Board of Management - Biographies

• Richard (Rick) Thorpe, CPA, FCPA, CMA, FCMA
• Kathryn A. Bouey, B.A., M.A., CMC, ICD.D
• Myles Bourke, B.Comm., FCPA, FCA
• Rossana Buonpensiere, CMC, LL.B, CPHR
• Dawn S. Dalley
• France-Élaine Duranceau, CPA, CA, LL.M.Fisc, ICD.D
• Mark S. Dwor, B. A., LL.B
• Gerard J. Fitzpatrick, CPA, FCA, TEP
• Norman G. Halldorson, B.Comm., FCPA, FCA
• Susan Hayes, LL.B
• Francine Martel-Vaillancourt, FCPA, FCA, ASC
• Margaret Melhorn, B.A., M.A.
• Mireille A. Saulnier, B.Ps, LL.B
• Joyce Sumara, B.A.
• Bob Hamilton

Richard (Rick) Thorpe, CPA, FCPA, CMA, FCMA

Nominated by the federal government, Richard (Rick) Thorpe has more than 45 years of experience in the private and public sectors. He was a member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly from 1996 to 2009 where he represented the ridings of Okanagan-Penticton and Okanagan-Westside. During his tenure as a member of the Legislative Assembly, he served as Minister of Small Business and Revenue, Minister Responsible for Regulatory Reform, Minister of Provincial Revenue, and Minister of Competition, Science and Enterprise. From 2001 to 2009, Mr. Thorpe served on the British Columbia Treasury Board, including five years as the Deputy Chair.

Before his election to the Legislative Assembly, Mr. Thorpe worked in the Canadian brewing industry for 22 years in a number of senior executive positions in Canada, and internationally. In addition, he was involved in repositioning the British Columbian grape and wine industry and was a partner in an Okanagan winery.

Mr. Thorpe formerly served on the Boards of the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia from May 2012 to October 2014 as Director and Vice-Chair, and the Canadian Snowbirds Association as Director from 2012 to 2014. He is a former volunteer Chair of the Fiscal Review Board for the City of Penticton (2010 to 2013), and has also served on non-profit boards, including Summerland Charity Shops Society (Penny Lane) 2010 to 2013, Agur Lake Camp Society, and the Heart & Stroke Foundation of British Columbia and Yukon.

Mr. Thorpe is a chartered professional accountant and a certified management accountant. Mr. Thorpe was recognized as a Fellow of the Society of Management Accountants of Canada in 2007, and named a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants in 2015.

Kathryn A. Bouey, B.A., M.A., CMC, ICD.D

Nominated by the province of Ontario, Kathryn Bouey is the Founding President of TBG Strategic Services, a boutique management consulting firm providing a variety of services to support public sector executives and boards. Having worked for the federal and Ontario governments for many years she has a deep understanding of the public sector environment. In particular, she served as Deputy Minister of Ontario’s Management Board Secretariat where she advised the Management Board of Cabinet on all ministries’ business plans along with their risk, expense and performance measurement issues.

Previously, she served on the Board of Hydro One, where she chaired the Business Transformation Committee, and the Boards of St. Joseph’s Health Centre (Toronto), Sheridan College, Ontario Power Generation, Ontario Pension Board, and the Canadian Comprehensive Auditing Foundation. She is currently on the Board of SPRINT Senior Care in Toronto where she chairs the Quality and Program Evaluation Committee.

Ms. Bouey holds a Master of Arts degree in Economics, as well as an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics with an Economics minor, both from Carleton University. She is a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) Directors Education Program, and has been an Institute‐Certified Director since 2006. Additionally, she is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) and a member of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada.

Myles Bourke, B.Comm., FCPA, FCA

Nominated by the Province of Alberta, Myles Bourke is a chartered accountant who worked for KPMG and predecessor firms for over 30 years before his retirement in 2001. Mr. Bourke's experience spans a range of functional areas within the assurance field, including audit and review engagements, training and program development, special provider to larger institutions, and confidant and advisor to owner-managers. He served as a member of the Not-for-Profit Organizations Advisory Committee of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants. From 2004 to 2005, Mr. Bourke held the position of President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta. He has been a member of the Board of Governors of the University of Lethbridge, where he has also been a lecturer and a member of the Senate. Mr. Bourke has served as well as President of the Rotary Club of Lethbridge and as a Rotary District Committee Chair. He has also served as a Director of the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce and as Chair of the City of Lethbridge's Economic Development Committee. Mr. Bourke holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto, as well as his Chartered Accountant and FCA designations.

