About TFO Canada

Board of Directors

	Yolanda Banks (Chairperson) Principal Advisor (Corporate Affairs) FinDev Canada Ottawa, ON/Montreal, QC Yolanda Banks is Principal Advisor (Corporate Affairs) FinDev Canada, Canada’s development finance institution (DFI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Export Development Canada (EDC). She is responsible for managing relations with non-clients stakeholders and with the Government of Canada. Prior to her current role, Ms. Banks was responsible for Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives at EDC. Before EDC, Ms. Banks was with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada with postings in London (UK), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), with cross-accreditations to Myanmar (Burma) and Sudan. She holds an MA (International Affairs-Development Studies) from Carleton University, and a MBA (Entrepreneurship) from the University of British Columbia.
	Anthony Carty (Treasurer) Vice-President, Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer, Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation Ottawa, ON With more than twenty years of senior leadership experience in the private and public sectors in Canada and the U.S., in 2015 Anthony Carty joined the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation, a Government of Canada Crown corporation created to insure deposits in banks, trust companies and loan companies against loss in case of member failure, as its VP, Finance and Administration and CFO. Prior to joining CDIC, Anthony served as Vice-President, Corporate Services and CFO at the Canadian Commercial Corporation, a Crown corporation created to assist in the development of trade between Canada and other nations and to assist persons in Canada obtain goods and commodities from outside Canada. In that role, Mr. Carty was responsible for managing a diverse portfolio consisting of finance, enterprise risk management, human resources, information technology, facilities, strategy and communications. Previously, Anthony was Senior Vice-President and CFO for i2 Holdings, an IBM Company, where he led a team focused on financial and operational roles, including finance and accounting, information technology and business system functions. Holdings was acquired in 2011 by IBM from Silver Lake Sumeru, a leading private equity investor in technology and related growth industries. Anthony was an Audit Manager with PricewaterhouseCoopers' High Technology Practice in Boston, Massachusetts, where he became a Certified Public Accountant. Anthony holds a Master of Business Administration from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Arts from Queen's University.
	Ed Johnston Retail and Sourcing Professional Toronto, ON Mr. Johnston is a respected retail and sourcing senior leader, with over 40 years in retail. Mr. Johnston recently retired from Canadian Tire Corp (CTC) in May 2016 after almost a quarter century with Canadian Tire. He is a newly elected Board member for the Alliance For Bangladesh Worker Safety and will serve as Chair of the Finance Committee. In his most recent role at Canadian Tire, he was the Vice-President of Enterprise Sustainability for Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC), one of Canada's leading and most trusted retailers. Mr. Johnston was accountable for leading the Company's Responsible Sourcing and Environmental Sustainability strategy, programs and governance across all banner brands and functions. Mr. Johnston joined the Company in 1994 and has held progressive management roles including serving as VP Home Products Merchandising, responsible for $3 billion in sales, and VP Sourcing Services, a merchandising support role for CTC where his accountabilities included: global sourcing and vendor management (overseeing multiple Asia offices and hundreds of vendors), product quality assurance and reverse flow (factory audit programs), ethical sourcing (supplier code oversight for human rights, bribery and factory working conditions) and all product legislative governance. Mr. Johnston holds a Bachelor of Administration degree, with a major in business and minor in electrical engineering, from Concordia University.
	Susanne LaPerle Orillia, ON Susanne Laperle is an accomplished senior executive who has led Human Resources and Communications portfolios on behalf of a number of well known Canadian organizations. Susanne has been recognized for facilitating transformational change and has been a valued, trusted advisor and resource for Boards of Directors and Compensation (HR & Pension) Committees. In her most recent role, Susanne was the Senior Vice President Human Resources and Communications with Export Development Canada (EDC). She is an active volunteer and is currently serving on a not-for profit Board and looking to contribute further at the Board level, while building an executive coaching practice with selected clients. Susanne is a graduate of Rotman School of Business (University of Toronto) with a Masters of Business Administration. She completed her ICD – Directors’ Education Program at Rotman in 2007 and her undergraduate studies were at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Sir George Williams (Concordia). Mrs. Laperle brings deep experience from the service (primarily retailing) and financial services sectors, encompassing both national and international aspects. She has served on advisory boards for Human Resources Associations and was recognized in 2012 as the Strategic Goals Champion with a Vision Award from the Ottawa Chapter of the OHRPA. Mrs. Laperle is bilingual and currently resides in Orillia, Ontario.
