Françoise Bertrand Chair of the Board at VIA Rail Canada
Françoise Bertrand Chair of the Board at VIA Rail Canada After a 40-year career as a business executive, Françoise Bertrand now dedicates her time to acting as a corporate director. Since the spring of 2017, Ms. Bertrand has been Chair of the Board of Directors of VIA Rail Canada. In addition, she is a Strategic Advisor to the Leadership Institute, a member of the Board of Directors of Concordia University, a member of the Advisory Committee of Transurban and a member of the Ordre National du Québec. Over the years, she has served on a many Boards, including Osisko Gold Royalties Company, Proaction International and the United Nations Association in Canada. She has served as President and Chief Executive Officer for several organizations, including the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and the Télé-Québec broadcasting corporation. She is a former dean of Université du Québec à Montréal. She also spent a few years working for consulting firms, notably for KPMG and as a partner with Groupe Secor. Françoise Bertrand holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Université de Montréal and a master’s degree in environmental studies from York University. She capped off her academic career at the Institute of Corporate Directors. Throughout her career, Ms. Bertrand has been recognized with several significant honours, most notably, Officer of the Order of Canada, Knight of the National Order of Québec and Chevalier of the Legion of Honour of France. She also received an honorary doctorate from Concordia University and was awarded the title of Fellow by the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD). In 2020, Françoise Bertrand received the title of Commander of the Ordre de Montréal.
Candice Maxis Board Member at Aeroport de Montréal
Candice Maxis Board Member at Aeroport de Montréal A graduate of the Université du Québec à Montréal in Human Resources Management and a member of the Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines agréés (CRHA) du Québec, Candice Maxis has more than 15 years of experience in some of Canada’s largest companies. Since July 2023, she has been working for the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) as Chief People and Culture Officer, where she is responsible for further developing the COC’s people and culture strategy. Prior to that, she spent more than four years at Deloitte Canada, most recently as Director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, where she developed and led the firm’s diversity, equity and inclusion strategy and vision. Her career includes positions at Coca-Cola Canada, Bombardier and Intact. Recognized for her leadership, unique experience in diverse industries and commitment to fostering a more inclusive work environment, Ms. Maxis was named one of Canada’s 100 Most Influential Women in 2022 by the Women’s Executive Network and one of Canada’s 100 Black Women to Watch by Canada International Black Women Excellence.
Melissa Sonberg Corporate Director of Canada Post, Exchange Income Corp, Hydro One, Enghouse Systems, Athennian
Melissa Sonberg Corporate Director of Canada Post, Exchange Income Corp, Hydro One, Enghouse Systems, Athennian Melissa Sonberg has enjoyed almost four decades of international leadership success across a wide range of enterprises, always playing key roles at the heart of transformative change. She has a proven track record working with organizations facing complex, multi-stakeholder, global opportunities to deliver real impact within their industries. Having spent the first phase of her career in healthcare, Melissa’s path pivoted considerably, successfully driving change at Air Canada during a period of multiple transformational phases. At the airline, she held leadership positions in a range of customer-facing, operational, and corporate functions, including leading the organization redesign in the merger between Air Canada and Canadian Airlines. In 2001, she was named to the founding executive team of Aeroplan, which became known globally as AIMIA (TSX:AIM), and which at the time of her departure was a broadly traded public corporation with market capitalization of approximately $3B (CAD). As a core member of the C-suite, Melissa drove a magnitude of organizational growth and change few leaders experience in a lifetime, including a successful financial and corporate restructuring during a bankruptcy process, leadership of the IPO process (including prospectus author and road-show producer), international M&A, and a multi-year global re-branding. In 2014, her professional focus shifted to leadership at the board level serving on multiple Boards of Directors and Advisory Boards, including Exchange Income Corporation (TSX:EIF), Hydro One (TSX:H), Enghouse Systems Ltd (TSX:ENG), Athennian, Canada Post Corporation, VIA Rail Canada, Groupe Touchette, MD Financial Holdings and Rideau Recognition Solutions. Within her board mandates, Melissa has provided leadership as Chair of Governance, and Chair of Human Resource & Compensation committees, and as a member of multiple Audit and Finance Committees. Engaging in enterprise challenges ranging from hybrid ownership structures to stewardship of Canadian innovation in global software, aviation/aeronautics, and defense environments, she has been recognized for her ability to deliver customer-focused leadership with skill, empathy, and an unquenchable curiosity about how to make organizations work better. Melissa’s long-standing commitment to positive social impact is evident by engagements as a leader and influencer in multiple community and social enterprise efforts, domestic and around the world. She has served as Chair of the Board of Directors for an internationally renowned NGO, member of the board of an organization driving diversity in Canada’s capital markets, Vice Chair of a national professional association, and as a Professor of Practice and Executive-in-Residence at McGill University’s Desautel Faculty of Management, where she teaches at both the graduate (Masters in Business Administration; Masters in Managing Analytics) and undergraduate levels.
