Ad Hoc Working Group on Responsible Investing Membership
Ad Hoc Working Group on Responsible Investing Membership
Composition
- three (3) individuals appointed by the Board of Governors from among Governors, Trustees, or Board Investment Experts on the Investment Subcommittee, one of whom will be appointed as Chair
- two (2) members of the Senior Administration and one (1) member of University staff appointed by the president
- two (2) students, one appointed by the Central Students Association and one by the Graduate Students' Association
- two (2) faculty, appointed by Senate
- one (1) University of Guelph alumnus/alumna, as appointed by the Governance Committee Working Group Support
Membership
- Mary Anne Chambers, Board of Governors, Chair
- Virginia McLaughlin, Board of Trustees
- Don O'Leary, VP (Finance, Administration & Risk)
- John Miles, AVP (Finance & Integrated Planning)
- Erin Skimson, Director, Catalyst Centre
- Cass Andrew, CSA
- Adina Bujold, GSA
- Ben Bradshaw, Department of Geography
- Patrick Case, Department of Political Science
- Karen Kuwahara, B.A.Sc. '76
Resources
Biographical Listing of Members and Resources
Mary Anne Chambers is a retired Senior Vice-President of Scotiabank, and a former Minister of Training Colleges and Universities and former Minister of Children and Youth Services for the province of Ontario. Mary Anne has served on the Board of the United Way of Greater Toronto and is a past Chair of the Board of the United Way of Canada. She has also served as Vice-Chair of the Board of the Rouge Valley Health System and was Vice-Chair of the Governing Council of the University of Toronto. Mary Anne is a Past President of the Canadian Club of Toronto and the Project for the Advancement of Childhood Education (Canada). She has also served on the Board of Trustees for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), as a Governor of the Air Cadet League of Canada and as a member of the Boards of Tropicana Community Services Organization and the YMCA of Greater Toronto. Mary Anne is currently a member of the Boards of Directors for CUSO International and Grace Kennedy Group Ltd. Mary Anne has been appointed to the Order of Ontario and has received an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degrees from the University of Toronto, York University and Lakehead University, a Vice-Chancellor’s Award from the University of the West Indies, a YWCA Woman of Distinction Award, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Golden Jubilee Medal of Queen Elizabeth II and the Prime Minister of Jamaica’s Medal of Appreciation. Mary Anne majored in Commerce and Political Science for her Hons. B.A. at the University of Toronto and is a Fellow of the Institute of Canadian Bankers, a Chartered Director and a Member of the Institute of Corporate Directors.
Cass Andrew was born and raised in the Yukon Territory, Canada. She is completing her BSc. in Wildlife Biology in Conservation at the University of Guelph, and plans to continue her studies at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine starting September 2015. Cass has wanted to be a veterinarian for as long as she can remember, but the motives behind this goal have been modified due to her ever increasing concerns about climate change, environmental justice, and global health. Cass is actively involved with Fossil Free Guelph, and therefore excited to represent undergraduate students in decision making processes to make responsible investments. She knows that UofG students understand that, in addition to its fiduciary responsibilities, the University of Guelph has a moral imperative to make sustainable and ethical investing decisions.
Ben Bradshaw is an Associate Professor at the University of Guelph with expertise in environmental governance and a research program focused on the natural resources sector. As part of his research and teaching, he has become familiar with Responsible Investing (RI); indeed, he regularly partners with Sustainalytics, a leading, global RI research firm, and has recently published a chapter in an edited book, 'Socially Responsible Investing in the 21st Century'.
Adina is a PhD candidate in the department of Pathobiology in the Ontario Veterinary College. She has served with the Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) in various roles since 2011, and is currently the elected President & CEO for the 2014-2015 term. During her time at Guelph, she has sat on numerous Senate, University, and GSA committees, as well as on several hiring committees across campus. As an active member of the University community, she is a vocal advocate for graduate student interests, with a strong focus on policy development and implementation.
Patrick Case is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Guelph and an Adjunct Professor at Osgoode Hall Law School. In October 2010, Mr. Case was appointed Chair of the Human Rights Legal Support Centre. Mr. Case is also a member of the board of Facing History and Ourselves, an organization that helps educators worldwide link the past to moral choices today. From 2006 to 2010 Mr. Case held an appointment as a Commissioner at the Ontario Human Rights Commission. He has been a trade unionist, a school trustee and a legal practitioner whose chief focus was serving women who were victims of male violence. Mr. Case has served as a staff lawyer in the Family Law Division at Parkdale Community Legal Services. He is a past Chair of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF), which was created as a part of the federal government's redress agreement with Japanese Canadians and has been a Co-Chair of the Equality Rights Panel of the Court Challenges Program of Canada. During Mr. Case's tenure at the CRRF, he worked with others to create a policy to guide the ethical investment of the Foundation's $24,000,000 endowment. Because of his wide ranging experience in human rights and his involvement in assistance with the development of the CRRF's ethical investment, Mr. Case would add value to the University's Working Group on Responsible Investing.
