board-of-directors

Board Chair

Bruce Catoen, B.A. Sc., Mechanical Engineering, P. Eng.

Bruce is a technology, strategy, mergers and acquisitions consultant. He has more than 3 decades of experience in business development, manufacturing and product development. Bruce has served as the Chief Technology Officer and Senior Executive for companies such as Milacron, Mold Masters and Husky Injection Molding Systems. Bruce is a mechanical engineer who has completed the Ivey and Darden school of business executive education programs. He is the named inventor of more than 50 patents and is the author of the book Selecting Injection Molds. Bruce regularly authors articles and presents on plastics and machinery technology worldwide. In addition to consulting, Bruce serves on two not-for-profit boards, mentors new immigrant engineers, plays hockey and competes in triathlons. Bruce and his wife Shelley have 3 grown children and are long time residents of Georgetown.

Board Vice Chair

A registered Nurse, Derek McNally is the past Executive Vice President Clinical Services and Chief Nursing Executive at Niagara Health.  In that role, he provided professional leadership to nurses and regulated health professionals across the organization as well as operational leadership for the Clinical Services Portfolio. Derek retired from this position in May 2021.

Mr. McNally has had a leadership role in health-care research, education, and administration for more than 35 years in both Academic Health Sciences Centers and Large Community Hospitals.  Prior to starting at Niagara Health in February 2014, Mr. McNally was the Executive Vice President Clinical Services at Markham Stouffville Hospital.  He has held progressive leadership positions at Trillium Health Centre, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, The Credit Valley Hospital and the Hospital for Sick Children.

Mr. McNally received his Diploma in Nursing from the Glasgow College of Nursing & Midwifery in Glasgow, Scotland in 1980 and earned his Master of Management in the International Masters in Health Leadership program at McGill University.  He is also a member of the Canadian College of Health Leaders.

Derek participated actively in the education of future health-care executives in his role as a preceptor to residents of the McMaster University’s Masters in Health Administration and Business Administration Programs and lead and participated in a number of regional initiatives associated with the planning of clinical services within the Hamilton, Niagara Haldimand Brant region. Derek is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Nursing at Brock University.

Board Treasurer

Paulette Jervis is an investment administration professional with over 30 years of experience in the financial services sector.  She is currently the CFO and CCO of Counsel Portfolio Services at Investment Planning Counsel and has been a board member since 2017.  She is a long-time Oakville resident and has held a number of board positions with Oakville non-profits.

Paulette is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), a member of Toastmasters International and enjoys staying active, participating in a number of fitness classes and yoga.

Director

Omer is a Barrister & Solicitor and currently is the principle counsel at Everest Law. Omer has a competitive nature which lead him towards a practice which is heavily immersed in litigation. Omer had his start in corporate commercial litigation but does significant work in family law as well. Omer is specifically interested in complex litigation and appeal work.

Prior to law school Omer was heavily involved in volunteering for multiple organizations in the Peel region. Throughout law school Omer regularly did pro bono work which earned him pro bono honors. Omer has continuously worked on volunteer projects and is now looking to combine his knowledge of law with his passion for helping others and hopes to achieve same through the Links2Care Board.

Omer grew up in Mississauga and now is a resident of Oakville. Omer enjoys spending time with his family, specifically with his two children. The fact that Omer is a litigator speaks to his competitive spirit and even with his busy schedule he finds time to compete in local softball and soccer leagues.

Director

Gunther is a registered pharmacist with over 10 years experience working in tertiary care hospitals as well as community pharmacies in Ontario. His attention to detail and caring nature allowed him to connect with patients to provide excellent care in his various areas of clinical practice from surgery, medicine to ambulatory environments. As a graduate of the Executive MBA program at McMaster University with a passion for digital transformation, Gunther now focuses his time on developing solutions to streamline the delivery of healthcare to patients through the use of technology.

Gunther lives in Oakville and enjoys hiking, cycling and photographing in and around the beautiful Halton area with his wife Jackie and their dog.

Past Board Chair, Director

Shelley Martin (she/her)

Shelley has been happy to serve as a member of the Links2Care Board since 2016.  When she is not carrying out Board duties, Shelley is the Manager of Quality Assurance at the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario.  In this role, she oversees the QA program for the 10 000 physiotherapists in the province. She has worked here since 2008.

Her work experience at the College, clinical roles as a physiotherapist and completion of her master’s degree in health administration has given Shelley healthcare insights to prepare her for serving Links2Care. Shelley is also a Certified Health Executive (CHE) with the Canadian College of Health Leaders (CCHL).

