Directors

James Annis

Chair of the UOHIF Board

James is an investment professional with 19-year track record providing comprehensive portfolio management to high-net-worth individuals, families and businesses in Canada.

After the sudden loss of his youngest son at just 20 months due to heart disease, James was motivated to give back to the community in the most meaningful way he could. He began volunteering at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation in 2018 and served as past Treasurer of the Board of Directors, Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee and co-Chair of the Joint Investment Advisor Committee from June 2019 to June 2023.

Lorraine Audsley

Director

Dr. Rob Beanlands, MD, FRCPC

UOHI President & CEO

Dr. Beanlands is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute.

Rob Beanlands, MD, is president and chief executive officer of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI). He was the formerly the deputy director general, Vered chair and head of the Division of Cardiology from 2012 to 2022. In addition to his role as president and CEO, Dr. Beanlands is a professor in the Division of Cardiology in the Department of Medicine with cross-appointments to the Departments of Radiology and Cellular and Molecular Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).

Paul Bodnoff

UOHI Patient Alumni

After a two-year sabbatical from a 30-year career in Ottawa’s technology sector, it was my hope to get involved with an organization of passionate and diverse people that are committed to giving back to the great city we live in. Like many in Ottawa, our family has been a beneficiary of the spectacular care provided by the UOHI, which made my decision to put my experience and energy to work on the Patient Alumni Association Board of Directors an easy one.

Thomas Cumberbatch

Director

Thomas Cumberbatch is the CEO/Chief Strategist at Godzspeed Communications, a growth strategy and creative firm unearthing and illuminating the souls of purpose driven leaders and brands on purpUS.

The vision is “PurpUS driven people and brands leading the whole wide world”. Thomas believes that the anatomy of business needs change, the systems we build need change, and purpose driven brands are leading the way in modelling a more sustainable, impactful contribution to the human experience.

In leading nearly 600 projects with brands like Habitat for Humanity international, Nike, Canada Post, The National Arts Centre, United Way, Invest In Canada and many others Thomas has come to understand that the soul is the single most influential element inside of a leader or brand. The soul is the catalyst to creating bridges of understanding between people and communities, leading to stronger bonds, stronger brands and more soulful connections.

As an entrepreneur, brand architect, and creative director, Thomas’ aim is to unlock, illuminate and unleash the souls of every leader and brand that he partners with. Thomas is fuelled by his deep faith in Yeshua, the love of his incredible wife, the blessings in his 4 beautiful sons and the wonder of art.

“Stay Soulful.
Our lives depend on it.”

Jacqueline Gauthier

Chair, Board of Directors, UOHI and Director

Jacqueline is an accomplished C-level executive who can provide a unique combination of extensive finance expertise as well as business transformation, corporate governance and risk management experience. With more than 30 years of experience in industry, she has provided executive leadership resulting in revenue growth, organizational transformation, risk management and M&A. Jacqueline also received the 2019 Best Ottawa Business CFO of the year award.

Jacqueline was the CFO of Calian Group for most of her 20-year tenure with the organization. Working with a publicly traded board for almost two decades, Jacqueline was instrumental in the development of the Corporation’s strategic plans, governance structure, executive compensation and enterprise risk management frameworks.

Jacqueline was a FCPA (FCA) until August 2023 and earned her ICD.D designation in 2016. Jacqueline has held various board positions and she is currently a board member of Hydro Ottawa and the Chair of the Board of Directors of Patinage Quebec. In the past, she was also the Chair of the Board of Directors of Dress for Success Ottawa, a board member and Chair of the Audit Committee of AirVM and a board member and Chair of the Audit Committee of Skate Canada.

Jacqueline also worked at KPMG followed by Domtar and E.B. Eddy Forest Products in senior financial roles.

Marc-André Groulx

Chair, OHIRC and Director

Marc-André Groulx is an Elected Director and Chair of the Ottawa Heart Institute Research Corporation (OHIRC) Board of Directors.

Marc-André Groulx is a technology executive and community leader with more than 20 years of experience across business and the public sector. At Microsoft, he works with fast-growing organizations adopting artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, with a focus on governance and the responsible use of technology. He has also contributed to Microsoft research on low-resource languages, broadening access to technology for underserved communities.

His work with the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) gave him direct expertise in healthcare and research data. He worked closely with the privacy and quality frameworks that protect health data and enable research.

