Meet our team

In addition to our community partners, dedicated service providers and thousands of supporters who work to help children thrive, Canadian Feed The Children is powered by:

  • a volunteer Board of Directors
  • five Country Representatives who live and work in our program countries
  • 19 Toronto-based staff who proudly contribute to our mission in the areas of programs, fundraising, supporter services, communications, financial accounting and administration.

2012/2013 Board of Directors

Canadian Feed The Children is guided by the expertise and insights of our volunteer Board of Directors. Our by-laws dictate that board members serve without compensation and that there be a minimum of five and a maximum of twelve members.

There are three standing board committees:

  • the Executive Committee made up of the Chair, Vice-Chair, Past Chair, Chair of the Finance & Audit Committee and Secretary (Executive Director)
  • the Finance & Audit Committee, made up of at least three board members including the Chair of the Finance & Audit Committee
  • the Nominating & Governance Committee, made up of at least three board members.

We are grateful for the contribution and commitment of the following people:

Rob King (Chair)

Rob is Managing Director in Corporate Banking at The Bank of Nova Scotia with experience in corporate and investment banking and currently specializing in arranging and structuring bank loans and financings to Canadian companies in the communications, media and technology industry. He also assisted in the design and implementation of the integration of Scotiabank’s wholesale corporate and investment banking division. Rob holds a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Windsor and is a CFA charterholder.

Derek Briffett (Vice-Chair)

Derek is Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer at Associated Brands. He has previously served as CFO of Kraft Foods Canada and ConAgra Foods International and has held senior level roles with Procter & Gamble and Loblaw Companies. Derek has an MBA from Queen’s University. With expertise in strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, turnarounds, financial analysis, coaching and talent development, Derek has delivered business and financial results in Canada, United States, Mexico, UK, China and India.

Kurt Kroesen, MBA, CMA (Chair of the Finance & Audit Committee)

Kurt is a retired executive with extensive senior management experience. He is currently engaged in volunteering and undertaking contract assignments. Prior to that, he was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer with Canadian Diabetes Association. In this position he had responsibility for numerous functions including finance, accounting, information systems, human resources, investments and business operations. Kurt has also had for-profit company financial and information systems experience, primarily with Kraft Foods in several businesses: coffee, pet foods, chocolate. He has an MBA from Schulich School of Business and a CMA designation.

Sharilyn Hale (Chair of the Nomination & Governance Committee)

Sharilyn Hale, CFRE, is Principal of Watermark Philanthropic Advising, providing expert counsel to charities and donors. An experienced fundraising practitioner who led Canada’s largest campaign in support of affordable and supportive housing, Sharilyn has a values-based approach to philanthropy and volunteer engagement. She is Chair of the Board of CFRE International, the global credential for fundraising professionals which sets standards for ethical and effective practice. Sharilyn holds an MA in Philanthropy & Development, and is a published author and mentor who teaches fundraising leaders at conferences and learning forums around the world.

Jamie Porter

Chief Financial Officer for Alamos Gold Inc., Jamie has extensive experience in the areas of financial planning and reporting, regulatory compliance, internal control, treasury and taxation matters. Fluent in English, French and Spanish, his work has brought him to Nicaragua, Panama, Honduras, Mexico and Turkey. Jamie has previously worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers L.L.P. and is a member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Prashant Dube

Prashant Dube is very passionate about the welfare of children and believes in a future where children everywhere are not deprived of food, medicine, or the opportunity to learn and play. He has senior-level experience in software product management, software development and IT consulting. Prashant is a Director of Solution Management at SAP Labs Canada and responsible for the global product and go-to-market strategy for SAP solutions for Order Management and Customer Relationship Management. Prashant holds an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business.

Simon Fisch

Legal Counsel for the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, Simon has a deep personal commitment to issues of protecting those most vulnerable, human rights, empowerment and child welfare. In addition to his work for organizations involved in child welfare and social justice, Simon has worked in the field of international development in Tanzania and India, and for Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief.

Robyn Adelson

Robyn is Senior Vice President at Edelman Canada, the world’s largest public relations firm. She is a passionate team player with a commitment to delivering results-oriented strategic and creative communications programs built on powerful and insightful ideas that inspire consumers to take action. She helps brands build meaningful and long-term relationships with their audiences by identifying the right levers and channels by which to tell their stories. During her time at Edelman, Robyn has been responsible for strategic planning and creative direction for clients, as well as financial management and employee engagement.

