Advisory Board

Allison Sandmeyer-Graves is the CEO of the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS)—the leading authority on women and sport in Canada. Allison works with leaders from sport, government, business, media and non-profit organizations to create an equitable and inclusive sport and physical activity system that empowers women and girls, within and through sport. Prior to joining CAAWS, Allison spent a decade as a senior director with WE.org (formerly Free The Children) where she helped to create a global movement of youth engaged in active citizenship.

As Executive Director of Games and International Relations at the Canadian Olympic Committee, Andrew is responsible for developing strategy and leading the execution for Team Canada at the Olympic, Olympic Winter, Youth, and Pan American Games. Andrew has held increasingly senior leadership roles since joining the COC on a contract in 2005. He earned his HB Commerce in Sports Administration at Laurentian University in 2005 and is currently enrolled in the Queens University and Cornell University Executive MBA Americas class of 2020.

Anne Cribbs won a Gold medal at the 1959 Pan American Games in the 200-metre breaststroke and placed sixth in this event in the 1960 Olympics. Anne then retired from competitive swimming at the age of 16. Her professional career has been dedicated to serving sport and the community. In 1995, Anne co-founded the American Basketball League (ABL), the first women’s professional basketball league in the United States. Anne became President and CEO of the San Francisco Bay Area Sports Organizing Committee (BASOC) in 1999 and led the San Francisco 2012 Olympic Bid. In 2015, Anne received the Golden Medallion Award, the International Swimming Hall of Fame’s highest award as a “trailblazer for women in Sports”, and in May of 2016, was inducted into the San Francisco Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame.

Anthony Attard joined Sportsnet in September 2013 as Vice President of Sports Sales. In 2014, Anthony’s role expanded as the Vice President of Sports & NHL Sales to incorporate the integral part he now plays in bolstering the NHL portfolio. Anthony and his team are the point of contact for sports sales at Rogers Media, responsible for creating integrated media solutions for the company’s advertising partners. Anthony previously worked at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment as the senior director of media and music partnerships.

Bill Laidlaw is an experienced executive in the business and not for profit worlds. He commenced his career in teaching at Ridley College where he also coached football and hockey. He then moved into human resources management in a number of organizations including Hudson’s Bay, Royal Trust, Rogers Communications and Paul Revere Life Insurance. Following these roles in human resources, he moved into corporate affairs with Glaxo SmithKline as Director of Government Relations where he focused on product reimbursement and strengthening Canada’s Intellectual property protection.

In 2000 he moved to St. John Ambulance, Ontario as CEO before commencing his consultancy practice in 2003 in government relations, fund development, association management and human resources with organizations like CNIB, The Massage Therapists of Ontario, Canadian Assistive Devices, Ontario Community Newspapers and the Biotechnology Initiative in Toronto. During this period he also served in volunteer capacities as CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and  President of the Empire Club of Canada.

Bill Played for the University of Guelph Gryphons in the early 1970s and as President of the University of Guelph Ski Club he opened the first ski hill on a University campus in Ontario in 1974.

Bob Boland joined Penn State University in the position of Athletics Integrity Officer in 2017. In this role, Bob works to ensure over 800 athletes from 32 varsity teams are meeting the standard of integrity, ethics, staff and student conduct and welfare set by the University, as well as the NCAA and Big Ten. Previously, Bob was employed at Ohio University as a faculty member and directed the MBA/Masters in Sports Administration program. During this period, the program was ranked the ‘#1 Graduate Sports Business Program in the World’ by Sports Business International. Early in his career, Bob spent 14 years at NYU, has experience as an administrative law judge in New York City and has spent more than a decade as a player agent.

Dr. Bob Wanzel is Professor Emeritus and Founding Director of the Laurentian University School of Sports Administration (SPAD) and the University’s Institute of Sport Management. Bob has been an international consultant in both the fields of employee fitness/well-being and sport management. He has held senior consulting positions with the Edmonton Commonwealth Games, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the International Management Group (IMG) in Geneva. Laurentian University awarded Bob its Teaching Excellence award.

