Accelerate 2022

Professor Claudette Commanda, an Algonquin Anishinabe from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation, has dedicated her career to promoting First Nations rights, history and culture.

Professor Commanda is a University of Ottawa alumna, having graduated from the Faculty of Arts (1993) and the Faculty of Law, Common Law Section (1997). She was inducted into the Common Law Honour Society in 2009. A devoted and inspiring mentor, Elder Commanda has taught at the University of Ottawa’s Institute of Women’s Studies, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Education, and the Aboriginal Studies Program, teaching courses on First Nations Women, Native Education, First Nations People and History, Indigenous Traditions, and Decolonization.

She is the Executive Director of the First Nations Confederacy of Cultural Education Centres, and has previously served on the Board of Governors for the First Nations University of Canada. She has served on the Kitigan Zibi band council on three separate occasions.

Meric Gertler began his term as the 16th president of the University of Toronto on November 1, 2013. Previously, he served as the dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science from 2008 to 2013.

Professor Gertler is chair on the board of Universities Canada.

He is a professor of geography and planning, and the Goldring chair in Canadian Studies at the University of Toronto. He is a co-founder of a research program at U of T’s Munk School of Global Affairs investigating the role of city-regions as sites of innovation and creativity in the global economy. His work engages in comparative analysis of North American and European cities to understand how local social and cultural dynamics create the foundations for economic success and prosperity.

Professor Gertler has served as an advisor to local, regional and national governments in Canada, the United States and Europe, as well as to international agencies such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (Paris) and the European Union.

He has held visiting appointments at Oxford, University College London, UCLA, and the University of Oslo. Currently, he serves as chair of the Working Group on Higher Education-Business Research Partnerships of the Business-Higher Education Roundtable.

He is also the campaign cabinet chair for the education sector of the United Way, Toronto & York region; a trustee for the Hospital for Sick Children; and a member of the board of directors of MaRS Discovery District; Waterfront Toronto; and Mitacs, a national non-profit research and training organization.

A graduate of McMaster University (BA), the University of California, Berkeley (MCP) and Harvard University (PhD), Professor Gertler was awarded honorary doctorates from Lund University, Sweden (2012), and from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China (2017). He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the Academy of Social Sciences (UK) and a corresponding fellow of the British Academy. In December 2015, Professor Gertler was appointed to the Order of Canada.

Paul Davidson has played leadership roles in government, the private sector and the voluntary sector for more than 25 years. He joined Universities Canada in May 2009 as president and CEO.

As president of Universities Canada, Mr. Davidson is building strong partnerships with business, postsecondary education and community leaders to advance a vision of higher education that promotes opportunity and excellence for Canadians. The university sector has also seen substantial and exceptional investments in university research funding, increased resources for campus internationalization and a heightened awareness of the need to improve Indigenous peoples’ access to postsecondary education. Mr. Davidson has been named both a top lobbyist in Ottawa and a top foreign policy influencer.

Prior to joining Universities Canada, Mr. Davidson was executive director of World University Service of Canada (WUSC). He also held senior positions in the Canadian book publishing sector, including five years as executive director of the Association of Canadian Publishers. In the early 1990s, 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.

He holds an MA from Queen’s University, where he studied southern African history and a BA from Trent University, where he was part of the first graduating class of the Trent International Program.

Dr. Pieter Cullis, co-founder of Integrated Nanotherapeutics and Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of British Columbia, has been responsible for fundamental advances in the generation, loading and targeting of lipid nanoparticle (LNP) systems for intravenous delivery of small molecule drugs and genetic drugs. These efforts have led to three drugs (Abelcet, Myocet and Marqibo) that have been approved by regulatory agencies in the U.S. and Europe for the treatment of cancer and its complications and seven more (Alocrest, Brakiva, LNP-Ciprofloxacin, MNK-010, ALN-VSP, ALN-PCS, ALN-TTR) that are in clinical trials.

Dr. Cullis has also been extensively involved in founding companies to commercialize technologies. He co-founded and served on the board of the Canadian Liposome Company, Inex Pharmaceuticals (now Tekmira Pharmaceuticals), Northern Lipids Inc., Lipex Biomembranes Inc., and, most recently, Acuitas Pharmaceuticals and Precision NanoSystems. In addition, he co-founded and was Scientific Director of the Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD). Dr. Cullis is also the co-founder of the BC Personalized Medicine Initiative (PMI). He has published over 300 papers and holds over 45 separate patents.