Earlier in his career, Marc-André co-founded an Ottawa-based technology startup specializing in distributed systems and cryptography. There he helped commercialize new technology and coordinated the research grants that funded its development.

Marc-André is a long-time volunteer and board member at the Ottawa Heart Institute Research Corporation (OHIRC), and serves as an advisor at Collège La Cité, where he supports workforce-aligned programming and French-language education. He also chairs Vanier: Culture in Action, a City of Ottawa initiative dedicated to revitalizing the Vanier neighbourhood.

A father, husband, and runner committed to heart health, Marc-André is dedicated to advancing OHIRC’s mission in cardiovascular research, innovation, and community impact.

Tom Kaneb

Director

Tom Kaneb is a seasoned entrepreneur, founder, CEO,  and investor with more than 50 years of experience building, scaling, and investing in high-growth companies. As an investor and board director, he provides strategic guidance and focus on the vison/mission to support the organization’s key objectives.

He holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering from Queen’s and an MBA from Harvard. Tom served as President of Universal Terminals Inc., growing the family business into Ontario’s largest independent distributor of heating oil and industrial fuels until its sale in 1999.  He has founded or co-founded multiple companies and has been a founding investor in more than 15 ventures.

Tom has played a key role in founding and scaling  SigmaPoint Technologies, which grew into a leading contract manufacturer of complex electronics before its sale in 2022; Lorama Inc., a global specialty chemicals company operating in over 85 countries, Endurance Technologies, the leader in boronized tubing, and helped grow MindCore  from a startup into one of the 3 leading manufacturers of high voltage disconnect switches for utilities. His investment leadership spans private equity and venture capital through firms such as Palos Capital, Miralta Capital, Avrio Capital and Stormont Partners, with a currentg focus on medical technologies.

A committed philanthropist, Tom and his wife, Gail,  support numerous healthcare, education, and economic development initiatives, including the George T Kaneb Scholarships to Cornwall students entering university science and engineering programs, the Cornwall Hospital, CHEO, St Lawrence College, The River Institute in Cornwall, and the Ottawa Heart Institute.

Lianne Laing

Vice President, Philanthropy of the UOHI - President of the UOHI Foundation

Jake Levinson

Vice Chair

Jake is President of the Levinson Group of Companies, a real estate development, investment, and management business with a diversified real estate portfolio. Prior to joining the family business, Jake was a management consultant with Deloitte and helped tier 1 banks and insurance companies with their digital transformation journeys.

Jake looks forward to continuing his family’s history of volunteerism in the Ottawa community and with the University of Ottawa Heart Institute.

Lucas Matheson

Director

Lucas is the Canadian Country Director for Coinbase. He is committed to helping create a more equitable financial system in Canada through the power of blockchain. In his role, he works with partners, the government, and regulators, to make crypto more accessible to Canadians.

Prior to Coinbase, he was the founder and CEO of Pinshape (exit Formlabs), and Senior Director at Shopify leading various operational and finance teams.

Leslie Mise

Director

Born and raised in Ottawa, Leslie has actively served his community for the past three decades.  He began his fundraising efforts with the University of Ottawa Heart Institute in 2017 after being diagnosed with two aortic aneurysms and having been in the care of Dr. Paul Hendry and the team at the Aortic Clinic. His firsthand experience as a patient ignited his desire to get involved and refocus his energy on giving back to a place that had done so much for him. He first joined as a committee member for the Fuller Keon Golf Classic and in 2018, he became Chair. Prior to this, he served for three years with the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation and co-chaired the “Do It For Dad” Father’s Day event for two years. In his spare time, Leslie enjoys alpine skiing, golfing, and enjoying time with his family.

Jonathan Murray

Director

Jonathan has an extensive background in leading sales and marketing teams for national and international brands. Prior to launching Forage Hyperfoods and Heartee Foods Inc, hespent a decade working as the National Field Trainer & Territory Manager for the global leader in medi-tech, Stryker Canada(Nasdaq: SYK). He led Senstar Corporation (Nasdaq: MAGS)as the Director of Global Marketing, during which time he led a global rebranding of the world’s largest perimeter intrusion security systems company. He also spent several years working for Bruce Linton (co-founder of Canopy Growth) as the sales and marketing manager for Clearford Industries (TSX.V:CLI), focusing on the South American market. Jonathan’s efforts led to executing the first paid international contracts and opening of subsidiaries in Colombia and Peru. Jonathan brings an intimate understanding on how to scale businesses through local and international market opportunities.

