Board of Governors

Bio

Rick founded Value Architects Asset Management in 2001. Prior to this, he was the Managing Director of Research for Ryan Beck & Co. He has extensive experience in investment management, having been a partner in Lincluden Management, a Canadian private asset manager with over $7 billion under management, as well as Sceptre Investment Counsel in Toronto where he was responsible for a $2 billion US mandate. He is a graduate of Western University and received his MSF from Northeastern University. He received his CFA charter in 1988, his CFP designation in 2004, and has completed the Harvard Business School Executive Program on behavioral investing. Elected by the Board - term as Chair to June 2022.

Term

April 24, 2014 to June 30, 2022

Committees

Audit Committee, Fundraising & Donor Relations Committee, Governance & By-Laws Committee, Property & Finance Committee, Senior Policy & Operations Committee

Bio

Keith Gibbons has held senior leadership positions with global responsibilities in McCormick Canada and London Life Insurance Company. Most recently he was President & CEO of McCormick Canada and McCormick Asia Pacific. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario (1976) and received his chartered accountant designation in 1979. He is an active member of Western’s Alumni Association.

He is currently Vice Chair of the Board of Governors at Western, having served since 2016. He has been on the Boards and Cabinets of several other organizations including Alzheimer Society of Ontario and Canada, Youth Opportunities Unlimited London Economic Development Corporation, United Way of London and Middlesex, Chamber of Commerce, Huron University College, Parkwood Hospital Foundation, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Children’s Aid Society of London and Middlesex.

Term

January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2023

Committees

Audit Committee, Fundraising & Donor Relations Committee, Governance & By-Laws Committee (Vice-Chair), Property & Finance Committee, Senior Policy & Operations Committee, Senate

Bio

Michelle Banik is an accomplished global C-Suite executive with a distinguished career in the Human Resources profession spanning a diverse portfolio of companies. Previously, Ms. Banik held the roles Chief People Officer and Senior Vice President (Global Head of Human Resources) of OMERS from 2015 until December 2019. Prior to that, from 2013 until 2015, she was the Vice President, Human Resources at OMERS. She previously served as a senior executive in a human resources capacity at TMX, where she was Director of Human Resources. Ms. Banik is currently on the Board of Directors for Empire Company Limited (TSX: EMP.A) and the National Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada, with a seat on its Human Resources and Compensation Committee. As well, Ms. Banik sits as a member of the Advisory Council at the School for Advanced Studies in the Arts and Humanities (SASAH) at Western University. In conjunction with her Bachelor of Arts from Western University and her Certified Human Resources Executive designation, Ms. Banik also holds a Chartered Director (C. Dir.) designation.

Term

April 15, 2021 to June 30, 2025

Bio

Susan is the Managing Partner of the Audit and Assurance practice for Deloitte Canada and has over 25 years of professional practice experience.  In addition of serving a large range of multinational clients over her career, she is currently a member of the executive team of Deloitte Canada.  Susan is currently the chair of the audit committee of Western.  She is aa alumni of Western and a FCPA, FCA.  Appointed by the Lieutenant Governor-in-Council - current term to October 2024.

Term

October 26, 2020 to October 25, 2024

Committees

Audit Committee (Chair), Property & Finance Committee, Senior Policy & Operations Committee

Bio

Wade is the HR Communications Specialist in Human Resources at Western University. In her role, she interacts with and assists staff, faculty, students and retirees on a daily basis with benefits, pay, on-boarding, HR and University policies and procedures as well as dozens of other various inquiries. Now in her second term as a Board member, Wade continues to bring a front line staff perspective to the Board.  Elected by Administrative Staff - current term to June 2023.

 Term

July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2023

Committees

Governance & By-Laws Committee, Property & Finance Committee

Term

July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2025

Bio

Greg is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and a Chartered Accountant (CA). He also holds an MBA from the University of Toronto and a BSc. (Hons) from the University of Western Ontario where he played football for the Western Mustangs.  Greg played defensive back from 1988-93 and was Captain of the football team in 1993.  

