Fundraising Co-Chair. Ralph is the recipient of many awards, including the Order of Ontario, Canadian Italian Business Professional Association’s President’s Award (CIBPA) and the Queen’s Jubilee Medal.

Jake has been in the media industry since 1996 and currently works as Senior Manager, Community Liaison at Rogers Media Inc. There, he is responsible for OMNI’s Independent Productions, Advisory Councils, Ontario Cantonese, Mandarin and Punjabi programming, Arabic National News and OMNI Scholarships.

Jake has held volunteer leadership positions on the boards of several organizations including Mississauga Board of Trade, City of Mississauga’s Economic Development Advisory Board, Mississauga Chinese Business Association, Heritage Mississauga, Mississauga Tourism West Toronto Advisory Board and the Mississauga Sports Council to name a few.

Jake has received many awards and accolades for his philanthropy work including the Mississauga Arts Council’s Hazel McCallion Volunteer of the Year Award.

Jake has a diploma in Film and Television Production from Humber College and has a variety of business and leadership certificates from business schools across Canada and the U.S.

Rossana is Senior Managing Director and Deputy Chief Legal Officer at Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, one of Canada’s largest pension funds. Rossana is responsible for the plan’s global enterprise legal and compliance functions. Rossana initially joined Ontario Teachers’ in March 2014 as Chief Compliance Officer where she was responsible for building out the plan’s global regulatory compliance program.

Rossana has over 25 years of experience spanning legal, regulatory compliance, risk management and governance roles. Rossana started her career in private practice, followed by senior roles at both the Ontario Securities Commission and the Investment Regulatory Organization of Canada – two of Ontario’s capital markets regulatory bodies. Rossana’s career has been grounded with organizations that have both a public interest and a purpose driven mandate and she is passionate about contributing to the community.

Rossana holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business and a Bachelor of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School and is a member of the Ontario Bar.

Charmain is the Founder and Managing Director of her own consulting company, Cultured Communications, where she provides marketing and communications counsel to senior management teams to support a variety of organizational strategic plans. Prior to this, she held a series of senior leadership roles at organizations spanning communications, higher education and retail.

Charmain is also the Co-Founding Director of the Black Opportunity Fund, a national organization designed to combat systemic discrimination and anti-Black racism in Canada by building a sustainable long-term pool of capital. As an active member of the steering committee and the executive lead on marketing and communications, she is responsible for generating awareness and building long-term relationships with external partners to help support the organization’s mission.

A supporter of the arts Charmain serves as a board director for Soulpepper Theatre Company and is a member of the advisory board for Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, Onsite Gallery at OCAD University and a director on the board for the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion.

Charmain holds a Bachelor of Arts from McMaster University.

Steve is a founding partner of Farnham + Company, a boutique Mississauga accounting firm established in 1963 providing accounting, tax and business advisory services to entrepreneurial businesses and high net worth individuals.

Steve began his accounting career with Clarkson Gordon in Mississauga in 1982, obtained his CA designation in 1984 and then worked for two years at an affiliate firm in New Zealand before returning to Canada to join his father’s practice. He now co-leads a team of 40 talented and dedicated professionals and administrative staff.

Steve’s own practice leverages his almost 40 years of experience and is focused on providing practical tax and business advice to entrepreneurs and their families, primarily in the areas of income tax, succession and estate planning, corporate reorganizations, and mergers and acquisitions.

Born and raised in Mississauga, Steve earned his Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Toronto, Mississauga campus (now UTM). He is a member of CPA Ontario and also holds a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation and is a member in good standing of FP Canada. Steve is also a member of the Canadian Tax Foundation.

Steve served on the Board of Directors of the Living Arts Centre of Mississauga from 2013 to 2019, completing his tenure as Chairman. He is an active supporter of the Community Foundation of Mississauga, both as a corporate partner as well as having served on a number of committees.

Anna Filipopoulos is the Executive Vice President and Chief People & Culture Officer at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. As a Human Resources (HR) professional with more than 20 years of global experience, her mandate goes beyond the traditional HR function, supporting a culture where people are core to the company’s success, consistently creating positive experiences for guests and fellow colleagues.

Anna leads the full breadth of the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts employee experience, with a focus on mentorship and coaching, while working to identify tomorrow’s leaders, fostering their careers and ensuring strategic succession planning.

