2024-2025 Composition and Membership

Term: July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2027

See: https://www.mcgill.ca/chancellor/

Current Term: April 1, 2023 - June 30, 2028

See: https://www.mcgill.ca/president/

Term: July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2027

Arun D. Bajaj is a corporate director. He is a member on the Board of Directors of Cogeco Communications Inc. where he is the Chair the Human Resource Committee and serves on the Corporate Governance Committee. During his executive career he has led global human resource, legal and communications functions in public companies. His previous positions include Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resource Officer and Legal Affairs of Gildan Activewear Inc., Chief Human Resource Officer of Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance and Chief Human Resource Officer of Nissan Motor Company. In his career he has operated in multiple geographies including North America, Asia and Europe.

Mr. Bajaj graduated from McGill University in 1993 with a Bachelor of Civil Law and a Bachelor of Laws and he is currently a member of the law Society of Ontario.

Mr. Bajaj currently serves on the Human Resources Committee of the Board of Governors

Member at-Large Term: May 1, 2016 June 30, 2026

Chair of the Board Term: July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2026

Previously served as Vice-Chair of the Board from October 4, 2018  to June 30, 2022

For more information about the Chair of the Board, please visit https://www.mcgill.ca/boardofgovernors/membership/about-chair

Term: July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2028

Bertrand Cesvet is a Canadian business leader, with a strong track record in the fields of branding, communications, creative management, marketing, and international business. After joining Sid Lee in 1997, he led the company's transformation from a local design studio to an internationally recognized creative micro-network of more than 1,000 employees in 6 offices across Canada, France, the US, and the United Kingdom. Working with top-tier clients in the fields of digital marketing, advertising, experiential marketing, and architecture, he has sought to create globally recognized work (Cirque du Soleil, Adidas House Party, Adidas is All In, We The North, and the redevelopment of Place Ville-Marie, to name a few). In 2009, he moved his family to Paris to establish Sid Lee's presence in France and in the Netherlands, which enabled him to create a strong business network in Europe.

In 2011, alongside Jean-François Bouchard and Daniel Lamarre, he co-founded C2-MTL, a globally recognized international conference on creativity and business. He has worked extensively in M&A, leading seven sales and acquisition processes on behalf of both Sid Lee's partner group and its parent company kyu, a Japanese holding company that acquired Sid Lee in 2015. From 2015 to 2019, he was an independent board member on the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, a $340B asset manager that services the Province of Québec's various pension funds.

He left Sid Lee in 2021 and is now focusing on active investment. He deploys capital and brings his brand development skills and creative leadership expertise to high-growth B2C businesses. His most recent investments include apparel brands Psycho Bunny and Kanuk.

Bertrand first came to McGill in 1986. He first earned a BA in Economics and then completed his MBA, also at McGill, in 1988. In 2012, he won the Desautels Management Award. In 2015, he was a finalist for the Desautels Faculty of Management Top 50 Impact Makers Award. In 2016, he was awarded a Doctorate Honoris Causa in literature by the University. In 2019, he worked on the development of the Made by McGill campaign to celebrate the University's 200th anniversary. Since 2021, he has been an independent board member for the McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill.

Mr. Cesvet currently serves on the Human Resources Committee of the McGill Board of Governors.

Term: July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2026

Mr. David is the Chief Executive Officer of GRI Capital Inc., a private investment management firm that he has led since its inception in 2005. Mr. David serves as a Director at Dollarama and Roots Corporation. From 2002 to 2005, he served as the Senior Vice-President for Business Development at Dollarama. Prior to that, from 2000 to 2002, Mr. David served as a Financial and Strategic Advisor to private and public companies. He worked at Claridge Inc. from 1998 to 2000 and at McKinsey & Co. from 1996 to 1998. He holds Bachelor of Commerce with Honours from Queens University, Bachelor of Laws from McGill University, Bachelor of Civil Law from McGill University, and Master of Business Administration with Distinction from Harvard Business School.

Mr. David currently serves on the Investment Committee of the McGill Board of Governors.

Term: July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2027

Ariel Deckelbaum is Partner at Ropes & Gray . He is M&A partner who advises clients on their most challenging, strategic and business-critical transactions. This includes mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, spin-offs, and cross-border and restructuring transactions, as well as other significant corporate matters.

With more than 20 years of experience, Ariel represents public and private companies, private equity and asset management firms, boards of directors, special committees, family offices and high-net-worth individuals and other strategic investors. Chambers USA notes his “diverse industry expertise,” which includes investment management, technology, media, private equity, industrials and manufacturing, consumer products, hospitality and sports.