 Greg works for the Canadian Football League (CFL) as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Head of Football Operations. He is also the Treasurer of the CFL.  Reporting to the Commissioner and a key member of the League Office Executive leadership team, he is responsible for leading the CFL's football operations and finance departments including officiating, rules, player health & safety, amateur football, the game, football operations administration, Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations, finance and accounting, risk management and insurance, CFL security and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

 Greg currently has the following Board experience:

• Chair, Board of Directors, Canadian Football Hall of Fame
• Board of Directors, Western Alumni Association, Western University
• Board of Directors, Football Canada
• Board of Directors, Champions Club Football Foundation, Western Mustangs Football Team

 Greg was appointed to the Western University Board of Governors by the Alumni Association.  Greg is the Chair of the Property & Finance Committee, Vice-Chair of the Audit Committee, a member of the Senior Policy and Operations Committee and a member of the Fund Raising and Donor Relations Committee for the Western Board of Governors.  His current term is to April 2022.

Term

May 1, 2018 to April 30, 2022

Committees

Audit Committee (Vice-Chair), Fundraising & Donor Relations Committee, Property & Finance Committee (Chair), Senior Policy & Operations Committee

Bio

I am a PhD Candidate in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry. I have also completed my B.MSc and M.Sc at Western. During my time at Western, I have actively engaged in diverse leadership and professional development opportunities. These include completing the Graduate Student Innovations Scholars (GSIS) program offered by WORLDiscoveries that offered hands-on training to develop expertise in entrepreneurship, intellectual property, technology commercialization and knowledge transfer; leading the Society of Graduate Students, a non-profit organization, with various initiatives and programming to improve the graduate student experience at Western; and co-leading the President’s Anti-Racism Working Group to better understand Western’s campus climate from the perspective of ethnocultural and racialized groups.

Bio

Michael is a Partner at the law firm Lerners LLP. He served as a bencher at the Law Society of Ontario.  He has served on a number of boards of charitable and not for profit organizations. Michael was on the Founding Board of London’s Ronald McDonald House and is a past chair of the Children’s Health Foundation.   Michael continues in the footsteps of his late father who believed in service to his clients and the community. Appointed by the Council, City of London - current term to November 2021.

Term

December 1, 2013 to June 30, 2022

Committees

Audit Committee

Term

July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2022

Bio

Artika Pahargarh is an HBA candidate at the Ivey Business School, who previously studied Medical Sciences at Western University in her first two years. She has extensive experience with student advocacy, having previously served on the University Student Council and the Governance and Finance Standing committee as a USC Councillor. She has also served as an undergraduate representative on the Senate Committee on University Planning (SCUP).  

Artika is currently serving her second term on the University Senate as one of fourteen elected undergraduate students and is the Chair of Western Student Senators. On Senate, she collaborates with Western executives and faculty to implement academic policies and other university initiatives. Her passion for advocacy and Western’s community inspired her to sit on the Board of Governors. 

Term

July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2023

Bio

Dr Parraga’s research team is focused on developing a deep understanding of chronic lung disease using novel pulmonary imaging methods and measurements, the team discovers and develops. Dr Parraga completed a PhD at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA; after post-doctoral studies at the University of Basel, (Switzerland), she joined F. Hoffman La Roche AG as a Scientist in Basel CH. After 14 years in industry, she returned to academic research at Western University. Her lab is funded by the Baran Family Foundation, CIHR, NSERC, Astra Zeneca PlC, Novartis AG, Canada Foundation for Innovation, Ontario Research Fund and the Ministry of Health Ontario. She serves on the Editorial Boards of CHEST (the official journal of the American College of Chest Physicians) and the Journal of COPD. She is a member of the Institute Advisory Board of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Board of Governors of Western University.

Term

July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2022

Committees

Fundraising & Donor Relations Committee, Senate Committee on University Planning

Bio

Stephen G.A. Pitel is a Professor in the Faculty of Law at Western University. His research and teaching is focused on private international law, tort law, civil procedure and legal ethics. He is the co-author of several books including Conflict of Laws (2nd ed. 2016) and Fridman’s The Law of Torts in Canada (4th ed. 2020). He has received several teaching awards including the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations Teaching Award and the Edward G. Pleva Award for Excellence in Teaching. He is a former President of the University of Western Ontario Faculty Association and the current Vice-President of the Canadian Association for Legal Ethics.

Term

July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2024

Committees

Governance & By-Laws Committee

Bio

Geoff Pollock is a husband, father, and a lawyer currently serving as a Bencher with the Law Society of Ontario.  He is Thrice a Western Alum: completing his undergraduate at Huron College, followed by his M.B.A. as well as his Law Degree. During his time at Western, he also served as an officer in the Canadian Army Reserves.

