Advisory Councils

Dr. Peter J. Nicholson Sr. Chairman of WCPD‘s Philanthropic Advisory Council.

Chairman of The Foundation WCPD’s Philanthropic Advisory Council.  Previously he was the inaugural President of the Council of Canadian Academies (now retired) and was Deputy Chief of Staff for policy in the office of Prime Minister Paul Martin.  Other past positions include advisor to the OECD in Paris, Chief Strategy Officer for BCE and Senior Vice- President to the Chairman of Scotiabank. In 2020, Nicholson was appointed as the inaugural Chair of the Canadian Institute for Climate Choices. He is a member of the Order of Canada, awarded in recognition for his contributions to business.

Mr. Leonard Farber Retired Senior Tax Advisor with Norton Rose Fulbright in Ottawa

Retired Senior Tax Advisor with Norton Rose Fulbright in Ottawa. Previously, Mr. Farber was General Director of Tax Policy responsible for all tax legislation developed by the Federal Department of Finance. At Norton Rose, Mr. Farber advises clients on tax policy issues, assists in the resolution of tax disputes and provides a valuable resource to members of the firm’s tax practice in connection with tax planning advice.

Noella Milne Senior Partner – Borden Ladner Gervais LLP and Chancellor of George Brown College

Noella Milne is a Senior Partner with Borden Ladner Gervais LLP where she practices Corporate Real Estate. A community leader, she is also the Chancellor of George Brown College in Toronto. Noella is a past Chair of the Board of UNICEF Canada, a Director of St. Michael’s Hospital, a Director of the George Brown College Foundation, an Honourary Life Director of the Canadian Club of Toronto, and a member of the Order of Ontario Advisory Council. She was appointed to the Order of Ontario and has been honoured by the Women’s Executive Network as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women, among other honours and distinctions. Born in Mumbai, India, Noella is the mother of 3 children. She holds an LLB from the University of Toronto.

Katrin Nakashima Chair of the Board of The Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation

Kathy is Chair of the Board of The Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation and Co-Chair of its Investment Committee; in addition, she served as the Foundation’s Interim President in 2017. She also sits on the Council for Services to Children and Adolescents, which is the advisory council for the hospital, and its Executive Committee. Kathy is a Board member of UNICEF Canada and Chair of its Governance Committee. At McGill University, she serves on the McGill Faculty of Law Advisory Board and is its Planned Giving Ambassador. She also sits on the Governing Board of Mackay Centre School and on a Selection Committee for the McCall MacBain Foundation. Prior to that, she was Corporate Secretary and Vice-President for Imasco Limited which was a leading Canadian conglomerate and a co-managing partner of a corporate-commercial law firm in Montreal. Past boards/councils have included Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal, the Canadian Council for Donation and Transplantation (now Canadian Blood Services), Phoenix International Life Sciences Inc. (now part of Syneos Health, Inc.) and the Conference Board of Canada’s Advisory Board of Senior Legal Executives.

Mr. David Laidley Chairman Emeritus of Deloitte & Touche LLP (Canada)

Chairman Emeritus of Deloitte & Touche LLP (Canada), where he served as a partner from 1975 until his retirement in 2007. He was elected Chairman of the firm in 2000 and served in that capacity until 2006. Mr. Laidley was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Bank of Canada in June 2007 and currently serves on the boards of Nautilus Indemnity Limited (where he is Chairman), Aviva Canada Inc., ProSep Inc., EMCOR Group Inc., Groupe Aeroplan Inc., the Cole Foundation, the Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific, the McGill University Health Centre Foundation and the Desautels Faculty of Management of McGill University.

Mr. Lawson Hunter One of Canada’s pre-eminent regulatory and government relations counsel

One of Canada’s pre-eminent regulatory and government relations counsel, drawing on a wide range of experience in business, government and private practice. Formerly Canada’s senior civil servant in charge of competition policy and enforcement, Mr. Hunter was primarily responsible for the drafting of the federal Competition Act. From 1993 to 2003 he was a partner of Stikeman Elliott and head of the firm’s Competition Group. From 2003 to 2008 he served as Executive Vice-President and Chief Corporate Officer of Bell Canada and BCE Inc., where he was responsible for overseeing regulatory, governmental relations and corporate affairs. In September 2008, he rejoined the Ottawa office of Stikeman Elliott as counsel and recently assumed the role of head of the Competition/Antitrust Group. Mr. Hunter advises a wide variety of Canadian and multinational corporations on all aspects of federal and regulatory law and  policy.

Julie Quenneville President & CEO of McGill University Health Centre

Julie Quenneville is the President and CEO of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) Foundation. Her vast knowledge of philanthropy, business and government relations has made her a sought-after speaker on multiple platforms.