Mary Larson Moderator at MNP
Mary Larson Moderator at MNP Mary Larson, ICD.d, is a Partner with MNP’s Consulting Services group in Montreal. Mary helps clients clarify and build alignment around their strategies, build leadership capacity and embed cultures that foster outstanding execution. Mary is particularly focused on working with C-suite executives and CEOs. Drawing on her extensive business experience and skill in asking the right questions, Mary helps clients become more effective in aligning their teams around their work, and successfully addressing the issues that drive both behavior and culture. Mary has worked with clients across North and South America, Europe and Asia, including the Business Development Bank of Canada, Bosch / Siemens, Cirque du Soleil, Duke Power, Johnson & Johnson, Kellogg’s, McDonald’s and Western Union. She has held senior executive positions with McDonald’s Corporation in the U.S. and Alcan in Canada. Mary, who works in both English and French, received her Bachelor of Arts (BA, Honors) from Princeton and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Mary is a designated graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.d) at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. She is board chair of McGill’s School for Continuing Studies, a board member of Prostate Cancer Canada and vice-president of the University Club of Montreal. She co-founded the International Women’s Forum in Canada.
Heather Culbert President at Board Ready Women
Heather Culbert President at Board Ready Women With more than 27 years of experience in the oil and gas sector, Heather Culbert has held senior positions in the oil and gas sector and was formerly the Senior Vice President of Corporate Services at Enerplus, a mid-sized oil and gas company. Heather served as Vice Chair on the Board of Export Development Canada (EDC) and chaired the HR Committee. She was recently appointed to the Board of The Fraser Institute and Catapult Environmental. She chairs the United Way World Leadership Council, is a member of the She Leads Economic Council of Alberta and is past chair of the Alberta Research and Innovation Advisory Council (ARIAC), past chair of the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), and a past Director of Whitecap Resources. Heather has been an active volunteer and philanthropist for many years and has co-founded both the Board Ready Women and Axis Connects not-for-profit organizations in Alberta. She is now the Co-Chair of the Calgary Cancer Centre campaign with the goal of raising $250 million. Heather has served on many not-for-profit Boards over the past 15 years. She has been recognized for her leadership and community service and most recently was the recipient of the 2022 Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal and the 2021 Women’s Energy Council Female Executive of the Year Award. In March of 2019, she proudly received the Governor General’s Sovereign Volunteerism Medal to recognize her exemplary philanthropic efforts in Canada. Heather has received numerous other awards, including: the BMO Celebrating Women 2016 Community and Charitable Giving award; a SAIT Honorary Bachelor of Science degree in 2014; the Doc Seaman Generosity of Spirit Award as an individual philanthropist in 2013; the Alberta Centennial Medal for Community Service in 2005; and in 2003, she was recognized as SAIT’s Distinguished Alumna. Heather recently completed her ICD.D certification through the Haskayne School of Business ICD program and her GCB.D ESG certification through Competent Boards
Jennifer Koury Corporate Director of BRW, Bird Construction, Crescent Point Energy & Calgary Zoo
Jennifer Koury Corporate Director of BRW, Bird Construction, Crescent Point Energy & Calgary Zoo Ms. Koury has more than 35 years professional experience including C-suite leadership roles and international experience, with the world’s largest mining Company, BHP Billiton, as well has worked with Enerplus Resources and Exxon Mobil as a senior executive. Currently, Ms. Koury sits on the Board of Directors for Crescent Point Energy, chairing their HRC and member of the Governance Committee; Bird Construction in Toronto, Chairing the HR and Governance Committee and member of the EH&S Committee; the Calgary Zoo as Vice-Chair of the Board and is one of the Co-Founders of Board Ready Women. Ms Koury also served on the Women in Mining Canada Board as Co-Chair from April 2017 to April 2021. . Ms. Koury holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree (honors) from the University of Alberta and has her Directors Designation, ICD.D, from The Rotman School of Business, University of Toronto.