EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
1999 LL.M.(Constitutional Law), Osgoode Hall Law School
1995 Call to the Bar, Law Society of Upper Canada
1993 LL.B., Osgoode Hall Law School
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
SENIOR MANAGER, EMPLOYEE RELATIONS (TECHNOLOGY & OPERATIONS AND FUNCTIONS), Royal Bank of Canada, Mississauga, Ontario
(January 2011 to Present)
Responsible for leading a team of legal and human resources professionals who provide advice and support to managers, senior executives and human resources business partners concerning workplace issues such as attendance and absence management, work performance, disability management, workplace investigations, conflict in the workplace and position eliminations
MANAGER, EMPLOYEE RELATIONS, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Ottawa, Ontario
(November 2009 to December 2010)
Responsible for leading a team of human resources professionals who provided advice and support to employees, managers, senior executives and human resources colleagues concerning workplace issues such as disability case management, attendance management, work performance, work performance, conflict in the workplace and workplace investigations
Managed CMHC’s conflict of interest and ethics programs by providing advice, support, counsel and training to employees, managers and senior executives, partnering with Legal and Internal Audit Services to ensure the timely identification and mitigation of potential and actual conflicts of interest and reviewing and recommending enhancements to CMHC’s Conflict of Interest policy and Code of Conduct
CHIEF OF STAFF, Office of the Minister of Health and Regional Minister for the Territories, Ottawa, Ontario
(October 2008 to June 2009)
Senior political advisor to the federal Minister of Health, responsible for managing 19 people and a $2 million budget, providing advice to the Minister, and collaborating with senior departmental officials, the Prime Minister’s Office and external stakeholders to ensure successful implementation of the Minister’s and the Government’s strategic priorities
ACTING CHIEF OF STAFF, Office of the Minister of Health and Regional Minister for the Territories, Ottawa, Ontario
(April to October 2008)
SENIOR POLICY ADVISOR and DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF, Office of the Minister of Health, Ottawa, Ontario
(November 2007 to April 2008)
Responsible for oversight and coordination of policy development on behalf of the Minister of Health to ensure consistency with the Minister’s and the Government’s strategic policy objectives
Prepared, reviewed and revised briefing notes, talking points, Question Period cards and other responses to a variety of issues
Key advisor to the Minister and key relationship manager with external stakeholders on critical policy initiatives
Actively engaged in the Minister’s legislative reform initiatives
POLICY ADVISOR (SOCIAL AFFAIRS), Office of the Prime Minister, Ottawa, Ontario
(March 2006 to November 2008)
Lead advisor on social policy in the Prime Minister’s Office, responsible for establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with 11 Ministers’ Offices to ensure the timely development and implementation of social policy initiatives
Worked closely with the Privy Council Office to ensure departmental policy proposals were consistent with the Ministers’ mandates and the Government’s objectives
Briefed and provided advice to the Director of Policy and Research, the Chief of Staff and the Prime Minister on relevant social policy issues, provided legal analysis of key court decisions within my area of responsibility, attended and observed Cabinet committee meetings and provided policy advice to Communications Directors with respect to the rollout of Government announcements
Responsibilities extended to the Health portfolio, the Public Safety portfolio, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, the Department of Labour, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Justice Canada, Heritage Canada, Sport Canada, and Veterans Affairs Canada
ASSOCIATE LEGAL COUNSEL, The Salvation Army Territorial Headquarters, Toronto, Ontario
(July 1998 to March 2006)
In-house counsel to a national charitable organization employing over 14,000 employees, 1,100 clergy, engaging over 58,000 volunteers, with an annual operating budget in excess of $450 million
Responsible for providing a full range of legal services and advice to senior management at the national, regional and local levels in the areas of employment, human rights, privacy, compensation and benefits, administrative, contract, charities and non-profit, corporate and commercial, social and health services, and intellectual property law
Provided strategic legal and policy advice to senior management on issues having long-term and organization-wide implications in the areas of employment, privacy, and charities law and concerning corporate governance, drafted and negotiated commercial agreements, served as lead counsel on employment and human rights matters, retained and instructed external legal counsel as required
Chaired the working group responsible for initiating a privacy audit across the organization and led the development of organizational privacy and access policies in national and regional head offices, as well as frontline service delivery agencies
Provided training sessions to managers, clergy and front line workers on various legal issues, and supervised and mentored junior legal staff, including lawyers and support staff
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS DIRECTOR, The Salvation Army, Ottawa, Ontario
(July 2003 to June 2005)
Re-established the federal Government Relations Office to increase the organization’s profile in Ottawa
Responsible for managing the budget and staffing of the Government Relations Office
Monitored federal policy, program and legislative initiatives, briefed senior management and provided strategic advice concerning the organization’s response to such initiatives
Continued carriage of key human rights, privacy and corporate/commercial legal files
POLICY CO-ORDINATOR, EFC Centre for Faith and Public Life, Ottawa, Ontario
(November 1995 to July 1998)
Responsible for monitoring and developing responses to federal legislative initiatives including briefing senior management, engaging with external stakeholders and preparing formal policy submissions to Parliamentary committees and Members of Parliament
Represented the organization through oral and written submissions to Parliamentary committees on constitutional and human rights issues; conference speaking; guest lecturing; and writing articles and opinion pieces on a wide range of public policy issues
Junior legal counsel in the preparation of applications for leave to intervene, and in the research and preparation of legal arguments and facta in Charter litigation in the Supreme Court of Canada and the Ontario Court of Appeal
SOLE PRACTITIONER, Toronto, Ontario
(1995)
VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES
Member of The Salvation Army Ethics Centre Ethics Centre Social Issues Committee
(1999 to 2006 and 2009 to February 2012)
Member of the Board of Directors of Cardus
(June 2011 to Present)
Appointed to Cardus Governance Committee June 2012
Appointed to Cardus Executive Performance Committee June 2012