Our Team

Vice Chair of the Board of Directors

Susan L. MacLaurin brings close to 40 years of business experience to her current role as Chief Communications Officer at QuadReal Property Group. The company, based in Vancouver, manages and develops a global real estate portfolio to support institutional, multigenerational, investment objectives. Susan works within multi-dimensional teams to achieve financial and strategic results forged for longevity while promoting the culture of a dynamic organization. Susan was formerly Executive Vice President, Portfolio Management with GWL Realty Advisors.

Susan is or has also been an active Board member in several not for profit organizations. At Bryn Mawr College, where she is now a Trustee Emeritus, she was a member of the Board for more than 20 years including its Committee on Trustees and Investment Sub-Committee. Today she is a member of Board of Trustees and campaign committee of Adler University. With a virtual campus, one in Chicago and Vancouver, this school of advanced social work degree education graduates socially responsible practineers, focused on engaging communities, and advancing social justice.

Susan holds a BA (Economics) from Bryn Mawr College, an MBA from the University of Toronto and a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. She is also a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors, completing the Directors Education Program in 2007.

Eliza brings over 15 years of experience in strategic consulting, program delivery, digital innovation, and human resources across technology, retail banking and capital markets in leading global financial centers. She has successfully distinguished herself as a strategic and inclusive leader, trusted advisor, and transformation catalyst with a proven ability to elevate client and employee experiences, grow competitive businesses and deliver commercial value in today’s dynamic markets.

Eliza is a strong advocate and passionate supporter of advancing women and other underserved talent segments to create a more inclusive corporate landscape. She has served with Girls E-Mentorship and the Canadian Association of Urban Finance Professionals and partnered closely with Women in Capital Markets and 100 Women in Finance. In addition to her role with CARE Canada, she currently sits on the Canadian Paralympic Games Human Resources subcommittee, advises Women in Aerospace Canada, and mentors new immigrants and young women from coast to coast.

Eliza holds a Master of Business Administration from the Rotman School of Management and the University of Melbourne, Australia along with an Honors Bachelor of Science and Economics from the University of Toronto.

A global citizen and avid traveller, Eliza has lived in 5 countries and visited 70 countries spanning 6 continents. Through her travels, she witnessed firsthand CARE’s paramount humanitarian relief and international development work and strongly champions CARE Canada’s vision and purpose. When she is not travelling, she can be found spending time with her family, speaking on leadership panels and guest lecturing at universities across North America.

Marie Lynne Desrochers is an Independent Director, Strategic Advisor and Partner with Ai Outcome, a technology start-up specialized in advanced analytics. She is passionate about creating value for clients, employees and communities and shares in CARE’s vision for a world of hope, inclusion and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and all people live in dignity and security.

Marie Lynne is a seasoned senior executive with 30 years of building and expanding businesses in retail and commercial banking in Canada and internationally at RBC Royal Bank and National Bank of Canada. She has extensive experience in building products and services, operating models and managing risks for meaningful impact.

She has served on numerous boards including Payments Canada, Swift Corporate Advisory, Canada-US Business Council, Federation of Chambers of Commerce of Québec, Armand-Frappier Foundation and United Way. She is currently Vice president of the Board of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Director and member of the international committee of Catalyste+, formerly CESO (Canadian Executive Services Overseas). She is also a volunteer advisor for Catalyste+ in Nunavut and Africa, part-time lecturer at Ecole Des Dirigeants HEC (University of Montreal) and committee lead and mentor for the Association of Women in Finance of Québec.

She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Marketing and International Business from McGill University, an MBA in Finance from HEC and her ICD designation from University of Toronto (Rotman). She has been acknowledged by her peers and clients for her dynamic, forward-thinking, innovative solution-orientated approaches.

Salima Ebrahim is the Chief of Staff of the City of Edmonton, and formerly the head of External and Intergovernmental Relations for the city. Prior to joining the City of Edmonton, she was the Executive Director of the Banff Forum, a national public policy organization whose mission is to reinvigorate public debate in Canada and strengthen the country through engaging leaders from diverse backgrounds and industry sectors. She spent a number of years in Toronto and Abu Dhabi as a management consultant with Deloitte and was a former fellow with the United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights.

Salima is an active volunteer and is currently on the Board of Futura20 and is a Board member with Pier 21, Canada’s Immigration Museum. She is an alumnus of the University of Alberta (BA, Political Science and Sociology) and the London School of Economics (MSc, Public Policy and Administration). Salima has received several awards for public service leadership, including being a recipient of Avenue Magazine’s Top 40 under 40, a SHEInnovator that profiles Alberta women who are working to solve complex challenges in the province, and a national “Women Who Inspire” recipient.