Brenda Woods is the Vice President of Marketing for Visa in Canada, responsible for leading all aspects of Visa marketing to support the achievement of business and brand objectives. She is on the  North America Marketing and also the Visa Canada Leadership team. Brenda has more than 30 years of marketing and brand management experience. During her time at Visa, she has overseen the development of successful marketing programs including the “Visa. Everywhere You Want to Be” campaign and led the activation of the Toronto International Film Festival and NHL sponsorship properties, as well as Visa global properties: Olympics and FIFA.

Brenda is an active participant in the Canadian sponsorship community as a Mentor, former Board member and past Chair of the Sponsorship Marketing Council of Canada. Prior to entering the payments industry, Brenda worked at Kraft General Foods marketing products ranging from peanut butter to Shake n' Bake. Brenda holds an MBA from the University of Western Ontario, Ivey School of Business and is a graduate of the University of Guelph, with a B.Comm in Hotel and Food Administration

Chantal Petitclerc is a senator and Paralympic champion wheelchair racer. She has won 14 gold medals, 5 silver medals, and 2 bronze medals over the span of 5 Paralympic competitions. In 2008, Chantal was awarded the Lou Marsh trophy as Canadian Athlete of the Year, and the Canadian Press' Bobbie Rosenfield Award as Canada's Female Athlete of the Year. As of March 2016, Chantal has served on the Senate of Canada on the advice of Justin Trudeau as an independent senator.  Some honours and awards include being invested in as a Companion of the Order of Canada in 2009, the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal, as well as induction into the Canadian Paralympic Hall of Fame.

Dan MacKenzie is responsible for the development and growth of the National Basketball Association’s business in Canada. He continues to work through the platforms of television and digital media, marketing and retail partnerships, licensing, special events and basketball development. Dan is an active member of the NBA’s International Leadership Team (ILT). He began his career at NBA Canada in 1998, then in 2003 led the NBA Europe Games. Following his time at TSN as the Senior Marketing Manager, he returned to NBA Canada where he assumed the role of Director of Marketing. In 2011, he was promoted to Vice-President and Managing Director of NBA Canada.

As Managing Director of National Football League Canada, David is accountable for the business aspects of the league in Canada. Throughout his career, David has had a passion to build some of the most iconic brands in Canada, including Clorox, Molson, Coca-Cola, and now the NFL. He continues to spearhead a number of initiatives to fuel the growth of the NFL and its fanbase in Canada. David worked at Coca-Cola for 15 years prior to joining NFL Canada, and has a large range of experience in marketing and development.

Debbie Low is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario (CSIO). She leads the development and delivery of provincial and national high-performance sport programs for the Province of Ontario. Before joining the CSIO, Debbie was the Executive Director of ParaSport Ontario, the Director of Sport for Toronto’s 2008 Olympic Bid, and spent ten years with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport’s Multi-Sport Games Program. As a volunteer, Debbie has served on a number of Boards and Committees in leadership positions including the Minister’s Advisory Panel for Sport (MTCS), Toronto 2015 Pan/Para Pan Am Games Bid Committee, and many others.

Don Mayo is a Managing Partner - Global, at IMI International. With its head office in Canada, IMI currently works in over 45 countries across 100+ categories helping clients, retailers and agencies achieve their objectives. Over the past 25 years, Don has personally worked with hundreds of brands in Canada and around the globe, across thousands of shopper, digital, and XM programs. As Global Managing Partner, Don leads IMI’s Sponsorship practice across North America and speaks around the globe at conferences.

