John Tory
Chair, CivicAction

John Tory helped to found CivicAction and served on the Board of Directors before becoming the voluntary Chair of CivicAction. Mr. Tory is a lawyer, business leader, community activist and broadcaster. He was formerly an elected representative serving as Member of Provincial Parliament for Dufferin Peel Wellington Grey, as Leader of the Ontario PC Party and as Leader of the Official Opposition in the Ontario Parliament. The early years of Mr. Tory’s career were spent practicing law in Toronto, and in the 1980s he served as Principal Secretary to Premier Bill Davis and as Associate Secretary of the Ontario Cabinet. In 1995, Mr. Tory joined the Rogers Group of Companies, first as President and CEO of Rogers Media Inc. and then as President and CEO of Rogers Cable. He presently serves on the Board of Directors of Rogers Communications Inc. and a number of other companies. Mr. Tory has an extensive background in volunteer community service. He served as volunteer Chairman and Commissioner of the Canadian Football League and has chaired fundraising campaigns for St. Michael’s Hospital, the United Way and the Toronto International Film Festival. Currently, he hosts a daily three- hour talk show on Canada’s leading talk station Newstalk 1010.

Kilian Berz
Partner & Managing Director, The Boston Consulting Group

Kilian Berz is a Partner and Managing Director and leads the Canadian Practice of The Boston Consulting Group. Kilian has worked extensively as a consultant across many industries, for government and non-for-profit organizations.

Kilian has focused a significant amount of his time on transforming organizations led from a perspective of the creating a differentiated customer experience. Based on customers’ technical, functional and emotional needs, he helped companies to redefine their customer service proposition and innovate their approach to deliver the targeted experience.

Kilian has led global research on organizational change and innovation. He has studied success factors for top performers across all customer segments and developed a strong quantitative perspective on the improvement potential of individual organizations.

Kilian holds a Master of Philosophy in Economics from the University of Oxford and an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Bonn University. His thesis focused on managing organizational change and aligning personal interests with the overall organizational aspiration.

Hon. David Crombie
Former CEO, Canadian Urban Institute; Former Mayor, City of Toronto

A native Torontonian, David Crombie has been a champion for strong neighbourhoods and helping to improve Toronto’s social systems for decades. He is a former Mayor of Toronto and Member of Parliament, and has served as Federal Cabinet Minister. He served as Chancellor of Ryerson University and was conferred the title of Chancellor Emeritus in 2006. A member of many community organizations, Mr. Crombie is a Director of the Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance, the Founding Chair of the Waterfront Regeneration Trust, President of David Crombie & Associates Inc., Chair of the Toronto Lands Corporation, former Chair of Ontario Place Corporation and the former President and CEO of the Canadian Urban Institute. He also serves as Chair of the Advisory Council for the Nuclear Waste Management Organization. David Crombie has been appointed as an Officer to the Order of Canada.

Zabeen Hirji
Chief Human Resources Officer, RBC

Zabeen Hirji is RBC's Chief Human Resources Officer and has global responsibility for Human Resources as well as Brand, Communications and Corporate Citizenship. As a member of RBC's Group Executive, she is one of nine executives responsible for setting the overall strategic direction of RBC.

Ms. Hirji joined RBC in 1977, holding progressively senior roles both in British Columbia and in Toronto in Retail Banking, Operations and Credit Cards. Prior to joining Human Resources in 1997, she was Regional Manager Credit Card Operations, Central Canada. She assumed her current role in February 2007.

Ms. Hirji's community leadership includes serving as Co-Chair of the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council, Vice-Chair of the Capital Campaign for the Women’s College Hospital in Toronto and director of the Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance. In 2005 she was named a Fellow of Centennial College in recognition of her international leadership in diversity, highlighting her leadership in building cultural competency and championing the advancement of women, visible minorities and new immigrants. Ms. Hirji was also named Corporate Executive of the Year by the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce in 2010.

Ms. Hirji holds a Masters of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University and has completed the Advanced Human Resources Executive Program at the University of Michigan Business School. She is a frequent speaker and is often quoted on Human Resources and diversity related topics.

She and her husband live in Toronto with their two children.

Rob MacIsaac
President, Mohawk College

Rob MacIsaac became the seventh President of Mohawk College on Feb. 1, 2009. Under Rob’s leadership, Mohawk has transformed its main campus with investments in new and renovated space totalling more than $80 million dollars. During this same time, he has positioned Mohawk as the Western Golden Horseshoe’s hub for post-secondary education and applied research in health and technology.

Rob has also committed Mohawk to unique and innovative outreach programs aimed at inspiring disengaged and disenfranchised youth to attain a post-secondary education. At the same time, he has commissioned a suite of initiatives aimed at improving student success at Mohawk. These efforts have made Mohawk a leader in student satisfaction among Ontario’s large colleges. In July of 2012, Rob was selected by his peers to become Chair of the Committee of Presidents at Colleges Ontario.

Prior to joining Mohawk, Rob served as the first Chair of Metrolinx, the transportation authority responsible for planning, building, and operating transportation infrastructure in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). As Chair, Rob led the development and approval of The Big Move, the first ever multi-modal regional transportation plan for the GTHA.