Rossana Buonpensiere, CMC, LL.B, CPHR

Nominated by the Province of Manitoba, Rossana Buonpensiere is Vice President of organizational development at Wawanesa Insurance, with a portfolio consisting of learning and development, organizational change management, organization design, succession planning and employee engagement. Prior to her current role, Ms. Buonpensiere was a partner in MNP’s national consulting services practice responsible for leading all aspects of the firm’s organization and people services practice in the Manitoba region. Ms. Buonpensiere has extensive experience working with clients to improve organizational efficiency and effectiveness in the areas of human resources, organizational development, performance, strategy and managing change. Ms. Buonpensiere has worked with a broad range of clients, with a strong emphasis on crown corporations and the public sector, and has a proven track record of delivering high quality professional services. She has also worked with public sector clients on many planning and human resource management initiatives that have included developing an executive development program and talent pool assessment process for senior level positions.

Ms. Buonpensiere is certified in the Prosci Change Management methodology, which provides her with a wide range of tools for assessing change readiness and promoting effective staff transition and leadership engagement during significant workplace changes. Ms. Buonpensiere is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC), a Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR), and holds a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Manitoba and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Winnipeg. Ms. Buonpensiere was called to the Manitoba bar in June of 1998.

Dawn S. Dalley

Nominated by the province of Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), Dawn S. Dalley is the Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and Corporate Services, of NL Hydro. She is accountable for a broad range of corporate services including regulatory affairs, customer service, energy efficiency, human resources and labour relations, health and safety, environmental services and corporate communication.

At Nalcor Energy, Ms. Dalley served as Vice-President, Corporate Relations and Customer Service from 2011 to 2016, and Manager, Corporate Communication and Shareholder Relations from 2003 to 2011. While at Nalcor, she was also accountable for corporate reputation and key stakeholder relationships.

Ms. Dalley is currently the Chair of the International Women’s Forum, NL Sub-Chapter. She is a member of the Board of Ronald McDonald House in NL, where she serves on the Development/Communications, Human Resources, and Governance Committees. Previously, she was the Governance and Strategy Chair on the Board of the Manuel’s River Heritage Society, and Chair of the Board of the Conservation Corp of NL. Her prior Board experiences include: Board member of Avalon Dragon Boating, North Coast Community Health Council of British Columbia and the Prince Rupert Transition House Society.

A Certified Professional Facilitator, Ms. Dalley holds a Master of Business Administration from Royal Roads University, and a Bachelor of Public Relations from Mount Saint Vincent University. She also has a Certificate in Public Participation from the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2).

France-Élaine Duranceau, CPA, CA, LL.M.Fisc, ICD.D

Nominated by the federal government, Ms. France-Élaine Duranceau is an accomplished bilingual professional and entrepreneur with 15 years of taxation experience in an accounting firm and a public corporation in Montreal. Over the course of her career, Ms. Duranceau has acquired a global understanding of financial, accounting, tax and legal issues and risks of a business. As an entrepreneur, she has gained experience and a practical perspective on operational issues and challenges that small and medium-sized enterprises face.

Ms. Duranceau is currently Vice-President, private capital group, at Colliers International (Quebec) Inc., and is co-founder and investor at DIGAMMA, a private commercial real estate development firm.

Ms. Duranceau is a Certified Corporate Director (ICD.D), and holds a CPA, CA designation, and a Masters in Taxation from HEC Montréal. She has been actively involved in the CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation and its Board of Directors for over 15 years.

Mark S. Dwor, B. A., LL.B

Mr. Mark S. Dwor, from the Province of British Columbia, is a retired member of the Law Society of British Columbia. He is a member and leader of many professional, arts, and other community organizations, with a strong emphasis on charity and not-for-profit governance.

