Sonia Baxendale
President and CEO, Global Risk Institute
Sonia Baxendale is a highly respected executive who has more than 20 years’ experience in senior leadership roles in the financial services industry. Ms. Baxendale serves on the Board of Directors for a number of Canadian and international corporate and not-for-profit organizations. As the President and CEO of GRI, Ms. Baxendale leads the premier risk management organization for the financial services industry globally.
In this role, Ms. Baxendale brings together leaders from industry, academia and government to focus on emerging risk management issues. The global pandemic has brought to the forefront a confluence of domestic and global concerns – geopolitical tensions, climate change, systemic racism, social and economic disparities. Under Ms. Baxendale’s leadership, GRI has stepped up to develop strategic research and education. She has brought together experts from across the country and the globe to focus on long-term, sustainable solutions for Canada’s economic recovery.
In addition to her role with GRI, Ms. Baxendale is a Director on the Board of Laurentian Bank, Foresters Financial, RSA Group PLC, and The Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Limited. She is Chair of the Board of SickKids Foundation and a member of the Board of Trustees for the Hospital for Sick Children.
Prior to joining GRI, Ms. Baxendale was President of CIBC Retail Markets where she led Retail and Wealth Management businesses. Ms. Baxendale played a key role in developing strategy and direction for CIBC and held various leadership roles including Senior Executive Vice-President, CIBC Wealth Management, Executive Vice-President, Asset Management, Card Products and Collections, and Executive Vice-President of Global Private Banking and Investment Management Services. Prior to CIBC, Ms. Baxendale held various positions with American Express Canada and Saatchi & Saatchi.
Ms. Baxendale is a graduate of the University of Toronto, where she was named University of Toronto, Victoria College Alumni of Distinction in 2017. She was named one of the “Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada” for three years in a row and then joined the ranks of the Top 100 Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2000, she was recognized as one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40.
Mark Hughes
Chair, Global Risk Institute
Mark Hughes is the chair of the Global Risk Institute. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of UBS Group AG as well as the chair of the Risk Committee. Previously, he was the Group Chief Risk Officer of Royal Bank of Canada and retired in 2018 after 37 years with RBC.
He serves on the boards of a number of industry associations and not-for-profit organizations. Mr. Hughes is also a Senior Advisor with McKinsey & Co associated with the risk practice and he is a frequent lecturer at Universities of Leeds and Manchester in England.
Keynote – The Impact of U.S. Economic Policy and Politics on Canada in the Countdown to the U.S. Election
Ambassador Susan Rice
Domestic Policy Advisor (2021-2023), U.S. National Security Advisor (2013-2017), and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (2009-2013)
Ambassador Susan E. Rice most recently served as Assistant to the President and Domestic Policy Advisor in the Biden Administration. As Director of the Domestic Policy Council from January 2021-May 2023, she drove the formulation and implementation of President Biden’s domestic policy agenda. Rice’s responsibilities in domestic policy spanned a vast array of issues, ranging from health care, mental health, substance use, human services, and veterans affairs to immigration, urban and rural policy, Native Affairs, LGBTQ+ issues, disability policy, racial justice and equity, artificial intelligence and on-line safety and privacy, diversity and inclusion, criminal justice, gun policy, democracy and voting rights, education, hunger and nutrition, housing, homelessness, and combatting hate-fueled violence.
Rice played a leading role in many critical Biden Administration accomplishments, including: crafting the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism; devising and implementing the National Mental Health Strategy; making historic investments in child care, public education, Pell Grants, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities as well as other minority-serving institutions; greatly expanding access to affordable healthcare; enacting and implementing the American Rescue Plan Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and gun violence prevention legislation; and embedding equity in the work of the federal government.
Rice served as President Obama’s U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations and a member of the cabinet as well as the National Security Advisor from 2009-2017. She is the only person ever to have served as both National Security Advisor and Domestic Policy Advisor. Rice is also a New York Times best-selling author of Tough Love: My Story of the Things Worth Fighting For, a memoir which recalls pivotal moments from her upbringing and dynamic career on the front lines of American foreign policy.
Rice was recently reappointed to the Board of Directors of Netflix, on which she previously served from 2018-2021. During the Fall of 2023, she is a Visiting Fellow at Harvard’s Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government.
From 2017-2021, Rice was a Distinguished Visiting Research Fellow at American University’s School of International Service, a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, and a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times.