Lisa de Wilde is the Bell Media Professor in Media Management in the Schulich School of Business MBA Program in Arts, Media and Entertainment Management. She served as CEO of TVO from 2005 to 2019, where she transformed the educational broadcaster from an analog operation to an innovative, fully digital leader in current affairs and education technology. She serves on the Boards of TELUS where she chairs the Governance Committee, the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada where she is Vice Chair, École de danse contemporaine de Montréal, CARE Canada and Toronto Global. She is also a former Chair of the Board of Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). She is a lawyer by training who began her career at the CRTC, was a partner at a major law firm and served as President and CEO of Astral Television Networks. Lisa is a recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, has received honourary degrees from Ryerson University and Brandon University, holds a Bachelor of Arts and of Laws degrees from McGill University and the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors and is a Member of the Order of Canada.

Amy is Vice President, Communications and Engagement at the National Energy Board. She is an experienced executive who specializes in building organizations and navigating the challenges organizations face when working in complex operating environments around the world. She has over twenty-five years’ experience leading teams with various functional mandates including communications, government and regulatory affairs, stakeholder engagement, Indigenous relations, community investment, corporate responsibility, risk management, investor relations, and environmental protection. She has worked or led projects in many countries and cultures across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East and is recognized as someone who brings diverse people and ideas together to achieve results in creative ways. Amy was selected as a 2012-13 International Women’s Forum Executive Leadership Fellow, has acted as a director of various non-profit organizations. She is currently pursuing her ICD accreditation.

Cindy is a Financial Advisor at Canada’s largest financial institution, the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). At RBC, she helps lead a collaborative team dedicated to serving the needs of her local community by making financial literacy accessible and affordable to all. In her work, Cindy advocates for the importance of diverse viewpoints as the branch champion of RBC’s Future Launch and as co-chair of the RBC Regional Community Board.

During her undergraduate years, Cindy pursued a criminology degree (B. Crim. Hons) which led to an understanding of the complex relationship between crime and socio-economic status. Imparted with this new knowledge, Cindy entered the financial world with the aim to address the ills of social stratification typically magnified by age, race, and gender.

Outside of work, Cindy lends her time and expertise to local and national projects with the likes of G(irls) 20, YWCA Canada, and Equal Voice Canada. Cindy’s volunteerism spans gender equality, multiculturalism, and inclusive leadership.

Within her community, Cindy sits on her Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot support committee. As well she serves on her local Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Committee.  Cindy is very passionate about challenging the status quo and looks to develop more leadership spaces for black women.

Michael Kontak is retired and lives in Nova Scotia. He received his undergraduate degree from St. Francis Xavier University and studied at the University of London after which he completed a law degree at Dalhousie University. He worked in the Midwestern United States for four years before returning to Atlantic Canada where he served as chief of staff to three premiers of Nova Scotia. For more than 20 years he worked with the Shaw Group as a shareholder. Shaw is a diversified manufacturer and community developer. He has been involved in numerous Boards within Atlantic Canada.

Dr. Victoria Lee is responsible for the overall strategic direction and operations of Fraser Health, one of five regional health authorities in British Columbia. Over 29,000 employees, 3,000 physicians and more than 6,000 volunteers provide a wide range of integrated health services to more than 1.8 million people in 20 diverse communities on the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people. Fraser Health operates 12 acute care hospitals as well as community-based long-term care, home health, mental health and public health services.

Dr. Victoria Lee joined Fraser Health in 2010 as a medical health officer and held progressive leadership positions prior to being appointed president and CEO in 2018. Before joining Fraser Health, she worked in collaboration with national and international organizations including the United Nations Development Programme and the World Bank in the areas of comparative health systems, health policy, health financing and ecohealth.

Dr. Lee also worked as a travel physician in rural communities in Chile and Brazil. Her research activities include health equity, community-based primary health systems, health performance and ecohealth.

Dr. Lee believes CARE’s compelling mandate of reducing inequities, unleashing waves of good and instituting lasting change is more important than ever, as global relations have become tenuous and redefined with increasing geopolitical risks in the past few years. At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly unveiled striking strengths and vulnerabilities of the globally connected world.

Each and every decision that Dr. Lee has made in her career has been centred around her core values of justice and equity and her desire to make a significant societal impact. CARE’s proven track record in global humanitarian work and broad reach inspired her to offer her support to the Board of Directors.

Mr. McLaughlin is an independent consultant and President of McLaughlin Performance Management Consultants Inc. Over the past ten years, he has developed and delivered Performance Audit courses in Canada (Federal and Provincial Audit Offices, and Carleton University), the Caribbean (Saint Lucia, Guyana and Belize), Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana and South Africa) and Asia (Vietnam) as well as for the UNDP Internal Audit.