Prior to joining Ropes & Gray, Ariel was a partner in the New York office of another international law firm.

Mr. Deckelbaum currently serves as a member of the Committee on Sustainability and Social Responsibility of the McGill Board of Governors.

Term: July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2027

As Regional Vice President of Private Banking for Quebec and Eastern Canada, Alan Desnoyers leads a team of private bankers and enterprise private client professionals who provide wealth planning strategies and solutions for high-net-worth clients in Northern and Eastern Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada. His team is responsible for deepening client relationships, driving profitable growth and new household acquisition and delivering an exceptional client experience with partners across RBC. Alan also delivers on key strategic priorities that enhance employee engagement and nurtures collaboration across the organization.

Alan has more than 30 years of experience in private banking, commercial banking and integrated markets, including senior leadership and national office roles. He has extensive experience in strategy development and execution, performance and human resources management. In addition to his leadership across various businesses, Alan is a fierce advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion and has a passion for the development of people. Committed to education, Alan currently serves on the McGill Board of Governors, and served as an executive member of the McGill Alumni Association between 2007-2022. He is also an active supporter of Centraide du Grand Montréal.

Alan is an alumni of McGill University. He completed the Strategic Thinking and Management Program from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, and the Institute of Corporate Directors – Rotman Directors Education Program.

Mr. Desnoyers currently serves as Chair of the Committee on Sustainability and Social Responsibility and as a member of the Audit and Risk Committee of the McGill Board of Governors.

Term: July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2029

Mr. Fred Headon is Vice-President and General Counsel, Labour and Employment Law, at Montreal-based Air Canada, and was the first in-house counsel to serve as President of the Canadian Bar Association and continues to serve as Chair of the CBA’s Legal Futures Initiative.

At Air Canada, Mr Headon leads a team of in-house lawyers, paralegals and support staff who are responsible for all aspects of labour and employment law, including administrative law, human rights, privacy and workplace health and safety matters. He also represents Air Canada in proceedings before various courts and tribunals and advises on matters ranging from collective bargaining to strategic corporate initiatives.

Prior to joining Air Canada, Mr. Headon worked in private practice in Montreal in the areas of labour, employment, human rights, privacy, and administrative law, as well as civil litigation. He has also taught Social Law and Administrative Law at the Faculty of Law of the National University of Rwanda.
Mr. Headon has served the Canadian Bar Association in a number of capacities, including as a member of its Canadian Corporate Counsel Association Board from 2007- 2012. His work with the CBA, and in particular, the Legal Futures Initiative, which he chairs, were cited by Canadian Lawyer magazine when it included him in its 2013 and 2015 list of Canada’s 25 most influential lawyers.

Mr. Headon earned his LL.B. and B.C.L. degrees from McGill University in 1996 and his B.A. from the University of Winnipeg in 1992. He has been a member of the Quebec Bar since 1997.

Mr. Fred Headon currently serves as Chair of the Nominating, Governance and Ethics Committee and as a member of the Human Resources Committee and the Executive Committee.

Member-at-large term: July 1, 2017 - June 30, 2027

Vice-Chair term: July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2027

For more information about the Vice-Chair, please visit: https://www.mcgill.ca/boardofgovernors/membership/about-chair/about-vice-chairs

Member-at-Large Term: July 1, 2018- June 30, 2028

Vice-Chair Term: July 1, 2023 -  June 30, 2028

For more information about the Vice-Chair, please visit: https://www.mcgill.ca/boardofgovernors/membership/about-chair/about-vice-chairs

Term: July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2026

Ms. Prando was Managing Director, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary and member of the Executive Committee of the Canadian operations of Société Générale, a French bank with a global presence and operations in 65 countries, having spent 21 years with the bank from 2000-2021. She was a member of the Board of Directors of Société Générale (Canada), and was responsible for managing the Legal team, the legal and banking regulatory affairs of the SG entities in Canada, as well as the Corporate Secretarial functions. She played a key role in strategic business and corporate development in Canada, and practiced in the areas of financial institutions, securities and derivatives, corporate and commercial law, employment law, privacy laws and managed complex litigation matters. She was also very involved in ensuring appropriate governance in a continuously evolving multi-jurisdictional structure.
Prior to that period, she was counsel with Pratt & Whitney Canada, a Quebec based aircraft engine manufacturer with an extensive international presence, where she was involved in significant contractual negotiations with clients, suppliers and partners across Europe and the US. She was involved in competition and litigation matters as well.
Ms. Prando is fluently trilingual (English, French and Italian), and holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA 1983), and Bachelor of Civil Law and Bachelor of Laws (B.C.L, LL.B 1987) from McGill University.

