List of 17 members.

• 

  Michael Bowen 

  Bio

  I have worked in Toronto in financial services since graduating from McGill in the 1980's. For 25 years I was immersed in fixed income capital markets, learning about the time value of money, credit risk and derivatives, before joining Turtle Creek Asset Management, a successful boutique equity investment management firm, where I lead our business development and client relationship team. I am obsessed with sailing, a keen squash player and love to ski and surf, especially with our three kids, all grade 1-12 graduates of TYS.
• 

  Kristin Blakely-Kozman 

  Bio

  Kristin Blakely is a public sociologist with over 20 years of experience in academia, advocacy, and philanthropy as well as a children’s author. Her books foster connection, community, and imagination. 

   

  Blakely has taught sociology, gender studies, and leadership at institutions across North America. Her scholarly work has been published in top academic journals, and she is the co-author of Gendered Worlds (Oxford University Press, 2008), widely used in gender studies curricula. She was a Visiting Scholar at the Centre for Feminist Research at York University, a Senior Fellow at the Glendon School of International and Public Affairs, a Co-Investigator at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Diversity Institute, and a faculty member at York University’s Resource Centre for Public Sociology.

   

  Blakely consults on gender equity strategies and social innovation initiatives that advance inclusive organizational practices and is part of an award-winning research team dedicated to improving policy and health outcomes for early pregnancy loss and care in the Canadian health care system. She regularly speaks at national and international conferences on feminist leadership, gender justice, governance, philanthropy and public sociology. 

   

  She has held leadership roles with YWCA Toronto, YWCA Canada, the Gender Equality Network, and the Canadian Women’s Foundation, where she helped shape grant-making priorities and programming related to economic justice and violence prevention. Blakely is President of the Beekay Foundation, a board director at Women Moving Millions, and a member of the Dean’s Council at Loyola University Chicago.

   

  Blakely holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology and Women’s and Gender Studies from Loyola University Chicago and has completed advanced training in leadership, governance, and DEI strategy at Cornell University, Northwestern University, and the University of Toronto.

   

  Kristin and her partner David have three children at the York School and Kristin is chair of the Advancement Committee.
• 

  Brian Burke 

  Bio

  Brian Burke is principal lawyer and founder of Burke and Co. Family Law Litigation and Advocacy Group. In conjunction with his family law practice, Brian is extensively involved in conference planning and speaking, justice committee work, and legal writing. His current special interests revolve around aspects of post-separation parenting including parenting assessments and the voice of the child, as well as the various dimensions of the problem/epidemic of family violence and intimate partner violence. Brian is a Past President of the Ontario Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC).  He was a member of the Task Force that drafted the AFCC Ontario Parenting Plan Guide and Template.  He was also a member of the Task Force that drafted the AFCC Guidelines for Parenting Plan Evaluations in Family Law Cases.  Brian has one child at The York School and  is a member of the Governance Committee.
• 

  Jessica Caplan Ross 

  Bio

  Jessica Caplan Ross is a seasoned legal professional with over two decades of experience in corporate governance, risk management, regulatory compliance, and strategic legal operations. As Director of Legal Operations at Lenczner Slaght LLP, Jessica plays a key role in optimizing legal department productivity and ensuring seamless collaboration between legal, business, and compliance teams.

   

  Jessica creates value through her extensive and varied professional experience. Before joining Lenczner Slaght, Jessica served as General Counsel at two private corporations where she led legal and corporate governance functions, managed external legal services, advised on corporate transactions, directed litigation strategies, and supported business growth initiatives. Prior to that, Jessica gained commercial litigation experience at leading law firms and grew her regulatory compliance expertise as Manager of Investigations at the Law Society of Ontario. Leveraging her diverse professional background, Jessica approaches problems using a strategic mindset to ensure ultimate efficiencies.

