University of Calgary Board of Governors
Brown, Jay
Mr. Jay Brown is the Managing Director and Co-Founder of Arcadius Capital Partners and the Managing Director and Co-Founder of SW Capital Partners, both private equity firms providing growth capital to early stage and start up companies. He was a Ph.D. student in finance and holds a Master of Arts in Economics degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Calgary.
Competencies required for members of The Governors of The University of Calgary include the core competencies of leadership and governance and the preferred competencies of finance, human resources, legal, risk management, and/or strategic planning. Mr. Brown was directly appointed on the basis of meeting the competencies, skills, and attributes as described above.
Bergerson, Joule
Joule Bergerson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering and a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Energy Technology Assessment. She received her Ph.D. in a joint program of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University. She has a Master of Engineering Degree in Chemical Engineering with a collaborative program in Environmental Engineering from the University of Toronto and an undergraduate degree in chemistry and environmental science from the University of Western Ontario.
Foster, Nancy
Ms. Nancy Foster is the Senior Vice-President and Special Advisor to the Chief Executive Officer, Husky Energy. She has served on several industry and community related committees, including the Alberta Economic Development Authority, Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, the Conference Board of Canada, and the YWCA Calgary. She is currently a member of the Calgary & Area Child Advocacy Centre and the International Women’s Forum. She holds a bachelor of arts degree from McMaster University and is a graduate of the Harvard Advanced Management Program.
Herman, Mark
Mr. Mark Herman is a retired Managing Director of Investment Banking with Scotia Capital. He has served on the board of governors since 2017 as an Alumni representative and serves as Chair of the board's Investment Committee, Vice-Chair of the Budget Committee and a member of the Audit Committee and Executive Committee. He served as a member of the Senate of the University of Calgary and chaired the Community Engagement Committee of the Senate. Mr. Herman has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Calgary, a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Western Ontario and has also completed the Directors' Education Program from the Institute of Corporate Directors.
Competencies required for members of The Governors of The University of Calgary include the core competencies of leadership and governance, and preferred competencies of finance, human resources, legal, risk management, and/or strategic planning. Mr. Herman was directly appointed as Chair on the basis of meeting the competencies, skills, and attributes as described above.
O'Yeung, William
Mr. William O’Yeung volunteers as a Director with Escape with STEM, and he is a retired Financial Manager from Shell Canada Limited. He is a community volunteer with United Way of Calgary and has served as a board member of Shell Canada’s Community Service Fund. He holds an MBA from Nova Southeastern University and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Calgary. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant.
Wolf, Cara
Ms. Cara Wolf is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ammolite Strategies Inc. She has served at the Advisory Board and Director level for many organizations, including the Council of Innovation and Entrepreneurial Leadership at UCalgary, Automotive Parts Manufacturing Association, and vCISO Catalyst. She received the STEM Trailblazer Woman of Inspiration and Top 20 Women in Cybersecurity award and was recognized as TECTERRA’s inaugural Woman of Impact award.
Davison, Jeff
Mr. Jeff Davison is Communications and Stakeholder Relations Advisor with LMNO Communications. He served as a Councillor for Ward 6 with the City of Calgary from 2017 to 2021. He has served as a member on several boards, including Calgary Economic Development, Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund, Calgary Film Centre, and the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation. He holds a Bachelor of Communications Studies degree from the University of Calgary, a Marketing Management certificate from Cornell University, and a Journalism Arts diploma in Broadcast Media from SAIT.
Competencies required for members of The Governors of The University of Calgary include the core competencies of leadership and governance and the preferred competencies of finance, human resources, legal, risk management, and/or strategic planning. Mr. Davison was directly appointed as a member on the basis of meeting the competencies, skills, and attributes as described above.
Dhanani, Aleem
Mr. Aleem Dhanai is the Managing Director of Bri-More Developments, a land development and asset management company. He is a board member with the Centre for Newcomers and Founder of the Haider Dhanani Institute for Community Leadership. He holds Master of Business Administration degree from the London Business School and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta. He also holds an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.
Competencies required for members of The Governors of The University of Calgary include the core competencies of leadership and governance and the preferred competencies of finance, human resources, legal, risk management, and/or strategic planning. Mr. Dhanani was directly appointed as a member on the basis of meeting the competencies, skills, and attributes as described above.
Jenson Labrie, Jodi
Ms. Jodi Jenson Labrie is the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer with Enerplus Corporation. Prior to this, she held progressive leadership roles at Enerplus including Vice President, Finance; Senior Manager, Planning and Marketing; and Controller. She is a Chartered Professional Accountant and a Chartered Business Valuator. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree with Distinction from the University of Calgary.