A two-time Gemini Award nominee, Suhana has hosted numerous CBC News programs, including Saturday Report and weekend programs on CBC Newsworld. She hosted the CBC regional news program in Toronto for five years.

Suhana has also worked for CHCH-TV in Hamilton, Ontario and CJOH in Ottawa. Many people will remember her as host of “What’s New“, the CBC’s news and current affairs program for youth.

Heavily involved in the community, Suhana’s many community activities include Performers for Literacy, Gems of Hope, Redwood Shelter for Women and Children, the Canadian Paraplegic Association, the Hospital for Sick Children and the Princess Margaret Breast Cancer Centre.

Suhana has won awards from the Columbus International Film & Video Festival as well as the New York Film and TV Festival. She is the recipient of a Paul Harris Fellowship from Rotary International.

Born in Durban, South Africa, Suhana is a graduate of broadcast journalism at Ryerson University, in Toronto.

The Right Honourable David Johnston was Canada’s 28^th 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 56 years to Sharon and they have 5 daughters and 14 grandchildren.

Professor Sophie D’Amours was elected rector of Quebec City’s Université Laval on April 26, 2017, and is the first woman to hold this position.

She is a mechanical engineer and has a master’s in business administration and a doctorate in applied mathematics.

Sophie D’Amours has greatly contributed to business engineering and planning research, particularly in forestry.

She is past chair of the Universities Canada Board of Directors, president of the Conseil de l’innovation du Québec (Quebec Council for Innovation) and president of the international evaluation committee of the Haut Conseil de l’évaluation de la recherche et de l’enseignement supérieur (High Council for Research and Higher Education Evaluation).

Sophie D’Amours received numerous awards and distinctions over the course of her career. She is an Officer of the Order of Canada, an Officer of the National Order of Merit of the French Republic, a member of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and an international member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Forestry and Agriculture.

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Engineer, innovator and internationally recognized expert in advanced technologies, Frantz has over 21 years of experience in the electronics and automotive sector, with specialized knowledge in automotive, autonomous driving, AI, IoT, and automation applications, in addition to business and product development, applications engineering, global sales, and marketing. A dedicated entrepreneur and philanthropist, he is also co-founder of Groupe 3737, an incubator and innovation center that houses more than 30 companies and start-ups, in addition to offering a framework for ideation to revenue generation.

Frantz joined LeddarTech in September 2017, having previously served as VP and General Manager of the Automotive and Industrial Division of Integrated Device Technology (NASDAQ: IDTI), a California-based company specializing in a broad array of complete mixed-signal solutions. Prior to IDT, Frantz was President and Executive VP of Global Sales and Marketing at ZMDI AG, a global supplier of MEMs-based sensor solutions for automotive and industrial applications, which was acquired by IDT in December 2015. Prior to ZMDI, Frantz was CTO and Corporate VP of Technical Marketing and Advanced Engineering Group at Future Electronics, a global distributor of semiconductors and passive, interconnect, and electromechanical components.

Throughout his career, Frantz has produced numerous patents and technical innovations. He also founded and co-founded many successful start-ups and corporations, the likes of which include SMGT Inc., Q-Links Home Automation, Groupe Reno-Metrix, Capital Plus, and OMNI Global, and sits on several boards and advisory committees.

Frantz holds degrees in electrical engineering, business, and marketing, and is also a graduate of the MIT Sloan Engineering Fellows Program on Innovations and Global Leadership.

John founded D2L in 1999, at the age of twenty-two, while attending the University of Waterloo. D2L is a global software company that believes learning is the foundation upon which all progress and achievement rests.

A strong believer in community involvement, John devotes both his personal and business efforts to supporting young entrepreneurs who are developing and applying technology to improve society worldwide.

He was appointed to the Governing Council of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Member (Entrepreneurs’ Circle) of the Business Council of Canada, Business Higher Education Roundtable, Past Chair of the Board of Communitech, and is a board member of Canada’s National Ballet School.

