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Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada: Our Board of DirectorsWorking in partnership with Foundation staff at the local, regional, provincial and national levels, our volunteers take on varied and multiple roles – including sitting on our provincial and national boards of directors. They guide the overall strategic management and stewardship of our mission. HSFC board members represent communities from across the country and from many walks of life. They are the stewards of our donor dollars. Committed to giving back to the community, they share their passion and expertise to lead our vision to eliminate heart disease and stroke and reduce their impact. Officers Chair: Irfhan Rawji (Toronto, Ontario) Irfhan Rawji is a director at Onex Partners. He previously worked for Birch Hill Equity Partners and for McKinsey & Company. In addition to volunteering with the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Irfhan is a director at Business for the Arts, a director at the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, and a director and vice president at the Harbourfront Centre. Irfhan has a B.Comm from the University of British Columbia, where he graduated with Honours as a Wesbrook Scholar, and an MBA from Harvard University, where he graduated with High Honours as a Baker Scholar and McArthur Fellow. Past chair: Robert L. Brooks (Toronto, Ontario) Prior to his retirement, Bob L. Brooks was vice chairman and group treasurer for the Bank of Nova Scotia. He is currently the director of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. Bob holds a B.Sc. from the University of Manitoba and a MBA from University of Western Ontario. Bob served on the board of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario from 1993 to 2001, where he was the chair of the board from 1998 to 2000. In recognition of his enormous contributions as a long-time volunteer for the Foundation, Bob was recipient of the 2005 HSFC Distinguished Service Award. Directors Dr. Guy Beaudin (Toronto, Ontario) Dr. Guy Beaudin is a senior partner with RHR International, where he manages the firm’s international operations and works extensively in the area of management due diligence. Guy also specializes in assisting leadership teams in working more effectively together. Prior to joining RHR in 1996, Guy worked as an internal HR director for an international organization. He has an MBA from the University of Ottawa, where he specialized in marketing and finance, and a PhD in industrial/organizational psychology from the University of Montreal. Guy is active in a number of charitable organizations and is a past director of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario. Dr. Doug Clement (Vancouver, British Columbia) Dr. Doug Clement is an internationally recognized former Olympic and Commonwealth athlete and coach who is now a professor emeritus, faculty of medicine, at the University of British Columbia. As co-founder of the Allan McGavin Sports Medicine Centre, he taught and practiced sports medicine for over 20 years. Doug has served as a director of the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Academy of Sports Medicine, and the Achilles International Track and Field Society. He was physician to the Vancouver Canucks and on the medical and coaching staffs of over 12 Olympic Games and World Championships. Doug has been honoured with the Order of Canada and numerous academic and professional awards. Andrew W. W. Cockwell (Toronto, Ontario) Dr. Andrew Demchuk (Calgary, Alberta) Dr. Andrew Demchuk is an associate professor in the department of clinical neurosciences for the faculty of medicine at the University of Calgary. He is also a stroke neurologist and director of the Calgary Stroke Program, Alberta Health Services. His primary research interests focus on vascular imaging, where he is working to establish target populations for new stroke treatments. Andrew is the past board chair for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Alberta, NWT, and Nunavut, a member of the board of the Canadian Stroke Consortium, and member of the European Stroke Conference scientific committee. He has received a number of awards, including the Michael S. Pessin Stroke Leadership Prize from the American Academy of Neurology and the A. Keith W. Brownell Neurology Teaching Award for resident teaching. Dr. Catherine Donovan (St. John’s, Newfoundland) Dr. Catherine Donovan is an associate professor of public health in the faculty of medicine at Memorial University and is a clinical associate medical officer for the Eastern Region in Newfoundland and Labrador. Her research and practice focus have included health promotion, heart health, youth risk and resiliency, HIV, age-friendly communities, and the use of geographic information systems in public health planning. Catherine chairs the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Wellness Advisory Council and is a member of many health promotion committees. She has received the CPHA Jansen-Ortho Award for Advancing the State of the Art of Public Health and the Queen’s Jubilee Medal for her contribution to the promotion of heart health. Greg Hierlihy (Quispamsis, New Brunswick) Greg Hierlihy is very involved with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of New Brunswick, where he has been a board member since 2000 and is currently the past president. Greg is a chartered accountant and is the director of finance for the Forest Products Division of J.D. Irving Limited. He has served on several volunteer boards focusing on the development of children and teens. Noreen Johns (Zelma, Saskatchewan) Noreen Johns farms with her husband, Lloyd, in Zelma. She has long been an activist in the agricultural and women’s communities and has encouraged and supported the participation and recognition of women in all aspects of the agriculture industry – from “barn to boardroom.” She has been a member of the board of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Saskatchewan for 10 years, including a two year term as chair. Noreen has been an active member of numerous community and provincial boards and associations related to health, adult education, and agriculture. Her work on behalf of farm women, families, and rural communities has earned her several awards. Michael LeClair (Toronto, Ontario) Michael LeClair has been on the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario board since 2005, serving as chair from 2006 to 2008. He is the managing director of Integrated Private