Our GRI Executives in Residence assist GRI management in the development of leading edge enterprise risk management research and education programs, drawing on their specific areas of expertise and contributing to the building of risk management capacity and capability across various industry sectors.
Janet L. Ecker was President and CEO of the Toronto Financial Services Alliance (TFSA), a growing public–private partnership dedicated to building Toronto as a global financial services centre. With government and industry support, she has also established the Global Risk Institute in Financial Services to leverage the sector’s global reputation for stability, as well as the Centre of Excellence in Financial Services Education to capitalize on Toronto region’s talent advantages.
A former Ontario Finance Minister, Janet also held the portfolios of Minister of Education, Minister of Community and Social Services and Government House Leader. Janet currently sits on a number of corporate and non-profit boards and agencies and is also a member of the Ontario Finance Minister’s Economic Advisory Panel.
A frequent public speaker and media commentator, she was recognized in 2010 as one of the “Most Influential People in the World’s Financial Centres” by Financial Centres International and received a “Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award” from the Women’s Executive Network and the Richard Ivey School of Business in 2003. She is also one of the founders of Equal Voice, a national, multi-partisan organization working to elect more women.
Gerard McDonald is widely respected in the financial services for his leadership in operational risk, governance and compliance. With experience in the financial sector spanning more than two decades, Gerard was most recently Managing Director, Head of Research at the Global Risk Institute. Previously, he held a number of senior positions over 17 years with BMO Financial Group, including Vice-President, Risk and Compliance, Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking, from 2018 to 2022. Prior to that he worked as an Engagement Manager with McKinsey & Company, where he advised clients in the financial services as well as other sectors.
Gerard holds a Ph.D. in Economics and an M.Phil in Economics from Yale University, where he was an SSHRC Doctoral Fellow, and Cowles Prize Fellow. He sits on the board of the Revue Film Society and has previously served on the board of Howard Park Children’s Centre.
Vanda Vicars is an Executive Consultant with GRI, focusing on strategic projects for the organization. She was previously Chief Operating Officer and Corporate Secretary from 2019 to 2024, and led Corporate Services, Education and Events, Marketing and Communications, and Research.
A respected C-suite executive with 30 years of executive leadership experience in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Sector, Vanda has held senior roles at leading organizations including CEO, Canada Infrastructure Services, Capgemini; President, Capgemini Canada; Senior Vice President of ICT Solutions, Bell Canada; and Vice-President Technical Support, IBM Canada.
Vanda oversees the cyber risk file at GRI, and delivers board-level education on the topic of cybersecurity oversight. Over the course of her career, she and her teams have delivered project and cyber services to the financial sector and various government entities.
Holding a BBA, Management Science from Bishop’s University, Vanda completed the CERT Certificate in Cybersecurity Oversight from Carnegie Mellon University, Software Engineering Institute. She attended the Director’s Education Program at University of Toronto and holds the ICD.D designation.
Vanda participated in the Fellows program of the International Women’s Foundation (IWF) at Harvard Business School (U.S.) and the Changes in Global Leadership Program at Cambridge’s Judge Business School (UK). She has been an advocate for women and diversity in the ICT sector as an executive coach, mentor, and leader of diversity programs at IBM and Bell Canada.
Rita Achrekar is a seasoned corporate director and former banking executive, recognized for her expertise in global capital markets, risk management, governance, and business transformation. She currently serves on the boards of QuadReal Property Group, ICICI Bank Canada, Farm Credit Canada, and the Canadian Investor Protection Fund, and has previously served on the boards of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada and Scotia Commodities Inc.
Rita held several senior executive roles at Scotiabank, where she was instrumental in shaping the bank’s strategic direction through initiatives in risk governance, market and liquidity risk, corporate credit, and compliance transformation. Her leadership spanned global markets and contributed to enhanced risk management frameworks and operational excellence during a period of significant industry transformation. She started her career as an FX trader, holding senior treasury and trading roles at American Express Bank and ING Bank.
A trusted voice in the industry, Rita is frequently invited to speak on topics such as risk management, governance, and global markets. She holds the ICD.D designation and has completed the Advanced Management Program from the Wharton Business School, a Bachelor of Technology (Electrical Engineering) from the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, and an MBA from the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai University. She was awarded Financial Risk Manager and Sustainability and Climate Risk designations by the Global Association of Risk Professionals.
