ASCEND - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- President & Chair of the Board, Ascend Canada / Vice President, Merchant Solutions, Royal Bank of Canada
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager in Business Bank
- VP Strategy
Alexandra (Ali) Gabura is a Senior Manager in Business Banking at TD Bank where she partners with business, risk and control partners across Small Business and Commercial Banking to ensure risk is being adequately identified, assessed and appropriate mitigation strategies are in place to manage current and emerging risks for the business. Alexandra has held several roles within both TD's Canadian Personal Banking business and Internal Audit Division.
Prior to joining TD, Alexandra worked at Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC") where she worked in the firm's Audit and Assurance practice, earning her Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) designation. Alexandra holds an Honors Business Administration (HBA) degree from Richard Ivey School of Business at University of Western Ontario.
Alexandra was recognized as MVP Operations and Volunteer of the Year for her work launching and operating Ten Thousand Coffees at Ascend.
Ali Najafi is Director Inclusion & Development, Global Diversity at RBC. He leads the development and implementation of enterprise diversity & inclusion strategies as well as professional development initiatives, marketing and communications, and network integration and optimization efforts. He has been with RBC for over 18 years and held a variety of progressive roles within Personal & Commercial Banking. Ali is also actively involved in his community as a soccer coach for the past fifteen years, as well as being a member of his local elementary school Parent Council.
Job Titles:
- Board Member / Partner, Deloitte - Risk Advisory Ontario Regional Market Leader
Job Titles:
- Vice President
- EVP, Ascend Vancouver
Job Titles:
- AVP, Strategy
- Senior Manager of National Strategy & Operations
Ashish Shah is currently a Senior Manager of National Strategy & Operations for a new service line ("Managed Services") in KPMG's Management Consulting practice. In his role, he is focused on establishing a growing a suite of scalable, technology solutions for clients which requires a deep understanding of strategic, financial, marketing, and product life-cycle knowledge.
With over eight years of experience at KPMG, he has held progressively senior roles spanning advisory and audit. Ashish's offers a multi-faceted, client-oriented & financially rooted lens based on his experience in strategy execution, strategic planning, financial modelling, business cases, acquisition research, integrations, assurance, and project management. In his client service assurance role, Ashish had served clients spanning industries ranging from law & construction, to non-profits, higher education & start-ups.
Ashish holds a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) designation, certificate in Strategy Execution from Harvard Business School Online, is Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certified in process improvement, and graduated with an Honors Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the Schulich School of Business, York University. Recognized as a two-time recipient of KPMG's Spotlight award, ranked amongst the top deciles in the CPA exams (formerly known as the CKE & SOA), and previously earned the highest performance rating for two consecutive years, Ashish is committed to delivering excellence in all that he does.
Ashish began volunteering with Ascend Canada in 2016 on the Marketing Team and subsequently joined the Strategy Team in 2018. He has made significant contributions include leading and implementing various strategic initiatives including Montreal Expansion, Communications Strategy, just to name a few. Outside of Ascend, Ashish also supports various community initiatives which includes being a Board Director & Treasurer for Scarborough Arts, an organization dedicated to delivering innovative programs and services that enhance the cultural life of Scarborough.
Job Titles:
- Board Member / Vice President, CFS, Investment Management Corporation of Ontario ( IMCO )
- Vice President, Client Finance Services at IMCO
Bhavna Duggal is Vice President, Client Finance Services at IMCO leading client focused strategy to transform and enhance the stakeholders' client experience. She is also responsible to drive the execution of key strategic projects from the office of the CFO. Prior to this, Bhavna was a Partner with Ernst & Young in Toronto leading Finance function advisory services, assisting Finance Leaders drive transformation and change. Bhavna is a Chartered Professional Accountant (Ontario), with a Fellowship with the ACCA (UK) and brings over 17 years of global finance management and advisory experience across her varied work experiences in Canada, Europe and Asia.
Bhavna's global work experience and travels include senior finance executive roles with JP Morgan Chase and Morgan Stanley specializing in their Asset Management and Investment Banking operations in Asia and Europe including Luxembourg, Ireland and England. Bhavna brings extensive public accounting and advisory experiences from her time with Deloitte in the Middle-East, and then Ernst & Young in London.
Bhavna is passionate about volunteering and giving back to the community and as a proud mother to two amazing children, she is hoping to pass those values to them. Together with her husband Jai, she has organized and run a series of fundraisers aiming to benefit different communities. These personal initiatives were core to Bhavna and Jai's ethos of paying it forward and giving back to various communities. The fundraisers varied from raising benefits to victims of the devastating Nepal Earthquake to raising awareness and fundraising for Aboriginal Women's shelters in Toronto.