   

  Jessica is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School and was admitted to the Ontario Bar in 2006. She is also an active board member and community leader, currently serving as Vice-Chair of the Canadian Friends of the Jaffa Institute and Chair of the Risk Committee at The York School.
• 

  Alexis Charest-Descomme 

  Bio

  Alexis Charest-Descomme (Alumnus '13)  

  Alexis is a former York School Head Boy, whose passion for technology blossomed during his time at York. Since he graduated McGill University with a focus in Behavioural Economics, he has worked in data engineering, data architecture, product management & Analytics with multiple F500 organizations. Currently, he works at Google as a Strategy & Insights Lead leveraging behavioural science & technology to tackle social & business problems for Canada’s largest institutions. In his spare time you can find him tinkering with his computers at home, watching Formula 1 or providing guidance to NGOs and small businesses in his community. Alexis is member of the Advancement Committee.
• 

  Len Diplock 

  Bio

  Len Diplock is a corporate executive with more than twenty years of experience in strategy, M&A and executive leadership roles. Len is the Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Strategy at CLEAResult, the largest provider of energy efficiency and decarbonization services in North America, where he leads strategy and mergers & acquisitions. Len is also non-executive director of Vista Services, a provider of consumer financing solutions. Previously, Len was Senior Vice President, Strategy & Corporate Marketing at Canada Post leading strategy, brand, enterprise risk management and data and analytics for the corporation. Len has also held a number of senior executive positions at Direct Energy, was a corporate strategist with Centrica plc and was a management consultant with Bain & Company. He holds a Master of Science from the University of Oxford and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Toronto. Len was a Commonwealth and World Championship medalist as a member of the Canadian Rowing Team and was awarded a Half Blue for ice hockey at the University of Oxford. Len and his partner, Irene, have two children, one currently at The York School and one alumna.
  
• 

  Louwellyn D'Souza 

  Bio

  Lou D’Souza is an experienced regulatory and compliance professional and lawyer focussing on growth and risk management. He is the Chief Compliance Officer for CI Investment Services and has held a similar role with RBC and CIBC. He is responsible for the firm’s Wealth Compliance programmes and along with his team has supported a number business lines including Investment Banking, Corporate Finance, Debt/Equity Capital Markets, Institutional Sales/Trading, Fixed Income, Currencies and Commodities. He has worked in the securities dealer regulatory space for the past 19 years and was a commercial litigator for 7 years prior to his move to financial services. He has been a member of a number of Self-Regulatory Organization Committees and Working Groups on both sides of the border and is an Industry hearing panelist in regulatory enforcement matters. Lou and his spouse Annette have one Alumni son Sebastian graduated from The York School in 2024.
  
• 

  Trish McMahon 

  Bio

  Dr. Patricia McMahon is the Chair of the Board of Directors at The York School.

   

  Trish is a lawyer and historian. She is a professor at Osgoode Hall Law School, having joined the faculty in July 2022 after more than 15 years in private practice at two leading Bay Street law firms where she focused on complex civil litigation, including class actions, tax disputes, and constitutional law. She has appeared before all levels of court. Trish researches and teaches in the areas of civil procedure, equity, and legal history. Her research focuses broadly on how individuals promote legal and political reform, and has published books and articles on these subjects. She is also the Co-Academic Director of the Winkler Institute for Dispute Resolution.

   

  Trish earned a BA in History from Huron College University at Western University before earning an MA and PhD in History at the University of Toronto, where she also earned an LLB. At the Faculty of Law, Trish served as Co-Editor in Chief of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law Review and was awarded the Dean’s Key. She also holds an LLM and JSD from Yale Law School and clerked for Mr. Justice Ian Binnie at the Supreme Court of Canada.

   

  Trish is also the Director of the Oral History Program at the Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History, an organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Canada's legal history that has published more than 100 books and conducted more than 700 oral history interviews of leading members of the legal profession. She has interviewed current and former members of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal for Ontario, and various provincial courts, as well as lawyers of varying seniority to create a record of their experiences in the law.

