MEET THE BOARD AND COMMITTEES

Terri Lohnes is the founder of Tekama Advisory, a consulting practice focused on advancing health sector innovation and success. She is a dynamic executive with over 25 years of experience in the public, private, and not for profit sectors and is a seasoned strategy, governance and operations leader. Her career has spanned senior roles in the Ontario Government, GE Healthcare, and Optimus SBR, an award winning management consulting firm. Terri is on the Advisory Board for Curious Public, and on Medtech Canada’s National Digital Health Council, Federal Affairs and Ontario Committees. She is an advisor to emerging Canadian health tech innovators for Communitech’s Fast Track Health program and was recently on the Inaugural Advisory Board for GE Healthcare Canada’s Edison Accelerator Program working with start-ups in AI imaging. Terri was a past Board member of Genetic Aortic Disorders Association (GADA) Canada and has served on the CivicAction Champions Council for Mental Health in the Workplace, Ontario Chamber of Commerce Health Transformation Council, and the IAM Health Advisory Board. Terri has an undergraduate degree in Economics and a Master of Public Administration from Queen’s University.

Serkan Eskinazi has 25+ years of experience in financial services industry spanning audit, strategy, finance, and private equity. He is currently the Managing Director and Head of Merchant Banking, the group which encompasses the private equity activities of BMO Capital Markets. In addition to his business oversight responsibilities, Serkan is responsible for managing the private equity fund and equity co-investment programs under BMO Capital Markets. He is a member of the investment committee of these programs and represents BMO on the limited partner advisory committees of several private equity funds. Prior to joining BMO Capital Markets, Serkan worked in the Audit and Assurance Services group of PwC in Istanbul. Serkan immigrated to Canada from Turkey in 1999. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from the Middle East Technical University in Turkey and an MBA degree from McGill University. He is a CFA Charterholder and holds an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.  Outside of work, Serkan volunteers in Non-for-Profit organizations, and previously served as a Board member and Treasurer of St. Stephen’s Community House, a social service agency that offers free programs to address poverty, homelessness, mental health, and youth unemployment in Toronto.

Raquel Insa is a finance executive and board director with more than 30 years of international experience in public companies, engineering, infrastructure, environmental services, and capital-intensive sectors. She currently serves as Chief Financial Officer and Board Director at Quasar Consulting Group, a multidisciplinary engineering and environmental consulting firm, where she supports strategic growth, governance, financial oversight, and operational transformation initiatives. Previously, she served as Chief Financial Officer of CHAR Technologies Ltd., a TSXV-listed cleantech company, leading financial governance, audit oversight, strategic transactions, project finance, and risk management. Throughout her career, Raquel has held senior finance and operational leadership roles across Europe, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Canada, supporting organizational growth, restructuring, governance transformation, and multi-jurisdictional operations. Having rebuilt her career in Canada as a newcomer, Raquel is deeply committed to supporting internationally trained professionals and advancing equitable access to opportunity. She previously served on the Board of Hispanotech, a TRIEC-affiliated Professional Immigrant Network (PIN), including as Chair of the Treasury & Governance Committee. Through mentorship, community engagement, and inclusive hiring initiatives, she has supported workforce integration and career advancement for internationally educated talent. During her leadership tenure at Quasar, she championed inclusive hiring practices that helped build a highly diverse workforce and supported newcomer engineers entering the Canadian job market. Raquel continues to mentor newcomer professionals and actively support initiatives that promote workforce integration and community inclusion. Raquel holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. She also holds an International MBA from IE Business School and completed a corporate finance program at UCLA Anderson School of Management. She is passionate about governance, strategic leadership, and contributing to organizations that create meaningful community impact.

Rob Fowlie is a Chartered Professional Accountant with over 30 years of business experience in audit, accounting, risk advisory and specialized services. Recently, Rob retired as a Partner from the accounting firm MNP LLP. Prior to joining MNP in 2020, Rob was a Partner at Deloitte Canada serving the firm’s client in North and South America for 25 years. Rob brings expertise in financial oversight, enterprise risk management, and governance to the Board of Achēv. He has advised boards and management in the private, public and not for profit sectors on matters impacting their financial stewardship, enterprise risk, internal controls, and regulatory accountability. Rob is active on a number of Boards engaged in community and charitable initiatives, with a focus on organizations that support vulnerable populations and protect the environment. Rob is a graduate of the University of Waterloo and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics. Rob is married with three adult children. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, golf, international travel and spending time with family and friends.