Christian Nguyen

Director

Christian is the Country Leader for Computacenter, a global technology and services provider, where he leads the company’s Canadian sales and business operations. Prior to this, Christian co-founded TeraMach Technologies, an Ottawa-based IT firm that became one of Canada’s leading technology providers before its acquisition in 2016.

Raised in Ottawa, he lives in the city with his wife and two daughters and is an avid golfer, skier and mountain biker. He previously served on the board of the Club de Ski Mont Tremblant and brings a passion for leadership, technology and community service.

Muneeba Omar

Director

Muneeba is currently the Director of Inclusive Growth at the Federal Economic Development Agency of Southern Ontario. She has extensive experience in policy development and stakeholder engagement, as well as the design and delivery of business-facing programs. Previously, Muneeba served in a variety of progressively senior roles in different federal government departments including Innovation, Science and Economic Development, Treasury Board Secretariat, the Privy Council Office, and the Department of Finance. Muneeba joined the Government of Canada in 2008 through the Recruitment of Policy Leaders program, an initiative aimed at recruiting exceptional candidates into the public service. She is also a graduate of the Accelerated Economist Training Program, a two-year leadership development program, during which she worked on a variety of social, economic, and international policy issues. Muneeba holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Waterloo and a Master of Arts in International Affairs from Carleton University Muneeba served on the board of the Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization and has been involved in the Government of Canada Workplace Charitable Campaign in a variety of roles. She resides in Ottawa with her husband and two children.

Deneen Perrin

Director

Deneen is currently the Senior Program Manager, Policy & Stakeholder Relations at the Royal Canadian Mint. Previously, Perrin held various positions in communications for the Fairmont Chateau Laurier, where she built an impressive twenty-five-year career with the Fairmont brand. Prior to her departure from the hospitality industry, Perrin occupied the role of Director, Media, Marketing, and Partnerships at Ottawa’s premier hotel.

Jean Spicer

Director

Jean joined RBC Dominion Securities in 1994. She uses a consultative approach to focus on portfolio construction and investment management for high-net-worth individuals and trusts.

As a specialist in separately managed discretionary portfolios, Jean creates solutions for clients using RBC DS A+ Program by engaging Canadian, U.S. and International portfolio managers to invest components of a client’s portfolio, enabling clients to access global exposure and portfolio diversification, backed by some of the world’s top money managers.

Ian Sterling

Treasurer

Ian is the President of Doherty & Associates Investment Counsel with over 25 years of experience in the investment industry. Ian is responsible for the strategic direction and the day-to-day operations of Doherty & Associates. Ian believes strongly in giving back to the community as demonstrated by his past involvement in coaching minor hockey, as a past Board Member of the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra and former Chair of the Board for Family Services Ottawa.  Prior to joining the Board of the Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation, Ian was a Board Member on the Institute’s Research Corporation.

Colin Zappia

Director

Driven. Dedicated. Experienced. Professional. Trustworthy. Fun. These characteristics, and more, are what you’ll experience while working with me. My goal as your Realtor® is to build a strong and long-term relationship with you. I want you to be confident in referring me to friends and family so I will be sure to exceed your expectations every time we work together. There’s nothing more satisfying than happy clients. I actively give back to our community. I lost my father Tony at the age of 60 to a heart attack and have been working closely with the University of Ottawa Heart Institute for several years now. For every home that I sell, I donate money to the cause. I was recently appointed as the chair of the Wilbert Keon Memorial Golf Tournament, one of the Foundation’s biggest fundraising events.

Erin Zipes

Secretary

Erin Zipes is currently Chief Legal Officer at 1Password. Erin has over 17 years of experience as a corporate/securities lawyer and has spent over half of her career working in house at tech companies. She was previously Vice President, Assistant General Counsel at Shopify, Assistant General Counsel of Nordion, and started her legal career at Stikeman Elliott after obtaining her law degree at McGill University and Bachelor of Commerce from Queen’s University. She is also a cofounder of Backbone Angels, a collective of angel investors focused on women and non-binary founders. A proud Ottawa native, Erin returned to Ottawa in 2010 with her husband and two children.