 Eleven years ago, Geoff founded his law firm, Geoff Pollock & Associates, serving clients from his office in North York. Geoff sits as an Adjudicator on the Law Society Tribunal. In his free time, Geoff volunteers as Duty Counsel for Pro Bono Law Ontario. His is also a Director of the Ontario Judicial Education Network. He has previously served as a Director of the Churchill Society for the Advancement of Parliamentary Democracy and as a Director of the Ivey Alumni Association of Toronto.

 Geoff has been married to his wife Evgeniya for 11 years. Together they have three children, Daniel (10), Elizabeth (9) and Alexandra (4). The Pollock family are passionate about hockey, with both Daniel and Elizabeth playing Select and in the GTHL. When the family is not on the ice, they can be found enjoying Geoff’s creations on his beloved Big Green Egg BBQ.

Term

January 7, 2021 to January 6, 2025

Bio

Cecil H Rorabeck OC, MD, FRCSC, a native of of North Bay Ontario, is a former orthopaedic surgeon at the London health science Centre and a professor of orthopaedic surgery (emeritus)at the University of Western Ontario.
He received his medical degree from Western and surgical training at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Rorabeck has served on several national public sector boards including the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, the Canadian Medical Forum , the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame.
In addition, he has served on local public sector boards including the London Economic Development Corporation.
Currently, he also serves on one private sector board, BSI (Dallas Texas).
In 2012, he was named an Officer of the Order of Canada.
Dr. Rorabeck and his wife Linda, have three married children, as well as seven grandchildren.

Term

January 25, 2019 to December 31, 2021

Committees

Fundraising & Donor Relations Committee, Senior Policy & Operations Committee, Senate Committee on University Planning

Bio

Bruce is the Group Head, Technology & Operations at RBC, he is responsible for the strategy and overall management of global technology and operations for RBC, which includes applications development, infrastructure and enterprise operations. In addition, as a member of Group Executive, he is one of eight executives responsible for setting the overall strategic direction of RBC. Bruce is a seasoned executive with more than 28 years of technology and business experience. Elected by the Board - current term to April 2023.

Term

April 15, 2015 to April 14, 2023

Committees

Property & Finance Committee

Bio

David Simmonds is Senior Advisor at the Canadian Centre for the Purpose of the Corporation. He brings deep experience with reputation, brand, corporate strategy, and public affairs across regulatory environments with advisory experience to senior leaders in politics, government, media, and business.

Prior to his current role, David spent several years at McKesson Corporation, the world’s largest healthcare distribution and pharmaceutical services provider. A member of the company’s global leadership team, David helped build and lead teams across Corporate Marketing, Public Affairs, and Enterprise Strategy.

David is Past President, Alumni Western; President Elect of the Canadian Club of Toronto; a Governor of the Stratford Festival; and an Advisory Board Member at Catalyst Canada. David recently completed his appointment as the 2020 Visiting Professor at Western's School of Advanced Studies in Arts and Humanities.

A graduate of Western University, David holds an BA (Hons), MA, and completed the Executive Development Program at the Wharton School. In 2015 the Diversity Advancement Network named David one of Canada’s Top 100 Black Canadians.

Term

January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2023

Committees

Fundraising & Donor Relations Committee, Property & Finance Committee

Bio

Sarah holds a Bachelor of Engineering Science degree, Mechanical, from the University of Western Ontario. Sarah sits on the Board of Governors for the University of Western Ontario and was formerly a member of the Western Engineering Advisory Committee (WEAC). She recently completed a term on the Board of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and is a Fellow in the Canadian Academy of Engineering.

Sarah is currently Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at ATCO in Calgary, Alberta and her 30 years of experience includes roles at Bruce Power, BlackBerry, IBM Canada, and Union Gas. She has expertise in cyber security, technology strategy, complex multi-stakeholder program management and operations.

Term

January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2025

Committees

Governance & By-Laws Committee (Chair), Property & Finance Committee (Vice-Chair), Senior Policy & Operations Committee

Bio

In a forty-year career, Carol Stephenson was a highly respected CEO, who played a critical part in restructuring the telecommunications industry; she helped transform business education serving as Dean of the Ivey Business School at Western University from 2003-2013.