Margaret Zanel is an accomplished board member and strategic advisor with over 25 years of executive experience spanning Fortune 100 companies, start-ups, and private equity ventures in North America's professional services, technology, and consumer packaged goods sectors. Margaret is Co-founder and Partner, Strategy and Leadership at Wentworth Strategy Group providing expert advice to boards, CEOs, and leadership teams to support their growth and long-term sustainability. Margaret has deep expertise in strategy, scaling, culture, and change management, excelling in executive alignment, risk management, and strategic execution. Margaret currently serves on McMaster University’s Senate and is a member of the McMaster Alumni Association’s Board of Directors. Previously, Margaret served on the advisory boards of two Canadian women-owned start-ups in ride-hailing services and bio-conservation tech.  She also served as a subsidiary board member of Xerox Canada Ltd. Margaret holds an MBA in International Business from McMaster University and achieved her ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. Margaret is an instructor with the Executive Education program of the DeGroote School of Business, teaching courses on strategy and equity, diversity, and inclusion. She is also a lead facilitator for the World Trade Centre's Trade Accelerator Program (TAP). In 2018, Margaret was selected as one of Diversity MBA Magazine's "Top 50 over 50", and in 2020 she was recognized as one of Diversity MBA Magazine’s, "Top 100 Women of Influence".

Leslie is a former HR executive with a law degree and more than 30 years of diverse experience in global corporations, as well as in consulting.  She has worked with many executive teams and Boards on strategic talent and culture programs.  Leslie has a proven track record for driving change and leading the integration of acquisitions.  She also has broad expertise across a range of human resource areas including compensation and benefits, culture change and employment branding, attraction and retention, labour relations, diversity and inclusion and HR processes and systems.   Leslie was the head of Human Resources at Extendicare most recently and, prior to that, at OpenText.  Both are large, Canadian-based publicly traded companies.  Leslie also spent more than a decade in various HR leadership roles at Agrium (now Nutrien) based out of Calgary.  In addition, she worked for 15 years as an HR consultant with Mercer, including as a Principal with the Executive Compensation Consulting practice. Leslie holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts (Economics) from Queen’s University and has completed the Advanced HR Executive Program at the Ross School of Business of the University of Michigan. Leslie is currently a member of the People & Culture Committee of Diabetes Canada’s Board and a member of the Board and Quality Committee for Kinark Child and Family Services.

Tracey Taylor-O’Reilly brings over two decades of executive experience.  Before joining Pathways to Education Canada as President & Chief Executive Officer, Tracey held leadership and teaching positions at York and McMaster universities and worked in the public and consulting sectors. She joined York University in December 2013 with the mandate to create a pan-university School to support adult and non-traditional learners, and founded the York University School of Continuing Studies. Tracey and her team created what became an internationally award-winning School in English language and professional education that is among the largest of its kind in North America, serving students from over 130 countries. In 2021, Tracey was honoured with the WXN Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada award, and with a Stevie award as the global Female Executive of the Year in the large government and non-profit category.  A Chartered Director (C.Dir.), she has also served as a Director and as President of the Canadian Association for University Continuing Education.  

Kim Warburton is a strategic communications and public affairs executive with extensive experience building corporate reputation and brand, stakeholder relationships, and employee engagement. She has held senior global and national positions in the multinational, financial, advertising and telecommunications sectors, including roles with TD Bank Group, GE, and Bell Canada. She has worked in the Ontario government focusing on workforce skills and economic development. Kim is currently Vice President Strategic Communications and Public Affairs at Geotab. Kim’s interests include navigating the changing nature of work, economic participation and opportunity, and life-long learning. She recently served as Chair and Director of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and is a Director of Actua, a national organization engaging youth in STEM to build employability skills and confidence. She has also served as advisor on Mississauga’s Economic Development Advisory Board, and as Chair and Director of the Trillium Health Partners Hospital Foundation.

Marlon is a dynamic leader with over 15 years experience working in the not-for-profit, consulting and financial services industries. He has extensive experience crafting businesses long-term vision, providing strategic leadership, financial management and accounting expertise for various organizations. His skillset includes investments management, financial reporting, analytics, strategic planning, governance, risk management, process automation and system implementations. Marlon also has experience serving on other boards. Marlon holds a Master of Business Administration from Oxford Brookes University, CPA, CGA designation from CPA Ontario, and he is a Fellow Chartered Certified Accountant at ACCA.