She was awarded Financial Risk Manager (FRM) and Sustainability and Climate Risk (SCR) designations by the Global Association of Risk Professionals.
Raza Hasan is a senior executive with over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has held leadership roles across various sectors and has extensive exposure to jurisdictions in North America, the Caribbean, Asia, and the UK. He is currently Principal at KINS Advisors Inc., providing strategic guidance on finance, business operations, and risk.
Previously, Raza was Lead Chief Risk Officer for Wealth and Personal Banking, Americas, at HSBC, overseeing risk across multiple countries, including Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. He also held executive roles at CIBC, including President & CEO of CIBC Mortgages Inc. and Senior Vice President, Risk Management, with oversight of retail, wealth, and segments of the commercial banking portfolio. Prior to that, he held senior roles in wealth and asset management.
Raza has served on various industry groups, including CMHC’s Senior Lender Working Committee, and on boards such as the Investment Funds Institute of Canada and American Century Investments.
He holds the ICD.D designation, is a CPA (Ontario) and Chartered Accountant (England & Wales), and completed the Advanced Risk Management Program at Wharton. He is a board member of the Oakville Hospital Foundation and serves on the United Way Greater Toronto Campaign Cabinet. His contributions have been recognized with the King Charles III Coronation Medal (2025) and the Canada Sesquicentennial Award (2017).
Timothy Lane served as Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada from 2009-2022. He was McConnell Professor of Practice in the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University for the 2024-25 academic year. He is also a Senior Fellow of the Centre for International Governance Innovation and of the CD Howe Institute for Public Policy.
As Deputy Governor, he participated in monetary policy decisions and held a series of responsibilities that spanned the Bank of Canada’s core economic and financial policy functions, including work related to the global economy and financial markets. He led the bank’s work on payments modernization, digital finance, and the exploration of a potential central bank digital currency (CBDC). He served as the bank’s G7 and G20 deputy, participated in several international committees, and led international working groups on a number of financial system issues.
Prior to joining the Bank of Canada, Timothy served for 20 years on the staff of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). During that period, he worked on a wide range of issues and engaged with a number of advanced and emerging market economies. He spent 2004-05 on leave from the IMF as a Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford. Before joining the IMF, he served as Assistant Professor of Economics at Michigan State University and as Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Iowa. He has published research on monetary policy and on a wide variety of other topics related to economic and financial policy. He holds a BA from Carleton University and an MA and PhD from the University of Western Ontario.
Anthony Peccia is a highly respected expert in the field of risk management and capital markets, with a distinguished career as a senior executive and educator. He has held key Managing Director positions at several leading global banks, including Citibank, CIBC, BMO, and RBC, where he was responsible for chairing the Risk Committees and the Cyber Risk Committees and for overseeing the management of credit, market, liquidity, operational, and pension fund risks. He has led the creation and management of new departments, including those focused on Market Risk, Operational Risk, the Option Hedging Group, Strategic Investment Group, and Treasury Strategy Group.
Anthony has held leadership roles in asset liability management, capital market financing, corporate insurance, structured derivatives, and securitization at several global banks, and as a consultant has provided expert consultation to major international banks in the development of risk management frameworks and strategies. He started his career as a US equity trader at a major asset management firm.
He developed the first industry operational risk measurement model and founded the Industry Working Group on Operational Risk, which included 15 of the largest global banks. The group provided consultation to the Basel Committee as it developed a regulatory approach to operational risk management, and most of its recommendations were incorporated into Basel II.
Anthony is also an accomplished educator, teaching advanced risk management and financial innovation MBA-level courses at leading universities and executive programs in Canada, the US, the UK, Italy, and China. He has published articles and chapters on risk management and is a frequent keynote speaker at major risk management and fintech conferences. He has also produced two conferences on Machine Learning Startups and Innovation in Financial Services.