Stephenson spent 30 years in telecommunications, advancing to join the executive ranks of Bell Canada in 1988. From 1995 to 1998, as President and CEO of Stentor Resource Centre Inc., she led the national marketing and technology development centre for Canada’s nine telecommunications companies. Then, as President and CEO of Lucent Technologies Canada from 1999 to 2003, she spearheaded the team that succeeded in tripling Lucent’s market share in Canada.

Stephenson serves on the Boards of several leading companies, she is a Director of General Motors Company, and Maple Leaf Foods Inc. and currently serves as Chair of the Board of Governors of the Stratford Festival. Carol was inducted into Canada’s Telecommunications Hall of Fame, London’s Business Hall of Fame, Women of Influence’s Top 25 Women of Influence, and National Post’s 50 Most Powerful Women. In 2009, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada, and in 2012 received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Award. She has received honorary degrees from Ryerson University and Western University.

Term

October 26, 2020 to October 25, 2024

Committees

Fundraising & Donor Relations Committee (Chair), Senior Policy and Operations Committee

Bio

Michael is a family physician practicing in Ontario. After completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto, he earned his Doctorate of Medicine from Queen’s University and completed his family medicine residency at Western University. Michael’s practice is focused on chronic pain management. Michael is Delegate to Council of the Ontario Medical Association, Pain Section Chair of the Ontario Medical Association and Investigating Coroner with the Ontario Coroner Service. Outside of his medical practice Michael enjoys sailing, horseback riding, skiing and travel.

Term

September 24, 2020 to September 23, 2024

Committees

Audit Committee, Fundraising & Donor Relations Committee

Bio

Jane is a Professor in the Department of English and Writing Studies, teaching courses in Old English, medieval studies, Tolkien, and the university. Her primary research concerns the most popular text available in early medieval England, the biblical book of psalms, on which she published an award-winning book, The Anglo-Saxon Psalter in 2014.  She also works in the field of medievalism, with recent books and book projects on Jorge Luis Borges' Germanic medievalism in 2014, on Canadian medievalism, on Old English prosody, and Today's Medieval University in 2017.  Current projects include a special issue on Borges and the medieval, a collection of papers on Old English syntax, and an edition of the longest Old English poem, the Paris Psalter or the Metrical Psalter.  Elected by Faculty - current term to June 2022.

Term

July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2022

Committees

McIntosh Gallery Committee, King's University College Board of Directors

Bio

Sam joined the Faculty of Law in Fall 2001 and holds a joint appointment in the Faculty of Information and Media Studies. He previously taught part-time at the Golden Gate University School of Law, in the School of Library and Information Science at San Jose State University, in the School of Information Resources and Library Science at the University of Arizona, and at the People's College of Law in Los Angeles. He is a member of the California and United States Supreme Court Bars, and was previously engaged as a sole-practitioner in Los Angeles and Berkeley, California, in general civil litigation with an emphasis on tenants' rights law. Elected by Faculty - current term to June 2023.

Term

July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2023

Committees

Property & Finance Committee, McIntosh Gallery Committee

Bio

Harold Usher is a Professional Engineer, who worked for Bell Canada for 24 years and served as a London City Councillor for 18 years. He is a London resident since 1981 and understands and appreciates the values of Education, Life-Long Learning, and Contribution to Self and Community Development, including the University phase of life and beyond. He is devoted to the growth, vitality and well-being of the University Community in London, including its infrastructure developments, its successes with students and research, its Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity performance, and its relationship with the City of London.

Harold is the Principal of “Adventures in . . . SEMINARS & SPEECHES,” a company he started in 1997 to fulfill his Mission, which is to “Inspire and Empower individuals to better their personal disposition.” He is the Co-Author of the Book, “PROSTATE! PROSTATE! PROSTATE! A Problem of Men,” and Creator of several Papers and Workshops on Communication, Public Speaking, Leadership and Personnel Development.

Harold is well known for his “fairness,” “compassion,” “integrity” and “Positive Mental Attitude.”

Term

December 1, 2018 to November 30, 2022

Committees

Governance & By-Laws Committee, McIntosh Gallery Committee

Bio

Linda Hasenfratz is the Chief Executive Officer of Linamar Corporation, an advanced manufacturing company where the intersection of leading edge technology and deep manufacturing expertise is creating solutions that power vehicles, motion, work and lives for the future. Linamar has 26,000 employees in 61 manufacturing locations, 12 R&D centres and 25 sales offices in 17 countries in North and South America, Europe and Asia which generated sales of $5.8 billion in 2020.