Competencies required for members of The Governors of The University of Calgary include the core competencies of leadership and governance and the preferred competencies of finance, human resources, legal, risk management, and/or strategic planning. Ms. Jenson Labrie was directly appointed as a member on the basis of meeting the competencies, skills, and attributes as described above.
Li, Candice
Ms. Candice the Chief Financial Officer with Benevity. Prior, she served as Vice President Finance & Fleet Management, Interim Chief Financial Officer, and Vice President, Controller with WestJet Airlines. She currently serves as a member on the boards of NAV Canada and Calgary Reads. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Calgary and is a Chartered Professional Accountant.
Competencies required for members of The Governors of The University of Calgary include the core competencies of leadership and governance and the preferred competencies of finance, human resources, legal, risk management, and/or strategic planning. Ms. Li was directly appointed as a member on the basis of meeting the competencies, skills, and attributes as described above.
Zhang, Gary
Mr. Gary Zhang is the President of MRF Geosystems Corporation. He is a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) expert and has developed industry leading GIS products. Gary Zhang holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Calgary, a Master of Engineering degree from Southwestern Jiaotong University, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Wuhan University.
Competencies required for members of The Governors of The University of Calgary include the core competencies of leadership and governance and the preferred competencies of finance, human resources, legal, risk management, and/or strategic planning. Mr. Zhang was directly appointed as a member on the basis of meeting the competencies, skills, and attributes as described above.
Zonneveld, Paul
Mr. Paul Zonneveld is a senior partner with Deloitte Canada in Calgary, leading the Cyber and Strategic Risk practice in Canada. He has over 19 years experience working in the energy and resource industry and previously served on the board and the Finance/Audit Committee of Winsport, and he chaired Winsport’s Risk and Sustainability Committee. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant, a Certified Information Systems Auditor, and a Certified Information Systems Security Professional. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from the University of Manitoba.
Competencies required for members of The Governors of The University of Calgary include the core competencies of leadership and governance and the preferred competencies of finance, human resources, legal, risk management, and/or strategic planning. Mr. Zonneveld was directly appointed as a member on the basis of meeting the competencies, skills, and attributes as described above.
Blackwell, Mark
Mr. Mark Blackwell is a General Partner and lead of the Canadian Office at Builders VC. Previously, he was the Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of GNS3 Technologies Inc. and an Investment Manager at Cenovus Technology Ventures. He currently serves as a board member for Junior Achievement of Southern Alberta and the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Energy Management from the University of Calgary.
Competencies required for members of The Governors of The University of Calgary include the core competencies of leadership and governance and the preferred competencies of finance, human resources, legal, risk management, and/or strategic planning. Mr. Blackwell was directly appointed as a member on the basis of meeting the competencies, skills, and attributes as described above.
Ganzlin, Karen
Ms. Karen Ganzlin recently retired as Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer with TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation. Prior, she spent 24 years with TD Bank Financial Group holding several executive leadership roles. In 2021/22, Ms. Ganzlin served as a part-time Program Director with The Conference Board, and she previously served as Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary of the Board of Directors of Habitat for Humanity Omaha. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of Calgary.
Competencies required for members of The Governors of The University of Calgary include the core competencies of leadership and governance and the preferred competencies of finance, human resources, legal, risk management, and/or strategic planning. Ms. Ganzlin was directly appointed as a member on the basis of meeting the competencies, skills, and attributes as described above.
Price, David
Mr. David Price is an Associate Lawyer with Stikeman Elliot LLP. Since July 2021, he has served as government-appointed Senator on the University of Calgary Senate, including as a member of the Senate’s Recruitment and Membership Committee. Mr. Price holds a Juris Doctor degree with Distinction (Business Law Concentration) from Western University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Calgary.
Competencies required for members of The Governors of The University of Calgary include the core competencies of leadership and governance and the preferred competencies of finance, human resources, legal, risk management, and/or strategic planning. Mr. Price was directly appointed as a member on the basis of meeting the competencies, skills, and attributes as described above.
Thomas, Melanee
Dr. Melanee Thomas is an Associate Professor in Political Science at the University of Calgary. She currently serves as an Editorial Board Member with Legislative Studies Quarterly, Treasurer with the Prairie Political Science Association, and Editorial Board Member with the European Journal of Politics and Gender. She has served on the board of directors and an executive of the University of Calgary Faculty Association, as well as several university committees and councils. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Political Science in Comparative Politics from McGill University, a Master of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Calgary, and a Bachelor of Arts degree with Great Distinction in Political Science from the University of Lethbridge.
