AGNES DI LEONARDI C.M. LLD
In May 2018 Agnes was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in recognition of her leadership in the automotive industry and for her commitment to mentoring and supporting Canadian women leaders through her work with the International Women’s Forum of Canada, a global organization with a mission to advance women’s leadership. She has been recognized as a world leading General Counsel by the Legal Era Group (2017) as well as a leading Canadian General Counsel by The Legal500 GC Powerlist Canada (2016).
Agnes is an alumna of the 1998 Commonwealth Study Conference held in Canada. She is the volunteer President and a Founding Director of the Duke of Edinburgh Emerging Leaders’ Dialogues Canada.
FATMA KHALID
After graduating from York University Graduate, Fatma began her career as a Prosecuting Trial Attorney with the Tanzanian Ministry of the Attorney General, and was also an Assistant Prosecutor for the International Tribunal on Human Rights in Colombia. She started her own firm in Toronto in 2000. She is also fluent in Swahili with conversational ability in French.
ROBERT TAYLOR LVO CPA, CA
Robert Taylor was admitted as a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta in 1965 following which he enjoyed a 30-year career with Shell Canada Limited, in Calgary, Toronto and London U.K. In 1990 he became a Director of Shell Canada Limited and Executive Vice President Shell Canada Resources and in 1963 President Shell Canada Products Ltd. He was Area Manager for Shell International Petroleum Company in London for three years where he was responsible for Shell operating companies in East and West Africa.
As an independent businessman since 1997, Robert served as a Director of Pembina Pipeline Corporation for 15 years. He was a Director and chief operating officer of Turbodyne Technologies Inc. Santa Barbara, CA. and continues as a Director of McTAY Holdings Ltd.
Robert was a Governor of the Glenbow Museum in Calgary where he continues as a member of the President’s Circle and a Director of Alberta Theatre Projects located in the Calgary Centre for the Performing Arts.
He was a member in 1980 of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Commonwealth Study Conference. In 1983 Robert participated in founding the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conferences and in 2009 he co-founded The Duke of Edinburgh’s Emerging Leaders’ Dialogues Canada where he continues to serve as a Director.
In 1999, he was recognized by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with the award of a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO).
IAN S. ANDERSON
Ian Anderson is founder and President of Temple Scott Associates and Chair of the Organizing Committee for the 2021 Duke of Edinburgh’s Commonwealth Study Conference in Canada.
In addition to his business career, Ian has enjoyed a deep involvement over 20 years with the study conferences, including serving as Executive Director for Prince Philip’s final conference in 1998 and designing and managing the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conferences from 2004 to 2018. He co-wrote a book about the Duke of Edinburgh and the history of the Commonwealth Conferences that was launched at Buckingham Palace in 2007.
Ian was inducted into the Royal Victorian Order by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in June 2008. He was awarded the Queen’s Jubilee Medal in 2012 by Governor General David Johnston for services to Canada.
Prior to his business consulting career, Ian worked in senior positions in the Government of Canada and national media. From 1985 to 1987, Ian served the Prime Minister of Canada as Deputy Principal Secretary. Ian worked as a journalist and commentator for several national and international media organizations, reporting for Reuters, the Montreal Gazette and Maclean’s newsweekly.
BRUCE BOWEN
Over a 26-year career with Scotiabank International, during which he lived in Cayman Islands, Trinidad & Tobago, Puerto Rico and Jamaica, Bruce Bowen rose to be Senior Vice President of Scotiabank’s Caribbean operations from 2013 – 2016. In this capacity he had responsibility for banking, insurance and wealth management business lines across 20 countries.
During his time in the Caribbean Bruce has been active in promoting economic and social development in the region, serving on numerous financial industry, private sector and non-profit boards in a variety of countries. Based today in Toronto, he continues to support private sector clients and governments in the Caribbean
CONNIE BONELLO
As a seasoned management consultant, Connie Bonello brings several years of global executive level experience. She has provided consulting services to financial service organizations across Europe, the Americas and Asia and is a sought-after speaker on the topics of big data, analytics and artificial intelligence. She currently leads Accenture Canada’s Financial Services Applied Intelligence practice. Ms. Bonello holds an Honours BA in Economics and MBA. She is an avid road cyclist, horse rider and world traveler.
