2023-2024 Composition and Membership

Term: July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2024

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

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

See: https://www.mcgill.ca/principal/

Term: July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2027

Arun D. Bajaj is the Executive Vice-President, Chief Human Resources Officer & Legal Affairs at Gildan, where he leads global human resources, communications, and the legal affairs functions. Prior to joining Gildan, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of basic apparel, Mr. Bajaj held the position of Senior Vice-President, Chief Human Resources Officer at Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. He also held several human resources leadership positions in the U.S. and Asia with Nissan. Before his experience in human resources, he held the role of General Counsel, Nissan Canada, following eight years in legal roles at the Ford Motor Company, based in Oakville, Ontario.

Mr. Bajaj is a member of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Compensation and Human Resource Committee of Cogeco, Inc.

Mr. Bajaj graduated from McGill University in 1993 with a Bachelor of Civil Law and Bachelor of Laws degree 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, 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 Vice-Chair of the Committee on Sustainability and Social Responsibility and as a member of teh Audit and Risk Committee of the McGill Board of Governors.

Term: July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2025

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

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

Vice-Chair term: July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2024

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

Member-at-large term: January 1, 2014 - June 30, 2024

Served as Chair of the Board from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2022.  Mr. Panda was appointed as Chair Emeritus as of July 1, 2022.

A member-at-large of the Board of Governors since 2014, Ram Panda understands and appreciates the values of the University, and is devoted to the vitality and well-being of the McGill community.

Mr. Panda, who is originally from India, came to Canada in 1968 to study at McGill. After graduating with a Masters in Electrical Engineering, he stayed and launched his career in Montreal. In 1978, he co‑founded Invera Inc., which is now a leading resource planning software provider for the global metal industry. He is dedicated to giving back to the community in recognition of “the hospitality I experienced and the level of acceptance I encountered [that] helped me to settle down quickly and integrate easily into Canadian life,”

Passionate about sustainability and McGill’s role in the community, he is one of the philanthropic drivers of the Institute for Sustainability in Engineering and Design, and has been a member of the Faculty Advisory Board for the Faculty of Engineering since 2007. Mr. Panda also holds a Master of Business Administration from McGill University.

Mr. Panda currently serves as a member of the Finance and Infrastructure Committee, HR Committee and the Nominating, Governance and Ethics Committee of the Board of Governors.

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

Vice-Chair Term: July 1, 2023 -  June 30, 2025

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 78 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 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 member of the Human Resources 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 in October 2017. Prior to Knight, Ms. Sakhia served as the CFO at Paladin from 2001 to 201S. 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 chair of the Finance and Infrastructure Committee and as a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors.

Term: July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2024

Mr. Bob Babinski is a freelance TV producer and broadcast performance trainer, having coached more than 500 broadcasters. He works regularly with commentators and hosts at Hockey Night in Canada and Rogers’ Sportsnet. A sportscaster for CBC Montreal in the 1990’s and a part-time journalism instructor at Concordia University since 2000. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from McGill in 1986. He was a long-serving Chair of the McGill News Advisory Board and has served for years as Master of Ceremonies for the McGill Sports Hall of Fame Luncheon. Mr. Babinski is also past President of the McGill Alumni Association as well as of the Board of Directors of the Montreal Oral School for the Deaf and past co-Chair of Hockey Without Borders.

Mr. Babinski currently serves on the HR Committee and the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the McGill University Board of Governors. 

Term: July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2027

A proud graduate of McGill University’s Faculty of Arts, class of 1999, Luciano is the immediate past president of the McGill Alumni Association.
Luciano was born, raised and currently lives in Montreal where he owns and operates a corporate/commercial real estate brokerage agency, CDNGLOBAL Quebec.
He is often asked to speak and represent the real estate community on local media and at industry events.
Luciano is passionate about his community as he also sits on the SDC Montreal Centre-Ville, Caisse Desjardins Mercier-Est-Anjou and is the co-founder of the Tiny Survivors fund with the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Mr. D'Iorio currently serves on the Finance and Infrastructure Committee and the Nominating, Governance and Ethics Committee of the McGill University Board of Governors.

Term: September 19, 2019 - June 30, 2028

Inez Jabalpurwala is Executive Leader of Cohen Veterans Bioscience’s Brain Health Nexus, a global collaboration to unleash science and technology to optimize brain health and prevent brain disease. She is also Global Director of VINEx, a non-profit corporation initiated by the private medical device company, Rocket Science Health, to understand how viruses and other infectious agents may affect the central nervous system. 

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 serves as an advisor to the federal government on strategic science investments, and served on the committee of research experts who informed the development of ecosystem-wide recommendations for the Organ Donation and Transplantation Collaborative. She has previously been 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, Inez is a member of the Economic Development and Public Finance committee of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. 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.