Rai, Cristina
Ms. Cristina Rai is a Research Administrative Specialist in the Office of the Associate Dean (Research) with the Cumming School of Medicine. She has held many roles at the University of Calgary, including Contract Specialist, Research Grants Officer, and Graduate Scholarship Officer. Ms. Rai holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Durham Business School in the UK, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Bucharest in Romania.
Kiefer, Eva
Ms. Eva Kiefer is the Co-founder and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Akira Impact Inc. Currently, Ms. Kiefer is an external member of the University of Calgary’s Audit Committee. She has also served in various executive and board roles, including Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Secretary and Board Director at Northbase Finance Inc., a Chief Financial Officer at Canadian Non-Operated Resources LP, Pipestone Energy Corp (TSX.PIPE), and Grafton Asset Management Inc. She is a Chartered Professional Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree (with distinction) from the University of Calgary.
Competencies required for members of The Governors of The University of Calgary include the core competencies of leadership and governance and the preferred competencies of finance, human resources, legal, risk management, and/or strategic planning. Ms. Kiefer was directly appointed as a member on the basis of meeting the competencies, skills, and attributes as described above.
Sood, Arun
Dr. Arun Sood is a Technology Engineer with Suncor Energy and has over 25 years of experience in the research and technology development space, specifically in the oil and gas industry. Dr. Sood previously worked as a Research Scientist and Contract Research Engineer with NOVA Chemicals and a Technology Development Engineer with Cenovus Energy. He also worked for PanCanadian Petroleum and Alberta government’s Department of Energy. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Chemical Engineering from Dalhousie University in Halifax, a Master of Sciences degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Calgary, and a Bachelor of Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology in Roorkee, India.
Sulemana Saaka, Saaka
Saaka Sulemana Saaka was recently elected as the President of the graduate students' association (GSA) of the University of Calgary for the 2024/2025 academic year. He previously served as the President of the GSA for the 2022/2023 academic year, and he is also the past Chair of the Governance Committee. He is the PhD students' representative with the Department of Political Science, and a member of the Graduate Students’ Association External Advocacy Working Group.
Mr. Saaka is currently in the doctoral program in the Department of Political Science at the University of Calgary. His fields of study are Comparative Politics and International Relations. He is also a Teaching Assistant at the University of Calgary. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Political Science in Public Policy from Brock University, and he has an undergraduate degree in Political Science with Philosophy and Classics from the University of Ghana.
Rezaei-Afsah, Ermia
Mr. Ermia Rezaei-Afsah is currently a student enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts program at the University of Calgary with majors in History and Social Cultural Anthropology. He was recently elected as the 82nd President of the students’ union at the university for the 2024/25 academic year. He was also the students’ union’s past Vice President Student Life. He is currently a senator on the University of Calgary Senate and a member of the Board of Directors of CJSW Radio. He was previously Vice President of the University of Calgary History Students’ Association.
Shah, Siraaj
Mr. Siraaj Shah is currently a student enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts in Political Science degree program at the University of Calgary. He also holds his Residential Real Estate License from the Real Estate Council of Alberta. He is the Faculty of Arts Student Representative on the students’ union at the university. He is currently President of the Muslim Students’ Association, part of the Government Affairs team with the Calgary Real Estate Board, and the National Director of Charity Week Canada.
Dutt, Karan
Mr. Karan Dutt is the Senior Reservoir Engineer with MEG Energy Corp. Prior, he served as the Senior Reservoir Engineer with the Alberta Energy Regulator. Mr. Dutt is a professional engineer and holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Calgary.
Competencies required for members of The Governors of The University of Calgary include the core competencies of leadership and governance and the preferred competencies of finance, human resources, legal, risk management, and/or strategic planning. Mr. Dutt was directly appointed as a member on the basis of meeting the competencies, skills, and attributes as described above.
Joy, Barbara
Barbara Joy is an energy executive who works with a private exploration firm focused on developing petroleum and natural gas resources in a sustainable and environmentally responsible manner. Barbara has committee and board experience currently serving as Vice-Chair with a private sport club and as President of a non-profit property corporation. Barbara is a skilled negotiator forming long lasting relationships with stakeholders including First Nations. Barbara holds a degree from the University of Calgary, and is a proud mother of three.