Board
The Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson
Co-Founder, Co-Chair
The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Canada’s 26th Governor General from 1999-2005, is universally acknowledged to have transformed the office during her six years at Rideau Hall and to have left an indelible mark on Canada’s history.
READ MORE
John Ralston Saul
Co-Founder, Co-Chair
Essayist and novelist, John Ralston Saul proposes a new humanism through what he calls responsible individualism. His 14 works have been translated into 29 languages in 38 countries.
READ MORE
Martin Katz
Board Director
Martin Katz is Founder and President of Prospero Pictures. One of the most prolific feature film producers in Canada, Katz’s credits include Hotel Rwanda, which was nominated for three Academy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards, and Bronwen Hughes’ Stander, which the London Observer called “the greatest heist film since Reservoir Dogs.”
READ MORE
Zai Mamdani
Board Director
A professional with a depth of corporate and non-profit experience, Zai Mamdani leverages her education and experience to provide strategic leadership and operational guidance.
READ MORE
Irfhan Rawji
Board Director
Irfhan Rawji is the Founder & CEO of MobSquad. This innovative Canadian start-up ensures high-calibre software engineers with U.S. work visa challenges remain working with their current company but near-shored from Canada.
READ MORE
Khalil Shariff
Board Director
Khalil Shariff has served as Chief Executive Officer of Aga Khan Foundation Canada (AKFC), a leading Canadian global development agency, since 2005.
READ MORE
Staff
Daniel Bernhard
Chief Executive Officer
Daniel is a first-generation Canadian who has dedicated his career to public benefit following a short stint in corporate consulting.
READ MORE
George Carothers
Senior Director, Ideas and Insights
George is a research professional with global experience spanning academia, consulting, and non-profit management.
READ MORE
Salimah Dhalla
Senior Director, Strategy and Operations
Born in Nairobi, Kenya, Salimah is the ICC’s resident newcomer advocate, bringing the perspective of our beneficiaries into every program and decision.
READ MORE
Alana Dunbar
Director of Philanthropy
A passionate intersectional post-colonial feminist and Africanist, Alana Dunbar holds an M.A. in English Literature and Language specializing in African Studies and a B.A. in African Studies and Literature from Carleton University.
READ MORE
Terri Heggum-Allen
Director of Finance
Terri Heggum-Allen spent the first part of her career with a special focus on small and family businesses. Then, in pursuit of a comprehensive grounding in tax planning, Terri took a position as Tax Manager in the Tax Department of a national CPA firm, where she completed her Tax In-Depth training.
READ MORE
Tarun Tripathi
Senior Director, Digital Products
Tarun is a marketing and growth professional with 20+ years of experience across media industries, from film to social and digital media and branded content.
READ MORE
Roberto Esteban Alvarez
Director of Global Partnerships
Originally from Mexico, Roberto moved to Toronto at eighteen to pursue a Bachelor’s degree and ended up staying. He left momentarily to Spain to complete a Master’s degree in Public Administration.
READ MORE
Tanya Hemley
Executive Assistant, Office Manager
Tanya was born and raised in Kingston Jamaica. She immigrated to Canada at the age of 13. Tanya has over 20+ years’ experience in the administrative field and spent 6 years as a bookkeeper.
READ MORE
Meriem Mezdour
Partnerships and Special Events Lead
Meriem Mezdour holds a M.A in Political Science and Development Studies from McGill University (2021). Her thesis explored how national identity and citizenship are cultivated and shaped through Canadian immigration policies and programs.
READ MORE
Melanie Wadey
Events Manager
Melanie (Mel) is an entertainment business professional with over 20 years of experience in live events. She attended the University of Glamorgan in South Wales, UK, where she graduated with a Diploma in Business Studies and a B.A. (Hons) in Communications and Linguistics.
READ MORE
Andrew Beer
Customer Support Specialist
Andrew Beer has worked with the ICC since 2011 and marveled at its change and growth into what it is today. Keen on streamlining processes, Andrew has a database background and is Canoo’s bilingual customer service guru.
READ MORE
Joyce Chan
Bookkeeper
Joyce has worked in serving profit and non-profit organizations. Her passion is volunteering at women’s shelters and practicing stand-up comedian routines.
READ MORE
Adiba Hasan
Events Specialist
Adiba earned her Bachelor’s in Religion and Political Science from Augustana College in Illinois, United States and Master’s in Global Affairs at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto, Canada.
READ MORE
Kathryn Hawco
Program Assistant
Born in Victoria, BC, Kathryn has moved several times and landed the longest in Ottawa, ON. Kathryn completed her undergraduate degree at Carleton University in Global and International Studies, with a specialization in Global Development.
READ MORE
Amy Leis
Media Relations Specialist
Amy Leis is a Haliburton-based arts worker. Since age six, she has been an actor, dancer, and singer, and she is a regular performer with Highlands Summer Festival, K.W. Musical Productions, and New Works Playhouse.
READ MORE
Ayesha Mohammedy
Program Assistant
Born in Pakistan, Ayesha is a first-generation Pakistani who immigrated to Canada at a young age. She spent her childhood in Toronto which exposed her to a multitude of cultures and peoples and that have inspired her studies into Political Science and English at the University of Toronto.
READ MORE
Hoor Tariq
Philanthropy Specialist
Originally from Pakistan, Hoor earned her Bachelor’s in Political Science from UMass Amherst and Master’s in Global Affairs at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto.
READ MORE
Amy Thomson
Program Assistant
Amy is an artist currently living in Toronto Ontario. She oil paints contemporary portraiture mostly of women with mixed elements of modern day scenery in Romanticist themes (think being in both awe of nature but also terrified).
READ MORE
Join our team!
Our team is the key to the successful delivery of the Institute’s programs. Our team members bring a diversity of perspectives to our work and reflect the lived experiences of Canadian society.
Our Supporters
We are constantly inspired by our community of passionate supporters. The unparalleled commitment of our donors and partners is what builds the strength of our programs.
