Who are our members?
Directors of the George Brown College Foundation have a strong interest in and commitment to the goals and long-term objectives of George Brown College. Our Directors bring credibility, integrity, and respect to the Foundation.
Current board members come from diverse backgrounds and all have demonstrated a dedication to excellence in their chosen fields.
Officers of the Board
Erin Griffiths
Chair of the George Brown College Foundation Board of Directors
Senior Vice-President, Client Solutions, Scotiabank
Erin Griffiths is the Senior Vice President, Client Solutions at Scotiabank. In this role, she is responsible for Scotia Wealth Management’s Financial Planning, Advanced Planning, Insurance and Investment Advisory Solutions groups, as well as the Scotiatrust and Scotia iTRADE businesses. Prior to this, Erin was the Vice President of Total Wealth Strategy for Scotia Wealth Management, leading a number of strategic transformational initiatives, including the evolution of Scotia Wealth Management's client engagement model, technology roadmap, advisory development programs, and analytics capabilities. With her 20+ years of industry experience, Erin is recognized for her ability to build and lead high-performance teams and to drive strong business results in complex, rapidly changing environments. She sits on a number of boards and is a frequent speaker at industry events. She is also the Chair of Global Wealth Management’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council and a Co-Chair for The Scotiabank Women Initiative.
Erin has a BA in Sociology from Queen's University and an MBA from York University's Schulich School of Business.
Leen Yong Li
Director, Chair of George Brown College Finance and Investment Committees
Chief Executive Officer, Wealthsimple Foundation.
Leen is the CEO of the Wealthsimple Foundation, a not-for-profit organization with the mission to enable a brighter future for everyone in Canada through access to post-secondary education. She has over 20 years' experience in the financial service and technology sector and holds a Master of Business Administration in Finance from St. Mary's University, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
A self-made woman, Leen hailed from humble beginnings in China, coming to Canada by herself as an international student in her mid-twenties. Over her career she has held major portfolios including, CFO, Wealthsimple; VP, Finance & Operations, Influitive; CFO Advisor to Medchart, #movethedial, and Pressly.
Board Members
Dr. Cindy Gouveia
Director
President, George Brown College Foundation
Cindy is an accomplished leader with over 20 years of management experience in the private and public sectors. She is a results-driven individual whose strengths are relationship development and management, formulating optimal strategies, troubleshooting complex problems and bringing together diverse clientele. She is an inspiring individual who identifies opportunities where they are the least present, is a known problem-solver and an innovative solutions provider. She has travelled overseas establishing cross-cultural partnerships, delivering strategic results through an appreciation and respect for diversity and inclusion.
A college graduate, Cindy holds a Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Toronto. She also has a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Guelph.
Chris Campbell
Director
President, Toronto Carpenters' Union Local 27
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Representative, Carpenters' District Council of Ontario (CDCO)
Chris is a proud graduate of George Brown College’s School of Apprenticeship & Skilled Trades. He has been a member of the Carpenters Union for 32 years and a full-time staff representative for 19 years. His work is now focused on addressing issues of racism, fighting discriminatory hiring practice and promoting trade to women and people in the BIPOC community. He also proactively fosters and engages effective relationships with local community partners around the province. Chris also plays a major role in recruiting youth from his community to pursue careers in the construction trade.
Chris is on several boards and committees in the construction industry and in the local community, including the Carpenters’ Union Benefits and Pension Plan Board of Trustees, the Carpenters' Union local 27 Executive Board, Board Chair of the Toronto Community Benefits Network, Executive Board Member of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionist, Toronto Crime Stoppers Board Member, The Toronto Police Black Community Consultative Committee, and the Carpenters’ Union Equity Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
Dr. Gervan Fearon
Director
President, George Brown College
Dr. Gervan Fearon became President of George Brown College in August 2021. Working with colleagues across the college, he aims to support career-oriented programs to meet the needs of students and the demands of employers; advance college-led research; and enhance community engagement. With a proven track record of collaboration, transformative leadership and engaging higher learning communities in a shared mission, he leads George Brown’s efforts to provide transformative education opportunities that benefit learners, industry and the greater community.
Gervan has a strong professional background in post-secondary education. Prior to being President and Vice-Chancellor at Brock University (2017-2021) and Brandon University (2014-2017), he held numerous progressive roles in post-secondary education, including Dean of the G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University; Associate Dean at York University’s Atkinson Faculty of Liberal and Professional Studies; Visiting Scholar at the University of Washington; and as an Associate Professor at York University. Dr. Fearon also has a strong teaching and research record.
His career also included serving as the Executive Assistant to the Deputy Minister at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and a Senior Analyst at the Treasury Board, Ontario Ministry of Finance. He has also served on numerous community boards, including Ontario Trillium Foundation, Brandon Urban Aboriginal Peoples’ Council, United Way Niagara, Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce, and the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto. He was also Co-Chair of the Niagara Region’s Community Safety and Well-Being Planning Committee, Chair of the Budget and Audit Committee of Council of Ontario Universities, and President of Tropicana Community Services. Gervan is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2013), The Michaëlle Jean Foundation Influencer Award (2017), The University of the West Indies Vice-Chancellor's Award (2020) and several other awards of recognition.
He holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Western Ontario and received his master’s and Bachelor of Science degrees in agricultural economics from the University of Guelph. He holds a Chartered Professional Accountant designation (CPA, CGA) and Institute of Corporate Directors designation (ICD.D).
As an ex officio member of the George Brown College Foundation’s Board of Directors, Dr. Fearon brings a track record of collaboration and transformative leadership.
Richard Gill
Director
Vice President, Treasury Strategy, Capital Planning and Analysis, EQ Bank | Equitable Bank
Richard is an experienced public company executive and entrepreneur who currently leads Treasury Strategy, Capital Planning and Analysis at Equitable Bank. Prior to this, Richard was the Vice President of Corporate Development and Investor Relations at Equitable, where he drove the execution of the largest acquisition in the Bank’s history. In this role, he also established the Bank's investor relations and environmental, social, and corporate governance functions.
With 15+ years of industry experience, Richard's financial services expertise includes corporate strategy, investment banking, corporate finance, and treasury. A life-long entrepreneur, Richard has also built and run several successful small businesses, most recently in the telecommunications space.
A first generation Canadian, Richard moved to Canada from India at 14 and brings his lived experience and passion for the life-changing power of education to the Foundation Board. An active member of his community, Richard sits on the Board of Fred Victor, an organization that operates shelters and offers affordable and transitional housing, along with various support services, to over 3,000 people daily who are experiencing poverty and/or homelessness.
Richard received a Master of Finance and MBA from the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, where he was a Bregman Scholar, and a BCom from the University of British Columbia. He holds a Chartered Professional Accountant designation (CPA, CA).
Michelle S. Henry
Director
Partner, Borden Ladner Gervais, LLP
Michelle brings her significant legal expertise to the George Brown College Foundation Board of Directors. A Partner at Borden Ladner Gervais, LLP, Michelle's standing as a legal professional is also evident in her position as a member of the Federal Judicial Advisory Committee for the GTA. Michelle has been, and continues to be, actively involved in addressing social issues, co-founding the Black Business Law Clinic, also served on the Board of Directors for LOFT Community Services for 10 years. Michelle has both a Masters in English and a J.D. from the University of Toronto. She is a recipient of the 2021 recipient of the Ontario Bar Association Pro Bono Award, for her significant contribution to the legal profession and/or community through pro bono activities and community service.
Leslie McLean, RN, MScN
Director
Health Care Consultant
Leslie is a health care consultant who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Mount Allison University, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from McMaster University and her Master of Science in Nursing (Ethics) from Dalhousie University. Leslie has worked for over 30 years in a variety of areas and roles in health care, both within Canada and abroad, and she is passionate about education and helping to create healthy work environments for healthcare providers. Among her many roles, Leslie was an adjunct professor at Dalhousie University's School of Nursing in Halifax, where she taught oncology nursing and contributed to graduate student supervision, clinical instruction, and guest lecturing on a variety of topics. In addition, Leslie has had extensive international work and volunteer experience in places such as Africa, Central America, India and Norway with a specific focus on health and social justice concerns and she has and continues to serve on a large number of local and national professional and not-for-profit committees and boards. Currently, Leslie is providing consulting services in areas such as collaborative practice, compassion fatigue and ethical issues in clinical practice.
Damon Murchison
Director
President and CEO, IG Wealth Management
Damon Murchison, President and CEO, IG Wealth Management, brings more than a two and a half decades' worth of experience in financial investment management to the George Brown College Foundation Board of Directors. Over the course of his career, Damon has consistently shown his financial acumen, rising through the ranks of major financial institutions such as Fidelity Investments, Manulife Financial and Mackenzie Investments.
Damon received his MBA through the Executive MBA Program at Ivey Business School at Western University, London, Ontario.
Ray Williams, ICD.D, LL. D
Director
Managing Director and Vice Chairman, Financial Markets, National Bank Financial
Ray Williams brings a wealth of financial experience to the Foundation’s Board stemming from his work in the financial sector in London, New York and Toronto. In his current role he is responsible for facilitating engagements with strategic accounts working closely within financial markets to promote the banks One Mission synergistic approach.
As a Financial Services executive, specialized in global capital markets, Mr Williams has extensive experience in Cash and Derivatives products in multiple asset classes, Infrastructure Financing, Provincial & Federal Liability Management, and Mortgage Finance Companies (MFC) Financing and Hedging of Securitized Product.
Mr. Williams is also committed to community engagement, in particular in the area of diversity and inclusion efforts. He serves on leadership boards for various organizations, including 100Strong Foundation. Ray is also a vocal advocate for diversity in the workplace and is a Founding past president and member of the Canadian Association of Urban Financial Professionals (CAUFP). He is also a graduate of the Culinary Arts programme (2011). He is also one of the co-founders of the Black Opportunity Fund and the current Chair.