John was awarded the Meritorious Service Cross, the EY Entrepreneur of the Year (Ontario for Software and Technology), Young Alumni Achievement Medal from University of Waterloo, and Intrepid Entrepreneur of the Year in Waterloo Region Hall of Fame.

John graduated from the University of Waterloo with an Honours B.A.Sc. in Systems Design Engineering, with First Class Honours and an option in Management Sciences.

Tabatha is Anishinaabe, a proud member of Nipissing First Nation. As CCAB’s president and CEO she is committed to help rebuild and strengthen the path towards reconciliation and a prosperous Indigenous economy to benefit all Canadians.

Serving the Indigenous community through CCAB’s commitment to support the Indigenous economy, Tabatha works with government, notably through her role with the federal government’s recent COVID-19 Supply Council, and through her work with various organizations, committees, and boards on Indigenous economic development.

An electrical engineer, Tabatha informs Canada’s energy sector by participating on many boards including Ontario’s electricity system operator IESO, the Positive Energy Advisory Council, the MARS Energy Advisory Council, and the C.D. Howe Institute’s Energy Policy program.

As an appointee of the Catalyst CEO advisory board in Canada, Tabatha collaborates with some of the world’s most powerful CEOs and leading companies to help build workplaces that work for women. Also, a member of Queen’s University Circle of Advisors, Centennial College’s Indigenous Circle, and a member of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce board, Tabatha is dedicated to diversity and removing systematic barriers to improve opportunities and business competitiveness across all industry sectors.

Tabatha is also an appointee of CN’s inaugural Indigenous Advisory Council. The Council is comprised of accomplished and respected representatives of Canada’s First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities of every province and territory. Their mandate is to advise CN’s Board and company President and Chief Executive Officer on issues relevant to CN’s relationship with the more than 200 Indigenous communities in which CN operates.

Tabatha has appeared on numerous occasions in the Senate and House of the Parliament of Canada, discussing, advocating, and advising on various Indigenous business issues. She was recommended to the Deputy Minister of International Trade at Global Affairs Canada to join the Trade Advisory Council where she is one of a 12-member panel. The Council’s overarching mandate is to advise on issues related to export promotion, investment attraction, trade policy and negotiations, and international science, technology and innovation.

The Honourable Perrin Beatty, PC, OC, is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the 200,000-member Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Canada’s largest and most representative national business association. Before joining the Canadian Chamber in August 2007, Perrin held the same role at Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME).

A descendant of one of Canada’s most prominent manufacturing families, he grew up in Fergus, Ontario and graduated from the University of Western Ontario in 1971.

Perrin was first elected to the House of Commons as a Progressive Conservative in 1972. During his 21 years in Parliament, he served as Minister in seven different portfolios, including Treasury Board, National Revenue, Solicitor General, Defence, National Health and Welfare, Communications and External Affairs.

In 1994, Perrin joined a number of private sector boards and worked as a consultant in communications. In addition, he was an Honorary Visiting Professor in Western University’s Department of Political Science. From 1995 to 1999, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

In keeping with his long-standing interest in education, Perrin served as Chancellor of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology from 2008 to 2015. He has received honorary Doctor of Law degrees from Western University, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology and Wilfrid Laurier University.

Perrin is currently a member of the board of directors of Mitsui Canada and in 2018, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada for his lifetime of public service and for his devotion to the development of our nation as a community leader and corporate visionary. In 2020, the Government of Japan awarded Perrin the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star, in recognition of his many distinguished achievements in international relations and advancements in Canada-Japan business relations.

Maayan Ziv is an activist, a photographer and an entrepreneur based in Toronto, Canada. From a young age, Maayan challenged norms and worked within her community to increase awareness of disability issues and improve accessibility.  

Living with Muscular Dystrophy, Maayan is a passionate and relentless advocate for creating a more accessible world. In 2015, Maayan founded AccessNow, a crowdsourced app to map the accessibility status of locations worldwide. She has since been a regular media commentator in the media on topics such as disability and inclusion. In 2016, Maayan received the City of Toronto Access Award and the David C. Onley Leadership in Accessibility Award in recognition of her innovative solutions and commitment to improving the lives of people of all abilities. 