Rice was the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs, and Director for International Organizations and Peacekeeping at the National Security Council under President Clinton from 1993-2001.
Ambassador Rice received her master’s degree and Ph.D. in international relations from Oxford University, where she was a Rhodes Scholar, and her B.A. with honors in History from Stanford University. A native of Washington, DC, Ambassador Rice is married and has two children.
CRO Panel – Adapting to Speed of Change
Kathryn Fric
Chief Risk Officer, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan
Kathryn Fric is the Chief Risk Officer at Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. In this role, she is responsible for providing independent risk oversight of all risk-taking activities, establishment of the risk governance framework and ensuring forward-looking strategic and investment opportunities are incorporated into enterprise operations and objectives at Ontario Teachers’.
Kathryn joined Ontario Teachers’ in 2021 following an extensive 18-year career at Sun Life Financial, where she was most recently Senior Vice President, Enterprise and Operational Risk. In this role, she was responsible for the oversight of strategic, operational, asset liability management and market risks as well as its insurance risk management programs. Prior positions included Chief Credit Risk Officer and various roles within the Investment division, both in credit research and portfolio management and trading. Kathryn started her career in Finance at Ford Motor Co. Canada before moving to Deloitte and then Citibank Canada in progressively senior roles.
Kathryn earned both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Business Administration from Western University, is a CFA charterholder, and currently sits on the Board of the Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall.
Jean-Sébastien Grisé
Incoming Chief Risk Officer, National Bank of Canada
Jean-Sébastien Grisé is Senior Vice-President and Chief Credit Officer at National Bank. Starting November 1, 2024, he will assume the role of Executive Vice-President, Risk Management and Chief Risk Officer.
Mr. Grisé has held a succession of leadership roles since joining the Bank in 2015 as Vice-President, Risk Management, Personal Banking, Wealth Management and SMEs. In 2016, his role was expanded to include credit risk management for Commercial Banking and in 2019, he was appointed Senior Vice-President and Chief Credit Officer, Commercial, Personal Banking and Wealth Management.
Prior to joining the Bank, he held executive positions in credit at GE Capital, where he worked for 16 years while also holding leadership roles in operational quality and sales.
Mr. Grisé holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from HEC Montréal, graduated from the Management Development Course at the John F. Welch Leadership Center in New York, and completed the Advanced Risk Management Course at Wharton. He also holds a Six Sigma Black Belt certification.
He is the father of two young children and enjoys photography, guitar, reading, jogging, and meditation.
Halina von dem Hagen
Chief Risk Officer, Manulife
Halina von dem Hagen is Chief Risk Officer at Manulife, overseeing risks across the enterprise. She is a member of the Company’s Executive Leadership Team.In her previous role as Manulife’s Global Treasurer and Head of Capital Management, Ms. vd Hagen oversaw the capital position of the company’s global operations, ensuring prudent capital management at a group level and each jurisdiction where Manulife operates. She developed and executed global funding programs and managed relationships with rating agencies, banks, and fixed income investors.
Ms. vd Hagen joined Manulife in 2007 from Royal Bank of Canada where she spent 12 years in senior roles in the areas of treasury and risk management.
For her achievements, she received the WXN Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women award in 2017 in the Corporate Executives category. And her global expertise on capital matters was recognized through her selection in 2019 to the Insurance Policy Advisory Committee of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board where she served for two consecutive terms till 2023. In 2024, Halina was selected the CRO (Americas) of the Year by the leading industry publication InsuranceERM.
Ms. vd Hagen holds a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto in international and monetary economics and is an alumna of Massey College.
The Dual Challenge of Artificial Intelligence and Sustainability
Sasha Luccioni
AI & Climate Lead, Hugging Face
Dr. Sasha Luccioni is the AI & Climate Lead at Hugging Face, a global startup in responsible open-source AI, where she spearheads research, consulting and capacity-building to elevate the sustainability of AI systems. Sasha is also a founding member of Climate Change AI (CCAI) and a board member of Women in Machine Learning (WiML), where she organizes events and serves as a mentor to under-represented minorities within the AI community. In 2024, TIME Magazine recognized Sasha as one of the 100 most influential people in AI.