She has previously held executive positions in the pharmaceutical, retail, energy, and technology sectors. Anna holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Toronto and an Honours BA degree from the University of Western Ontario. She remains a lifelong learner continuously furthering her skills in leadership development, coaching and cultural stewardship.

Mike has been a long-time financial services executive, holding progressively senior positions in sales, marketing, wealth management, retail banking, product development, risk management, data and analytics. Mike is currently the EVP, Chief Digital and Strategy Officer at Home Trust. Previously he held a variety of executive leadership roles at one of Canada’s big banks.

Mike has served on a variety of boards, and is an active member of the community supporting a number of not-for-profit organizations in a board or advisory capacity. Mike is a passionate champion for gender equality, and an active part of the UN’s HeForShe movement.

Mike holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto and a Master of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business.

Graham is widely recognized as a leading Canadian business lawyer and is a partner in the Corporate and Capital Markets Group at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Canada’s largest full-service law firm. He is the National Leader of BLG’s Private Company Group and managed its Corporate and Commercial Group in Toronto. Graham has extensive experience and expertise in corporate governance, complex domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate and commercial matters, and joint ventures.

Known as a trusted advisor, Graham counsels clients, corporate directors and boards, shareholders, family offices and other business stakeholders with a practical, strategic, dynamic and solutions-based approach. He is frequently published in academic journals, print and electronic media on a variety of corporate, governance, fiduciary and business law related matters.

In the community, Graham has served as a director/governor of not-for-profit entities, charitable foundations and corporations and was an adjunct professor at Western University’s Faculty of Law. Within BLG, he has received awards in recognition of his mentorship of law students and Associate lawyers and is active in various outreach programs.

Prior to the practice of law, Graham worked in the corporate and investment banking industry and held senior management positions at investment counsel firms in Toronto. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Concordia University, a Master of Science from the London School of Economics and a Juris Doctor from the University of Windsor (he was called to the Bar in Ontario in 2002).

Norton Kothari is the Chairman of Kothari Group of Companies, a privately-held and diversified company with investments in mortgage financing, equipment leasing, real estate development and hotel management.

Beyond his professional pursuits, Norton is a passionate philanthropist. Through the Kothari Family Foundation, Norton has made significant contributions to many organizations spanning health care, education and social services including Trillium Health Partners, Concordia Hospital (Winnipeg), Waterloo University, Cancer Society of Canada, Human Rights Museum in Winnipeg, AIM for SEVA, Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons, various food banks and India based non-profit Vedic Vidyalaya. He has also established several Canadian university scholarships.

Norton holds a Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) with Gold Medal distinction from the prestigious Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS), in Pilani India, a Masters’ Degree in Engineering from Cornell University and a Masters’ of Business Administration (MBA) specializing in finance from Bridgeport University.

Monika is a seasoned valuation professional with over two decades of experience providing services to countless public and private companies. Since 2018 she has worked for multinational professional services network KPMG Canada providing complex, client-focused services for a variety of businesses. These services include merger and acquisition transactions, corporate restructuring, income tax and estate planning and more.

She is also a champion for diversity guided by KPMG’s equity and inclusion mission. Prior to taking on this current role, Monika held other positions at the organization managing large-scale teams and complex valuation assignments.

She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Toronto and is a certified Chartered Accountant, Chartered Financial Analyst and Chartered Business Valuator.

John Pearson has spent over 34 years working for consulting engineering and project implementation company Hatch Ltd., responsible for significant energy, mining, and infrastructure projects in addition to corporate roles across the organization nationally and internationally. He was instrumental in the launch of Hatch’s presence in Canada’s Nickel Belt, as well the expansion in South Africa with the acquisition of Gencor Engineering Technologies in the mid–1990s.

Beyond his professional pursuits, John is an active supporter of many charities including Sunnybrook Prostate and Otolaryngology, Kidney Foundation of Canada, RARE, ROM, and Cycling Canada. He also sits on the boards of various organizations including Mattamy National Cycling Centre and Just BoardRooms. Currently he is the Vice Co-Chair for the Trillium Health Partners Foundation Board of Directors and Co-Chair of the Campaign Cabinet.

