Profiles

ICD members make invaluable contributions to Canada’s boardrooms.

Meet our 2021 ICD Fellows

For a comprehensive list of F.ICD award recipients, click here.

Isabelle Courville, F.ICD

Chair, Canadian Pacific Railways; Chair, HR Committee, SNC-Lavalin; Director, Veolia Environment, IGOPP

Isabelle Courville, F.ICD

Chair, Canadian Pacific Railways; Chair, HR Committee, SNC-Lavalin; Director, Veolia Environment, IGOPP

Isabelle Courville, an engineer and lawyer, is Chair of the Board of Directors of Canadian Pacific Railway, the first-ever female to hold this position, and the first woman to become Board Chair of a Class 1 railway in North America.

Ms. Courville was active for 30 years in the Canadian telecommunications and energy sectors. She served as President of Bell Canada’s Enterprise Group and President and Chief Executive Officer of Bell Nordiq Group. Following that, Ms. Courville was President of Hydro‐Québec Distribution and President of Hydro-Québec TransÉnergie.

She is currently a Board Director of Veolia Environment, SNC-Lavalin, the Institute for Governance of Private and Public Organizations and ICD-Quebec.

Ms. Courville received McGill University’s Desautels Management Achievement Award for her contribution to the business world and community involvement. In 2012, she was selected as one of Fortune Magazine’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business. In 2010, the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec awarded her the Prix Hommage for her exceptional contribution to the engineering profession. In 2017, she received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Montreal.

Dr. James (Jim) D. Fleck, C.C., BA, DBA, LLD, DSL, F.ICD

Past Chair and Director of numerous public, private, non-profit and government boards

Dr. James (Jim) D. Fleck, C.C., BA, DBA, LLD, DSL, F.ICD

Past Chair and Director of numerous public, private, non-profit and government boards

Dr. Fleck’s contribution to the knowledge and practice of good governance has been both as a practitioner and professor/teacher.

He has served as the Chair of the Board of Directors of Fleck Manufacturing Limited, ATI Technologies, Alias Research, Business for the Arts, Art Gallery of Ontario, Canadian Museum of History, Canadian War Museum, Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, Tennis Canada, University of Toronto Schools.

He has also served as a Board Director of Rogers Multimedia Inc, Certicom, Promis Systems, Travelers Insurance, Zurich Insurance and the Banff Centre.

In addition, Dr. Fleck has taught at Harvard Business School, INSEAD, Rotman School of Management, Ivey Business School and Schulich School of Business.

Dr. Fleck made a significant contribution to public governance under former Premier Bill Davis as the Executive Director of the Ontario Committee on Government Productivity which created the current Cabinet committee structure and processes. For this, he received the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal of Distinction in Public Service, Ontario’s highest honour for public service.

He later served as Secretary of Cabinet in Ontario.

Earlier in his career, Dr. Fleck served as International President of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO).

Harold (Hal) Kvisle, P.Eng, MBA, FCAE, F.ICD

Chair, Finning International, ARC Resources; Director, Cenovus Energy

Harold (Hal) Kvisle, P.Eng, MBA, FCAE, F.ICD

Chair, Finning International, ARC Resources; Director, Cenovus Energy

Hal Kvisle is a native of Alberta and has worked for Canadian and international energy companies for more than 40 years, in the oil and gas, and utilities and power generation industries.

Mr. Kvisle is Chair of the Board of Directors of ARC Resources and Finning International, and a Board Director of Cenovus Energy. He previously served as a Director of the Bank of Montreal, TransCanada Corporation, Talisman Energy, Methanex Corporation, Fletcher Challenge Energy, Norske Skog Canada and PrimeWest Energy.

Mr. Kvisle was CEO of Talisman Energy from 2012 to 2015 and CEO of TransCanada Corporation from 2001 to 2010, where he was recognized as Canada’s Outstanding CEO of the Year® in 2008.

