President and CEO of Sumarria Inc. and a Director of his family-owned company, Graymont Limited. Mr. Graham is also a Director of several other Canadian corporations including Bombardier Inc. and Power Corporation of Canada as well as a number of private companies.

In addition to being Chairman of the Ontario Arts Foundation, Mr. Graham is Chairman of the Shaw Festival Foundation and Vice Chairman of the Council of Business and the Arts in Canada. He is also a Board Member of the Art Gallery of Ontario, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research and Luminato.

In 1995 he was recognized by The Financial Post as one of “Canada’s Top 40 Under 40” and in 1998 he was awarded with the Government of Ontario Volunteer Service Award. In June 2007, he was awarded a Honourary Doctorate of Laws Degree from Brock University and in 2012 was presented the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Ms. Smalley is the President and Founder of Allied Capital Corporation, a boutique investment bank and Exempt Market Dealer, which provides corporate finance services to private and public growth companies.

Katherine began her career in investment banking, working as a research analyst with Pitfield MacKay Ross & Co. Ltd.

From 1970 to 1990, Ms. Smalley was a producer and director for the CBC and is recognized for her award-winning, investigative primetime documentary series, Man Alive and other documentary specials. She produced and directed a series on the decorative arts which was presented with full orchestral scores by Canadian composer Harry Freedman.

Ms. Smalley received the Gabriel Award for Best Documentary: “So Many Miracles” (Poland), “A Glimpse of Heaven” (The Soviet Union), “Listen to the Children” (Canada); the San Francisco Jury Award: “So Many Miracles”; Columbus Documentary Award: “The Double Message” (Canada); “Against Oblivion”; The Hand & Eye Series and the New York International Film Award: “A Legacy of Hate” (Lebanon).

Ms. Smalley is a Member of the Order of St. Lazarus, a charity for Palliative Care, and Healing Hands India. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Friends of the McGill Library and on the McGill Chancellor’s advisory committee. She is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and serves on the Board of Directors of Legacy Private Trust. Ms. Smalley is the recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal for service to Ontario and Canada, and the Royal Canadian Geographic 2024 Quest Expedition Medal.

Deborah Barrett, FCPA, FCA

Ms. Barrett, a Corporate Director, was the Chief Financial Officer of The Woodbridge Company Limited, a private investment holding company, from 2011 until her retirement in 2017. Prior to joining Woodbridge in 2004, she held senior financial leadership positions in public and private companies. She has over 30 years of executive management experience in a number of industries, including private equity, real estate and business process outsourcing. Ms. Barrett serves as a board and investment committee member of Great-West Lifeco Inc. and Canada Life Assurance Company, and a director of a private investment company. Her former corporate board experience includes Infrastructure Ontario and Canadian Real Estate Investment Trust. She also served as an advisor to the pension committee of The Globe and Mail and as a member of its audit committee. Ms. Barrett volunteered on the board of Soulpepper Theatre Company in various capacities including audit chair and board vice-chair during her 12-year tenure. She is also a past director of Youth Employment Services (YES). Ms. Barrett obtained her accounting designation in 1980 and became an FCPA, FCA in 2021.  She also holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Robert J. Foster, C.M., MA, CFA, is the Founder, President, and CEO of Capital Canada Limited, an independent investment banking firm. Mr. Foster focuses on the entrepreneur in the private markets, negotiating and structuring mergers, acquisitions, and financings.

Robert Foster serves as Chair of Business and Arts, a national partnership between business & the arts focused on FACE (facilitating, advocating, convening, and educating) within the sector. He also serves on the boards of the Ontario Arts Foundation, the Harbourfront Foundation, and the TO Live Foundation (Chair); he also served as Chair of TO Live, a board appointed by the Toronto City Council which is responsible for overseeing the business affairs and operation management of the Toronto Theatres, and previously served as Chair of Toronto Artscape, Chair of The Canadian Arts Summit, Chair of the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards.

In 2011, Robert Foster was the Lead Co-Chair for a year-long examination of Toronto’s cultural capacity and priorities, which resulted in the Creative Capital Report for the City of Toronto. The City Council embraced this report, which was a guiding document for the city’s cultural funding and
growth.

He also served as Vice Chair of Toronto’s 2008 Olympic Bid.

Mr. Foster served on the National Aboriginal Achievements Foundation (now Indspire) and, as Chair of the John Kimbell created ballet “In the Land of Spirits”.

Robert Foster was appointed to the Order of Canada, awarded the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal, and named co-recipient of the Rita Davies and Margo Bindhardt Cultural Leader Award. He has received four Citations of Appreciation signed by former Mayors of Toronto for his leadership contributions to the city over an extended period.

Mr. Foster is an active participant in the democratic process and has played leading roles with all three levels of government. As he stated, “Democracy is not a spectator sport.”

Over his lifetime, Robert Foster has generously donated his time, expertise, and financial support to more than 30 city and country-building initiatives and organizations.

Within the business community, Mr. Foster currently serves on the boards of Hunter Amenities, Securcor, and Anthem Media Group. In the past, he has served on the boards of Intertape Polymer Group, CHC Helicopters, Golf Town, Cargojet, Canada 3000, and Canadian Airlines Regional.

Based in Toronto, Simon Foster is the CEO and founder of Chatter Research, a customer feedback software platform he created in 2016. Prior to this, Simon spent five years with Blue Ant Media, as senior vice president of digital and corporate development.

Simon is the co-founder and chair of the Framework Foundation, a charity that promotes civic engagement of Canadians aged 22 to 35 through volunteerism. The Framework Foundation has invested almost $1 million into the careers of emerging artists.

From 2007 to 2012, Simon served on the board of Canada’s National Ballet School. In 2011 he was the recipient of Business / Arts’ Arnold Edinborough Award, recognizing an individual under 40 for exceptional leadership and volunteerism in the arts.