As a photographer, she has worked with celebrities, fashion models and other influential individuals. Focusing on black and white emotive portraiture, editorial fashion, and gritty street scenes, Maayan has been recognized as an influential Canadian talent. A Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal recipient, her work has been featured on television, in galleries and magazines. Sitting on a wheelchair gives Maayan a unique perspective that is evident in her work and as a freelance artist, her goal is to bring awareness to disabilities and the arts -something she prides to work at everyday. 

Maayan also sits on the boards of the Toronto Arts Council and the Centre for Independent Living in Toronto.

She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Radio and Television Arts and a Master’s degree in Digital Media at Ryerson University. 

The Honourable Lisa Raitt is vice-chair of global investment banking at CIBC. She served in the House of Commons for 11 years. From 2008-2010, Ms. Raitt served at the Minister of Natural Resources. Curing the 2009 economic crisis, Ms. Raitt led consultations with stakeholders in the energy sector, the forestry sector and the mining sector developing policy to support employment and investment during the downturn. As Minister of Labour from 2010-2013, Ms. Raitt championed mental health in the workplace supporting the development of the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace – the first of its kind in the world.  She was named the 2011 Champion of Mental Health, Public Sector by the Canadian Alliance of Mental Illness and Mental Health.

In July 2013, Ms Raitt was named Minister of Transport just days after the train derailment in Lac Megantic.  She led the development and execution of the complex cross-border response to this disaster. Ms. Raitt initiated the comprehensive review of the Canada Transportation Act. She was responsible for the operations of Canada’s Crown Corporations including VIA Rail, Canada Post, and Marine Atlantic. In 2015, Ms. Raitt was appointed Finance Critic for the Official Opposition and in 2017 she was appointed Deputy Leader of the Official Opposition.

The Honourable A. Anne McLellan, P.C., O.C., A.O.E. served four terms as the Liberal Member of Parliament for Edmonton Centre from 1993-2006. She served as Deputy Prime Minister of Canada and as the first Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness in the government of the Rt. Hon. Paul Martin (December 2003 – January 2006). Ms. McLellan served as Minister of Health (January 2002 – December 2003), Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada (June 1997 – January 2002) and Minister of Natural (November 1993 – June 1997).

Ms. McLellan joined Bennett Jones in its Edmonton office July 4, 2006, where she provides strategic advice to the firm and its clients.

Among her many community commitments, Ms. McLellan is chair of the Pearson College UWC Board,  the TELUS Edmonton Community Board and of the Institute for Research on Public Policy Board and serves on the boards of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research and the Summit Industrial Income REIT. She is also a member of the TMX/ICD Committee on the Future of Canadian Corporate Governance and the Wilson Center Task Force on Public Health and the US-Canadian Border, which was created to study how and when to lift the joint restrictions imposed to slow the spread of the COVID-19.

In May 2015 Ms. McLellan became Dalhousie University’s seventh chancellor, a position she held until May 31, 2020.

On May 12, 2006 Ms. McLellan was appointed Distinguished Scholar in Residence at the University of Alberta in the Alberta Institute for American Studies and was later awarded honorary doctorate of law degrees by both the University of Alberta (in 2007) and the University of Cape Breton (in 2009).

In July 2009 Ms. McLellan was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada and in October 2013 she received the Alberta Order of Excellence.

Prior to her political career, Ms McLellan was an assistant professor of law at the University of New Brunswick and the University of Alberta. She served as associate and acting dean of the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Law.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Law degree from Dalhousie University and a Master of Laws degree from King’s College, University of London.

Ann Mainville-Neeson is a bilingual public policy lawyer with over 20 years experience in various roles within government, associations and the private sector.

Ann joined Universities Canada in November 2021 as vice-president, policy and government relations.  Ann oversees the external relations and research team as well as the international relations team.  Prior to joining Universities Canada, Ann was vice-president, policy, and regulatory and government affairs at TELUS Communications Company where she was responsible for TELUS’ broadcasting and broadband content services.  Ann also has vast experience in dealing with journalistic ethics and community standards from her time at the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council where she served as Executive Director.  While in those roles, Ann also taught Droit des communications (Communications Law) at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law for 5 years.