Ms. Pando currently serves as Chair of the Human Resources Committee and as a member of the Executive Committee, the Nominating, Governance and Ethics Committee and the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the McGill University Board of Governors.

Term: July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2027

Ms. Sakhia joined Knight Therapeutics Inc. as President in August 2016 and assumed the additional responsibility of CFO from October 2017 to March 2020. Prior to Knight, Ms. Sakhia served as the CFO at Paladin from 2001 to 2015. At Paladin, Ms. Sakhia was responsible for the finance, operations, human resources and investor relations functions. During her employment with Paladin, Ms. Sakhia was instrumental in executing in-licensing and acquisition transactions of Canadian and international pharmaceutical products and businesses. In addition, Ms. Sakhia led several M&A and strategic lending transactions as well as equity rounds on the TSX and completed the sale of Paladin to Endo International for over $3 billion.

Ms. Sakhia holds an MBA and a Bachelors of Commerce degree from McGill University. Ms. Sakhia serves on the boards of Grupo Biotoscana SA., the Montreal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the International Advisory Board of McGill's Desautels Faculty of Management and is an independent Board member at the McGill University Health Center.

Ms. Sakhia currently serves as a member of the Finance and Infrastructure Committee and the Audit and Risk Committee of the McGill Board of Governors.

Term: July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2027

Jonathan Sigler recently retired as co-president of Prével, a real estate development company specializing in the construction of mixed used residential and commercial projects in the greater Montreal area. He continues to be active as an investor and strategic advisor.

Jonathan holds degrees in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Stanford University.

Mr. Sigler serves as the Vice-C chair of the Finance and Infrastructure Committee and as a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors.

Term: January 16, 2025 - June 30, 2026

Dr. Charles Bierbrier is a business consultant, educator, and entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience across multiple industries.

He holds a Doctor of Business Administration from Johnson & Wales University, an MBA from Concordia University, and a BA in Economics from McGill University. As an active and engaged member of his community, Dr. Bierbrier provides leadership and expertise on the boards of several non-profit and community organizations.

Term: September 19, 2019 - June 30, 2028

Inez Jabalpurwala is Global Director of VINEx, a non-profit corporation initiated by the private medical device company Rocket Science Health to advance our understanding of how the environment impacts brain health. She also serves as Executive Leader of the Brain Health Nexus, a global collaboration to unleash science and technology to optimize brain health across the life course and prevent brain disease.

Inez was the Founding President and CEO of the Brain Canada Foundation, from 2001 to 2020. Brain Canada is a national non-profit organization that supports and advances brain research.

Inez currently serves on the Board and Executive Committee of Equitas—International Centre for Human Rights Education; is past President of the McGill Alumni Association, and past Chair of the Nominating & Governance and Honours & Awards committees; is a member of McGill University’s Campaign Cabinet for its $2B capital campaign and is Chair of the McGill Fund Leadership Circle; and is a Desautels Global Expert in McGill University’s Faculty of Management. Inez is a member of the Economic Development and Public Finance committee of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal.

Inez has served as an advisor to the federal government on strategic science investments; served on the committee of research experts who informed the development of ecosystem-wide recommendations for the Organ Donation and Transplantation Collaborative; served as a member of the US National Institutes of Health BRAIN Initiative Multi-Council Working Group; the Institute of Medicine (of the National Academies) Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders; and BrainsCAN (a CFREF based at Western University).

She is passionate about equity, diversity and inclusion in science and in society. She is a member of the International Women’s Forum; she has been a member of the Association of Quebec Women in Finance, and a member of the Women’s Brain Health Initiative. Inez has mentored young women throughout her career, including through the McGill University Faculty of Management, and Loran Scholars Program. She served as an Inaugural Mentor for the McCall MacBain Scholars and a mentor for the Women’s Executive Network. She served on the selection committee for the McCall MacBain Scholars for the 2021 and 2022 cohorts, and on the selection committee of The John McCall MacBain Scholarship at Wadham College from 2021 to 2024.