John is an avid cyclist, member of Les Domestiques cycling club and holds a BSc. In Mechanical Engineering from Queen’s University and is a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineers.

Patricia oversees the legal, corporate secretary, compliance and privacy functions for the company and its subsidiary.

Patrice began her career at a Wall Street firm in New York City and has 20 years of experience as a regulatory, governance, litigation and transactional attorney in the insurance, banking, securities and capital markets industries in Canada, the US and the Caribbean.

Patrice graduated cum laude from Howard University School of Law in Washington, DC and holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto.

Patrice is a strong advocate for inclusion, has always been committed to community service, and throughout her professional career has devoted her time to pro bono practice and volunteer work reflecting these values.

Gary is a Managing Director and Head of Canadian Diversified Industries for Stifel Financial. He has over 20 years of experience in investment banking management, capital markets and corporate strategy, working at some of the largest financial institutions in Canada. Gary also has extensive global experience working with large family offices in corporate development and investment management roles.
Passionate about contributing to the community, Gary has served on a number of not-for-profit boards. He is currently Chair of the Board of Governors at St. Mildred’s-Lightbourn School in Oakville.
Gary has a Master of Business Administration from the Rotman School of Management and a Bachelor of Applied Science (Economics Minor) from the University of Waterloo. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst and a member of the CFA Institute.

Sylvia Tseng is a partner and has a wills and estates practice. She prepares wills, powers of attorney for property and personal care, living wills, estates plans and trust deeds, obtains Letters of Administration for estates, prepares estate accounts for passing before the court and deals with competency matters and guardianships. Fully fluent in Mandarin, Sylvia is a speaker on wills and estates and does frequent presentations on this topic.

Sylvia holds an LL.B from the University of Toronto and is a member of the Canadian Bar Association and Metropolitan Toronto Lawyers Association.

Sanjay is the President & Chief Executive Officer at Fairfax Digital Services (A Fairfax Company). Responsible for the digital transformation, business value creation and enabling journey to Sustainability of the Fairfax group companies globally. In the past he has worked in global leadership roles with IBM, Accenture, Capgemini and PWC.

Sanjay serves on the Board Breast Cancer Society of Canada, Chairman of Blockchain Research Institute Advisory Board (founded by Don Tapscott); President of France Canada Chamber of Commerce (Ontario); Building Energy Innovation Council, and Save the Children (India). He is on the Dean’s Advisory Council for Schulich School of Business at York University.

Sanjay has successfully completed a Sustainable Business Strategy Program from Harvard Business School & a Leadership Development Program from Booth School of Management. He also holds an MBA from Strayer University, London.

Dr. Sameena Uddin is the Physician Lead, Oncology Projects & Planning, THP Oncology Department at Trillium Health Partners since 2016. Most recently, as part of COVID19 pandemic planning, Dr. Uddin has worked together with our leaders and healthcare providers to continue to provide life sustaining cancer care through major change. This has included consolidating both inpatient units to CVH site, and all outpatient clinic and chemotherapy platforms also toe CVH site. Maintaining safe and high quality cancer care, has been a priority through this pandemic for our patients and community.

A steadfast supporter of Trillium Health Partners fundraising efforts, she is the former medical co-chair for the Trillium Diwali Gala.

Clinically, Dr. Uddin is a thoracic surgeon who has a focused practice in thoracic surgical oncology, including lung, gastroesophageal, and other malignancies of the mediastinum and thorax. Her additional clinical interests include minimally invasive surgery, malignant pleural effusion and improving outcomes for lung and esophageal cancer. She has an interest in international surgery and is a member of the Governance Committee of the Toronto Addis Ababa Academic Collaboration (TAAAC) where she is co-leading the development of a minimally invasive thoracic surgery training program in Ethiopia. Dr. Uddin has won several teaching awards and continues to be involved in teaching various curricula at the undergraduate level and also residents from McMaster and the University of Toronto.

She holds a Doctor of Medicine (MD) from the University of Western Ontario, a residency in General Surgery from McMaster University and a Fellowship in Thoracic Surgery from the University of Toronto.

Shihab spent over 20 years in the investment management industry, ascending to executive leadership roles in corporate strategy, business development and relationship management.