Ann is the recipient of many prestigious awards in recognition of her professional accomplishment and involvement in the community, including a Top Forty Under 40 award from the Ottawa Business Journal, a Community Builder Award from United Way/Centraide Ottawa, and a VOscar from Volunteer Ottawa for playing a leading role in volunteering in the community.

Ann holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences (Political Science) from the University of Ottawa and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Ottawa’s French Common Law Section.

Katharine Hayhoe is an accomplished atmospheric scientist who studies climate change and why it matters to us here and now. She is also a remarkable communicator who has received the National Center for Science Education’s Friend of the Planet award, the American Geophysical Union’s Climate Communication Prize, the Sierra Club’s Distinguished Service award, and been named to a number of lists including Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, Foreign Policy’s 100 Leading Thinkers, FORTUNE magazine’s World’s Greatest Leaders and the United Nations Champion of the Earth in Science and Innovation.

Her writing has appeared in a broad range of outlets including the New York Times, Wired, O Magazine, and Chatelaine. Her TED talk, “The most important thing you can do to fight climate change: talk about it” has nearly 4 million views and her most recent book, “Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World,” will be published by Simon & Schuster in Sept 2021.

Katharine has served as lead author on the Second, Third, and Fourth National Climate Assessments. She also hosts and produces the PBS Digital Series, Global Weirding, and serves on advisory committees for a broad range of organizations including the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, the Earth Science Women’s Network, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Katharine serves as Chief Scientist for The Nature Conservancy and she is also a Paul W. Horn Distinguished Professor and the Political Science Endowed Professor in Public Policy and Public Law at Texas Tech University. She has a B.Sc. in Physics from the University of Toronto and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science from the University of Illinois and has been awarded honorary doctorates from Colgate University and Victoria University at the University of Toronto.

Deep Saini began his term as Dalhousie University’s 12^th president in January 2020, bringing a compelling blend of national and international postsecondary experience.

A career academic and accomplished researcher in plant biology, Dr. Saini most recently served as vice-chancellor and president of the University of Canberra in Australia from 2016-2019. He grew up in India and has a PhD of Philosophy in Plant Physiology from the University of Adelaide in Australia. He has worked at four of Canada’s U15 universities, including as vice-president of the University of Toronto and principal of its Mississauga campus, dean of the Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo and director general of the Plant Biology Research Institute at the Université de Montréal.

His awards and recognitions include honours from the Canadian Society of Plant Physiologists, Nanjing University, the Sikh Foundation of Canada, the Royal Society of New South Wales, the Punjab Academy of Sciences and the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce. He was featured in India Abroad’s “2011 Power List” and is the recipient of a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

His leadership roles have included governance and advisory roles at national and international levels, presidencies of national professional societies, journal editorships, membership on national and international granting panels, fundraising workshops for university leaders and international trade missions.

He is fluent in English, French, Hindi and Punjabi.

Jennifer joined Mastercard Foundation as Head, Canada Programs in 2018.  She leads a dedicated team engaged in collaborative programming across Canada involving multiple sectors including post secondary institutions with Indigenous youth and their communities.  Called EleV, the Foundations strategy in Canada is a national initiative enabling and supporting innovation and systems transformation.  As part of the Foundation’s Senior Leadership team with a focus on Africa, she supports global efforts aimed at youth led transformation in education and meaningful livelihoods.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Jennifer led negotiations on behalf of Indigenous Nations advancing key issues throughout Canada for twenty years.  Jennifer served as Chief of Staff at the Assembly of First Nations and prior to that as Director of Strategic Policy serving all First Nation Governments to enable strategic advancements in community development, education, and land rights.

Jennifer serves as a Member of the Governing Council of the Royal Society of Canada, and as a Board member of several Indigenous charities.

A senior government executive of 26 years, Ms. Wilshaw is Canada’s Chief Trade Commissioner and Assistant Deputy Minister at Global Affairs Canada. She leads a global team that helps Canadian business find new customers, troubleshoot market access, sell their products, and grow their businesses (www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca). Sara also leads work across global trade support services including export finance, foreign investment and responsible business conduct.