Breakout 1 Session - Open Banking: Implications of Expanded Data Sharing
Elizabeth Fanjoy
Vice-President & Associate General Counsel, CIBC
Elizabeth is the Vice-President & Associate General Counsel, Personal Banking and Payments for CIBC. In this capacity she leads the legal team that advises CIBC Personal Banking and is accountable for the legal advice relating to retail lines of business and their respective products, partnerships, marketing and sponsorships as well as advising on regulatory developments affecting retail banking generally. Elizabeth was previously the Group Head, Assistant General Counsel, Employment & Labour law, CIBC Legal Department where she lead the legal advice provided to CIBC’s human resources team. Called to the Ontario bar in 1993, Elizabeth practiced commercial litigation at a Bay Street firm until she joined CIBC’s Legal Department. Elizabeth holds a B.A. from McGill University and an LLB from the University of New Brunswick. She is a Lexpert Zenith Award of Excellence recipient. She was a Fox Scholar and qualified as a solicitor in the UK. Elizabeth holds the ICD.D designation since 2016. She is currently Vice-Chair of Women’s College Hospital Foundation. Elizabeth has a history of local community and professional association involvement. She lives in Toronto with her husband and takes great pride in their four children.
Abdi Hersi
Director of Payments Strategy and Partnership Development, Wealthsimple
As the Director of Payments Strategy and Partnership Development at Wealthsimple, Abdi leads the regulatory strategy for payments modernization and open banking. Abdi co-leads Wealthsimple’s open banking strategy, focusing on leveraging technology to enhance client experiences. He represents Wealthsimple in open banking consultations, engaging with industry leaders, government regulators, and consumer stakeholders. He also serves on the board of the Open Finance Network of Canada and brings extensive experience from the government, banking, and tech sectors.
Markos Zachariadis
Professor; Chair in Financial Technology and Information Systems, University of Manchester
Professor Markos Zachariadis holds the Chair of Financial Technology (FinTech) & Information Systems at Alliance Manchester Business School (AMBS), University of Manchester where he is also Founding Director of the Centre for Financial Technology Studies (CFTS). In addition, Professor Zachariadis is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on the Future of Resilient Financial Systems; Advisory Board member of the Abu Dhabi Global Market’s Research Centre, and a FinTech Research Fellow at the Cambridge Centre for Digital Innovation (CDI), University of Cambridge among many other industry and academic appointments. Markos’ research sits at the cross section of economics of digital innovation, financial technology studies, and network economics, and has studied extensively the economic impact of ICT adoption on bank performance, the diffusion of payment networks, and the role of data & standards in payment infrastructures (SWIFT), financial markets (LEI), and digital banking (Open Banking), among other things.
His research has been published in top academic journals such as MIS Quarterly and Research Policy and has been awarded the NET Institute Award (NYU Stern Business School) for his study on the economics of payment networks, and the SWIFT Institute, SMS, and GRI Awards for his research on Open APIs and Digital Transformation in Banking. He is also co-author of The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT): Cooperative governance for network innovation, standards, and community (London: Routledge 2014) and co-editor of The PAYTECH Book to be published by Wiley (2020).
Breakout Session 2 - The Role and Risks of Private Credit
Christian Hensley
Senior Advisor, Avondale Private Capital
Christian Hensley is a seasoned investor with a long historical track record, with deep experience developing and leading investment programs. Most recently he
was Senior Managing Director of Equities & Credit at the Investment Management Corporation of Ontario (IMCO), an Ontario fund manager with over $70 billion in assets under management. Christian oversaw a $35 billion portfolio that included IMCO’s private equity, public equity, global credit and hedge fund strategies. His direct investing experience and relationships with leading global alternatives platforms contributed to IMCO’s rapid growth and strong financial performance. Before joining IMCO Christian was Managing Director and Head of Relationship Investments at CPPIB. Over the years he has served on the boards of public and private companies in the US and Europe spanning the Industrial, Healthcare, Business Services, Communications and Technology sectors. Christian holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from the University of Pennsylvania.
Jérôme Marquis
Managing Director, Head of Corporate Credit, CDPQ Fixed Income
Jérôme Marquis is responsible for all corporate credit activities at CDPQ. With offices in Montréal, New York and London, the team he leads is responsible for targeting investment opportunities in public and private debt from issuers with an investment-grade risk profile and offering high returns.
Mr. Marquis sits on the investment committees of the Credit, Infrastructure and Private Equity portfolios. He joined CDPQ in 1999 and has over 20 years of experience in corporate finance. He previously held the position of Managing Director, Global Specialty Finance. Between 2003 and 2007, he worked for the Government of Québec in various roles. He is a member of the Québec Bar and a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).
Anthony Peccia
Executive in Residence, Global Risk Institute
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.