Mr. Dwor is the co-founder and chairman of the Canadian Academy of Independent Scholars. He has been a member and sat on the executive of boards including Variety, the Children’s Charity, where he was the inaugural Chair of the Board Development Committee; Osteoporosis Canada, where he chaired the investment committee; and the Vancouver Children’s Festival.

Mr. Dwor has presented and published papers on varied subjects in the cultural and legal arenas, including art law and franchising and distribution. He holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of British Columbia, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Glendon College, York University.

Gerard J. Fitzpatrick, CPA, FCA, TEP

Nominated by the Province of Prince Edward Island, Gerard J. Fitzpatrick has more than 30 years of experience in public accounting, primarily specializing in income tax for professionals and owner-managed businesses. He is a past President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Prince Edward Island, past Chairperson of the Atlantic School of Chartered Accountancy, and a past Board member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants. He is currently a member of the Future Directions Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Prince Edward Island.

Mr. Fitzpatrick began his career as founding partner of a firm of chartered accountants in 1977. In 2008, he established Fitzpatrick & Company, Prince Edward Island's first father and son firm of chartered accountants. Throughout his career, Mr. Fitzpatrick has provided professional services to a diverse clientele and his practice today includes management consulting, business plans and feasibility studies. He is also a regular speaker on farm and other tax matters.

Mr. Fitzpatrick has served on a number of boards as both director and chair. From 2002 to 2008, he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Atlantic Pilotage Authority where he served as both vice-chair of the Board and chair of the Audit Committee. Mr. Fitzpatrick received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of PEI, and holds designations as a Chartered Accountant (CA), Fellow of the Order of Chartered Accountants (FCA) and Registered Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP).

Norman G. Halldorson, B.Comm., FCPA, FCA

Nominated by the Province of Saskatchewan, Norman G. Halldorson has extensive private sector experience, having retired in 2008 from a 40-year career with KPMG Chartered Accountants, where he held several senior leadership positions. Mr. Halldorson is a member of the Board of a private company, which operates several full service hotels, and chairs their Acquisition Committee. He also served as a member of the Institute of Chartered of Accountants of Saskatchewan Council, chaired a number of their committees, and represented the University of Saskatchewan Senate. As well, he chaired the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce ABEX Awards, which honour outstanding achievements in business excellence. Mr. Halldorson was a founding director of the Saskatchewan chapter of the Canadian Association of Family Enterprise (CAFE).

Mr. Halldorson holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree with Distinction from the University of Saskatchewan and a Chartered Accountant (CA) designation. He was awarded a Fellow of the Order of Chartered Accountants (FCA) designation for distinguished service.

Susan Hayes, LL.B

Nominated by the Province of Nova Scotia, Susan Hayes is the current Chief Professional Resources Officer at the law firm of Stewart McKelvey, part of the executive team responsible for the overall operations of the firm.

Ms. Hayes’ community involvement includes being a Professional Development Committee member for the Canadian Bar Association, Nova Scotia Branch, and Board Member of the Halifax Visiting Dispensary. She holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree from the Dalhousie University Law School, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Acadia University.

Francine Martel-Vaillancourt, FCPA, FCA, ASC

Nominated by the Province of Quebec, Francine Martel-Vaillancourt is currently Chair of Shared Services Canada's Audit and Evaluation Committee. She is also Vice-President of the Board of Directors of Desjardins Financial Security, and teaches at the Collège des administrateurs de sociétés of Université Laval, a leader in governance education.

Ms. Martel-Vaillancourt's public service career has been exceptional. She was twice deputy minister at Revenu Québec (from 2000 to 2003, and 2007 to 2011), and chief executive officer and chair of the Board of Directors at the Commission des normes du travail. She was also chief executive officer of Services Québec.

Ms. Martel-Vaillancourt has been recognized by her peers. In 1997, she received both the CA Émérite award and the title of Fellow from the Ordre des comptables agréés du Québec. She was also awarded the "Public Service" grand prize at the YWCA Women of Distinction Awards in 2006, the Hermès de carrière 2007-2008 from the Faculty of Administrative Sciences at Université Laval, and the "Prix hommage 2011" from the Institut d'administration publique du Québec.