In 2007, Inez was named one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 by the Women’s Executive Network, in the “Trailblazers and Trendsetters Category”. She received this recognition again in 2016 and 2022. A skilled public speaker, she has been featured at major conferences around the world.

Ms. Jabalpurwala currently serves as a member of the HR Committee and as co-chair of the the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the McGill University Board of Governors.

Term: July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2028

David Reckziegel graduated from McGill University in 1987 with an MBA and also holds a BSc. Chemical Engineering from the University of New Brunswick.

Mr. Reckziegel is the founder of Rex Media Capital Inc. which provides strategic and corporate development advisory services to media and entertainment companies in North America.

Prior to founding Rex Media Capital he spent twenty (20) years working in film and television as a producer and distributor culminating his professional entertainment career as President of the largest film distributor in Canada, Entertainment One. He has also worked as a film producer having produced over a dozen feature films including: Shake Hands with the Devil, Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey, Super Duper Alice Cooper, Vers le Sud and the Russian Ark.

Prior to launching his career in film and television Mr. Reckziegel worked for seven (7) years as an investment banker with BMO Nesbitt in Montréal, Toronto and New York .

Term:  July1, 2019 - June 30, 2025

Lucy Gilbert, MD, Chair, Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology (GBDO), Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), McGill University as of Jan 1, 2024.

Dr. Gilbert is a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology at McGill. She holds the Robert Kinch Chair in Women’s Health in the FMHS, which was established to promote research into the various and often underserved elements of women’s health including gynecological oncology and issues of women's health in an aging population. She is the Director of both the Multidisciplinary Gynecologic Cancer Service and the Division of Gynecological Oncology at the MUHC and holds an Associate Appointment in Gynecologic Oncology at St. Mary’s Hospital Center

Dr. Gilbert is widely regarded for her research in gynecologic cancers. In 2002, she started the Women’s Health Research Unit of Gynecologic Oncology and Gynecology at the MUHC, which has grown to be the largest clinical trials unit in Canada for gynecologic cancers. She heads the Detecting Ovarian and Endometrial Cancers Early using Genomics (DOvEEgene) program, for which she currently holds a Genome Canada Grant for $6.2 million. She has twice been recognized by Québec Science magazine for her scientific discoveries, and the genomic Pap test she developed which received the magazine’s Découverte de l'année in 2018. She was named one of the Top 25 Women of Influence in Canada in 2021 for her contribution to research in women’s health.

Dr. Gilbert currently serves on the Nominating, Governance and Ethics Committee of McGill’s Board of Governors.

Term:  July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2027

Victoria Kaspi is a Professor of Physics at McGill University, where she holds the Lorne Trottier Chair in Astrophysics and Cosmology, and the Distinguished James McGill Chair in Physics.

She is the inaugural Director of the Trottier Space Institute at McGill. She received a B.Sc. (Honours) in Physics from McGill in 1989, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Physics from Princeton University in 1991 and 1993, respectively. From 1994-96, she held a Hubble Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and California Institute of Technology. She was an Assistant Professor of Physics at MIT from 1997-2000, and joined the faculty of McGill in 2000, where she has remained.

Prof. Kaspi has used techniques of radio and X-ray astronomy to study rapidly rotating, highly magnetized neutron stars. Since 2014, she has begun working on Fast Radio Bursts, a newly recognized astrophysical phenomenon involving few-millisecond radio bursts of unknown origin, and is presently the Principal Investigator on the CHIME Fast Radio Burst Project.

Prof. Kaspi has been the recipient of numerous awards and honours, including the 2016 Gerhard Herzberg Medal, Canada's top science prize. In 2021 she was co-recipient of the Shaw Prize in Astronomy for her work on magnetars. She is and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, of the Royal Society of London and the American Physical Society. She is an elected member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2017, she was named Companion of the Order of Canada.

Term: August 7, 2024 - June 30, 2028

Term: July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2027

Kit Malo has a background in organizational development, conflict resolution, leadership development and equity in the workplace, with 20+ years of experience in the not-for-profit sector, and 10+ years of working with McGill. Kit's particular passion is supporting academics in the development of their leadership and governance capacities, which is at the heart of supporting deeper inclusion and ultimately more joy and balance in our institution.

Kit currently serves on the Finance and Infrastructure Committee and the Nominating, Governance and Ethics Committee of the Board of Governors.