George Foster is the Konosuke Matsushita Professor of Management at Stanford University. He has written over 50 research articles, over 100 cases, three monographs, and multiple editions of several textbooks. He works extensively with the World Economic Forum and is a member and former Chair of their Global Agenda Council on Fostering Entrepreneurship. George is also actively involved in the business community, especially venture capital backed startup companies and has served on multiple boards. He is also involved in sporting organizations around the world, including directing executive programs for the National Football League and National Basketball Players Association.

Born and raised in Bahrain, Hisham brings 10 years of experience in an array of industries including sport administration & technology, as well as public policy and investment banking. He competed in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens in the 100m freestyle. Following a post at the Bahrain Olympic Committee as marketing manager, he lived and worked in Switzerland for 5 years with the International Olympic Committee, where he looked at the future of the Olympic Program and the sports that will be in it. In 2018, Hisham founded N3XT Sports, a global sports technology, innovation and investment advisory firm based in the US and Barcelona.

Hubert T. Lacroix is a Canadian lawyer and former President and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada, the position he left in June 2018. Prior to working for the public broadcaster, Hubert was a senior advisor with the law firm Stikeman Elliot LLP, as well as the Executive Chairman of Telemedia Corporation from 2000 to 2003. He has a multitude of experience sitting on boards for many companies throughout his career and was an associate professor with the Faculty of Law at Université de Montréal.

Indivar (Indy) Kushari is the Vice President of Data Strategy and Team Services at the Canadian Football League. In this position, he oversees the data pillar of the league supporting the strategy and execution of revenue and fan engagement for league initiatives, as well as consulting with individual CFL teams to mine and manage their data. Prior to the CFL Indy has worked in various data and insights roles at Rogers Communications, Coca-Cola (global), Ipsos and Nielsen.

Jennifer DelVecchio has worked with The Coca-Cola Company since 2011 and currently leads Entertainment Marketing & Partnerships for Coca-Cola North America.  Prior to Coca-Cola, Jennifer worked as an Account Director at McCann on global brands such as Oreo, Cadillac, and Glenfiddich Whisky. Jennifer began her career at IMG managing sport and entertainment properties and talent.  Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Laurentian University and was a four-time All Canadian Academic Athlete in soccer.

Jennifer Neziol is a strategic communications and public relations professional with close to two decades of experience elevating the profile of consumer, sports and media brands. She is currently the VP of Corporate and Strategic Business Communications for the National Hockey League, where she has been employed since 2016. Prior, Jennifer was the Director of Communications at Sportsnet from 2012-2016 and the Public Relations Manager for Lululemon Athletica from 2009-2011. She is a graduate of the University of Guelph, Humber College, and Miami University, where she received her Master of Science in Exercise Science, Health and Sports Studies.

Johnny Misley’s career in Canadian sport includes senior leadership roles within Hockey Canada (where he was part of 14 Gold Medal World and Olympic Championship teams), Own The Podium (where he prioritized investment strategies to help maximize Canada’s Olympic and Paralympic performances), and as President of Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart Charities. He currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Ontario Soccer, the largest Provincial Sport Organization in Canada. Johnny is a respected leader in the sports industry who is passionate about playground to podium and the power of sport. He has spent a portion of his career at the grassroots level, developing sport programs and leading projects to engage children in need to experience the benefits of sport participation.

Jürgen Padberg is the Paralympic Games Sport Senior Manager at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), based in Germany. He oversees the sport and medal events programme at the Paralympic Games, ensures the Organising Committees’ delivery of all sport-related services to athletes and technical officials, and serves as the IPC’s day-to-day liaison with more than 30 International Federations. Before joining the IPC, Jürgen worked for three years as the Managing Director for the 2009 Summer National Senior Games in the San Francisco Bay Area, the largest multi-sport event in the United States. He was responsible for venue and competition schedule development for all 25 sports, for athlete services, website and athlete communications, and sponsor activation. Furthermore, he developed the Games’ sustainability strategy.