Shihab has worked at various investment management organizations, including at one of the world’s largest, an early stage, and a private boutique firm. He also has a breadth of experience with institutional, high-net-worth and retail investment markets. In his last role, he led one of the fastest growing businesses in Canada that managed assets for sophisticated institutional investors.

Shihab has a Bachelor of Commerce from Toronto Metropolitan University. He has the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a member of the CFA Institute. Shihab joined the Trillium Health Partners Foundation Board in 2018, became Vice Chair in 2019 and held the position of Board Chair from 2020 to 2023. He was also a Board Director on the THP Board from 2020 to 2023.

Karli Farrow is the President and CEO at Trillium Health Partners (THP). Previously she was the Executive Vice-President of Patient Care Services and Chief Operating Officer where she was accountable for capital planning and redevelopment, clinical operations and the delivery of exceptional patient experiences. She joined in 2009 where she provided leadership to support the merger of Credit Valley Hospital and Trillium Health Centre in 2011.

Prior to joining THP, Karli worked in health care consulting where she led projects focused on reducing wait times and improving chronic disease management. She has also served in senior advisory roles for the Ontario Government.

In a volunteer capacity, Karli is Chair of Shared Services West, a health care shared services organization and serves as the Ontario Hospital Association’s Pension Observer on the HOOPP Board of Trustees.

Karli Farrow went to the University of Guelph and has a certificate in advanced management from the University of Toronto.

Christine Magee is the Co-Founder and Chair of Sleep Country Canada which was started in 1994 and has expanded and grown to become Canada’s leading mattress retailer with a national footprint of 286 stores, 17 distribution centres operating under the three Brands of SCC, Dormez-Vous, and Endy.

Christine believes strongly in giving back to her community. She is a Member of the Order of Canada, was awarded the Excellence Canada Board of Governors’ Special Recognition of Achievement Award, and has been inducted into the Women’s Executive Network Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women Hall of Fame. She has also been recognized as one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40, inducted in the Marketing Hall of Legends and the Retail Council of Canada Hall of Fame. She has received the Wilfrid Laurier Outstanding Business Leader Award, Possibility Thinker Award and Toastmasters International Communication and Leadership Award.

Christine sits on the board of several other companies and organizations, including Sleep Country Canada, TELUS, Woodbine Entertainment Group, Metro Inc., Talent Fund and Trillium Health Partners Foundation.

Caroline Riseboro is an award-winning social sector professional who has raised over $3 billion in her 25 year career. She currently serves as President & CEO of Trillium Health Partners Foundation, where she is leading a ground-breaking fundraising campaign to build the largest hospital in Canada. Under her leadership, Trillium Health Partners has more than doubled in revenue and helped secure the largest single donation and largest corporate donation in healthcare history. Prior to her role at Trillium, Caroline was the President & CEO of Plan International and remains the youngest person in history to lead a major Canadian charity. She is well respected for being a champion of innovation, and is credited with launching award-winning campaigns that have engaged Canadians on some of the world’s toughest issues. Caroline’s accomplishments have been widely recognized when in 2019 she was named Canada’s Most Admired CEO (public sector), twice been recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women, and named Female Executive of the year by the Stevie Awards. Caroline has held senior executive roles including at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Foundation and World Vision Canada, and has held multiple board roles including with organizations such as the Humanitarian Coalition and the Canadian Partnership for Children and Women’s Health (CANWACH). She has been an advisor to Humber College’s Fundraising program and currently serves on the selection committee for Canada’s Most Admired CEO.

Nils is the President of Epic Eats – a multi-branded flex kitchen that offers a broad collection of chef curated cuisines prepared under one roof and available for take-out, delivery and catering. Epic has the rights to the Opa of Greece brand for Western Ontario and will develop Opa as a flagship brand in each location.

Nils was recognized as Canada’s Top Foodservice Executive in 2004 through his work to change the Canadian foodservice and hospitality landscape by opening close to 500 restaurants, developing leading restaurant brands and building teams of professionals.

Beyond his professional pursuits and accomplishments he serves as the Chair of the Board of Innovative Growth Ventures (IGV)), a wholly owned for-profit subsidiary of Trillium Health Partners Foundation. Today IGV operates all the Tim Hortons outlets across all three THP sites, with a mandate to develop further for-profit ventures to support the Foundation.