Appointee Biographies

NICK SIMONE

Nick is a trusted executive and leader, and has 40 years of experience building sales teams, establishing targets, and creating environments conducive to peak-level performance. He is a seasoned entrepreneur with diverse and valuable experience leading various organizations to success across the financial services, real estate, and consulting sectors. On March 1, 2020, Nick was appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Pace Law Corporation. Nick has been involved in several private and non-profit boards. He has received numerous recognitions including “The Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada”. This was in recognition of significant contribution to compatriots, community and to Canada. Most recently, In September 2020 he was appointed as a board member on the Finance Committee for the Humber River Hospital Foundation. In June of 2022 he was appointed Chair of the Humber River Health Foundation Board.

BRYAN DAVIES

Bryan Davies has extensive financial sector and governance experience in both the private and public sectors. Currently he is a member of Council of the Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario (RIBO). Mr. Davies served as the founding Board Chair of the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA). Prior appointments included the Chair of the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC). While Chair of CDIC he served concurrently as Vice-Chair of the Canadian Securities Transition Office from July 2009 to July 2013. Prior to those federal appointments, Mr. Davies was Chief Executive Officer and Superintendent of the Financial Services Commission of Ontario from 2002 to 2005. Before then, he was Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at the Royal Bank Financial Group. Mr. Davies held a number of senior positions in the Government of Ontario from 1975 to 1993, including Deputy Treasurer and Deputy Minister of Economics, and was Vice President of Business Affairs and Chief Administrative Officer at the University of Toronto from 1992 to 1994.

TONY MARQUIS

is a Senior Vice President in Operations (East) for CP Rail. His community involvement includes serving as a Board member for Barrie Telus Community Board and Honorary Director and Advisor for NORMHC (Northern Ontario Railway Museum and Heritage Centre).

MARK MCQUEEN

Having been a professional news photographer in high school, Mark began his full-time career in 1988 upon graduating from UWO. Following five years on Parliament Hill and in the Office of the Prime Minister, he has worked in the financial services industry for over 30 years. He led the growth of Wellington Financial LP from its inception, as a $7 million fund, to becoming one of Canada’s largest and most active venture funds at the time, managing a $900 million investment program. Over an 18-year period, Wellington’s growth capital and advice supported hundreds of different entrepreneurial companies and start-ups in the technology, life science and clean tech sectors. Following CIBC’s acquisition of the firm in 2018, Mark joined CIBC as President & Executive Managing Director of CIBC Innovation Banking. Under his leadership, CIBC became the #2 bank lender to U.S.-based Series A-C VC-backed companies by the summer of 2022. He grew the team to more than 85 staff across 14 global offices. During this five-year period, the team committed more than $10 billion in new financing to a wide range of North American and European start-ups, funds and industry-leading growth companies, all while maintaining very low credit provisions. In February of 2023, Mark announced that he would be leaving CIBC in search of “his next adventure.” He served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Toronto Port Authority (now PortsToronto) as well as the inaugural Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority. He currently serves as a Director of TSX-listed Algoma Central Corporation and is a member of the Governing Council of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. He has served as the Honorary Captain of the Royal Canadian Navy since 2012 and is a recipient of both the Meritorious Service Medal and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal.

PAUL TSAPARIS

Paul Tsaparis is the former Vice President Technology Support for the Americas for HP as well as former President and CEO with Hewlett-Packard Company Canada. His community involvement includes serving York University as Chair of the Board of Governors. He is also currently a Chair of Chairs of the Council of Ontario Universities. He is an Executive in Residence at Schulich School of Business and a board member for Ontario Health, Metrolinx, Indspire and Teranet. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto and a Master of Business Administration from York University.

JAMES DODDS

James Dodds is a senior executive who has been involved in the financial services industry for close to 20 years. He has the responsibility of driving enterprise-wide business development at TD Bank Group, particularly in the areas of commercial banking, wealth management, and corporate banking. He also is the co-head of the TD Wealth Family Office. James is the Bank's strategy officer for the World Economic Forum (WEF) and has represented TD internationally in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe. James is actively involved in the community. He is a philanthropist with a strong passion for organizations that are dedicated to the well-being of children locally and globally. He has served on numerous boards who relied on him for his fundraising, community building, and leadership capabilities. He currently sits on the board of the Jays Care Foundation. In 2012, as a member of the Right to Play board, James successfully led a mission of eight business leaders and Canadian Olympians up Mount Kilimanjaro. In 2011 James was the recipient of the Children’s Aid Foundation Guardian Award and in 2012 received the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Award. In 2019 he was awarded the Significant Sig Award by the Sigma Chi Fraternity, the highest award given to alumni for exemplary achievements in their fields of endeavor. In 2019 he also received the annual Spirit Award from the Ontario Rett Syndrome Association. James completed a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance both from Saint Mary’s University, as well as a Master of Business Administration from the University of Bath.