Ms. Martel-Vaillancourt has a bachelor's degree in actuarial sciences and a license in accounting from Université Laval in Québec. She also completed the "programme de certification universitaire en gouvernance de sociétés" of the Collège des administrateurs de sociétés at Université Laval. She is a Fellow of the Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Québec.

Margaret Melhorn, B.A., M.A.

Nominated by the Northwest Territories, Margaret Melhorn is a former Deputy Minister of Finance and Secretary to the Financial Management Board of the Government of the Northwest Territories. Ms. Melhorn’s 28-year career at the Department of Finance was spent in areas such as economic analysis, fiscal policy and budget development. Among her many significant achievements, Ms. Melhorn led the successful amalgamation of Finance and the Financial Management Board Secretariat addressing issues related to organizational structure, human resources, systems and corporate culture. She also oversaw the replacement of the GNWT’s 30-year-old financial information system with a new Enterprise Reporting and Planning System, on time and within budget. Ms. Melhorn began her career as a Financial Analyst with Alberta Treasury.

Ms. Melhorn is currently a member of the Board of the Yellowknife Community Foundation. She is a former member of the Northwest Territories Opportunities Fund Board and has recent governance experience on numerous GNWT Deputy Minister committees, such as the Audit Committee, Informatics Policy Committee, Capital Planning Committee and Human Resources Deputies Committee.

Ms. Melhorn holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Economics and History from Carleton University and a Master of Arts in Economics from the University of Alberta.

Mireille A. Saulnier, B.Ps, LL.B

Nominated by the Province of New Brunswick, Mireille A. Saulnier is the owner of the law firm Mireille A. Saulnier C.P. Inc. Prior to her current role, Ms. Saulnier was a partner with the lawyer-notary firm Lebouthillier Boudreau Saulnier where she began as an articling student before being made partner.

She is an active leader in her community, participating in various initiatives including being a member of the Board of Directors at Service New Brunswick since October 2015. Ms. Saulnier is also the outgoing chairman of the Chambre de Commerce du Grand Tracadie-Sheila, Inc. Since 2010, she has been the regional representative of the Association des juristes d’expression française du Nouveau-Brunswick. Prior to that, she was a student advisor at the Université de Moncton, in the administrative tribunals.

Ms. Saulnier holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the Faculty of Law and a Bachelor of Psychology degree, both from the Université de Moncton. She was called to the New Brunswick bar in 2008.

Joyce Sumara, B.A.

Nominated by the federal government, Ms. Joyce Sumara is an accomplished information technology (IT) executive with over 30 years of experience in large multi-national organizations. Ms. Sumara has broad experience in systems delivery and IT strategic planning in the automotive, healthcare and telecommunications industries.

From 2009 to 2011, Ms. Sumara was the Vice President, IT and Information Security Officer, with Rogers Communications, where she was responsible for the security of corporate information and IT governance. She previously held the positions of Chief Information Officer of GM Canada, and Chief Information Officer of OnStar at General Motors Corporation. Throughout her career, she has occupied various consulting positions, and served on the Boards of the Grandview Children’s Centre for six years, and Medic-Alert Canada for two years.

Ms. Sumara holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics from Wayne State University, in Detroit, Michigan, as well as Industrial Engineering Certificate from General Motors Institute (now Kettering University), in Flint, Michigan. She was recognized as a “Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada”, both in 2003, and 2004.

Bob Hamilton

Bob Hamilton was appointed as the Commissioner of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) effective August 1, 2016.

Prior to joining the Canada Revenue Agency, Mr. Hamilton served as Deputy Minister of Environment Canada, and Deputy Minister of Natural Resources Canada.

Mr. Hamilton was appointed Senior Associate Secretary of the Treasury Board in March 2011 and named by the Prime Minister as the lead Canadian on the Canada-United States Regulatory Cooperation Council.

Mr. Hamilton has held many senior positions in the Department of Finance, including Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Tax Policy, and Assistant Deputy Minister of Financial Sector Policy.

He received his Honours BA and Master’s degrees in Economics from the University of Western Ontario.

Date modified:

2017-04-18