Debt. Mike is an institute-certified director with the Institute of Corporate Directors. He brings extensive experience in business operations, finance, management consulting, business development, and advisory services including strategic planning. Dr. Michael P. Love (Halifax, Nova Scotia) Dr. Michael P. Love is the director of revascularization outcomes research for the division of cardiology at Dalhousie University. His specialties include the transradial technique, chronic total occlusion intervention, intravascular ultrasound, alcohol septal ablation, drug-eluting stents, and antiplatelet therapy. Michael has a research interest in the epidemiology of coronary artery disease as well as outcomes following coronary revascularization and acute coronary syndromes. He is a clinical advisor to the Nova Scotia Department of Health and is the Atlantic representative and vice-president of the Canadian Association of Interventional Cardiology. Ronald Martineau (Laval, Quebec) As partner at TAO Design and Marketing, Ronald Martineau advises on marketing, market development and communication strategies. Ronald has held executive marketing positions for major companies such as National Bank, Videotron, Provigo, COGECO and Hydro-Quebec. He has a solid knowledge of Canadian and U.S. environment industries, retail, services, and information technology. He has served on the board of directors of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Quebec since 1999. Ronald holds a B.Sc. and a MBA from the University of Montreal. Rod McKay (Calgary, Alberta) Rod McKay is currently past chair of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Alberta, NWT and Nunavut. He is a fellow of the Chartered Accountants of Alberta. He is a member of the Alberta Securities Commission and chair of its audit committee, a member of the board and audit committee of Fidelity Capital Structure Corporation, and vice chair of the board for Tourism Calgary. He also acts as a mediator for the Provincial Court of Alberta. Rod has been active in a number of community based organizations. Until retirement in 2006, Rod was a partner KPMG, an international audit, tax, and advisory firm. Dr. Roger S. McLeod (Halifax, Nova Scotia) Dr. Roger S. McLeod is a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Dalhousie University. His research interests are in exploring the role of fat metabolism and nutrition in cardiovascular disease. Roger has been a board member for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Nova Scotia since 2006. He is committed to promoting cardiovascular health through pursuing his own active lifestyle as a distance runner and has been an enthusiastic participant in the Heart&Stroke Big Bike event for several years. Dr. Laurie J. Morrison Dr. Laurie Morrison is the Robert & Dorothy Pitts Research Chair in Acute Care & Emergency Medicine and is a professor and clinician scientist at the University of Toronto and the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St Michael’s Hospital. She is also the director of Rescu, a resuscitation research program. Laurie is a researcher in the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium with a focus on cardiac arrest resuscitation. Laurie is a past chair and current member of the AHA Advanced Cardiac Life Support committee, co-chair of the International Liaison Committee of Resuscitation Advance Life Support Taskforce. Laurie was awarded the May Cohen Award for Female Mentors from the Canadian Medical Association, and was celebrated for excellence in mentorship at U of T as the 2010 recipient of the Bob Hyland Award. Dr. A. Elizabeth Ready (Winnipeg, Manitoba) Dr. Allison Elizabeth Ready is a professor at the University of Manitoba, where she is a research associate at the Health Leisure and Human Performance Research Institute and for the Centre on Aging. Her research focuses on the health benefits of physical activity in the elderly, the integration of physical activity into the primary care system, and community-based physical activity interventions. She is a former associate editor of Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism. Elizabeth has been member of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Manitoba board since 2008 and is active on a number of boards and committees related to fitness. In recognition of her contributions as an educator and to the community, she has received the University of Manitoba Outreach Award and the Kinsmen Reh-Fit Centre Healthy Living Award.
Jonathan is a partner and portfolio manager with Cudmore Ross Wealth Management, a specialized team within the larger firm of BMO Nesbitt Burns. He has a BBA from UPEI and has achieved numerous financial industry certifications. Jonathan has volunteered for many health charities and is past chair of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of P.E.I. In 2007 he became a Rotarian and is currently his club’s director of community service and president-elect. Jonathan was one the youngest of governors to serve on the Canadian Unity Council. Outside of community service and helping his clients, Jonathan runs marathons across North America and Europe and was part of the group who created the Prince Edward Island Marathon. Stephen Tessier (St. John’s, Newfoundland) Stephen Tessier is the founding partner at WaterWerks Communications, where he specializes in business and market development, account management, and operations. He is also a partner in the real-estate holding company Germondale Holdings. Stephen is councillor for the Town of Conception Bay South, where he chairs the engineering and public works committee. He has been on the board of the Heart and Stroke Foundation for six years, and is currently chair of the board for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador. A graduate of Bishops College, he studied business at Memorial University and has certificates in marketing, radio marketing, and advertising. He has won several gold medals for sales and account management. |
"The Foundation’s cause touches so many people – its ability to have an impact on Canada and Canadians is enormous. A real strength of the Foundation is the 130,000 volunteers who are out there in the field – they are the people who raise the money, $20 at a time, and inform their communities, families, and friends of our work.”
"As a volunteer with the Heart and Stroke Foundation for almost 20 years now, I have seen firsthand the incredible difference a group of committed Canadians, staff, volunteers, and medical professionals can make in the lives of us all.”