KAREN TAM

Karen Tam is the Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary at Choice Hotels Canada, one of the largest lodging franchisors in the country with more than 330 properties currently open. Its diverse portfolio of brands includes limited to full-service hotels in the upscale, midscale, extended stay, and economy segments. In her role, Karen oversees Finance, Legal, Human Resources, IT, ESG, Procurement, and some commercial functions, including Communications, Loyalty, and Revenue Management. She was previously the Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer of Global Risk Institute in Financial Services, following roles in finance and operations with a range of private sector firms and professional consulting companies, including Morneau Shepell, Four Seasons Hotels, and KPMG LLP. Karen was previously a member of the Board of Directors for Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and the Royal Ontario Museum. With a Bachelor of Commerce from Queen’s University, Karen also is a CPA, CA and holds the CFA and US CPA designations.

STEWART LYONS

Stewart Lyons is a nationally recognized business leader who has extensive experience in transportation, fintech, innovative technologies and digital transformation. He currently serves as the co-Chief Executive Officer (and Founder) of Third Lane Mobility, which provides micro mobility transportation in over 250 cities around the world under the Bird and Spin brands. He is a Board Member of Borrowell and the Financial Services Regulatory Authority. Previously, he was Senior Vice-President of Emerging Business at SiriusXM Radio. Prior to that, he was the Chief Executive Officer of TeraGo Networks Inc, (TSX:TGO). Stewart was also the co-founder and President of Mobilicity, a wireless telecom provider. He also co-founded SiriusXM Canada. Stewart has been named one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40, selected as one of Western University’s “Extraordinary Alumni” and one of the University of Toronto’s “People who make a Difference”. Stewart has an MBA from the University of Toronto and an LLB from Osgoode Hall Law School.

NICOLE VERKINDT

Nicole Verkindt is an Ontario based innovator, founder and investor in early-stage technology businesses. She founded OMX in 2012 specialized in measuring socioeconomic impacts from supply chains. Her board experience includes serving on the Board of Directors of Canadian Federal Crown Corp. Canadian Commercial Corporation from 2013 to 2023. She served on the board of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and was a Next Gen member of the Business Council of Canada. She also took a Canadian technology company public on the TSX as a board member and has served as an advisor to dozens of early-stage technology firms through the Founder Institute, Tech Stars and more.

MARY ELLEN BENCH

Mary Ellen Bench is a municipal lawyer, certified by the Law Society of Ontario as a specialist in municipal law. Mary Ellen was Director, Municipal Law at the City of Toronto before leaving that position to assume the role of City Solicitor at the City of Mississauga, a position she held for 18 years. Following retirement Mary Ellen joined Dentons Canada, and now has an independent practice, and serves as a municipal Integrity Commissioner. Mary Ellen currently lives in St. Catharines, where she was born. She remains active on volunteer boards including the International Alliance of ALS / MND Associations and Safe City Mississauga.

MICHAEL LINDSAY

Prior to joining Metrolinx, Michael was President and Chief Executive Officer of Infrastructure Ontario (IO), where he worked closely with partners in both the public and private sectors to build, manage, finance and enhance the value of the Province's assets. Michael Lindsay rejoined Infrastructure Ontario as President, Project Delivery, in 2019, bringing his extensive experience supporting a range of innovative public and private partnerships. Prior to returning to Infrastructure Ontario in 2019, Michael served as Special Advisor to the Government of Ontario on the upload of the Toronto subway system. Michael also previously served as Head of Strategic Partnerships & Government for the Investment Management Corporation of Ontario (“IMCO”). As the Global Director of Infrastructure Planning & Advisory at Hatch, Michael helped governments create public private partnerships (“P3s”), and helped private investors effectively negotiate the terms and scope of those partnerships. From 2014 to 2016, Michael was Senior Vice President of Commercial Projects at Infrastructure Ontario. In that role, he was responsible for commercial transactions related to the financing, development, and divestiture of public assets in Ontario (e.g. land, buildings, services). His team structured P3s related to energy, transit and social infrastructure, and contracted private entities to deliver services through a range of outsourced models. Prior to this, Michael was an Associate Principal with McKinsey & Company, where he was a core leader of the Canadian Public Sector Practice. He helped provincial and federal ministries reduce costs, improve service, and analyze the effectiveness of money spent on economic development and innovation. Michael is a graduate of Oxford (MPhil) and Queen's University (BAH).