Board of Directors

After a 40-year career as a business executive, Françoise Bertrand now dedicates her time to acting as a corporate director.

Since the spring of 2017, Ms. Bertrand has been Chair of the Board of Directors of VIA Rail Canada. In addition, she is a Strategic Advisor to the Leadership Institute, a member of the Board of Directors of Concordia University, a member of the Advisory Committee of Transurban and a member of the Board of Directors of the Trudeau Foundation and the Ordre National du Québec.

She has served as President and Chief Executive Officer for several organizations, including the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and the Télé-Québec broadcasting corporation. She is a former dean of Université du Québec à Montréal. She also spent a few years working for consulting firms, notably for KPMG and as a partner with Groupe Secor.

Françoise Bertrand holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Université de Montréal and a master’s degree in environmental studies from York University. She capped off her academic career at the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Throughout her career, Ms. Bertrand has been recognized with several significant honours, most notably, Officer of the Order of Canada, Knight of the National Order of Québec and Chevalier of the Legion of Honour of France. She also received an honorary doctorate from Concordia University and was awarded the title of Fellow by the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD). In 2020, Françoise Bertrand received the title of Commander of the Ordre de Montréal.

Since 2015, Grant Christoff has served as legal counsel with the First Nations Health Authority, and also worked on a contract basis with his own community, Saulteau First Nations in northeastern BC. From 2009 to 2015, Grant was the Director of the Aboriginal Law Section at the Department of Justice, where he was accountable for all litigation and advisory services within the BC region. Prior to this, he was senior counsel at the Department of Justice; associate counsel at the Indian Claims Commission, a federal advisory body on land claims; and sole practitioner in Vancouver. He is a graduate of University of Victoria Law School, an adjunct professor at UVic Law School, and a presenter at events hosted by Indspire (formerly the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation) and the Canadian Bar Association. Grant has been a Board member of People’s Law School since 2015.

Mr. Gallivan is a Senior Partner in the Atlantic Canada law firm of Cox & Palmer. He has been the Chief Executive Officer of Cox & Palmer since 2003 and was Managing Partner of the Halifax office from 2003 to 2012. Mr. Gallivan is a member of the Bar Societies for Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1997. Throughout his career he has held leadership roles for a variety of organizations including the Bank of Canada, the Nova Scotia Securities Commission, and BrightPath Early Learning Inc. Mr. Gallivan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Loyola College, and LLB from Dalhousie University Law School, and an MBA from the Ivey School of Business at Western University. He is also a certified corporate director (ICD.D).

Mr. Goldbloom is the Founder and President of Jonathan Goldbloom & Associates Inc. Strategic Communications, which specializes in crisis management and stakeholder outreach. He was previously the Vice President and General Manager of Optimum Public Relations at Cossette Communications and a Senior Partner at Columbia Communications. He is currently the Chair of the Board of Governors of Selwyn House School, a member of the Board of Directors of Montreal Medical International, Chair of the Advisory Committee of the Quebec Association of Independent Schools, and Member of the Board of Directors of Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs. Mr. Goldbloom earned a Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude from Harvard University, and Master of Arts Degree from Carleton University, and a Master of Business Administration from Western University.

Ms. Keating Erickson is Vice President, Markets for the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO), a position she has held since 2017. She previously served as Vice President, Regulatory & External Affairs and Vice President, Operations at the AESO, and has more than 20 years of experience in the electricity industry. Prior to joining the AESO, she held a variety of senior positions at TransAlta. Ms. Keating Erickson has been active for many years with the McGill University Alumni Association, including as Vice President of the Board of Directors from 2016 to 2018, and is currently a member of the Desautels Global Experts program. She has a strong history of contributing to the community through her involvement with the AIESEC, a global youth leadership movement focused on international exchange, where she has been acting in an advisory capacity for more than 20 years. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McGill University, a Project Management Professional (PMP) designation and the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Ms. Mowat is a Corporate Director and a former information technology executive who, since 2003, has worked as an independent consultant, advising clients on acquisitions in the software industry, as well as providing advice on corporate finance, borrowings and business valuations. She previously served as Chief Financial Officer of Centrinity, a TSX-listed software company, from 2001 to 2003 General Manager of IBM’s financing business in Canada and the United States, from 1996 to 2000, and as Chief Financial Officer of ISM Information System Management Corporation from 1990 to 1995. Ms. Mowat has considerable governance experience, having served on the boards of both private and public companies, including Allstream, Coventree Inc. and Centrinity. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto and earned her Chartered Accountant designation while employed with Price Waterhouse.

Mr. Rainbird is retired from corporate life where he held CEO and senior executive positions in the information and communications technology and energy sectors. He was the President and Chief Executive Officer of TRLabs, Vice President at Nortel Networks and held a variety of senior positions at Imperial Oil. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of IESO, the Board of Governors of the Royal Military College of Canada, is a member of the RCAF Commander’s Council and is an RCAF Honorary Colonel. Mr. Rainbird was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in recognition of his leadership role in developing Canada's capabilities in the Internet age. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Master of Business Administration from Queen’s University and an Honorary Diploma in Applied Arts and Technology from Loyalist College.

Ms. Stephens is the President of Gail Stephens Consulting. She has over 20 years of experience leading large, complex organizations including City Manager of Victoria, CEO of the BC Pension Corporation, and Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Winnipeg. Most recently she was the start-up Chief Operating Officer, then Interim President and Chief Executive Officer for the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. She has sat on numerous boards including Coast Capital Savings, the David Foster Foundation and the BC Training Authority. Ms. Stephens holds a teaching certificate from the University of Manitoba and completed the Executive Management program at Harvard Kennedy School. She is a Certified Public Accountant (FCPA) and a certified corporate director (ICD.D).

Mr. Tan is currently managing education innovation for the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia and consults through Sweetwater Advisors Inc. He previously held positions at the University of Saskatchewan including Director, Strategic Initiatives where he spearheaded programs in cost containment and revenue enhancement. Mr. Tan also served as the CFO of the Transportation Investment Corporation, Executive Director of the Crown Agencies Secretariat, and the Finance Director of Octopus Cards Limited, a subsidiary of major public transport providers in Hong Kong. He was a government-appointed trustee of the BC College Pension Plan and has served on the Board of Directors of several non-profit organizations. Mr. Tan holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Saskatchewan, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Canadian Bankers.

Dr. Viola Ann Timmons is President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Regina, a position she has held since 2008. She has held a number of university teaching and administration positions throughout her extensive career in education, including Vice President Academic Development at the University of Prince Edward Island from 2001 until 2008, previously having served as Dean and Professor of the university’s Faculty of Education. Dr. Timmons began her career teaching children in the public school system, an experience to which she attributes her passion for education. She serves as a board member for the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, and the Business/Higher Education roundtable. In 2017, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada for her longstanding work in the areas of inclusive education for persons with disabilities, family literacy, and women’s leadership. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Mount Allison University, a Bachelor of Education from Acadia University, a Master of Education from Gonzaga University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Education Psychology from the University of Calgary. She also has her Chartered Director certification.