He holds a B.Sc.Eng. from the University of Alberta, an MBA from the Haskayne School, University of Calgary, and honorary degrees from Mount Royal University and the University of Calgary. Mr. Kvisle served for many years as a Board Director and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Nature Conservancy of Canada, and currently serves as founding Board Chair of the Business Council of Alberta.

Honourable John Manley, P.C., O.C., F.ICD

Chair, CIBC Bank USA and CAE; Chair, Governance Committee, Telus

Honourable John Manley, P.C., O.C., F.ICD

Chair, CIBC Bank USA and CAE; Chair, Governance Committee, Telus

Mr. Manley joined Bennett Jones LLP as Senior Business Adviser in September 2019. He is best known as a former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the Canadian Parliament from 1988 to 2004 as M.P. for Ottawa South. From 1993 to 2003, he was a Minister in former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien’s government, serving in the portfolios of Industry, Foreign Affairs and Finance, in addition to being Deputy Prime Minister.

Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Mr. Manley was named Chair of a Cabinet Committee on Public Security and Anti-terrorism, serving as the counterpart to Governor Tom Ridge, the first U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security. In recognition of the role he played following 9/11, TIME Canada named him "2001 Newsmaker of the Year.

After a 16-year career in politics, Mr. Manley returned to the private sector in 2004 where he has continued to be active in public policy as a media commentator, speaker and adviser to governments of differing political stripes. He is Fellow of the C.D. Howe Institute, a founding member of the Wilson Center Global Advisory Council, a member of the Brookings International Advisory Council and Chair of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI) Advisory Council.

In the private sector, Mr. Manley has practiced law, and served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Business Council of Canada (from 2010 to 2018). He has been a very active corporate director, and currently serves as Chair of the Boards of Directors of CIBC Bank USA and CAE, and is a Board Director of TELUS. He is the immediate past chair of CIBC.

An Officer of the Order of Canada, Mr. Manley graduated from Carleton University in mathematics and political science, and in law from the University of Ottawa where he was the gold medalist and subsequently served as law clerk to the Chief Justice of Canada, Bora Laskin. He is the recipient of many awards and honours, including honorary doctorates from six Canadian Universities. He is also an honorary Chief of the Blood Nation of Alberta.

Isabelle Courville, F.ICD

Chair, Canadian Pacific Railways; Chair, HR Committee, SNC-Lavalin; Director, Veolia Environment, IGOPP

Isabelle Courville, F.ICD

Chair, Canadian Pacific Railways; Chair, HR Committee, SNC-Lavalin; Director, Veolia Environment, IGOPP

Dr. James (Jim) D. Fleck, C.C., BA, DBA, LLD, DSL, F.ICD

Past Chair and Director of numerous public, private, non-profit and government boards

Dr. James (Jim) D. Fleck, C.C., BA, DBA, LLD, DSL, F.ICD

Past Chair and Director of numerous public, private, non-profit and government boards

Harold (Hal) Kvisle, P.Eng, MBA, FCAE, F.ICD

Chair, Finning International, ARC Resources; Director, Cenovus Energy

Harold (Hal) Kvisle, P.Eng, MBA, FCAE, F.ICD

Chair, Finning International, ARC Resources; Director, Cenovus Energy

Honourable John Manley, P.C., O.C., F.ICD

Chair, CIBC Bank USA and CAE; Chair, Governance Committee, Telus

Honourable John Manley, P.C., O.C., F.ICD

Chair, CIBC Bank USA and CAE; Chair, Governance Committee, Telus

Directors on the Move

Rita Achrekar, ICD.D

Board Member – Farm Credit Canada, Canadian Investor Protection Fund

Rita Achrekar, ICD.D

Board Member – Farm Credit Canada, Canadian Investor Protection Fund

Ms. Achrekar is an accomplished financial services leader with over 25 years of experience in global capital markets, risk management, governance, and innovation. Ms. Achrekar currently serves as an Executive in Residence at the Global Risk Institute. Prior to that, she held various Senior Vice-President positions at a leading Canadian bank in market risk management, corporate credit, and compliance transformation.

Ms. Achrekar is a Board member of Farm Credit Canada and the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF). Previously, she served on the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada’s (IIROC) Board from 2015 to 2019.