Mark Lukowski is an accomplished leader, director, and senior executive who has achieved noteworthy results in six business sectors as well as the not-for-profit sector. He has 25+ years of board membership as a director, chair of the board, vice chair, committee chair and CEO reporting to the board with profit and not-for-profit organizations. Mark served as director, Board Chair, Chair of the Governance/Nominating/Compensation Committee at the NDTC- a large national recycling service provider. He is the former Chief Executive Officer of Children Believe where he led the organization’s efforts to develop unique global alliances and advance the organization’s vision of a world where every child can achieve their full potential. During his tenure as CEO the organization was named a “Top 25 Charity in Canada” by the National Post newspaper. Mark also led the organization's efforts to achieve Imagine Canada accreditation. Previous to his not-for-profit experience, Mark worked for over 25 years as a senior executive in multiple business sectors. His leadership experience ranged from working with small family-owned businesses to large multinationals, including Hewlett-Packard, Motorola, and Clarke Inc. where he was responsible for growing revenue, increasing profits, and implementing global alliances. Mark has MBA and Bachelor of Mathematics degrees, and ICD.D (Institute Corporate Directors) accreditation. Mark was recognized by United College (formerly St. Paul’s University College) as “Distinguished Alumnus Exemplary Service to Community.”  

Branka Halilovic is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of experience leading technology innovation initiatives, optimizing business operations, and delivering exceptional client and stakeholder services. She most recently served as Vice President, Operations at University Niagara Falls Canada l, where she oversaw operations, IT services, facilities management, enrolment management, and risk and compliance, driving innovation and operational efficiency while enhancing the experience for students, staff, and faculty. Branka has held senior leadership roles at York University and Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), following an earlier career at Teranet. She brings extensive governance and board experience. Branka served on the Board of Governors at Toronto Metropolitan University, contributing to the Executive, Finance, Employee Relations, and Pension Committees. She also served as President of the Board of Directors at Swansea Kids Place, a non-profit community daycare. Branka is deeply committed to community engagement and supports global, national, and local charitable initiatives. She holds a Master of Business Administration in Management of Technology and Innovation from Toronto Metropolitan University and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

Ruth Woods has more than 35 years executive experience in professional services management, investment banking and consulting. She has held the position of Chief Operating Officer of Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, where she was responsible for Finance, IT, HR, Facilities and Administration. Prior to Osler she was a founding partner of Hugessen Consulting Inc, Senior Vice President; Global Head of Human Resources at Scotia Capital; and a Founding Director of Women in Capital Markets. Ruth is currently on the board of Scarborough Health Network, and has served on the Bishop Strachan School and Royal St. George’s College Boards of Governors as Vice-Chair and Chair respectively, and on the board of Kinross Gold Corp. Ruth graduated from the University of Toronto with a Masters of Business Administration, and from the University of Waterloo with a Bachelor of Mathematics.

Paulo Salomao has 20+ years of consulting and executive experience across strategy, operations, and technology. He is currently the National Strategy & Consulting Lead at Accenture, where he works with clients to unlock value at the intersection of business and technology. Prior to joining Accenture, Paulo held executive positions at Manulife, Aimia, and OMERS. He began his career in Canada at McKinsey & Company, where he worked for 5 years. In terms of education, Paulo earned a B.Eng. in Control and Automation from Unicamp in Brazil, an M.A.Sc. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Toronto, and an M.B.A. from the Rotman School of Management. Outside of his professional responsibilities, Paulo serves as an Executive in Residence at Rotman and advises early-stage companies. Paulo moved to Canada from Brazil in 2004, and he currently resides in Toronto with his wife, their two children, and two dogs.

Paul Webber is an experienced executive with a history of working with organizational and human resources leaders in the design, management, and communication of their corporate health benefit, retirement, and talent management strategies across a diverse range of industries.  Paul has extensive operational and consulting experience within the pension and benefits industry.  In addition to his consulting experience, Paul has several years of HR leadership, having managed the benefit, disability, and retirement programs for PwC in Canada.  Paul values collaboration and honest communication and understands how various HR programs can positively affect Canadians’ financial, physical, and emotional well-being.  He has previously contributed as a Senior Committee member with the Community Foundation of Mississauga, and is currently a member of the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario’s Pension Technical Advisory Committee, and a volunteer fundraiser with The Shoebox Project, Mississauga Chapter.