She is passionate about equity, diversity and inclusion in science and in society. She has mentored young women throughout her career, including through the McGill University Faculty of Management, and Loran Scholars Program. She is currently an Inaugural Mentor for the McCall MacBain Scholars and 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 2023.

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:  July1, 2019 - June 30, 2025

Dr. Lucy Gilbert is a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and the Department of Oncology at McGill University. She is the Director of Gynecologic Oncology at McGill University and McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), which is a designated level-IV unit that provides gynecological cancer care for the province of Quebec. Dr Gilbert heads the Women’s Health Research Unit of the MUHC, which focuses on research that produces practical and immediate benefits for women with cancer. The Women’s Health Research Unit is active in collaborative multinational clinical trials investigating new precision therapies for gynecologic cancers. However, Dr Gilbert’s main area of interest is the early detection of ovarian and uterine cancers while they are still curable. To this end, she has set up a network of satellite clinics called DOvEE (Diagnosing Ovarian and Endometrial Cancers Early) which provide open access and fast-track investigations to women over the age of 45 with symptoms associated with gynecologic cancers. She and her team have developed a new genetic pap-test called DOvEEgene for detecting these cancers very early before they even cause symptoms. Her team has completed the Phase I & II testing of the DOvEEgene test and is set to launch the Phase III.

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

Term:  July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2025

Prof. Greenwood is Senior Investigator at the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, and James McGill Professor. Her research addresses methods for analyzing high dimensional data in genetics, genomics, and neuroscience. At McGill, she is affiliated with the Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology, Biostatistics in the School of Population and Global Health, and the Department of Human Genetics. She is the inaugural Graduate Program Director of the interdisciplinary Quantitative Life Sciences doctoral program, and one of three co-directors of the Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health.

Term: July 1, 2022- June 30, 2025

Mr. Joseph Hakim currently serves as a Finance Manager at the Faculty of Arts. As the son of Lebanese immigrants, he cherishes the diversity and quality of life that Montreal has to offer to its citizens coming from all around the world.
As a representative of administrative and support staff, he is grateful for the opportunity to work with an experienced and diverse group of volunteers on the Board of Governors to help the McGill community grow and thrive. He hopes to contribute to making Montreal a top global destination for higher education, with McGill University being in leader in this venture.
Mr. Hakim holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill, an MBA from Concordia, and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in French Literature on a part time basis. He is a proud father of two young children.

Mr. Hakim currently serves on the Committee on Sustainability and Social Responsibility and the Nominating, Governance and Ethics Committee of McGill’s Board of Governors.

Term: July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2024

Ms. Piggott currently serves on the Executive Committee and the Finance and Infrastructure 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, where she is the Director of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, and the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

Her major research interests are focused on the pathology and pharmacology of the central and peripheral nervous systems. 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 500 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. She directs a graduate studies program with over 30 MSc and PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers who are investigating the causes and potential treatments of human disease. 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, functions as Co-Marshal for McGill convocation ceremonies and is an elected member of the University Senate.

In her spare time, she indulges her interest in heritage architecture. As president of the McGill Faculty Club she oversaw the building’s restoration, and did the same for her heritage home in Westmount.

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 2023 - May 31, 2024

Alexandre Ashkir is the President of the Students’ Society of McGill University. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies and Political Science.

Prior to his presidency, Mr. Ashkir served for two years as the Chair of the SSMU's Board of Directors and the Speaker of its Legislative Council. In these roles, he advocated for increased student involvement and representation, striving to enhance the overall student experience at McGill University.

Alexandre currently serves as a ember on the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors.

Term: July 1, 2023 - May 31, 2024

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 currently serves on the Nominating, Governance and Ethics Committee of the Board of Governors

Term: June 1, 2023 - May 31, 2024

Amanda Rosenberg (she/her/elle) is the President of MACES (McGill Association of Continuing Education Students). She is currently pursuing an Applied Certificate in Marketing at the School of Continuing Studies. She previously completed a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University with a specialization in History and Political Science.

Originally from Montreal, Amanda has also been an employee of McGill University since 2009 having worked in various areas of Student Housing and Hospitality Services from 2009 until 2022 at which time she transferred to the Desautels Faculty of Management where she is currently a Program Administrator with the MBA program. During her time in Student Housing and Hospitality Services, Amanda received a Student Life and Learning Award for her creation of the Life Beyond Residences event and in 2021 was awarded the Principles Award for Administrative and Support Staff. She is excited about the opportunity to represent the interests of the MACES community to the Board of Governors for the upcoming academic year.

Amanda currently serves on the Committee on Sustainability and Social Responsibility.
 

Term: June 1, 2023 - May 31, 2024

Vaishnavi currently serves on the Finance and Infrastructure Committee of the Board of Governors.