Kelly Murumets was the President and CEO of Tennis Canada from 2014 to 2017. Prior to that, Kelly was the President and CEO of ParticipACTION (2007-2014), a non-profit organization which promotes healthy living and physical activity. She has served on the Board of Governors for both Bishop’s University and Wilfred Laurier University. Among her many recognitions, Kelly was named as one of CAAWS Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity (2007, 2009, 2011 and 2012), CBC’s 10 Most Influential Figures in Sport (2012), and Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 (2009). She is also a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2013).

Karen O’Neill is a senior executive in Canada’s sports community with experience in several leadership roles. She joined the Canadian Paralympic Committee as Chief Executive Officer in June 2013, after serving as CEO of Field Hockey Canada from 2009 to 2013. Prior to this, she was Chief Operating Officer of the Rick Hansen Foundation from 2004 to 2009 and was the CEO of Commonwealth Games Canada from 1997 to 2004. In addition, Karen is a current member of the True Sport Foundation, which supports values-based sport; the Sport Matters Group Admin Group which supports Sport Matters, a voluntary group of leaders who have come together to support and collaborate in advancing sport, physical activity, recreation and public policy; and other initiatives.

Lane MacAdam has spent over 30 years serving at the highest levels of Canadian amateur sport. Between 1984 and 1991, he served as Special Advisor and Executive Assistant to four federal ministers of Sport. From 1991 until January 2002, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canada Games Council. He presided over five successful sets of national games. He served as Director General of Sport Canada from January 2002 until June 2003 before accepting the position of Executive Director, Canadian Sport Policy. In January of 2006, he took on a new role as Executive Director of Sport Excellence to provide leadership to Sport Canada’s support for high-performance sport. He was Chair of the TO2015 Pan Am Games Legacy Sub-Committee until March of 2015.

Founder of The T1 Agency in Toronto, Mark is a leading figure in the sponsorship and marketing industries. In almost 25 years of running a company, Mark has gone to work with countless major international brands, sports properties and causes – including Nike, Nissan, Mattel, AIR MILES, Dairy Farmers of Canada, The Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity – to develop game-changing marketing and sponsorship strategies and award-winning experiences. A big believer in giving back, Mark continuously shares his passion for marketing, sponsorship and sports through his role as a board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters Toronto, in addition to being a member of the International Institute for Sports Business and Leadership. Mark also serves on the board of directors for Football Canada.

Mark Soder is an experienced sports marketer with extensive property, agency and brand experience having worked in professional football for the CFL, NFL, Cleveland Browns, San Diego Chargers and the TwentyTen Group (a strategic marketing and sponsorship agency formed from the Vancouver Olympic Games). Currently, Mark is the Senior Manager, Brand Marketing - Golf at RBC where he leads the bank’s media, marketing, activations and hospitality efforts within golf that includes title sponsorship of two PGA TOUR tournaments, a roster of fourteen PGA & LPGA players as well as partnerships with both Golf Canada and PGA of Canada.

Dr. Nicole Forrester is an Assistant Professor in the Sport Media program in the RTA School of Media at FCAD. Dr. Forrester received her Ph.D. in Sport Psychology from Michigan State University, her Master of Education from the University of Texas in Exercise and Sport Psychology, and her Bachelor of Science and Art in Movement Science and Sport Management and Communication from the University of Michigan. She is currently, completing an Executive Master of Business Administration from the Smith School of Business at Queen's University. In addition to Nicole’s scholarly pursuits, she is an Olympian, and an 8-Time Canadian Champion who has represented Canada on 20 national teams.

Patrick Phillips has been the Director of True North Sports and Entertainment since February, 2011, and on the Board of the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Club since inception.

Phil Kershaw is a veteran business executive with extensive experience in the communications, sports and political arenas. He headed up his own successful advertising agency for sixteen years, was a three-time President of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and Chairman of the Canadian Football League, President of the Ottawa Rough Riders and served as a consultant for the Ottawa Renegades. Phil was twice appointed by the Prime Minister, including as a Director of Canada 125 in 1992.