Jenine Gregory is a finance professional with experience in the areas of Internal and External Audit, Corporate Recovery, Financial and Investment Operations as well as Risk.  Her industry exposure includes Professional Services, Financial Services, Pension Administration, Investment Management as well as Public Sector, particularly in transit capital build and operations. Jenine believes strongly in servant leadership and is passionate about giving back to organizations whose mandate is to enrich the lives and living standards of individuals. In her spare time Jenine likes taking brisk walks, cycling and generally spending time with friends and family.  She looks forward to and welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the mission and work of Achēv.        

Lisa Taillefer is a purpose-driven HR leader with a passion for growth, gravitating towards scalable or turn-around opportunities.  Over her career she has helped organizations navigate growth, change and talent challenges while aiming to ensure the workplace is one where all can continuously thrive.  Known for her fast, pragmatic approach, Lisa brings expertise in culture change, leadership development, and employee engagement.  She is also an active community member, balanced with being an avid hiker and traveler.

Melissa Qi is a public-sector leader with experience across municipal, regional, provincial, and regulatory environments, including both the political and administrative sides of government. She is currently the Director of Strategic Services & Initiatives in the Office of the CAO at the City of Brampton, where she advances corporate priorities, strategic initiatives, stakeholder relationships, and complex projects in a fast-growing municipality. Melissa brings experience in public policy, operational management, financial oversight, navigating legal and regulatory frameworks, and partnership-building, along with consulting experience in real estate, food services, and regulated industries. She has also contributed to community and civic organizations, including previously serving on Achēv’s Board of Directors, Governance and Nominating Committee, and Finance and Audit Committee. As a member of the Corporate Partnership Committee, Melissa is passionate about supporting partnerships and programs that create opportunity, strengthen communities, and help individuals achieve their full potential.

Sahar Rahman is currently the Vice President, Insurance Growth & Health Solutions at OTIP, where she leads strategic initiatives focused on growth, innovation, and the development of integrated health solutions that improve member outcomes and experience in the education sector. Sahar brings deep experience in healthcare, insurance, and digital health, leading growth strategies, partnerships, and transformative initiatives across mental health, women's health, virtual care, pharmacy, and integrated care. She has also served on boards and advisory committees within the mental health sector, contributing her expertise to organizations focused on improving access to care and supporting community well-being. Passionate about creating opportunities for individuals and communities to thrive, Sahar is committed to fostering innovation, inclusion, and sustainable growth. Through her involvement with ACHĒV, she looks forward to supporting initiatives that empower newcomers, job seekers, and diverse communities across Canada. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

With over 30 years in corporate Canada, Pat Tremaine has been instrumental in shaping iconic brands. Starting at Nabisco, she refined her skills managing products like Oreo and Ritz. At Bell Canada, she led Sympatico to market leadership as GM and directed the company's western expansion as SVP Marketing. After a successful consulting career with clients such as RBC Insurance and Sobeys, Pat now focuses on guiding pre-revenue start-ups in business and marketing strategies. She is also dedicated to mentoring young women and contributes to the International Women’s Forum and Achēv’s business development committee.  

  Shanice is a savvy political advisor with tactical experience in the field, and brings in-depth knowledge of political and media trends, strategic communications tactics and issues management.  She brings expertise in crafting an effective message and delivering it to the right audiences. Driven by her passion for clear communication, Shanice crafts narratives and messages that bridge the gap between complex ideas and public understanding. Shanice is a trusted advisor to clients across many sectors, and has served as a key advisor to elected officials and executives, helping them effectively engage with public and government audiences to achieve their strategic objectives. Shanice has advised and worked with power producers, research-based pharmaceutical manufacturers, digital platform companies, associations representing health care workers and regulatory bodies. Prior to joining Burson, Shanice also worked for two Members of Parliament in Guelph and has extensive experience working on political campaigns at the federal, provincial and municipal level. Shanice has served both the former Premier of Ontario and the Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. As a Communications Advisor, Shanice developed strategic communication and media strategies, including communications support for the Premier and Ontario Cabinet Ministers on their many trade missions throughout the United States in support of Canada’s NAFTA re-negotiations. Shanice holds a BA in Criminal Justice Public Policy and Political Science from the University of Guelph and is the Chair of the Equal Voice Toronto steering committee.  

Claire-Anne is a seasoned bilingual business leader with over 25 years of experience in finance, strategic planning, and business development. Currently serving as a Regional Manager at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Claire-Anne leads a team responsible for delivering innovative financing solutions to increase affordable housing in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. With a proven track record of building strong partnerships and driving impactful initiatives, Claire-Anne is committed to making a positive difference in the community. A recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, Claire-Anne is passionate about giving back and supporting charitable causes.