MAJOR DAVID CLARKE CVO
Major David Clarke CVO has been employed by The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation since 1988 and was appointed to his current role as Regional Director (Americas) in 2000.
David holds the rank of Major in the Barbados Defence Force and is the special advisor to The Royal Barbados Police Force. He is one of the founding Trustees and chairman of the Barbados Youth Business Trust and chairman of the Jamaica Youth Business Trust. He served as chairman of the advisory committee to the Minister of Education Youth and Culture in Barbados from 1994 to 2000 and has been an advisor to several Caribbean Governments on youth developments.
He was appointed a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO) on 14th October 2003 by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth and promoted to a Commander (CVO) in the Queen’s birthday honours on 17th June 2017. He was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.
SIR TREVOR CARMICHAEL KA, LVO, QC
Sir Trevor Carmichael KA, LVO, QC is a member of the International Bar Association, the InterAmerican Bar Association, the International Tax Planning Association, the International Fiscal Association, a former Deputy Secretary General of the International Bar Association, a Life Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Legal Studies in the United Kingdom and a Life Member of the commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association.
He serves as a Panel Member of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes of the World Bank in Washington, the Founder Chairman of the Barbados Youth Business Trust and the Chairman of the United World Colleges Selection Committee for Barbados. A former Visiting Professor of Caribbean Foreign Investment Law to the Florida State University Summer Programme at the University of the West Indies, he is a Trustee of Europhil in the United Kingdom, and sits on the Legal Affairs and Properties Committee of the International Council of Museums in Paris, France and is a Trustee of the Duke of Edinburgh International Award Association.
KERRY HARRIS
After leaving her role as President of the Canadian business unit of global PR agency Weber Shandwick in 2010, Kerry Harris formed the brand strategy firm Reboot Consulting.
Kerry has worked internationally with The Governments of The Bahamas, South Africa, Cayman Islands, Barbados, Turks and Caicos, Ontario and Canada in a variety of sectors including CSR, tourism, international business, financial services, economic development and trade, education and health.
On the private sector front, she has worked with professional services firms, banks and other financial services firms, CPG companies, QSR and several hospitality companies. She has extensive experience in developing and implementing traditional marketing strategies and plans with digital, interactive, social media and mobile delivery channels and was a contributing blogger for The Huffington Post Canada.
Linda Haslam
Linda recently retired from the Ontario Nurses Association after being involved since 1980, serving as President and Local 75 Coordinator for much of that time. She has decades of experience as a leader in provincial bargaining, strategic planning and government liaison. She is a member of the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Board and is currently an executive member with the National Executive Board of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU). She is also an honorary member of the Canadian Nursing Students’ Association (CNSA). Linda has extensive experience working with policy-makers and senior decision-makers in Ontario and across Canada.
Hemi Mitic
Hemi Mitic recently retired from his position as Assistant to the President of the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) and is currently a Labour Relations consultant. Hemi started as a welder at a Lear Corp. auto parts plant in Kitchener, Ont., in 1967. He became president of Local 1524 and eventually led the region’s labour council before joining the CAW staff in 1981. Appointed as national director of organizing in 1986 and then as an assistant to president in 1992 until his departure in 2009.
Sandy Di Felice
Sandy is an award-winning communications and public affairs executive with over 20 years of experience in government relations, corporate and public relations, stakeholder management, and marketing, Sandy has spent her career building, recovering, and protecting reputations for global brands, government agencies and world figures. In the process, she has cultivated a uniquely broad and deep perspective that allows her to develop strategies, craft messages and create narratives meaningful to every stakeholder.
Sandy spent 15 years as an executive in the North American auto industry and became the Chief Marketing Officer for the Canadian subsidiary of a global agency holding company, growing their brand and increasing new business across their digital, creative and media companies.
Sandy now runs a consultancy advising brand and is also a part-time professor at the Centennial College School of Business where she teaches introductory and applied marketing.