He holds an MBA and MSC in Theoretical Physics
Michael Stramaglia was appointed as the Global Risk Institute’s first Executive in Residence in January 2014. He is the President and Founder of Matrisc Advisory Group Inc., a risk management consulting firm. He is currently an independent corporate director for the Equitable Bank Group and Definity Financial. He also serves as an independent member and Chair of the Province of Ontario Internal Audit Committee. He previously served as an independent director for Foresters Financial, Munich Re Canada and Temple Insurance Company of Canada. His board experience includes extensive service in the capacity of chair for a number of risk, audit and investment committees.
Michael has over 30 years of professional and senior leadership experience, including over 10 years with Sun Life Financial (SLF), where he served as a member of the International Executive Team and led the development of one of the insurance industry’s leading ERM practices as Executive Vice-President and Chief Risk Officer for SLF’s global operations. He joined SLF in 2002 following its acquisition of Clarica, where Michael held the position of Executive Vice-President and Chief Investment Officer and was also head of the International Reinsurance Business. Prior to joining Clarica, he worked for over 13 years with the Canadian operations of the worldwide Zurich Financial Services Group, where he held a number of senior executive positions including Chief Actuary, CFO and President & CEO of the Zurich Life Insurance Company of Canada.
Michael has also provided interim senior executive services, and his mandates in this area have included serving as Co-Interim President & CEO of an international life insurance and asset management organization, and an extended consulting assignment serving as the acting Chief Risk Officer for one of Canada’s largest credit unions.
A Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and the Canadian Institute of Actuaries, and a Chartered Enterprise Risk Analyst, Michael holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors and an Honours Bachelor of Mathematics Degree from the University of Waterloo.
Lois Tullo has been an Executive in Residence at GRI since 2017, is an expert in risk management, technology, finance, compliance, and corporate governance. Her 30+ year career has seen her influence a diverse array of sectors, including financial services, technology, artificial intelligence (AI), cryptocurrency, telecommunications, strategy consulting, venture capital, mergers and acquisitions, and natural resources. In 2024, she was recognized as one of the Top 10 Women CFOs in Canada, a testament to her leadership and financial expertise.
As the Chief Financial and Risk Officer (CFRO) and Chief Compliance Officer (CCO), Lois directs the financial operations of Kuber Mortgage Investment Corporation. She also served as an advisor to YAMS LLP, a leader in the crypto system industry. Additionally, she was responsible for ensuring Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and regulatory compliance for a crypto derivatives company and a blockchain system development company. Her governance experience is rich and varied, having served as Chair, Treasurer, and Risk and HR Committee Chair on the boards of a tier 1 bank, private sector companies, and not-for-profit organizations.
At GRI, Lois has been instrumental in developing the Global Risks and Trends Framework (GRAFT), delving into the nexus of risk management and business strategy. She is currently developing a quantification of nonfinancial risks using AI, and offering her perspective on polycrisis and the future of digital assets. She has also published on the innovative intersection of carbon credits and blockchain technology, contributing valuable insights to the field.
A renowned conference speaker, Lois has presented at the United Nations, Reuters MomentumAI, IACPM, Risk.net, and is also a regular speaker at the Canadian Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Professionals (CAIP), the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP), and the Professional Risk Managers’ International Association (PRMIA). She serves as an Ambassador for the Global Blockchain Business Council, advocating for the advancement of blockchain technology in business.
Since 1997, Lois has been a faculty member at the Schulich School of Business, York University, where she educates future leaders in the Master of Risk Management Certificate program, executive education, MBA, and undergraduate courses. Her scholarly contributions include the whitepapers “Enterprise Risk Management – Canadian Best Practices” and “Nonfinancial Risk Best Practices in Canada.”
Her prior roles include CFO for CIBC Finance Inc., where she managed a $6 billion credit portfolio, human resources, and a $1.5 billion securitization process. She has held senior positions in finance, HR, and business process redesign at a major telecommunications company and provided strategic and technological consultancy for a Boston-based firm across various industries. Her international development work took her to Ethiopia, and she has experience in data management for a gas transmission company. Earlier in her career, she was a CPA/CA with Clarkson Gordon/E&Y, and PWC.
Lois is accredited as a CPA, CA, ICD.D, and CCO. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Saskatchewan and an eMBA from the Ivy School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.