Kim Warburton is a strategic communications and public affairs executive with extensive experience building corporate reputation and brand, stakeholder relationships, and employee engagement. She has held senior global and national positions in the multinational, financial, advertising and telecommunications sectors, including roles with TD Bank Group, GE, and Bell Canada. She has worked in the Ontario government focusing on workforce skills and economic development. Kim is currently Vice President Strategic Communications and Public Affairs at Geotab. Kim’s interests include navigating the changing nature of work, economic participation and opportunity, and life-long learning. She recently served as Chair and Director of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and is a Director of Actua, a national organization engaging youth in STEM to build employability skills and confidence. She has also served as advisor on Mississauga’s Economic Development Advisory Board, and as Chair and Director of the Trillium Health Partners Hospital Foundation.

Terri Lohnes is the founder of Tekama Advisory, a consulting practice focused on advancing health sector innovation and success. She is a dynamic executive with over 25 years of experience in the public, private, and not for profit sectors and is a seasoned strategy, governance and operations leader. Her career has spanned senior roles in the Ontario Government, GE Healthcare, and Optimus SBR, an award winning management consulting firm. Terri is on the Advisory Board for Curious Public, and on Medtech Canada’s National Digital Health Council, Federal Affairs and Ontario Committees. She is an advisor to emerging Canadian health tech innovators for Communitech’s Fast Track Health program and was recently on the Inaugural Advisory Board for GE Healthcare Canada’s Edison Accelerator Program working with start-ups in AI imaging. Terri was a past Board member of Genetic Aortic Disorders Association (GADA) Canada and has served on the CivicAction Champions Council for Mental Health in the Workplace, Ontario Chamber of Commerce Health Transformation Council, and the IAM Health Advisory Board. Terri has an undergraduate degree in Economics and a Master of Public Administration from Queen’s University.

With over three decades of distinguished leadership in technology, Rekha Rao-Mayya is a seasoned technical leader, who has made a lasting impact across companies such as Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, and Oracle. As the former CEO of a Not-for-Profit organization, she has demonstrated her commitment to social impact. Rekha is an engineer by education, and also holds an executive leadership certification from George Mason University and a board governance certification from Wharton, further highlighting her commitment to excellence. She is a sought after speaker at prominent platforms, including distinguished venues like The Walrus. Leveraging her wealth of experience, she serves on the board of two Canadian technology startups and contributes her expertise to the advisory councils for OntarioTech University and the Canadian Red Cross. Widely recognized for her inclusive leadership, she has garnered awards from organizations like CSPN and WCT for her outstanding contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Most recently, Rekha co-founded a technology startup (currently in stealth mode) and desires to use her skills to solve interesting problems that impact the planet.

An experienced communications practitioner, Janice leads with a passionate focus on delivering smart, creative and insightful strategies to help organizations successfully navigate the ever-changing business and social ecosystems. A firm believer in the power of integration, her expertise lies in building and leading campaigns and teams to leverage the bridges between policy, issues, products and audiences to attain desired outcomes. During her 20+ year career she’s worked with some of the most prominent companies in the world on some of the largest issues in Canada. Janice is dedicated to the infusion of diversity and inclusion in everything she does - working towards a future where there’s equity for all.

  Margaret has over 25 years of transformational leadership with technology and innovation-driven organizations, both as an operator and board advisor. While Country Leader of Salesforce Canada, Margaret doubled annual revenue, guiding the cloud SAAS provider through major geopolitical and technological shifts, including the evolution from CRM to AI platform leadership. Previously, Margaret held senior executive roles at BlackBerry, architecting the company’s hardware to cyber security software provider transformation, and at SAP, pioneering Canada’s shift to a Big Data and Analytics powerhouse. Margaret is recognized for expertise in strategic go-to-market planning, M&A leadership, and risk management, delivering profitable growth and operational excellence across global markets. A sought-after speaker on technology-driven business outcomes, she is passionate about talent development and fostering inclusive, high-performing cultures.Margaret also serves as Innovation and Applied Research Advisor to Kids Help Phone, Advisor to the Toronto Metropolitan University Ted Rogers Sales Leadership Program, a member of the Corporate Partnership Committee at Achev, and has held board positions with the Mackenzie Innovation Institute and ITAC. Margaret holds a Computer Science Degree from Trinity College in Dublin Ireland. Margaret’s diverse experience across technology, strategy, and operations equips her to help organizations navigate disruption and unlock new value in an era of rapid change.