Through family experience, Shelley has also gained a first-hand understanding of the community support service sector which has helped her understanding of Links2Care’s services.

Shelley lives in Burlington, Ontario with her husband, dog and three cats.  Shelley and Mike like to bike or walk the trails around Bronte Provincial Park. Her other interests include traveling, reading and golfing.

Director

Jennifer is a partner at the law firm of Fasken.  She practices in the area of corporate/commercial litigation and public and administrative law. Recognized for her experience in professional regulation, Jennifer has served as independent legal counsel to the Discipline Committee and Fitness to Practise Committee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario since 2007.  Jennifer also has significant experience with public inquiries. She was co-counsel to the former premier of Ontario at the Ipperwash Public Inquiry; she served as Assistant Commission Counsel to the Goudge Inquiry into Pediatric Forensic Pathology in Ontario; and she represented a long term care facility at the Long-Term Care Homes Public Inquiry (the Wettlaufer Inquiry). Jennifer is a former member of the Executive of the Civil Litigation Section of the Ontario Bar Association and is a Skills Trainer for the Advocates’ Society. She routinely lectures and teaches on matters related to trial advocacy and evidence. Jennifer’s pro bono work has included representation of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CLA) and the Legal Education Action Fund (LEAF). Jennifer was recognized for her experience in Health Care Law by Best Lawyers in Canada in 2020 and named an Acritas Stars Lawyer in 2019.

Jennifer lives in Glen Williams with her husband and two young daughters.

Director

Sharon Khan-Torrance is the Associate Vice President of Human Resources Strategy with Globalfaces Direct, a company that has secured millions of dollars for many of the world’s most prominent charitable organizations through it’s consolidated fundraising services across North America. Sharon is part of the company’s leadership team and provides guidance, strategic leadership and direction to all facets of human resource to achieve operational success across Canada and the USA. Prior to joining Globalfaces, Sharon managed HR functions across many industries including software development, marketing and insurance in Canada and Australia.

Sharon is a graduate of University of Toronto (Hon. B.A), George Brown College (Pg. HRM), and holds a Certified HR Leader (CHRL) designation.

Based in Peel, she currently serves on the Board of Children Development Resource Connection of Peel (CDRCP), is a Mentor to HR professionals through HRPA and volunteers her time with local charities in Toronto and Peel Region. Away from work, her curious nature is best served on adventures with her husband, Michael and 2 highly spirited and equally curious children.

Director

Trish Talabis is the Director of Operations for Extendicare Canada’s Assist division, which manages 50 senior care and living homes across Ontario, Alberta and Manitoba on behalf of third-party partners, including hospitals, municipalities, not-for-profit and for-profit organizations.

Extendicare is a leading provider of care and services for seniors across Canada, operating under the Extendicare, ParaMed, Extendicare Assist, and SGP Purchasing Partner Network brands. Extendicare is committed to delivering quality care throughout the health continuum to meet the needs of a growing seniors population, and proudly employs approximately 19,000 qualified, highly trained and dedicated individuals who are passionate about providing high quality care and services to help people live better. A company that is at the for front of seniors care across Canada, who works very closely with government, community agencies, and many care partners throughout the Healthcare sector.

Trish has a demonstrated history of leading teams in the long-term care and retirement sectors, helping a diverse range of partners achieve high performance, even under the most challenging circumstances. With more than 25 years of experience in healthcare management, she has cultivated effective relationships across the health system, and continues to contribute to the transformation of seniors’ care, from a variety of partner perspectives.

As a graduate from McMaster University and Toronto Metropolitan University, she has a passion for health policy, building strong teams, driving quality, and improving care.

Outside of work, Trish prioritizes spending time with family, staying healthy through fitness which include yoga and spin classes, and enjoys supporting her children through involvement in their extracurricular activities.

Director

Sally Blackwell is a financial and regulatory professional with over 25 years progressive experience in regulatory affairs, accounting, and financial planning and analysis in rate regulated environments and the consumer-packaged goods industry. She is currently the Executive VP and CFO at Burlington Hydro Inc.  Sally is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CMA) and holds a Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Commerce degree from McMaster University. She is a long time Oakville resident and enjoys the outdoors, hiking, and swimming.

Director

John Hrajnik is an accounting and financial professional with over 4 decades of experience including 12 years in manufacturing and 28 years in the non-profit Public sector. His public sector experience includes work in healthcare, municipal government, and school boards. John has led large portfolios in his career with experience in all facets of Finance, Accounting, Administration and Governance. John is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CMA) and holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Toronto and a Supervisory Officer Certification from the Ministry of Education. John is a long time Mississauga resident and enjoys golf, hockey and being with family and friends.