Mr. Peccia 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.
Mr. Peccia 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.
John Trivieri
Chief Risk Officer, Meridian Credit Union
John Trivieri has been with Meridian Credit Union for over 11 years and is Meridian’s Chief Risk Officer. As Meridian’s Chief Risk Officer, John is accountable for Meridian’s overall Enterprise Risk Management strategy in all core risk categories, including strategic, credit, market, liquidity, operational, compliance, and Member risk. The scope of the role includes oversight of retail, commercial and special credit, privacy, compliance, anti-money laundering, enterprise risk management, fraud, corporate insurance and corporate security. John’s career trajectory has established him as a highly accomplished Credit and Risk Executive, with excellence in deal structuring and risk mitigation.
Breakout Session 3 - System Health Through the Regulator’s Lens
Jacqueline Friedland
Executive Director, Risk Assessment and Intervention Hub, Supervision Sector, OSFI
Jacqueline Friedland joined OSFI as Senior Director Property and Casualty Insurance Group in October 2020, and with OSFI’s transformation, she took on the new role, effective April 1, 2022, of Executive Director, Risk Assessment and Intervention Hub, Supervision Sector. In this role, Jacqueline leads the supervision teams for all federally regulated financial institutions, including insurers and banks, and federally regulated private pensions.
Prior to joining OSFI, Jacqueline was President of J. Friedland Actuarial Consulting Inc., an advisory firm offering services in actuarial modernization, actuarial best practices, reserving, IFRS 17, pricing, risk management, economic capital modelling, and research. Jacqueline is experienced in leadership development, lean management, actuarial target operating models, and governance frameworks. Prior to forming J. Friedland Actuarial Consulting Inc., Jacqueline served as the Chief Risk Officer, Chief Actuary, and Chief Compliance Officer for RSA Canada, with responsibilities for risk, reserving, analytics, economic capital, and actuarial systems. Prior to assuming the roles of Chief Risk Officer and Chief Compliance Officer at RSA Canada, she also led personal and commercial lines pricing, research and development, and financial planning and analysis. She has more than 40 years of P&C insurance experience and has served in various roles with major insurers as well as in consulting practices.
Jacqueline is the principal author of Fundamentals of General Insurance Actuarial Analysis, released by the Society of Actuaries (SOA) in 2013, and Estimating Unpaid Claims Using Basic Techniques, released by the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) in 2009. These textbooks were written to be useful to general insurance actuaries internationally and represent consolidated resources on loss reserving and ratemaking methodologies. She served in leadership roles for the development of numerous actuarial educational notes and research papers on diverse subjects including water damage risk and the pricing of property insurance, operational risk, economic capital modeling, catastrophe modeling, and a wide range of financial reporting subjects (such as materiality, provisions for adverse deviation, subsequent events, IFRS disclosures, and IFRS 17).
Jacqueline is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors and has been an active volunteer in their work on natural catastrophe protection gaps. She is a past president of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries (CIA). She has volunteered for many years in the development of actuarial standards of practice, within Canada and internationally. She has volunteered with the CIA, the International Actuarial Association, the CAS, and the SOA, with focus on educational, regulatory, and financial reporting matters. Jacqueline is passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion and has worked in these areas for both the CIA and OSFI.
Prior to joining RSA Canada in 2014, Jacqueline was a Partner and the P&C Actuarial Practice Leader in KPMG’s Canadian insurance practice. Prior to KPMG, she worked as a senior consultant with Tillinghast–Towers Perrin. From 1997 to 2000, she was with Zurich Canada, where she held the position of Actuarial Vice President responsible for large account pricing for the International/Industrial business unit. From 1994 to 1997, Jacqueline provided consulting services to organizations in the United States, South Africa, and Canada. From 1984 to 1994, Jacqueline was a consultant in the San Francisco and Atlanta offices of Tillinghast–Towers Perrin Company. She began her career at Hanseco Insurance Company, a John Hancock subsidiary, in Boston.
Blair Morrison
Chief Executive Officer, BC Financial Services Authority
Blair Morrison is the Chief Executive Officer of BC Financial Services Authority (“BCFSA”). In that role, he also serves as the Superintendent for various regulated industries including Financial Institutions and Real Estate. Blair is also the Chief Executive Officer of the Credit Union Deposit Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (“CUDIC”).
Since joining BCFSA in 2019, Blair has focused the organization on moving forward as a modern, effective, and efficient regulator of B.C.’s financial services sector.