Simon is a graduate of Queen’s University and has a master’s degree in political economy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Simon Foster was appointed to the Ontario Arts Council (OAC) board of directors on March 31, 2023.

Judith Gelber’s long-standing commitment to the arts includes her work as Steering Committee member of the Canadian Arts Summit from 2009 to 2011. Most recently she served as vice chair of the Art of Time Ensemble. Ms. Gelber has volunteered extensively with Canada’s National Ballet School serving as board chair from 2008 to 2010 and previously as chair of the National Ballet School Foundation. Ms. Gelber was also a board member of Toronto’s Tarragon Theatre and with the Community Arts Council of Vancouver.

She was also vice-president of the Jewish Family and Child Service of Metropolitan Toronto (Jewish Family & Child), a past board chair of the Lionel Gelber Prize at the University of Toronto, and a director and executive member of the Lionel Gelber Foundation.

Judith Gelber is a consultant specializing in relationship and stakeholder management. From 1991 to 2004, she was vice-president and managing consultant at DMB Canada. Over the years, she has worked in the areas of labour relations, corporate marketing and philanthropy. She holds an M.B.A. from Columbia University and a B.A. from the University of Toronto.

Mr. Karim Karsan, MBA, JD, has volunteered at a number of community, arts and health services organizations including having served on the Boards of the Metropolitan Toronto Housing Authority, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, and the Ontario Arts Council where he chaired the Finance and Audit Committee. Mr. Karsan chaired the Board of the AIDS Committee of Toronto and was Vice Chair of the Capital Campaign Cabinet at Casey House which raised $10m to build the new Casey House hospice and day health facility. Mr. Karsan is currently Vice-Chair of the Board of Kensington Health Foundation and Chairs its Hospice Capital Campaign. Mr. Karsan’s volunteer work in the community was recognized with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Award.

Mr. Karsan obtained his Bachelor of Arts from Western, his Juris Doctor at the University of Manitoba and his MBA at the Kellogg- Schulich School of Business. Professionally, Mr. Karsan has held a number of compliance and consumer protection roles including Deputy Registrar and Director of Licensing and Registration at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and as Vice President, Consumer Protection and Chief Compliance Officer at the Ontario Energy Board. Mr. Karsan led the compliance and regulation work at Interac Association and was the Registrar and is currently Vice President and Associate General Counsel at CPA Ontario.

Dani is the President of Magnet Strategy Group, a public affairs consulting practice with a presence in Toronto and Washington, D.C.  In 2019, Dani was appointed to the board of the Ontario Arts Council and reappointed as Vice-Chair in 2021.

Dani co-founded Cross-Border Health, a U.S.-based non-profit organization dedicated to fostering Canada-U.S. dialogue on common priorities in health. She serves as a Health Leader-in-Residence for the World Health Innovation Network (WIN), within the University of Windsor’s Odette School of Business.   

Dani is an Advisory Board Member for the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee (CJPAC) and Co-Chair of CJPAC’s Women in Politics Mentorship Program.  She also serves on the Industry Advisory Board for Bloom Burton & Co., a healthcare investment advisory firm in Toronto. Dani earned her undergraduate degree from McGill University and a Master of Arts in International Trade Policy from the Middlebury Institute for International Studies at Monterey. 

Chris Pitts is a Partner at PwC Canada working in the Asset and Wealth Management practice, and he has worked at the firm for over 30 years. He was previously the National Asset and Wealth Management Practice Leader for Canada and has served numerous industry associations over the last twenty years, including as past treasurer of the Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA) Canada. 

His professional and business experience spans the UK, the US and Canada in the areas of business assurance and advisory services, primarily focused on the asset and wealth management industry.

Chris previously served on the Board of Young People’s Theatre, including as Chair of the Board, as Treasurer, and also as the Chair of its Artistic Director Search Committee.

Kim Shannon, CFA, MBA
Kim founded Sionna, one of the largest independent investment firms led by a woman, in 2002. She joined the industry in 1983 and has received numerous awards, including IIAC Investment Industry Hall of Fame, Morningstar Fund Manager of the Year (2005), the RBC Canadian Woman Entrepreneur Award, Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award and the Rotman Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award. Kim is active in supporting her community and serves on many boards and investment committees including United Corp, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Foundation as well as the Rotman Dean’s Advisory Board.

Ms. Tory is a retired partner from Ernst & Young LLP, where she led their not-for-profit industry group. She was responsible for the audits of a diverse range of clients, including several cultural organizations.

She currently serves on a number of boards, including Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, YMCA Greater Toronto and Soulpepper. She is a past board member of George Brown College and GBSP Centre Corp. (Young Centre for the Performing Arts).

Ms. Tory holds a B.Comm from the University of Toronto. She has an FCPA, FCA and an ICD.D designation.

John Wilkinson, of Stratford, is the President& CEO of Wilkinson Insight Incorporated. Formerly, he was Senior Vice President, Sustainability for Greenfield Global and currently serves on its Board of Directors. John is the Chair of the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance and former Chair of the Stratford Perth County Community ‎Foundation.

John has been active in arts fundraising initiatives for the Stratford Festival, Drayton Entertainment and the Performing Artists Lodge (PAL) Stratford‎ and has been honoured by the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Rotary International. He is a recipient of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal.

From 2003 – 2011, John served at the Ontario Legislative Assembly as the MPP for Perth-Middlesex and then Perth-Wellington. As well, during his tenure at Queen’s Park, he served as Ontario’s Minister of Research & Innovation, Minister of Revenue and Minister of the Environment.

John is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario Faculty of Music, earning an Artists Diploma (3 Year) in Performance (Voice).