Michael Decter is a Harvard trained economist, Senior Portfolio Manager and President and Chief Executive Officer of LDIC Inc. He is also the author of six financial and healthcare books: Healing Medicare: Managing Health System Change – The Canadian Way (1994); Four Strong Winds – Understanding the Growing Challenges to Health Care (2000); Navigating Canada’s Health Care, co-authored by Francesca Grosso (2006); Ten Good Reasons to Invest in Canada (2008); Michael Decter’s Million Dollar Strategy (1998); and The DRIP Strategy: Building your Wealth one share at a time with Dividend Reinvestment plans (2001). As the former Deputy Minister of Health for Ontario and Cabinet Secretary in the Government of Manitoba, Mr. Decter is a well-recognized speaker on broader political and economic issues. He was the founding former Chair of the Health Council of Canada and former Chair of Cancer Quality Council of Ontario. He continues to serve as Chair of Wait Times Data Certification Council of Ontario and Saint Elizabeth Health Care. In 2004, Michael was awarded the Order of Canada.
Board of Directors
President & CEO
LDIC Inc.
Health Care Executive, Retired
Ted Freedman served as President and Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chair of Mount Sinai Hospital and continues as Emeritus Director. He brings considerable senior management and governance experience to the Board through his continuing involvement as a Director on several leading health care Boards, as well as a Director of several Canadian public and private mining companies.
President
Dufflet Pastries Inc.
Daniele Bertrand is President and Partner of Dufflet Pastries group of companies. Daniele has a strong background in global business, finance and consumer and business to business marketing, which includes senior Sales and Marketing positions with Unilever Canada, Parmalat/Ault Foods and Kraft/General Foods, Bell Canada and AT&T. She has served on boards in the business community including being the President and Founding member of the University of Toronto Marketing Club, Chair of Ottawa Inno-Centre, and various fundraising activities.
Executive, Retired
Ron Yamada co-founded MDS Inc in 1969. He served on its Board of Directors for 33 years, and held senior operating and executive positions until his retirement in 2004. Prior to MDS, he was the head of the IBM Medical Team working with leading North American academic health science centers to develop applications for computers in medicine. In addition to his role with Saint Elizabeth Health Care, he serves on the founding Board of Directors of the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion, is an Executive in Residence for Health and Life Science Strategy at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, and serves on the Cancer Care Ontario Planning, Performance, and Research Committee of the Board.
Associate
Sumera Management Consulting
Don Schurman is an Associate with Sumera Management Consulting. As an experienced health care consultant and executive, he has served in a number of senior executive roles including: President and CEO of the University of Alberta Hospitals, Edmonton; President and CEO of the QE II Health Sciences Centre, Halifax; Administrator, Plains Health Centre, Regina; Executive Vice President, Extendicare, Toronto; CEO of the Alberta Mental Health Board; and CEO of the Institute of Pharmaco-Economics, Edmonton. For the past several years, Don has served as a senior level advisor on significant health system issues. He has consulted on strategy, governance and organization design issues for a variety of health care organizations including regional health authorities, teaching hospitals, provincial medical associations, and professional associations. As a consultant he led the development of the strategic plan for the Canadian Patient Safety Institute and served as the founding CEO. Don has extensive board experience having served on many public, not-for-profit and corporate boards.
Ontario Partnership Executive
IBM Health Industry
Paul Sulkers has 38 years experience in healthcare informatics. He has gained his experience through many years of direct implementation of advanced e-health and clinical systems in Canada and Australia. In 1997, Paul developed the strategy for the electronic Child Health Network (eCHN) incorporating the management of chronic paediatric conditions, and in 2000, led the design of a Chronic Disease Management System for NSW Health in Australia. While in Australia, he also established a shared research analytics environment at Melbourne Health, supporting diabetes, epilepsy and cancer research. In 2005, while with the Toronto Academic Health Science Network (TAHSN), Paul supported a CDM solution for renal disease, and led strategies for a regional EHR for Toronto. Paul holds a BSc and MSc in Computing Science from the University of Alberta, where his thesis focused on the Requirements for Medical Information Systems. Paul is currently the Ontario Industry Executive for IBM Health Industry, responsible for IBM’s healthcare strategies and business in Ontario.
Sports Psychologist
Dr. Peter Jensen is a dynamic speaker with a Ph.D. in Sport Psychology. An authority on leadership, he is a renowned innovator – bringing coaching and personal high performance to corporations worldwide. Peter has attended six Olympic games as a member of the Canadian Olympic team and has helped numerous athletes achieve high performance levels under intense pressure. Peter is a top-rated instructor in seven programs at the Queen’s School of Business; he also helped design the Queen’s Executive Leadership Program. He is a founding director of Performance Coaching Inc., one of Canada’s leading corporate training firms. Fortune 500 companies in eight countries have benefited from Peter’s programs.
Chief Financial Officer
WIND Mobile
Heather Gomes is CFO of WIND Mobile, a subsidiary of Globalive Holdings and a new entrant in the Canadian wireless market. She has held progressive roles in Finance within Bell Canada, Bell Mobility and most recently held the position of CFO at Virgin Mobile. Prior to her work in the telecommunications industry, Heather worked in Finance at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Hamilton and St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto. She is a Chartered Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McMaster University, Hamilton. Heather has three children.
President
Enbridge Gas Distribution
Janet Holder was appointed President of Enbridge Gas Distribution in January 2008. She is responsible for the overall leadership and operations of Enbridge Gas Distribution, Canada’s largest natural gas utility with 1.9 million residential, commercial and industrial customers in communities including Toronto, Ottawa, Niagara Falls and Barrie. Ms. Holder is also a member of Calgary-based Enbridge Inc.’s Corporate Leadership Team. Ms. Holder serves on the boards of the Canadian Gas Association, the Ontario Energy Association, Saint Elizabeth Health Care Foundation (Vice Chair) and the West Park Healthcare Centre Foundation and is the Chair of the Natural Resource Division United Way Toronto Campaign Cabinet. Ms. Holder holds a bachelor of science in Chemical Engineering from the University of New Brunswick and a masters of business administration from McMaster University.
Executive Director
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Toronto
Michael Fullan is the Executive Director of Catholic Charities of Toronto and an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors. He has had extensive experience working with developmentally challenged and families and family service agencies. He is very active in his parish and the Archdiocese of Toronto and is an activist in development in the Catholic community. He holds a Masters of Social Works from Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, and is a member of the Ontario Association of Professional Social Workers and of the Ontario College of Certified Social Workers. He is the father of three children.
President & CEO
Saint Elizabeth Health Care
Shirlee Sharkey is president and CEO of Saint Elizabeth Health Care (SEHC), an internationally-renowned leader in home and community care known for its social capital, strong financial performance and track record of innovation. As a diversified not-for-profit charitable health services organization, SEHC employs than more 4,000 staff and delivers 3.8 million visits annually. With a century of experience and a powerful vision for the future, SEHC is dedicated to changing the way care is experienced in urban centres, remote communities, health care institutions, living rooms, boardrooms, and rooms on wheels – touching the lives of people throughout Canada and the world.
OTHER VALUED MEMBERS
Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Corpfinance International Ltd.
John Burns joined Corpfinance International from the national law firm of Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP where he was a partner and head of the National Corporate/Commercial Law Practice Group. He brings his considerable expertise gained in over 30 years in the practice of corporate and commercial law in Toronto for both private and public companies. John has two terrific daughters and is actively involved in charitable and community groups. In 1992, in recognition of his significant volunteer work with community based organizations, John was awarded the Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada by the Governor General of Canada.
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