Linda received completed an Executive MBA from the Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario in June 1997. In addition, Linda holds an Honours Bachelor of Science degree from the same institution.

Beyond her role at Linamar, she is also actively involved in the community. She serves on the Board of Governors of the Royal Ontario Museum as well as being a member of the Philanthropy Leadership Cabinet of the Guelph General Hospital. Linda currently serves as a director on the Association of Equipment Manufactuers (AEM), Faurecia, the Business Council of Canada and Catalyst Canada.

Linda was also made a member of the Order of Canada in December 2018.

Committees

Fundraising & Donor Relations Committee

Bio

Professor Alan Shepard is the 11th President & Vice-Chancellor of Western University. He arrived at Western in July 2019 after serving as President & Vice-Chancellor of Concordia University in Montreal. Prior to Concordia, Professor Shepard was Provost and Vice-President (Academic) of Ryerson University in Toronto. He has also held senior academic leadership roles at the University of Guelph, Texas Christian University, and the University of Virginia.

American-born, Alan was the first of his family to attend university when he enrolled in St. Olaf College in Minnesota. At the end of first year he realised academia was the life he wanted. Elected to Phi Beta Kappa as an undergraduate, he earned a PhD in English from the University of Virginia, and his scholarship has since been supported by the University of Toronto and the Folger Library in Washington. He is author or editor of three books and many articles focused on the culture of early modern England, early modern literature and science, modern theatre, the future of innovation and the future of universities.

Beyond his university leadership role at Western, Alan is also actively involved in the community. He has served as a volunteer for organizations including Universities Canada and the Montreal Chamber of Commerce. Currently, Alan serves as a Vice-Chair on the Executive Committee of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities, and also as a board member for Universities Canada, the London Economic Development Corporation, Business + Higher Education Roundtable, and the Stratford Festival of Canada.

Committees

Audit Committee, Fundraising & Donor Relations Committee, Governance & By-Laws Committee, Property & Finance Committee

Bio

Mayor Ed Holder became London’s 64th Mayor on December 1, 2018. Prior to that, Ed served as Member of Parliament for London West from 2008 to 2015 and Federal Minister of Science and Technology. Ed sits on the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee, the London Police Board, the London Economic Development Corporation Board, the London Convention Centre Board and the Western University Board of Governors.

Ed studied at Western University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy. He worked many years in the insurance industry and served as President of Stevenson and Hunt Insurance. Community service and civic participation are important to Ed. He has held leadership positions in 40+ community and not-for-profit organizations. Ed is proud to call London home for four decades. Throughout his time in the city, his focus has been two-fold – on successfully building his businesses and in giving back to his community.

Bio

Cathy is the Mayor for the rural township of Lucan Biddulph, she's the Warden of Middlesex County and has been a Middlesex County Councillor since 2014. She’s also the former Deputy Mayor, past - president of the Lucan Minor Hockey Association, Chair of the Lucan chapter of the Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay for Life campaign, Chair of the local Economic Development Committee and Vice-Chair of the Lake Huron Primary Water Supply Corporation. Cathy joined the Western Board of Governors in 2015.

Committees

Senate

Bio

In her role as University Secretary, Amy Bryson provides strategic oversight, leadership and direction to the University Secretariat team, which supports Western's bicameral governance system in accordance with legal requirements and obligations, the University of Western Ontario Act, the bylaws and regulations of Senate and Board, and accepted best governance practices.

Amy began her career working as a corporate commercial lawyer for 12 years, 11 of them with McKenzie Lake Lawyers LLP here in London. In 2010, she joined Ivey Business School as the Manager of HBA Recruiting and in 2013 became the Director of HBA Recruiting and Admissions. She served in that role until January 2020 when she joined the President’s Office as Executive Director and Senior Advisor to the President.

Amy has served on the board of several non-profit and for-profit organizations over her career and has most recently served as the Chair of the Board of CAA Club Group and CAA Insurance Company. She has recently retired from her role as Vice-Chair of the Executive Board of Huron University College.

She has a B.A. Honours degree from Huron University College at Western, LL.B. from the University of Saskatchewan, and obtained the ICD.D designation in 2016.