Karen Kuwahara retired from Nestlé Purina PetCare Canada at the end of 2013, after 32 years with the Company, the last 13 as the President. Her background was in sales and marketing, with previous experience at Carnation Canada and Fabergé of Canada. She was active in industry associations, holding various Board positions with the Food and Consumer Products of Canada (FCPC), the Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA), and the Print Measurement Bureau (PMB). Within the Community, she has served on Boards and various committees with Big Brothers Big Sisters, the United Way of Peel Region, and the Modernization of Income Security for Working Adults Task Force. She was also on the Board of Governors for the University of Guelph from 2006 – 2013, working on the Audit Committee, Better Planet Capital Campaign, and Chairing the Pension Committee. Current activities include serving on the Board of the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, and volunteering with the 2015 PanAm/ParapanAm Games. Karen graduated from the University of Guelph in 1976, with a B.A.Sc., and also holds an MBA from York University. She lives in Toronto, with her Shih Tzu Belle.
Virginia McLaughlin currently serves as a trustee on the Boards of the University of Guelph and the Canadian Museum of Science and Technology and is Chair of the Cancer Quality Council for Ontario. She is also Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel 25 (Toronto) Field Ambulance. She is a past Chair of the Board of Directors, Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, of the Governance Leadership Council of the Ontario Hospital Association and several other organizations. She has been a member of the investment committees of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Holland Bloorview Children's Hospital and Trinity College at the University of Toronto. In private life she is President of Helmhorst Investments Limited and Ferdinand Holdings Limited, two family owned investment companies.
In his current role, John reports to the Vice-President Academic & Provost (for budgeting and financial planning) and the Vice-President Finance, Administration & Risk (for balance of the portfolio - financial operations). The split reporting reflects the University’s decision to transfer the budgeting function to the Provost to enhance the on-going process of Integrated Planning with a focus on the development of a multi-year financial plan and collection and use of data to help better inform decisions on financial resource allocations. His portfolio also includes University’s central operations for: research financial reporting, controllership, treasury and investments, payment service, budgeting, and procurement. John’s unit has a direct operational budget of $5M with 50 FTE of professional and support staff. His experience also includes oversight of food and retail operations (at the University), financial analysis, financing (debt and debentures), banking, government. John’s professional interests include improving “readability” of financial information, financial performance measurement, resource allocation and costing processes, and defined pension funding/costs. John’s educational background includes a B.A. (Arts) from the University of Waterloo and a CMA CPA accounting designation.
After graduating from the University of New Brunswick, Don began his career with Coopers & Lybrand, Chartered Accountants. His accounting background led to senior positions with the Federal Business Development Bank in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Montreal head office. After the bank, Don worked for J. D. Irving Ltd. as General Credit Manager and Real Estate Manager before changing his career focus entirely to the public sector, where he took on the challenging role of Director of Economic Development for his hometown of Saint John, New Brunswick. In Saint John, with his brother in 1987, he opened an Irish Pub called “O’Leary’s”. They sold on St. Patrick’s Day in 1992 and the pub is still operating. Don moved to Oshawa in 1992 to take the position of Commissioner of Corporate Services. In 2004 Don moved to Trent University as Vice President, Administration where he worked until being brought on board with the University of Guelph as Vice-President, Finance, Administration and Risk in 2011. Don is past Chair of the Board of Directors of C.U.R.I.E. (Canadian University Reciprocal Insurance Exchange), Chair of its Investment Committee and is past Chair of C.S.A.O. (The Council of Senior Administrative Offices) for Ontario Universities. Don currently serves with the Guelph Rotarians.
Erin Skimson is the Director of the Catalyst Centre at the University of Guelph. She is responsible for the oversight of technology transfer and commercialization of University inventions, as well as the industry liaison, which aims to bring solutions to market by connecting appropriate U of G expertise with the R&D needs of companies and entrepreneurs. She has a strong background in management, marketing, technology and business development having served for over 10 years in various management roles at Stryker Canada LP and Serono prior to joining UofG. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Dalhousie University as well as an MBA from McMaster University. She serves on several Boards, including Innovation Guelph, and the Alliance for Commercialization of Canadian Technologies (ACCT Canada). Her focus as Catalyst Centre director is on building partnerships to advance innovation at the University of Guelph.