   

  Since joining our community, Trish, the parent of two of our Senior School students, has played an active role in supporting, promoting and advancing York’s mission, vision and values. She has served as Class Parent, Co-Chair of the Middle School York Parents’ Association(YPA), and Co-President of the YPA. Most recently, she was Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors and a member of the Risk Management and Governance Committees.
• 

  Alua Nurkeyeva 

  Bio

  Alua Nurkeyeva is an experienced risk management, finance and investments professional with over twenty years of career in banking, corporate finance, telecom and advisory. She holds an MBA in investments from M.J. Neeley School of Business, Texas Christian University and is a CFA charterholder. As a dedicated global citizen, Alua has volunteered with culture and literature focused non-for-profits, mentored future leaders, and actively participates in professional networks to drive positive change.

  
  

  With diverse Canadian and international experience, Alua is very passionate about contributing to the The York School board by leveraging her expertise in risk management, financial analysis, and board governance. Alua is a member of the Risk Committee.
• 

  Erica O'Born 

  Bio

  Erica O'Born received her MSc. in Biology from Queen’s University, and Doctor of Chiropractic from The Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College. Erica worked as a primary care practitioner and in sales in Healthcare and Orthopedics until 2019. From 2019 to 2023 Erica was actively involved in The Printing House, in particular, the TPH Charitable office. TPH Charitable is responsible for creating opportunities for TPH employees to participate in meaningful causes and championing the spirit of volunteerism. Erica liaised with countless charities to co-ordinate in-kind print donations and support charitable events. More recently she worked with The Rosemont Hospitality group, which includes The Globe Restaurant and The Rosemont General Store. Erica runs a small apiary at her family farm which she started in 2021.

   

  Erica has volunteered for a number of Canadian charities and foundations, including Renascent House, True Patriot Love and The Rogers Hixon Ontario Human Milk Bank. She is currently a member of the advisory board of The Rogers Hixon Ontario Human Milk Bank and sits on the postdoctoral research study advisory committee for The CanDo (Canadian Donor Milk) Trial: Pasteurized human donor milk supplementation in the mother-baby unit. Erica is a member of The York School’s Advancement Committee and is the current Vice Chair of the Committee. Erica and her partner Andrew have 2 children at The York School.
• 

  Raman Rai 

  Bio

  Raman Rai serves as the Industry Managing Partner for Financial Services at Deloitte Canada, responsible for overseeing Deloitte’s four financial services sector groups - banking and capital markets, insurance, real estate, and investment management – across all of Deloitte’s businesses. In addition, Raman serves as the Global Lead Partner for one of Deloitte's most important global clients where she leverages the firm’s global capabilities to meet their needs.

  
  Having grown-up in a family business started by immigrant parents, Raman experienced entrepreneurship early on which led her to an international banking career with specific leadership in commercial banking - spanning 20+ countries, leading large and highly diverse businesses. She is deeply passionate about financial services and the role the industry plays in driving purpose-led growth and innovation for individuals, families, and businesses around the world.

  
  Raman considers herself a global citizen having worked across the world and now calls Toronto home where she lives with her husband and her two young kids that attend The York School. Raman is a member of the Finance Committee.

  
  
• 

  Ashley Russell 

  Bio

  Ashley Russell has spent her life immersed in global private early-childhood education. Growing up as the child of a prominent, global Montessori administrator and educator, Ashley pursued her own passion for child development, and education in London, UK studying the classical methods of Maria Montessori at the Maria Montessori Institute.  Here Ashley earned a Primary Education degree and completed Post-Diploma work in Scientific Observation from the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI). Upon graduation Ashley was a lead teacher at Great Beginnings Montessori, one of the largest Montessori schools in Central London, eventually becoming the Deputy Head of School. After moving to New York Ashley transitioned into Board work becoming the Vice President of the Board of Directors at Morningside Montessori. During this time Ashley also co-authored teacher training textbooks exclusively for use at the International Montessori Institute of Beijing, PRC, an American Montessori Society accredited training center. Most recently Ashley partnered with Fitzrovia, a local Toronto real estate developer, ideating, creating and developing aspects of what has become Bloomsbury Academy, a chain of schools located on-premise in luxury rental condominiums in Toronto.

