Board of Directors

CANFAR's Board of Directors is responsible for establishing the mission, vision and direction of CANFAR, ensuring the organization’s financial health and setting the direction of operations. Some of Canada's foremost leaders in the financial, legal and philanthropic sectors sit on the CANFAR Board of Directors.

Andrew has served on the CANFAR board since 1994. His areas of interest and expertise include governance, fundraising and community capacity building. His other charity affiliations include 519 Community Centre, Upper Canada College and the Evergreen Foundation. Andy is retired from RBC Financial Group and is the Chairman of RP Investment Advisors. He is married to Valerie, and has three children.

Salah Bachir has been a member of CANFAR's board since 1992. In addition to his work with CANFAR, Salah has chaired The 519 Church Street Community Centre Capital Campaign and served on boards and committees at Canadian Film Centre, Luminato arts festival, the Art Gallery of Ontario, Business for the Arts, and the Reel World Film Festival.

Salah is president of Cineplex Media, which represents 95% of cinema advertising in Canada, and publisher of Cineplex Magazine and Le magazine Cineplex.


Patricia has served on the CANFAR board since 1997. She is the founder and Co-Chair of AIDSbeat, the rock 'n' roll bash that has raised over $2 million to date for CANFAR. Patricia is also active in the community, as a Governor of Roy Thomson Hall and Massey Hall. Patricia is a partner at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP. She and her husband Brett have one child.


Dr. Kellie Leitch is a paediatric orthopedic surgeon and an associate professor of surgery. She has been recognized with the Order of Ontario, as one of Canada's "Top 40 Under 40" and was selected to carry the Olympic torch.

Kellie has advised the federal Finance Minister and authored a report for the federal Health Minister. She recently traveled to Afghanistan to advise the Canadian International Development Agency.

Patti MacNicol joined the CANFAR board in 2003, and her interests include financial reporting and governance. Her other charity affiliations have included the Conference of Independent Schools, Branksome Hall and St. Peter's on the Rock Anglican Church. Patti is a chartered accountant and is the Chief Administrative Officer at Upper Canada College. She has four children.


Charles has been a member of CANFAR's Board since 2002. His motivations for joining CANFAR include the desire to improve the effectiveness of research dollars spent and to help develop the organizational capability formulate and execute its strategies. Charles is an entrepreneur with expertise in the area of international business management and organizational effectiveness. He is a professional engineer and President of S.A. Armstrong Limited and has two children.

Gordon Capern is a partner at Paliare Roland Barristers and practices in the area of corporate, commercial and civil litigation. He is active on a number of not-for-profit boards, and is a Co-Chair of AIDSbeat in support of CANFAR.

Christopher Garland became a CANFAR board member in 2003. He joined CANFAR in order to combat current social complacency around HIV and AIDS.

In addition to his service with CANFAR, Chris is a sponsor father to ten children worldwide, through Foster Parents Plan. He is an Investment Advisor for CIBC Wood Gundy. He lives with his partner Dan in Vancouver.


Andrew has been a member of CANFAR’s Board since 2008, and has served as co-chair of the Investment Committee since 2010. In addition to his work at CANFAR, Andrew also serves on the Board of ARIAS: Canadian Opera Student Development Fund. Andrew has been with the RBC Financial Group for 13 years, and currently works as an Investment Advisor with RBC Dominion Securities.



The Honourable Henry N. R. Jackman has been a member of CANFAR's board from 1990 to 91 and again from 1997 to the present day.

Duane joined DundeeWealth Investment Counsel in 2009 and is based in Toronto. He brings with him a history of excellence in building client relationships, with a particular emphasis on delivering a highly personalized level of service. In addition to having strong investment expertise and an in-depth knowledge of capital markets, Duane has the acumen suited to providing the appropriate counsel to high net worth clients.

Duane works with the investment team in serving the needs of private clients, not-for-profit organizations and private/public foundations. Philanthropy also plays an important role in Duane's life. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of CANFAR.

Stephen is the Chair of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Ryerson University, and co-founder and co-director of AIDS-Free World.