Pierre Lafontaine has been involved in the development of athletics and facilities since 1976 as the head coach of multiple swim clubs across North America. In addition, he has been a member of a number of Olympic teams and was the Head Coach of the Australian Institute of Sport for both the 2003 World Championship and the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Pierre then became the CEO and National Coach for Swimming Canada where he remained from 2005-2013. He then served as the CEO of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport from 2013-2015, the CEO of Cross Country Canada from 2015-2017, and the CEO of Cycling Canada from 2017-2018.

Richard Kuypers is currently a Senior Manager at Molson Coors Canada, where he has been since 2014. Previously, Richard worked for the Bruno Event Team (2011-2014), where he was the Tournament Director for the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic. He was also employed at Golf Canada (2006-2011) as the Tournament Manager for the CN Canadian Women’s Open and the RBC Canadian Open. He received his MBA in both Sports Administration and Business Administration from Ohio University in 2004 and 2005 after graduating from Guelph University with a Bachelor of Commerce.

Rick Burton is the David F. Falk Endowed Professor of Sport Management in Syracuse University’s David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics. During the last 20 years, his scholarly research and commentary has been published by multiple journals, including Sport Marketing Quarterly, the International Journal of Sports Marketing, amongst others. Rick also serves as Syracuse University’s Faculty Athletic Representative to the NCAA and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Prior to his appointment at Syracuse in 2009, he served as the chief marketing officer for the U.S. Olympic Committee at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics, and was the Commissioner of Australia’s National Basketball League from 2003-2007. Rick has co-authored a number of books with Dr. Norm O’Reilly, including Global Sport Marketing with Richard Pound.

Ron Bremner has been the owner of the Gold Medal Consulting Group since 2002. He served as the Interim Chairman and CEO for companies such as Unisync Group, Insight Sports, and the Professional Sports Publications from 2005-2012. He was also the President and CEO of the Calgary Flames National Hockey League Organization and the Saddledome Facility from 1996-2001. He is a graduate of the University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Arts in History and English. Ron spent 22 years in Broadcasting in Vancouver, and served as President of CKNW Radio as well as President and CEO of BCTV. He received the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Award and is a member of the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame.

Samantha is co-founder and chief strategist at Relate Social Capital, who specializes in building revenue-generating and community engagement programs and partnerships with a focus on sport. From grassroots to pro sports, and everything in between, Samantha has led fund development and engagement initiatives within all levels of sport, as well as worked alongside athletes, teams, leagues and sport leaders, empowering them to use their status to impact their community. Prior to founding Relate, Samantha spent five years at McGill in a role that was created for the purpose of generating philanthropic investment and raising the profile of Athletics and Recreation. Most recently, Samantha founded the Sport Philanthropy Collective – an international association dedicated to the promotion of sport as a philanthropic cause, and the advancement of sport philanthropy.

Susan Frasson is the President of Coldpoint Holdings Limited and is active in The W.C. Wood Foundations, that was started by her family. She also owns and operates a number of businesses with her husband, Alex. Susan is a dedicated community philanthropist and activist, and her style is to build consensus and lead by example, something that is reflected in every aspect of her life. She has been involved in the family business since her youth, where she was a project manager designing new appliances and assembly lines. She is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario where she studied English, Psychology, and Business.

Ty Mazereeuw has been the Chief Revenue Officer of the Canadian Football League since December of 2017. Prior to that he was the Vice President of Corporate Partnerships and Consumer Products with the CFL since 2011, combining for almost a decade at the League office. Also during the span from 2011-2017, he was the Chairman of the National Board of Directors for the Sponsorship Marketing Council of Canada. Ty worked at IMG as a Senior Director of Corporate Partnership from 2006-2010, and has close to 20 years of experience in business. Other experiences include the Champ Car World Series, Molson Sports and Entertainment, the Toronto International Film Festival, and Royal Bank Financial Group.