A multifaceted executive, Blair has more than 30 years of extensive regulatory, legal, compliance, and risk management experience.
He is a member the United Way of BC Campaign Cabinet and Chair of the Board of Directors of Yorktown Family Services (an accredited community service agency).
Jordan Solway
Executive Vice President, Legal and Enforcement, FSRAO
Jordan leads the Legal & Investigation function at FSRA which includes, Legal Services, Corporate Secretary, Legal for Policy & Rule-Making, Enforcement and Investigations. He joined FSRA as part of the inaugural management team and has been a key contributor to positioning FSRA as a principles-based and outcome-focused modern financial services regulator across the sectors FSRA regulates.
Jordan’s experience has been as a practicing litigation lawyer in private and public practice and as a financial services executive. He brings a strategic and practical lens to complex regulatory problems. He has had previous experience as a General Counsel, a Chief Risk Officer, and the head of a business area, all while working for a number of leading federally regulated financial institutions.
Jordan is passionate about governance and leadership. He received a C. Dir. designation through the Directors College where he has been an instructor for over 20 years. He is a member of the Law Society of Ontario.
Maintaining Confidence and Building Resilience in an Increasingly Complex Environment
Peter Routledge
Superintendent, Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions
Peter Routledge was appointed Superintendent of Financial Institutions in June 2021, for a seven-year term.
He previously served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC) beginning in November 2018. While at CDIC, Mr. Routledge led a successful transformation of CDIC’s culture, strategy, and technology vision. Mr. Routledge has extensive experience in Canada’s financial sector. Prior to joining CDIC, he was a Senior Advisor at the Department of Finance where he provided advice on a range of policy issues including financial stability, housing finance, and competition in Canadian financial services.
Mr. Routledge has held a variety of leadership roles in the financial services industry, both in Canada and abroad. He served as managing director of research at National Bank Financial, where he led a team responsible for producing equity, fixed income, and derivatives research on Canadian financial institutions. Prior to that, Mr. Routledge led the Canadian Financial Institutions Group at Moody’s Canada, with responsibilities for covering issuers in the banking, life insurance, personal and commercial insurance and reinsurance industries in Canada and the United States.
Mr. Routledge holds an MBA from INSEAD in France, and a bachelor’s degree in business and economics from Simon Fraser University.
Big Ideas and Bold Perspectives (TEDx-style Talks)
Jonathan Hausman
Chief Strategy Officer, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan
Jonathan Hausman is the Chief Strategy Officer at Ontario Teachers’. In this role, he oversees strategy development and implementation across Ontario Teachers’, leading a cross-organizational approach to advancing the strategic objectives of the Plan.
Jonathan oversees the Global Investment Strategy, Sustainable Investing, Government & Public Affairs, and Marketing & Communications teams. These teams act as a strategy and stakeholder relations centre of expertise, through advancing Ontario Teachers’ understanding of, and strategic responses to, critical themes for the Plan, and cultivating its relationship across a wide range of stakeholders.
Previously, he was the head of Alternative Investments and Global Tactical Asset Allocation, where he was responsible for the Fund’s global hedge fund portfolio, as well as its internal global macro and systematic trading strategies.
Prior to joining Ontario Teachers’, Jonathan was Executive Director at Goldman Sachs, where he managed sovereign risk strategy and advised governments in its New York, Hong Kong and London offices. He is the Chair of the Canadian Council for the Americas and is a Senior Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto, where he lectures on global political economy. He also serves on the board of Capitalize for Kids. Before entering investment banking, Jonathan worked as Special Assistant to the Premier of Ontario.
Jonathan has the ICD.D certification from the Institute of Corporate Directors.
Claudette McGowan
Founder & CEO, Protexxa
Claudette McGowan is a global information technology leader with more than 20 years of success leading digital transformations and implementing cybersecurity platforms and solutions. She has worked in the technology industry for several organizations such as Deloitte, Metropolitan Police Services, North York General Hospital, Bank of Montreal, and TD Bank.
At BMO, Claudette served as the Chief Information Officer, Enterprise Technology Employee Experience, and at TD she was the Global Executive Officer for Protect Fusion & Cyber Experience.
Claudette is currently the Chief Executive Officer for Protexxa, a Canadian-based cybersecurity software and services company.