Ms. Achrekar holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors. She has completed Advanced Management Program at Wharton Business School, has a Master of Business Administration from Mumbai University’s Jamnalal Bajaj Institute and a Bachelor of Technology (Electrical Engineering) from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. She was awarded the Financial Risk Manager (FRM) designation by the Global Association of Risk Professionals.

Su Taylor, ICD.D

Board Member: Oakville Enterprises Corporation; Eva’s Initiatives (Chair of the HR Committee); Yves Landry Foundation (Chair of the Administration/Nominating Committee)

Su Taylor, ICD.D

Board Member: Oakville Enterprises Corporation; Eva’s Initiatives (Chair of the HR Committee); Yves Landry Foundation (Chair of the Administration/Nominating Committee)

Su brings to the boards she serves over 25 years of Human Resources experience in both publicly traded and private equity owned global companies in industries such as manufacturing and telecom.

Prior to establishing her Human Resources strategic consulting firm, she was the Vice-President, Human Resources at Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd., where she worked with the Executive team and the Board on the company’s talent strategy, CEO succession, team effectiveness and employee engagement.

She also provides a unique view with her previous experience as an Executive Compensation consultant at Mercer where her focus was on corporate governance, pay for performance, shareholder accountability and total rewards.

Su was also with Nortel Networks in various Human Resources positions, most notably responsible for Executive and Equity Compensation where she was involved in shareholder plan approvals, pay for performance plan design and oversight of the equity programs on a global basis.

Su received her ICD.D designation in 2016 and holds a Masters of Industrial Relations from the University of Toronto as well as an undergraduate degree from McGill University

Rakesh Saraf

ICD.D

Board member, UBC Investment Management Trust Inc., BeneSys, Inc., and Skyline Renewable LLC; Member, Board of Governors and Senator at University of Alberta

Rakesh Saraf

ICD.D

Board member, UBC Investment Management Trust Inc., BeneSys, Inc., and Skyline Renewable LLC; Member, Board of Governors and Senator at University of Alberta

Rakesh Saraf is a senior private equity and infrastructure investments professional. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Chennai, India; a Master of Management Studies from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, University of Mumbai, India; a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation; and is an ICD.D Charterholder since 2008.

He has over 30 years’ experience in investment management, governance, strategy, growth/scaling up, audit/risk management and HR/compensation. Draws from a diverse set of experiences rooted in hands-on principal investing across multiple strategies, industries and numerous direct equity situations. General management techniques are grounded by strong quantitative analytical investment skills. International experience in all facets of investment management, spanning both Private and Public Market investments.

He was a Senior executive at Alberta Teachers’ Retirement Fund Board and Alberta Investment Management Corp., where he represented both organizations at the Board of Directors of investee companies that included RTL-Westcan, Klemke Mining Corporation, and NCSG Ltd, and was a Director of the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association.

He is currently a Board member of UBC Investment Management Trust Inc., a company that has been entrusted with the responsibility of investing UBC’s Endowment Fund and the Staff Pension Plan; BeneSys, Inc., a provider of Taft-Hartley Trust Fund Administration and Information Technology services; Skyline Renewable LLC, an independent wind power producer; and POI Business Interiors a Workspace Interiors and Office Furniture Company.

He also serves his community as Member, Board of Governors and Senator at University of Alberta.

Priya Patil

ICD.D

Board of Directors, Rambler Metals & Mining PLC, Council of Great Lakes Region

Priya Patil

ICD.D

Board of Directors, Rambler Metals & Mining PLC, Council of Great Lakes Region

Ms. Patil is a senior capital markets and legal professional. She brings 25+ years of experience in the financial services; natural resources and public companies in Canada, the U.S. and India. She was a senior executive at Toronto Stock Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange (global diversified industries); Managing Director both at PI Financial and Loewen, Ondaatje, McCutcheon, full service investment banks. Her legal career was as the General Counsel & Corporate Secretary - Breakwater Resources; Business & Finance Attorney- Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison, Palo Alto, California; Corporate Counsel - General Motors (Canada); Dundee and GMP Securities; and merchant banker at State Bank of India, Mumbai. She was a director and chair of the audit committee at Alexandria Minerals (TSX-V merged with O3 Mining); director/advisory at Faculty of Law at University of Ottawa; Council of the Great Lakes Region; DMZ at Ryerson University; ACG.Org (American PE industry organization); TiE, a Silicon Valley organization for global entrepreneurship and YWCA Toronto.