Susan McIsaac
President and CEO, United Way of Toronto

Susan McIsaac became President and CEO of United Way Toronto on September 1, 2010. She is a widely recognized leader with more than 20 years experience in the non-profit sector. Prior to becoming President and CEO, Ms. McIsaac was United Way Toronto’s Chief Development Officer. Before joining United Way, Ms. McIsaac worked for KCI Ketchum Canada, a leader in organizational health, fundraising communication and philanthropic counsel, where she supported a variety of non-profit clients as a campaign director and later as Vice President of Educational Services from 1992 to 1998. Ms. McIsaac has spent a lifetime in service to the community. She donates much of her time to several non-profits in Toronto including the Greater Toronto Civic Action Alliance Board of Directors, and works as a mentor for United Way's CITY Leaders program. She is also a steering committee member for the Governor General’s Initiative on Volunteerism and Philanthropy. In 2007, she received the National Award of Excellence from United Way of Canada–Centraide Canada and was named Outstanding Fundraising Professional of the Year by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Mike Pedersen
Group Head, Wealth Management, Insurance, & Corporate Shared Services, TD Bank Group

Mike Pedersen is the Group Head, Wealth Management, Direct Channels, and Corporate Shared Services for TD Bank Group. He is responsible for TD’s global wealth management businesses as well as the bank’s direct channels and corporate shared services. In addition, Mr. Pedersen champions the bank’s environmental agenda. Prior to joining TD in July 2007, Mr. Pedersen worked in London, England, where he was responsible for Barclays' global private bank and two other international businesses. Before joining Barclays, Mr. Pedersen spent twelve years in a number of executive capacities at CIBC, including Senior Executive Vice President, Retail and Small Business Banking, and Executive Vice President, Branch Banking. He is a past chairman of the Canadian Bankers Association, has a long history of involvement with charitable organizations, and was a recipient of Canada's Top 40 Under 40 award in 1998. Mr. Pedersen co-chairs the Greening Greater Toronto Task Force and is on the Board of the Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance and the Toronto Region Research Alliance. He also chairs the financial services sector campaign for the United Way, and sits on the Advisory Committee of the Greening Canada Fund.

Courtney Pratt
Chair, Toronto Region Research Alliance
Chairman, Knightsbridge Human Capital Solutions

Courtney Pratt was named Chairman of the Toronto Region Research Alliance in October 2007. He also served as the organization’s CEO from October 2007 to March 2010. Previously, he served as Chairman and as President and Chief Executive Officer of Stelco Inc. He also held leadership positions with Toronto Hydro Corporation, Hydro One Networks Inc., The Caldwell Partners, and Noranda Inc. Mr. Pratt is Chairman of Knightsbridge Human Capital, and a Director of Moosehead Breweries Limited, 407ETR, and Orocobre Limited, an Australian resource company. He is a member of the Alberta Premier’s Council on Economic Strategy, Investors Group Independent Review Committee, and the Ontario Advisory Council of Telus.

Mr. Pratt’s on-going community involvement includes Director of the Canadian Council on Learning, The Learning Partnership, and the Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance. Mr. Pratt previously was Chair of the Board and Chair of the Campaign of the United Way of Greater Toronto, Director of Career Edge, and Director of the Toronto Board of Trade. He was Chair of Imagine, is the Founding Chair of The Charter for Business of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards in Canada, and is a past Director of the University Health Network. Mr. Pratt was awarded the Order of Canada in January 1999.

Salima Rawji (ex-officio)
Senior Development Manager, Build Toronto
Co-Chair, CivicAction's Emerging Leaders Network

Salima is a Senior Development Manager for Build Toronto, an innovative real estate development corporation created as part of the City of Toronto's strategy to enhance Toronto's economic competitiveness.  Her previous professional experience ranges from managing  property developments for SmartCentres, structuring venture capital deals for Care Enterprise Partners, to producing some of Toronto’s most successful cultural arts festivals notably the Hot and Spicy Food Festival and Masala! Mehndi! Masti! 

Outside of work Salima is engaged in community. She is Co-Chair of the Emerging Leaders Network (ELN), whose mission is to advance the Toronto Region through awareness, influence and action.  Salima was instrumental to the establishment of TORONTO+acumen in 2010, where she continues as an advisor. She also Chair’s the investment committee for RISE Asset Development, a micro fund dedicated to financing entrepreneurs living with mental illness and addictions.

Salima holds an MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, as well as a Bachelors of Commerce from the Sauder Business School at the University of British Columbia, where she was elected Valedictorian of her graduating class.

Peter Sloly
Deputy Chief, Toronto Police Service

Deputy Chief Peter Sloly is in his 23rd year with the Toronto Police Service. He is presently in charge of Executive Command, responsible for professional services, strategic planning and legal services. Previously, he was in charge of the Operational Services pillar and he also served as Staff Superintendent for the Staff Planning & Community Mobilization pillar. Deputy Chief Sloly is a member of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the FBI National Academy Associates, the Police Executive Research Forum, the TPS Military Veterans Association and the Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers. He has also served on the following Boards of Directors: Spirit of the People Aboriginal Centre, Black Business & Professional Association’s National Scholarship Foundation, Merry Go Round – Kids Cops & Computers, Covenant House, Herb Carnegie - Future Aces Board, Ontario Science Centre, the Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance and the TDSB Elkhorn Public School Parent’s Council. Prior to his policing career he played professional soccer with the Toronto Blizzard and the Canadian National Soccer Team.

Carol Wilding
President and CEO, Toronto Region Board of Trade

Carol Wilding was appointed President and CEO of the Toronto Region Board of Trade in 2007. In addition to her role with the Board of Trade, Ms. Wilding serves as a director on the boards of the Royal Ontario Museum and the Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance and as a member of the advisory board for the Mowat Centre for Policy Innovation. She also served on the Mayor’s Economic Competitiveness Advisory Committee and remains an active member of the Young Presidents’ Organization and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario. Ms. Wilding has earned several prestigious awards including the Outstanding Public Contribution Alumni Award from the Schulich Business School, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal and the Public Sector Excellence Award for Technology. In 2009 she was named a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario. For her leadership in the not-for-profit sector, Carol was named to the Top 100™ list of Canada’s Most Powerful Women for 2010 in the Cisco Public Sector Leaders category.