Mr. McLaughlin was the Deputy Auditor General of Canada when he retired from the Office of the Auditor of Canada in 2002. He held the position of Deputy Auditor General of Canada from 1997 to 2002, where he was responsible for the overall management of the Office including Audit Operations, and was the Senior Financial Officer.

Mr. McLaughlin began his career in 1971 working as a Management Analyst for Veterans Affairs. In 1973, he joined Canada Post where he advanced to the position of Manager of Corporate Planning. From 1979 to 2002, Mr. McLaughlin worked in the Office of the Auditor General of Canada in progressively senior roles. As an Audit Principal, Mr. McLaughlin was responsible for audits of External Affairs, CIDA and IDRC. He later became an Assistant Auditor General with responsibility for the Montreal Regional Office including audits of VIA Rail, the Business Development Bank of Canada and the International Civil Aviation Organization.

During 2002-2003, Mr. McLaughlin held the position of President/Executive Director at CCAF-FCVI, a private foundation dedicated to research and training in the area of accountability and performance auditing. On resigning this position he was elected to the Board of Governors and served as the Chair of the Board. CCAF-FCVI was recently renamed the Canadian Audit and Accountability Foundation (CAAF).

Michael McLaughlin joined CATSA (Canadian Air Transport Security Authority) on April 1, 2003 as Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer. This new organization was in its start-up phase with an annual budget of $400 million and was establishing its programs and procedures. He retired from CATSA on December 31, 2006.

Mr. McLaughlin is currently a member of the Audit and Evaluation Committee of the Office of Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada and Chair of the Public Financial Management Advisory Committee of CPA Canada.

Michael McLaughlin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Science, with Honours in Mathematics (1971), from Carleton University in Ottawa. He also graduated from the Certified Management Accountant Program (CMA) in 1989 and from the Advanced Management Program (CCMD) in 1992. Michael was awarded an FCMA in 2004, FCPA in 2014 and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal 2002.

Sarosh is an experienced capital markets professional with over 30 years in the financial sector. At a variety of firms including UBS Global Asset Management, Sun Life of Canada, Scheer Rowlett & Associates, Wellington West Capital Markets and UBS Securities, he has held a number of diverse and challenging positions including Equity Portfolio Manager, Equity Research Analyst, Institutional Equity Salesperson, and Commercial & Corporate Lender. Through his consulting firm ESG Performance Partners, Sarosh currently provides sustainability consulting services to both institutional investors and private and publicly-listed companies. In addition as Senior Analyst, ESG at the Pennock Idea Hub, he produces ESG-related investment research for institutional investors and companies.

Sarosh received his Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto, and his MBA from the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia. He is a CFA charterholder, and additionally holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors and the FSA Credential from the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board.

The Honourable Lisa Raitt is currently the Vice-Chair, Global Investment Banking at CIBC Capital Markets, having previously worked in both the public and private sectors. Ms. Raitt’s current focus is on senior client coverage and business development with clients in the energy, infrastructure and industrial sectors, which align closely with her deep expertise.

She was elected into the House of Commons in 2008, where she went on to hold three senior portfolios serving as Minister of Natural Resources, Minister of Labour, and Minister of Transport. Most recently, Ms. Raitt was the Deputy Leader of the Official Opposition and the Conservative Party of Canada. Prior to her political career she was the President and CEO of the Toronto Port Authority. Throughout her career, she has been an advocate for women’s equality and mentor for women leaders.

Ms. Raitt holds a Bachelor of Science degree from St. Francis Xavier University and a master’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Guelph. She possesses an LL.B from Osgoode Hall Law School and was called to the Ontario bar in 1998. In 2020 Ms. Raitt was named a Woodrow Wilson Center Global Fellow of the Canada Institute.

Over a 40-year career, Dr. Turpin has established a reputation as an effective values-based leader and team builder in large, complex, multi-stakeholder public-sector organizations. He has served as President of two of Canada’s leading Universities, the University of Alberta and the University of Victoria. Prior to these positions, Dr. Turpin was the VP Academic at Queen’s University, Dean of Arts and Science at Queen’s, and Head of the Botany Department at UBC.

Throughout his career as an academic leader, he has been passionate about the importance of building global citizens and creating strong relationships between academic and global communities. Dr. Turpin has built and stewarded academic partnerships with institutions on all continents and brought an international focus to all aspects of the universities’ work.

His passion for international development and global citizenship led to Dr. Turpin serving on the Board of Directors and chairing the World University Service of Canada.  At the University of Alberta, in response to the Syrian refugee crisis, Dr. Turpin established the President’s Scholarship for Refugees and Displaced Persons. After leaving the University of Alberta, the scholarship was renamed after Dr. Turpin and his wife and is now the David Turpin and Suromitra Sanatani Scholarship for Refugees and Displaced Persons.