Claudette is an active member of the Canadian innovation ecosystem. She is Vice-Chair of MaRS Discovery District, and Board Chair of the Coalition of Innovation Leaders Against Racism (CILAR), a group of senior business leaders committed to creating platforms that break down systemic barriers within the innovation economy. Ms. McGowan recently co-led the launch of Phoenix Fire & The Firehood, a multi-million-dollar women-focused angel fund and network for women in technology.
Her commitment to community is evidenced by her multiple board seats for leading organizations such as Air Canada, SickKids Hospital Foundation, Black North, CILAR, Elevate Technology Festival, and University of New Brunswick Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity.
Nezihe Aquino
Chief Operating Officer, Global Risk Institute
Nez Aquino is Chief Operating Officer at Global Risk Institute in Financial Services, where she leads corporate services such as Finance, HR, IT, and Office Services, and oversees the Marketing and Education teams.
Before joining GRI, Nez was the Chief Risk Officer at Vancity and the CEO of Vancity’s federally chartered bank, Vancity Community Investment Bank (VCIB), where she held progressively senior roles since 2006. Her responsibilities at Vancity included leading the branch network, call centre, payments, finance and risk management. Additionally, she brings valuable experience from her five-year tenure at Bank of America, USA, where she built upon her expertise in financial and analytics roles, leading her to take on increasingly complex challenges.
Beyond her professional achievements, Nez has also served on the Boards of Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Pacific Blue Cross, and S.U.C.C.E.S.S. She is a CPA, holds an MBA degree from Georgia State University and ICD.D from Institute of Corporate Directors. She is a recipient of Influential Leaders Award by Business in Vancouver (2023) and Financial Excellence Award by Bank of America (2002).
Gerard McDonald
Managing Director, Head of Research, Global Risk Institute
Gerard McDonald is a leader with experience in risk management, governance, and compliance. In his role with GRI, he leads both internal and external research projects. He actively engages with members to optimally allocate research resources, manages research partnerships in Canada and abroad, and ensures the delivery of industry-leading content.
With experience in the financial sector spanning more than two decades, prior to coming to GRI, Gerard 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. Earlier in his career, he worked as an Engagement Manager with McKinsey & Company.
Gerard holds a Ph.D. in Economics and an M.Phil in Economics, and 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.
Audrie Chad
Director, Research, Global Risk Institute
Audrie Chad is an accomplished Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) and Investment professional, with extensive experience across ERM second line of defence functions as well as first line of defence, with transaction experience in corporate, commercial, project finance and real estate lending, private equity and direct infrastructure investment. Audrie is recognized for her keen insight into complex risk issues influenced by regulation, policy and market developments, as well as ESG considerations. She has deep knowledge, experience and expertise with respect to equity and corporate debt structuring, financial modelling, technical and contractual aspects of transactions.
Most recently, Audrie served as Head of Enterprise Risk Management at the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB), a federal crown corporation with a mandate to invest $35 billion in concessionary financing in support of targeted public impact objectives. Prior to the CIB, she held progressively senior positions within corporate lending and private equity at major Canadian and international financial institutions. Audrie is a thought leader in her field, and is passionate about risk management, emerging risk fields including sustainability (particularly as it relates to the energy transition and implications for financial assets in the banking and pension sectors), and developing strong and dynamic teams..
Audrie obtained concurrent Honours in Business Administration and Bachelor of Health Sciences, graduating with distinction from the University of Western Ontario, Richard Ivey School of Business in London, Ontario. She completed her last term at the University of Economics in Prague on an exchange program. Audrie is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charter holder.
Vanda Vicars
Executive Consultant, Global Risk Institute
Vanda Vicars is the former Chief Operating Officer at Global Risk Institute, where she leds corporate services such as Finance, HR and IT and Office Services.
A respected C-suite executive with more than 20 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 working with researchers and delivers board level education on the topic of cyber security 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.
Currently on the Quantum-Safe Canada Governing Board, Vanda has served as a corporate director on the boards of Bell Capital Markets Solutions, Createch Business Solutions, Capgemini Canada, and Women in Communications and Technology Canada.
Vanda holds a BBA, Management Science, from Bishop’s University. In 2009, she participated in the Fellows program of the International Women’s Foundation (IWF) at Harvard’s Business School (U.S.) and the Changes in Global Leadership Program at Cambridge’s Judge Business School (UK). She completed the Director’s Education Program at University of Toronto (2018), holds the ICD.D designation, and has completed her CERT Certificate in Cybersecurity Oversight from Carnegie Mellon University, Software Engineering Institute (2022).