Our Board

Michael Torres

Chair

Michael is a dedicated communications professional with 15 years of experience in the health sector, specializing in issues management, media relations and brand development. Communications Director at Wellesley Institute, Michael has also held senior positions at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario. With a broad range of experience, including work in stakeholder relations, research and knowledge mobilization, Michael carries a thorough understanding of factors affecting the health care system in Ontario. He studied political science and earned an Hon. Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto and a post-graduate diploma in business communications from Seneca at York University. Michael currently serves on the Board of Directors of Regeneration Community Services and The Local TO.

Jasmine Ramze Rezaee

Vice Chair

Jasmine is an experienced public affairs leader. She is the Director of Advocacy & Communications at YWCA Toronto, one of Canada’s leading women’s organizations, and teaches Public Relations at Humber College. An advocate for gender equality, racial justice and poverty reduction, Jasmine has 15 years of nonprofit experience in progressive leadership roles spanning Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto. Her work has been published in leading Canadian magazines and newspapers. She is also a media commentator on equity issues. Jasmine is committed to working with community, government and media partners to advance progressive social change.

Kiran Govind

Treasurer

Kiran Govind has broad experiences across the health system including policy development, funding model design and implementation of acute, home and community care programs for both public and private organizations. Kiran works as the Director of Strategy and Enablement of SE Health’s Digital Transformation Office, where he plays a pivotal role in guiding the direction, design and implementation of digitally-enabled health services for enterprise and consumer markets. Kiran was previously a lead at Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) where he led the design and implementation of provincial projects to translate clinical evidence into population based screening programs, as well as provincial operations for a quality based procedure. Prior to his time at CCO, Kiran worked with Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Mount Sinai Hospital and University Health Network in various technology related capacities. He holds a Master of Health Science from the University of Toronto, and undergraduate degrees in both Health Administration and Science from Ryerson University and the University of Waterloo respectively.

Yinka Macaulay

Secretary

Yinka is passionate about co-creating meaningful change. Drawing from experience working within diverse health systems and collaboratives, she has worked with multi-sectoral partners to advance transformational initiatives and human-centred experiences. Yinka currently works at Bridgeable, a service design consultancy. She strives to bring an equity lens to the design of systems, services and leadership. Yinka has held previous roles within the areas of Strategy and Innovation at The Change Foundation and Health System Integration, Design and Development and Primary Care at the Toronto Central LHIN. Yinka holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Waterloo, a Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology from the University of Western Ontario, and a post-Graduate certificates in Regulatory Affairs and Community Engagement, Leadership and Development.

Natasha Jesenak

Director

Natasha Jesenak is passionate about social justice and supporting programs that promote health equity and the social determinants of health. She holds a BSc. in Bioethics and Global Health and a Certificate in Project Management. With 10+ years experience in higher education leadership she has adopted a collaborative and inclusive leadership style and is committed to building organizational capacity through quality management, continuous improvement and innovative service delivery. Like health, she believes accessible and relevant education is a critical factor for social mobility, particularly for newcomers. She has volunteered for social service organizations and community groups that work to improve the lives and well-being of marginalized and vulnerable individuals, particularly women and LGBTQ communities. She currently works as an Operations Manager at the University of Toronto, School of Continuing Studies, a social enterprise committed to transforming people’s lives through education. Natasha loves being active and getting out into nature whenever she can. Born and raised in Toronto, she currently lives with her partner, her sister and their westie “Coco” in the west end of the city.

Chilton Ng

Director

Chilton is a management professional at RBC Royal Bank with over 13 years of experience in financial service sales, strategy, and leadership. His areas of expertise include retail banking, commercial banking, human resources, and business strategy/transformation. In his most recent role as senior commercial account manager, he worked with leaders of mid-market corporations to formulate financial strategies and secure financing up to $50 million. Chilton has over 9 years of experience in not-for-profit governance as a member of the board of directors of Youthlink, where he served in a variety of capacities including chair of corporate governance, vice president, and president. His areas of interest and ongoing areas of self-study include generative governance, governance of service quality, and system transformation. Chilton holds a Bachelor of Applied Science from the University of Toronto and MBA from the Rotman School of Management.

Arshia Ali

Director

Arshia is a transformational, resourceful, and values-driven healthcare leader working towards an inclusive and diverse society that works for all. She has over 18 years of experience in managing cross-functional teams, complex portfolios of projects, and organizational change management, and Board reportage. She has a Graduate Degree in Health Administration from the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME) at the University of Toronto; and is a Certified Health Executive (CHE), Project Management Professional (PMP), and Certified Scrum Master (CSM). Her career has encompassed a variety of roles in which partnerships, engagement, strategic thinking, program design and delivery were core to her contributions. Currently, as the Director of Client and Family Engagement at VON Canada, Arshia is supporting the organization to embed the voice, thoughts, and perspectives of patients, caregivers, and families into the governance, policies, programs, and services.

Shurouq Hijazi

Director

Shurouq is a Cybersecurity Director at KeyData Associates, with a focus on identity and access management consulting. She advises organizations across the industry on designing long-term information security strategies and sustainable roadmaps. Her prior experience includes Big-4 security and privacy consulting in New York, where she advised clients on cyber transformation initiatives from assessment and design to implementation and integration. An advocate for social justice, gender equality, and LGBTQ2S+ rights, Shurouq has over 10 years of not-for-profit volunteer experience. Shurouq holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering and is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).

Sameera Karim

Director

Sameera Karim is passionate about supporting marginalized communities and working to break down oppressive systemic barriers. She strongly believes that health and wellness go beyond the absence of illness, and therefore it is critical to address the social determinants of health. She has over 10 years of experience in the health system, and is currently working at Ontario Health where she leads initiatives focused on advancing health equity for better health outcomes for marginalized individuals.

Sameera centers community in all of her work and volunteers with grassroots and non-profit organizations both locally and globally that support vulnerable groups such as LGBTQIA+, newcomers, and refugees.

Josian Edmond

Director

Josian Edmond is a dedicated leader in the field of health data and analytics, with over 10 years of experience in designing and implementing data-driven strategies to improve quality of care delivered to Ontarians. Her expertise extends across a broad range of areas including data strategies, data storytelling, advanced analytics, and data visualization. She currently works as a Manager of Data and Analytics at Ontario Health, an agency created by the Government of Ontario to help ensure everyone in Ontario receives high-quality care. Josian holds a Master of Science in Economics from Dalhousie University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from York University.

Neil Shah

Director

Neil Shah thrives working in new and undefined areas to build strategy, teams, resource plans and infrastructure to achieve an envisioned state. He champions diversity and equity. His experience includes academic and community hospitals, government agencies, and health and social service organizations. Currently, he is the Chief Executive Officer for North York Family Health Team, an academically-focused practice with offices across North York Central neighbourhoods. He is currently on the Board for the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFHTO), which advocates for team-based care for all. Previous governance experience includes being a Board Director and Chair of Sherbourne Health. His approach to leadership is collaborative, partnering with experts and stakeholders to help define a vision, plan, and process to meet collective goals. He enjoys travelling, exploring new places and cultures, and has called Toronto home for most of his life.

Axelle Janczur, Executive Director

Ex officio member

Axelle has been working in the not for profit sector in Toronto for over 30 years. She is an experienced trainer and public speaker, and a committed volunteer. With an M.A. in political science and an MBA from the Schulich School of Business, as Executive Director, she has led Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services through a transformative process, prioritizing capacity building to enhance services for immigrants and refugees, developing a community-based research agenda, and advocating for improved access to the determinants of health for individuals and communities facing discrimination and marginalization.