Whether as a commentator, panelist or media expert, Julie communicates her message in a dynamic and engaging way. She is a change agent, passionate about the need for innovative research as a global responsibility.

As someone who has excelled in her field, Julie offers her expertise to business, corporate, community, health care and government leaders. She is a proud mentor, particularly passionate about empowering young women. Julie has been named a Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada.

Bita Cattelan Vice President of Philanthropy at The Foundation (WCPD)

Bita is a member of  UNICEF Canada’s Honorary Advisory Council as well as member of UNICEF Canada’s  “The 25th Team”, a National Women’s Giving Circle.

As member of the  International Women’s Forum (IWF) Montreal Chapter,  an invitation-only network of accomplished women committed to advancing women’s leadership and championing equality worldwide, she has been an advocate of women’s rights and equality for many years, attending and participating in the United Nation’s Millennium Goal project 2005, Women of the World Summit 2014, as well as the UNHCR Syrian Refugee Summit 2014.

She is founder and co-chair of Gala de la Terre, recipient of the prestigious Opus Award for Quebec’s best musical event of 2022, a benefit concert event created to inspire action, raise funds and awareness for projects protecting marine life and habitats in the fragile ecosystem of the St Lawrence Gulf and Estuary.

Bita holds a B. Eng. in Civil Engineering from McGill University. In addition, she has earned CIM®, Canadian Investment Manager and the CAP®, Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy designations from the Canadian Securities Institute and the American College of Financial Services, respectively.

 

 

Mr. Elly Alboim A Principal of The Earnscliffe Group

A Principal of The Earnscliffe Group and leads its strategic communications practice. He specializes in public policy and was a senior advisor to the Right Honourable Paul Martin throughout his tenure as Minister of Finance and Prime Minister. Mr. Alboim has also advised some of Canada’s leading private sector companies and industry associations, including advice on mergers and acquisitions and managing integrated advocacy campaigns. Mr. Alboim has been an Associate Professor in the School of Journalism and Communication at Carleton University since 1980.

Mr. George Anderson Retired President and CEO of the Forum of Federations since 2005

Retired President and CEO of the Forum of Federations since 2005. He served over thirty years in Canada’s federal public service, where his positions included Deputy Minister of Natural Resources (2002-2005) and Deputy Minister for Intergovernmental Affairs in the Cabinet office (1996-2002). He has degrees in political science from Queen’s University and Oxford University, and a diploma from the École nationale d’administration in Paris.

Mr. Peter Nicholson Jr. President and founder of WCPD Inc. and WCPD Foundation

Peter Nicholson started his financial services business in 1987 at the age of 22. Since 1995, Peter has been a recognized leader in Canadian tax assisted investments, with a specialized focus on philanthropic tax planning and tax reduction.

Through his work with countless donors, foundations, institutions, and boards, he has helped generate in excess of $175 million for client donations. Nicholson is also a generous philanthropist in his own right and a tireless supporter of community initiatives.

Over the years, Nicholson has served as a dedicated champion and board member for many foundations all across Canada, such as Winnipeg’s Canadian Museum of Human Rights, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation and founder of the Exuma Foundation of Canada. He is also a member of the Canadian Association of Gift Planners (CAGP), Association of Fundraising Professionals of Canada (AFP), the Clinton Global Initiative, and a ten-year veteran of the investment club Tiger 21. Since 1993, he has qualified for the Million Dollar Round Table (annual qualification is limited to the top 1 % of finance professionals in the world).

In 2004, Nicholson started investing in Exuma, The Bahamas. In 2012, he purchased 31 villas (40%) at Grand Isle Resort & Residences, a former Four-Season Residence, making him the property’s largest shareholder.  It continues to be a luxurious resort and second-home community in Exuma. He also has property and hospitality interests on Farmer’s Cay, part of an exclusive 365-island chain in the Exumas.

He spends his time between Ottawa, Nova Scotia and Exuma with Anabel and their six children, ranging in age from 23 to 5 years old.

Mike Boychuck

Mr. Boychuk is a Corporate Director. Until his retirement in June 2015, he was President and CEO of Bimcor Inc; one of Canada’s largest private sector pension plan managers. Prior to that he was the Senior Vice President and Corporate Treasurer of BCE Inc. and Bell Canada (November 1999-2009). Mr. Boychuk has also been a member of a number of public as well as private sector Boards including MTS, Bell Nordiq, Yellow Media, Optasite and IIROC. He is a Governor of McGill University and Chair of the University’s Audit Committee and is also a member of the International Advisory Board of the Faculty of Management of McGill University.