   

  Ashley graduated from the University of Ottawa where she earned a BA in Criminology and from the University of Toronto where she earned a Honours BA in English. Ashley was also a 4-year member of the University of Ottawa Varsity Women’s volleyball team.  

  
  Ashley and her husband have three children at TYS. She was previously a member of TYS Premises Committee and is currently a member of the Governance Committee.
• 

  Kevin Salsberg 

  Bio

  Kevin Salsberg is the President & Chief Executive Officer of CT REIT and has over 20 years of commercial real estate experience. Prior to joining CT REIT, Mr. Salsberg was the Executive Vice-President and Chief Investment Officer of Plaza Retail REIT from 2013 to 2016. Mr. Salsberg also worked for KEYreit, holding positions of increasing scope and responsibility, ultimately becoming its Chief Operating Officer, and was also a Leasing Representative for RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust. Mr. Salsberg holds an Honours Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Western Ontario and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Ottawa.
• 

  Benjie Thomas 

  Bio

  Benjie Thomas is the Canadian Managing Partner for KPMG’s Advisory practice and is located in Toronto. In his role, Benjie is responsible for the operational and growth strategies of the firm’s Advisory business which includes our Management Consulting, Risk Consulting and Deal Advisory practices – comprised of over 2000 professionals.

   

  As an adviser, Benjie has more than 25 years of experience assisting Canada’s most prominent private equity funds and strategic buyers. Benjie has advised on some of Canada's largest transactions with a consistent track record of providing sought-after advice and innovative solutions to create success.

   

  Benjie is a senior advisor to the University of Waterloo School of Accounting and Finance and sits on the Financial Advisory Council. He advise the school director on issues impacting the achievement of the schools goals and assists with long term planning. Benjie also sits on the CPA Ontario Council as an elected member. Benjie is member of the Advancement Committee.

  
  
• 

  Julia Webster 

  Bio

  Julia Webster is a graduate of The York School (class of ’05) and is Partner at Baker McKenize where she leads the firm’s Canadian international trade and customs practice. She advises Canadian and international companies on customs compliance, anti-corruption laws, economic sanctions, export controls, supply chain ethics, and cross-border M&A. Julia graduated from McGill (BA&SC ’09 and March ’10) where she was a recipient of the McGill Scarlet Key and from Queen’s University, Faculty of Law where she was a recipient of the Denis Marshall Contribution Award. She teaches Law 453: International Business Crime at her alma mater. In her free time, she is a weekend triathlete and an avid long distance cyclist.
• 

  Rob Weinberg 

  Bio

  Dr. Robert Weinberg is a Family Physician working in Toronto for over 20 years. Rob was born and raised in Montreal and moved to Toronto after finishing Medical School at Mcgill in order to complete his residency training at the University of Toronto. In addition to his clinical work, Rob teaches U of T medical students and spent several years in a management role in his large group practice. For many summers, Rob has worked as a doctor at a sleepover camp where he helps to set medical policies and looks after the health and safety needs of about 500 campers and staff members. Outside of work, you can find Rob coaching minor hockey or keeping active on some rink, court or field. He and his wife, Robyn, have 2 children. Their youngest attends The York School. Rob currently serves on The York School Governance Committee.
• 

  Stacey Weisberg 

  Bio

  Stacey Weisberg graduated with an HBA from The Richard Ivey School of Business. He was hired by Canadian Tire, to procure the gardening tool category for all 500 stores across the country, which included all things non-power such as; shovels, rakes, hoses, nozzles, and watering equipment. Following his passion for fashion, he became National Sales Manager at Hugo Boss’ Corporate Office for Canada. There he worked with retailers across the country bringing fashion from Europe to the Canadian consumer. Returning to school he obtained his MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management and worked for Deloitte as a Corporate Strategy Managerial Consultant. Now he has joined his family in the meat business as President of The Butcher Shoppe, a local meat processor providing meat to hotels and restaurants in the province. Founded almost 40 years ago by his father, they process 100,000lbs of meat daily delivering over 1,200 custom orders six days a week. Stacey and his wife Sonya have two children at the York School, Stacey is Chair of the Premises Committee.