A member of the California and Ontario Bars and ICD.D charterholder since 2014. Earned a J.D. (cum laude) from the University of Ottawa and B.Sc. (Honours) (Computer Sciences and Statistics) from the University of Bombay. Her personal interests are varied – trade, international affairs; capital markets; the arts and ancient culture; travel; preservation of historical treasures and environment; animal welfare; mentoring.

Sarosh Nanavati

ICD.D

Director, Care Canada, Yayasan Care Peduli and Raise Production

Sarosh Nanavati

ICD.D

Director, Care Canada, Yayasan Care Peduli and Raise Production

Sarosh is an ESG-focused capital markets professional and an experienced institutional investor. He currently provides corporate ESG consulting services and writes ESG-themed investment research.

On the board of CARE Canada, Sarosh sits as Chair of the Governance, Nomination and Human Resources Committee and on the Finance, Audit & Risk Management Committee. He serves on the board of Yayasan CARE Peduli, , and was recently appointed to the board of Raise Production.

Sarosh holds the ICD.D designation, is a CFA Charter holder, holds an MBA (UBC Sauder) and a B.Com. (University of Toronto), and is an FSA Level I Candidate (SASB).

Kulvir Singh Gill

ICD.D

Board of Directors, Canada Nickel Company; Advisory Board, Summit Nanotech

Kulvir Singh Gill

ICD.D

Board of Directors, Canada Nickel Company; Advisory Board, Summit Nanotech

Mr. Kulvir Singh Gill was recently appointed to the board of directors of Canada Nickel Company and to the advisory board of Summit Nanotech.

Mr Gill has twenty years of experience working with innovation and sustainability within the global mining industry. He works with the strategy firm Clareo to lead innovation and growth projects for international Fortune 500 clients across multiple industries. He was the Founding Executive Director of the Development Partner Institute (DPI) which advanced sustainability in the mining industry. He has also recently served as the Innovation Ecosystem Manager for the Canadian Mining Innovation Council (CMIC). He began his career with Oliver Wyman before holding several corporate positions with Barrick Gold.

He is also co-founder of the Seva Food Bank in Mississauga and serves on the boards of the William Osler Health System, the Empire Club of Canada and the Sikh Research Institute. Mr. Gill is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and a 2010 Action Canada Fellow. He holds a B.Sc. and a B. Comm. from the University of Calgary.

Dexter John

ICD.D

Director, Organigram Holdings Inc., and Financial Services Regulatory Authority (Ontario)

Dexter John

ICD.D

Director, Organigram Holdings Inc., and Financial Services Regulatory Authority (Ontario)

Dexter is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Gryphon Advisors Inc. Dexter is responsible for the North American business where he leads a team of experienced governance and financial professionals.

With over 25 years of experience in capital markets, Dexter has a strong knowledge of corporate law and a thorough understanding of financial markets. From his work at major Canadian law firms, boutique investment banks to his tenure at the Investment Dealers Association, Ontario Securities Commission and the Toronto Stock Exchange, Dexter has a strong public equities market background as well as significant regulatory experience.

Dexter’s career as a director and board advisor spans more than 10 years. He was the Chairman of Partners Real Estate Investment Trust, director of Augustine Ventures Inc. (now Red Pine Exploration). Dexter currently sits on the board of Organigram Holdings Inc. where he is a member of the Audit committee, Nominating and Governance Committee and Chair of the Investment Committee and he was recently appointed to the bord of the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (Ontario).

Dexter holds the ICD.D designation and received his law degree from Queen’s University and holds a Mathematics for Commerce degree from York University.