Prior to her current role, Sara served as Director of Operations, Foreign and Defence Policy Secretariat at the Privy Council Office. In this role she provided strategic analysis and advice to the Prime Minister, the Clerk of the Privy Council, the National Security and Intelligence Advisor and the Foreign and Defence Policy Advisor on matters concerning Canada-U.S. relations, Latin America, Trade issues, Climate Change, Human Rights and the UN.

Prior to joining PCO, Sara led the North America Bureau at Global Affairs Canada during the renegotiation of NAFTA as Director General. She was previously appointed to represent Canada as Consul General in Dallas, and as Senior Trade Commissioner in New Delhi, India, and she has extensive experience in trade promotion and negotiations, including at Canada’s Permanent Mission to the World Trade Organization in Geneva and at the Embassy of Canada in Japan.

Her headquarters experience at Global Affairs Canada includes both functional and geographic, as well as foundational work on the Global Commerce Strategy, Corporate Social Responsibility for the Extractive Sector, modernization of the Trade Commissioner Service, trade policy consultations and communications, as well as human resources.

Ms. Wilshaw is a graduate of York University’s International Relations and Economics program. She is married and has two children.

Mark has over 25 years’ experience in financial services, Mark has executive leadership experiences in banking, insurance, risk management and non-profit leadership.

Mark leads the strategic execution of RBC’s Social Impact portfolios including RBC Future Launch, RBC Tech for Nature and RBC Emerging Artists. Mark also leads stakeholder relations to cultivate and maintain key relationships across Canada including policy makers, partners and stakeholders to advance RBC’s community investment priorities.

Mark previously served as Head, RBC Insurance Advice Centre, responsible for over 500 licensed insurance advisors who provide insurance advice and solutions to 750,000 RBC Insurance clients across Canada and served as Regional Vice President, Retail Banking at RBC with market responsibility for North Mississauga and Scarborough.

He is a vice-chair of the Board of Directors of William Osler Health System. He is also a board member of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and sits on the audit and finance committee. He also serves on the advisory committee of the Lincoln M. Alexander Award.

In 2011, Mark received the City of Toronto Bob Marley Award for his commitment to diversity and City Building. He was also recognized for his work in support of the Canadian Sickle Cell Network. In 2012 he received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal for community volunteerism.

In 2015, Mark received the Harry Jerome Award for Professional Excellence. In 2016 Mark received the Barbados 50 Independence honors for community service and in 2017, Mark was awarded the African Canadian Achievement Award for Leadership and Management.

Mark holds an MBA in International Business from the University of Bradford and has completed executive programs with Richard Ivey School of Business and holds the Institute of Corporate Directors designation (ICD.D).

Teresa Marques is an accomplished charitable sector leader and senior executive with extensive experience leading development teams in the healthcare and post-secondary education sectors. Ms. Marques has been instrumental in the growth and development of the partnership-based Rideau Hall Foundation (RHF) through strategic relationship building, program development and communications strategy. Prior to joining the RHF in 2016, she held senior leadership roles at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Foundation, York University and the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR). She holds degrees in Canadian history from the University of Ottawa and York University, as well as a post-graduate certificate from Dalhousie University’s School of Continuing Education, with a focus on non-profit governance. In addition to her professional qualifications and experience, she is an established community leader and Board director of the National Theatre School of Canada and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Paul Davidson has played leadership roles in government, the private sector and the voluntary sector for more than 25 years. He joined Universities Canada in May 2009 as president and CEO.

As president of Universities Canada, Mr. Davidson is building strong partnerships with business, postsecondary education and community leaders to advance a vision of higher education that promotes opportunity and excellence for Canadians. The university sector has also seen substantial and exceptional investments in university research funding, increased resources for campus internationalization and a heightened awareness of the need to improve Indigenous peoples’ access to postsecondary education. Mr. Davidson has been named both a top lobbyist in Ottawa and a top foreign policy influencer.

Prior to joining Universities Canada, Mr. Davidson was executive director of World University Service of Canada (WUSC). He also held senior positions in the Canadian book publishing sector, including five years as executive director of the Association of Canadian Publishers. In the early 1990s, 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.

He holds an MA from Queen’s University, where he studied southern African history and a BA from Trent University, where he was part of the first graduating class of the Trent International Program.