	Jean-Michel Laurin (Secretary) President & CEO, Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors Council Ottawa, ON Jean-Michel Laurin was appointed President & CEO of the Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors Council, effective July 8, 2019. He joined the association from NATIONAL Public Relations, Canada’s leading public affairs firm, where he held the position of Vice President, Policy and Public Affairs. As a consultant, he advised clients looking to address complex public affairs issues and was recognized for his policy expertise, his analytical skills and his experience as an advocate. He was previously Vice President and Director of Octane Strategies’ Ottawa office until it joined NATIONAL in 2018. Prior to entering the consulting business, Jean-Michel held various leadership roles with the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) over a 10-year period, most notably the position of Vice President – Global Business Policy. In this role, he established himself as a credible advocate, spokesperson and policy expert for Canadian industry. He was frequently called to testify before Standing Committees of the House of Commons and Senate of Canada, invited to comment on economic and business issues in the media, and asked to advise the government, notably in key trade negotiations. Jean-Michel holds an MBA from HEC-Montreal and a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from McGill University. He is the Board Secretary of the Trade Facilitation Office of Canada and a Director of RESULTS Canada.
	Dale MacDonald Retired Retail and Procurement Professional Dale MacDonald is a retired retail and procurement executive with over 32 years food retail experience. Prior to his retirement in 2017, he worked for Sobeys Inc., a leading Canadian grocery retailer and food distributor, Dale held progressively senior procurement and merchandising roles since joining Sobeys in 1985. In his most recent role at Sobeys, he was Senior Vice President National Procurement and was accountable for the company’s national procurement function, including national vendor arrangements, fresh procurement, non-resale procurement and private label. He is past Chair and a current Director for The Grocery Foundation. Mr. MacDonald has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Wilfrid Laurier University.
	Ken Sunquist Consultant Gloucester, ON Ken Sunquist is an international strategic business advisor, management consultant and corporate director. He is a former senior official of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Development. Most recently he was Assistant Deputy Minister for Asia and Africa, and Chief Trade Commissioner for Canada. His assignments at headquarters included responsibilities for International Business, Global Operations and Trade Communications. He served abroad as a trade officer in Jamaica, Yugoslavia, USA, and as acting Ambassador in China and Korea, as well as Ambassador to Indonesia. Ken is Chair of the Board of CARE Canada, and Chair of the Forum for International Trade Training (FITT). He has been a Director of TFO Canada for over 18 years., Prior Director positions were with the Canadian Commerical Corp., and the Asia Pacific Foundation. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the China Institute of the University of Alberta. Ken obtained his B.Admin at the University of Sask., his MPA at Golden Gate University in San Francisco, and a LLD (Hon) from the University of Regina. He has a C. Director recognition from McMaster/ Conference Board of Canada and is CITP from FITT.
	Andrea Baldwin HR Strategic Initiatives Lead, Sobeys Canada Toronto, ON Andrea Baldwin is the HR Strategic Initiatives lead at Sobeys, Inc. She recently joined the grocery retailer from Accenture Canada, a global management consulting and professional services firm. Andrea advises Sobeys on people strategy and business transformation with a focus on culture and capability building. Prior to her role at Accenture, Andrea worked at various consulting firms including KPMG, Secor Consulting and Boston Consulting Group. She spent three years as the Advisory Lead for Canadian Business for Social Responsibility (CBSR) where she provided guidance on social and environment responsibility to Canada's largest corporations. Andrea started her career as a Foreign Service Officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) with postings to Panama, Zimbabwe and Zambia. She holds a BComm from University fof Ottawa.
	T. Kendal Hembroff Director General, Trade Policy and Negotiations Chief Negotiator, Pacific Alliance and India Global Affairs Canada Ms. Hembroff was appointed Director General, Trade Policy and Negotiations at Global Affairs Canada in August 2018 and has responsibility for overseeing the negotiation of Canada's bilateral/regional trade agreements and related initiatives as well as multilateral trade policy engagement at the WTO, OECD, G20 and APEC. In this capacity, Ms. Hembroff currently serves as Canada's Chief Negotiator for ongoing FTA negotiations with the Pacific Alliance and India, as well as Canada's senior official for FTA exploratory discussions with ASEAN. Ms. Hembroff joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (now Global Affairs Canada) in 1999. She has her Bachelor of Arts Honours in Political Studies from the University of Manitoba; and Masters of Arts in International Affairs from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University. Before assuming her current role, Ms. Hembroff has held a number of other positions in the Trade Policy and Negotiations Branch at Global Affairs Canada, including as Director of the Trade Policy and Negotiations Division - Asia (2016-2018); Director of the Trade Policy and Negotiations Division (2014-2016) and Director of the Services Trade Policy Division (2009-2011). She has held the position of Deputy Chief Negotiator for CPTPP and Ukraine, and as Chief Negotiator for modernization of Canada's existing free trade agreements with Chile and Costa Rica. Ms. Hembroff also served as the deputy senior official responsible for FTA exploratory discussions with China and was Canada's Lead Negotiator for the WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). Ms. Hembroff has served as a lead negotiator for goods market access and services for a number of international trade negotiations including with South Korea, Panama, CARICOM and Singapore. Ms. Hembroff previously served abroad as Consul and Senior Trade Commissioner at the Consulate General in Hong Kong from 2011 to 2014 and was responsible for providing support to Canadian companies in the Greater China region.