Term:  September 2, 2020 - June 30, 2026

Petra Rohrbach obtained her PhD from the University of Heidelberg at the German Cancer Research Centre (Germany) in 2000, after completing her BSc at McGill University. She continued her studies as a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University School of Medicine (Germany), where she obtained her habilitation early 2008. In the Fall of 2008, she joined McGill University as an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Parasitology and was granted tenure and Associate Professor in 2014. She currently serves as Research Ambassador for the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and is a Visiting Professor at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany.

Professor Rohrbach currently serves as a member on the Finance and Infrastructure Committee and the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors.

Term:  January 1, 2016 to June 30, 2025

Dr. Edith Zorychta obtained a B.Sc. from St. Francis Xavier University, then worked as a research scientist for Merck-Frosst in Montreal and subsequently obtained her MSc and PhD in Pharmacology and Therapeutics from McGill. This was followed by postdoctoral training in Physiology, and an academic staff appointment at McGill in the Department of Pathology. She is currently an Associate Professor in both the Department of Pathology, and the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

Her major research interests have previously focused on the pathology and pharmacology of the central and peripheral nervous systems; she currently is engaged in research on ovarian cancer and strategies to develop effective therapy for this highly fatal malignancy. She teaches extensively to undergraduate students in biomedical science programs, to medical students, and to graduate students, with class sizes ranging from 6-15 in advanced graduate courses to over 250 at the undergraduate level. Dr. Zorychta has received teaching awards from both the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Science, has been ranked as one of McGill’s most popular professors by an independent survey for Maclean’s Guide to Canadian Universities, and she currently chairs an awards committee on teaching excellence for the Faculty of Science. She has extensive experience designing and directing a graduate studies program for MSc and PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers investigating the causes and potential treatments of human disease; over 150 of these Pathology graduates from more than 15 countries and all provinces in Canada are now occupying research and academic positions around the world. She is extensively involved in collegial university governance, having been President of the McGill Association of University Teachers, President of the McGill Faculty Club, and at the national level she served on the executive of the Canadian Association of University Teachers. She currently chairs a variety of committees, is the McGill University Marshal for all of the Convocation ceremonies and is an elected member of the University Senate.

In her spare time, she developed an interest in heritage architecture and restoration, and as President of the McGill Faculty Club she directed several major restorations of the beautiful woodwork. She is also an enthusiastic gardener, surrounded by houseplants and a summer garden of joyful flowers.

Professor Zorychta currently serves as a member of the Committee on Sustainability and Social Responsibility and the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors.

Term: June 1 2024 - May 31, 2025

Dymetri Taylor is presently serving his second term as President of the Students’ Society of McGill University, a representative of the undergraduate student body. He is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree with concentrations in Psychology and Political Science.

Mr. Taylor previously served as President and Vice President of Academic Affairs of the McGill Psychology Student Association, as well as Co-President of the Canadian Studies Association of Undergraduate Students. In recognition of his contributions to student leadership and university life, he was awarded the McGill Scarlet Key.

Term: July 1, 2023 - May 31, 2025

Satish Kumar Tumulu is the Secretary General of the Post-Graduate Students' Society (PGSS) of McGill University. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Materials Engineering.
Satish has a bachelor's in ceramic engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, India, in 2016. Before joining McGill for a PhD, he worked as an assistant manager at Vedanta Aluminium Limited, India. Satish has served in various roles within McGill, including PGSS, the Graduate Engineering Equity Committee (GEEC), and goLEAD from 2019 to 2023. In the upcoming year, he wishes to enhance McGill's graduate student experience, mainly in funding and healthcare.

Satish previously served on the Nominating, Governance and Ethics Committee of the Board of Governors. He currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Board.  

Term: June 1, 2024 - May 31, 2025

Amine Arezki holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Economics and a minor in Finance, completed in 2018, and a certificate in Management, completed in 2014, both from McGill University. He is currently a student in Computer Science at the School of Continuing Studies.

Previously, Amine participated in the StartUp X1 Accelerator at the Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship with a project focused on blue-collar recruitment.
Amine currently serves on the Finance and Infrastructure Committee of the Board of Governors.
 

Term: October 1, 2024 - May 31, 2025

Katie Chong is currently the VP University Affairs of the Macdonald Campus Students’ Society of the Macdonald Campus of McGill University. She is actively pursuing a Bachelor of Science with a major in Life Sciences and a specialization in Animal Health and Disease in hopes of becoming a veterinarian someday.

Prior to her current position, she served as an MCSS Member-at-Large during her U0 year at McGill.

She is excited to gain experience as an observer on the Board of Governors.