William Sparks

William Sparks is an expert in international development and global justice issues. An instructor for the international project management post-graduate certificate program at Humber College, he also acts as a guest lecturer in international development, social work, criminal justice and human service administration to various school boards, colleges and universities. Bill’s areas of expertise include voluntary sector board governance, policy development, strategic and annual planning, participatory program development, monitoring and evaluation, public engagement and sustainable funding.

David Pell

David Pell is the former Chief Executive Officer of Street Kids International.  David was a partner in Development Initiatives Inc., an international consulting firm, and founder and President of the Community Business Resource Centre in Toronto:  a highly successful entrepreneurship training centre and economic development consulting organization. As the CEO of the Canadian Youth Business Foundation and the Canadian Youth Foundation, David expanded the organization’s lending, mentor support and career planning programs for young people across Canada. David is the authour of several publications on economic development and community and corporate partnerships. David is currently working as a consultant and instructor at Wilfred Laurier University.

Mona Minhas

Mona Minhas is the Senior Director of Finance at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.  She oversees the finances and operations for the largest division at the company.  Mona has experience working with values-driven organizations that have mandates supporting various interests in both for-profit and not-for-profit sectors.  In addition to her financial background, Mona is adept at dealing with change management initiatives, strategic planning and business process improvements.  She has a special interest in supporting the welfare of children, especially as it relates to hunger and sustainability.  Mona is a Chartered Accountant and holds an MBA with distinction from the Schulich School of Business.

Uli Wiemer

Uli Wiemer is Senior Manager, Global Talent Acquisition for IAMGOLD Corporation. She has extensive global strategic experience having spent the past 15 years managing international recruitment infrastructure and programs, policies, and employer value propositions/branding in large Canadian organizations with global reach. Uli brings a track record of success establishing effective partnerships to deliver HR solutions in the financial, consulting and mining services industries, and has led projects of significant scope across multiple international locations, cultural barriers and languages. Uli has a special interest in education and skills development, and has volunteered on previous non-profit boards with missions related to skills development for new Canadians and vocational/career training and development. She is excited to support CFTC’s role as a change agent with a long-term vision in international development.

Senior Management Team

Canadian Feed The Children’s senior management team is a dedicated group of professionals committed to leading the organization with integrity, efficiency and passion in the achievement of its mission.

Debra D. Kerby, Executive Director

Debra has a wealth of educational and employment experience, including a Masters of Science in International Development Management from the London School of Economics, England; an International MBA program at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland; and a B.A. degree from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. Debra held senior leadership roles at Right to Play including Chief Program and Policy Officer and Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships. Debra is a values-driven leader who will leverage her unique skills and experiences in both the profit and not for profit sectors to lead the charity to greater effectiveness and efficiency in helping children thrive.

Anne Marshall, CFO/CAO

Anne is a Chartered Accountant with a breadth of experience in finance and accounting. She has experience in change management, strategic planning, project management, process development and improvement, information technology and customer relations across a variety of industries. She brings extensive experience from both the profit and not-for-profit worlds to deliver a strong position of financial leadership to CFTC.

Heather Johnston, Director of Programs

Heather Johnston’s expertise in international development has laid the perfect foundation for her role as Director of Programs. She most recently acted as Country Representative in Mali for Marie Stopes, a UK-based agency working in the field of reproductive health. Prior to that, she was West Africa Regional Education Program Manager with Oxfam UK, and held previous roles with Inter Pares in Ottawa, with UNAIS in the UK and Mali, and with CESO International and Aboriginal Services in Canada.

Joanne Haywood, Director of Philanthropy

Joanne is passionate about youth, education and the environment.  A corporate supporter of key not-for-profit partnerships throughout her career, Joanne is thrilled to be playing a pivotal role helping connect donors to the great work Canadian Feed The Children is doing to help children thrive with food security, education and capacity building. Joanne has 20 year’s experience in senior sales and marketing roles in the technology sector. She earned a BA from Queen’s University in Sociology and an International MBA from ISG Institute Superieur de Gestion. A champion for advancing the performance of the Canadian charitable sector, Joanne is a volunteer Board member of Altruvest Charitable Services specializing in board matching and governance training for charities. Joanne looks forward to sharing best practices to assist Canadian Feed The Children in its ongoing pursuit of excellence in governance.

Jennifer Watson, Director of Communications

Jennifer brings 20 years of communications experience to her role as Director of Communications for Canadian Feed The Children. She and her small-but-mighty team work collaboratively with their colleagues across the organization to spread the word about the vital work that we do. Jennifer’s passion for authentic conversations and commitment to our mission is coupled with a strong background in both new and traditional media that lets us engage meaningfully with our growing and multiple audiences.