He is a board member of the Clinton Health Access Initiative, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, and is a Commissioner on the Global Commission on HIV and the Law. He was the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for HIV and AIDS in Africa, and Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF.Stephen authored the best-selling book Race Against Time, holds 34 honourary degrees and is a Companion of the Order of Canada.

Stephen authored the best-selling book Race Against Time, holds 33 honourary degrees and is an Order of Canada Companion.

Tristan Michela is the Executive Vice President at CanDeal. Before joining CanDeal, Tristan was on the RBC Capital Markets fixed income trading floor managing electronic sales and trading. He has been a member of CANFAR's board since 2003 and is on CANFAR’s Bloor Street Entertains and Executive Committees.

Greg is the President and General Manager of Weber Shandwick Canada. He has been a broadcast journalist with Radio Canada international and CBC Radio, a communications executive with Avon Canada and a senior executive at PR agencies including Optimum-Cossette, Edelman Canada, Hill and Knowlton Canada and Rapp Collins Worldwide.

Greg provides strategic oversight to Weber Shandwick's firm offices and is a member of the agency's North American leadership team. Greg specializes in developing master narratives, media strategy and senior executive advice & counsel.

John is a Managing Director in the Equity Capital Markets (ECM) group of TD Securities Inc. He has been a member of ECM group since 1998. From 1996 to 1998, John worked in merchant banking with TD Capital Group Limited.

John has served on the Board of Trustees of the Royal Ontario Museum, including the executive committee of the Board, and currently sits on the Board of St. Michael's Hospital Foundation in Toronto.

Stan has been a member of CANFAR's board since 1992, a member of CANFAR's Scientific Advisory Committee since 1989, and its Chair since 1992. His area of expertise is pediatric AIDS and AIDS research. He recently retired as the Director of HIV and AIDS Family Centred Care Program at the Hospital for Sick Children and was on the founding Boards of Casey House and Fife House.

Stan is also involved with CATIE and OHTN. His work overseas includes consulting the National AIDS Program in the Bahamas.




Dr. Sean B. Rourke is the Scientific and Executive Director of the OHTN since 2004. He is also the Director of Research in the Mental Health Service and Scientist with the Centre for Research on Inner City Health Centre in The Keenan Research Centre in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital at St. Michael’s Hospital, an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and a Full Graduate Member of the Institute of Medical Science at the University of Toronto, and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Windsor. Sean has also served as a member of the OHTN Scientific Review Committee and Board of Directors and received an OHTN Career Scientist Award for his work developing a neurobehavioural program of research in HIV/AIDS before joining the OHTN as its Director. In 2005, he received a New Researcher Award from the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation.



Gareth has been a member of CANFAR's board since 1999. His areas of special interest with CANFAR include event-driven fundraising, judiciary compliance, and strategic planning. Gareth's other charity affiliations include Breakfast for Learning (the Canadian Living Foundation) and the Seltzer-Chan Pond Inlet Foundation. Gareth is an investment banker.

Penny has served on the CANFAR Board since 1991. In 1993, she founded and Chaired Have a Heart for CANFAR. This has evolved into the Foundation’s national youth education campaign and in 2011 reached 1.25 million students in 2000 schools.

Penny is President and CEO of P. Shore & Associates Inc., Shore Publishing


David Stovel began his career with Brawley Cathers Limited in 1972, became Partner in 1978, and was President for 15 years. David’s primary function was to manage portfolios for individuals, foundations and corporations. He took an active role in companies that Brawley financed, including that of Vice Chairman of a Russian telecommunications company. David joined the predecessor firm to Macquarie Private Wealth when the firm purchased Brawley and now focuses exclusively on the management of clients’ portfolios.

Leeanne has been a member of CANFAR's board from 1989 to 1992 and again from 1997 to the present day. She founded and chaired the JRC (Junior Committee) and the many parties they ran, including the Eight Ball, the White Party and the Red Party. She has worked as a real estate agent for the past 20 years with Royal LePage R.E.S./Johnston & Daniel Division. She and husband Chris have two children.