With Ascend Bhavna currently champions and leads the Partnership team which is central to maintaining relationships with existing sponsors and partners, and bringing in new partnerships to Ascend Canada.
In her spare time, Bhavna is an avid adventurer, traveler and sports enthusiast.
Job Titles:
- Global Board Chair for ASPIRE
- VP, Operations
Bronche Cheng is a Tax Partner at KPMG in Canada. She has over 20 years of experience providing tax services to REITs, developers, investors, and mortgage lenders. Bronche has been involved in structuring many capital market transactions including IPOs and private equity deals. She is also hands-on in providing day-to-day tax advice and compliance support to her clients.
Bronche was also the HR Partner for KPMG's tax practice in the Greater Vancouver Area. In her HR role, Bronche was involved in recruiting, performance evaluation, career development, and compensation discussions for her team of 300 tax professionals at KPMG in Vancouver. She is a strong supporter of women in leadership, inclusion and diversity, and she encourages her team to give back to the community. She is an authentic leader who is open in sharing her experience as an immigrant, a woman, a mother of three young children, and a professional in public practice. She is passionate about mentorship, team building, and grooming the next generation of leaders.
Job Titles:
- Co - VP, Students Chapter
- Portfolio Management Assistant at RBC PH & N
Christina Ma is a Portfolio Management Assistant at RBC PH&N Investment Counsel. She works closely with her Investment Counsellor to provide strategies that help meet clients' overall financial objectives including investment management and wealth planning. Christina started her career in Investment Banking Operation with J.P. Morgan Singapore in 2009. Prior to joining RBC PH&N Investment Counsel in 2017, she spent two years with RBC Dominion Securities as an Investment Advisor Associate. She is a graduate of the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) with Major in Economics and Minor in Commerce. She holds CIM®, PFP® and QAFP™. Christina has been an Ascend member since 2019 and serving as a volunteer supporting the Vancouver Student Chapter since 2020.
Job Titles:
- Vancouver Strategic Council Member
Job Titles:
- EVP Marketing
- Regional Marketing Manager at KPMG Canada, Lea
Constance Chow is a regional marketing manager at KPMG Canada, leading marketing initiatives and campaigns for a number of industries and functional groups. She is experienced in professional services marketing covering event and content marketing, communications as well as digital promotion. Prior to KPMG Canada, Constance spent several years at PwC Canada and Deloitte providing marketing support to various practice groups including China Business, Advisory and Enterprise Risk Services. Constance has international work experience having worked in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Toronto. She holds a B.Comm from the University of British Columbia and an MBA in International Business and Marketing from Schulich School of Business, York University.
Job Titles:
- Business Strategist
- VP, Student Affairs
Dominique is a business strategist with entrepreneurial spirit. She is experienced in strategy development, product management and execution across multiple products and segments. Dominique has deep experience across financial services and brand consulting and has transitioned into the blockchain space to participate in the startup ecosystem.
Dominique is an advocate for diversity and inclusion having served as a champion for visible minorities, women, and youth initiatives. She has been a volunteer with Ascend since inception in 2012.
Job Titles:
- Head of Global Clinical Supply
- Vice President of Global Clinical Supply
Dr. Michael Ku is Vice President of Global Clinical Supply (GCS) within the Medicinal Sciences organization
of Pfizer's Worldwide Research, Development and Medical division. Michael has over 25 years of
Job Titles:
- Board Member / Partner, Management Consulting - KPMG
Elaine is a Partner in KPMG's national Management Consulting practice with over 20 years of experience working with clients in both public and private sectors. Elaine has worked on large scale financial and technology transformation programs, including global ERP implementations, software asset management, regulatory and contract compliance, enterprise risk management and governance and business continuity planning. She has served a variety of clients in manufacturing and distribution, communications and media, power and utilities, consumer and retail, private equity and asset management.
Elaine is passionate about diversity and is the founding co-chair of KPMG's East Asian Network and serves on KPMG's national executive Inclusion, Diversity & Equity (ID&E) Council. Elaine is an active mentor and coach both informally and formally through multiple mentorship programs such as KPMG's Network of Women, Women in Technology and the East Asian Network.
Job Titles:
- Board Member / Partner, Financial Services and Markets
Job Titles:
- Co - VP, Students Chapter
- Marketing Manager at KPMG
Geraldine Tagle is a Marketing Manager at KPMG with expertise in events and sponsorships. In her role, she oversees the marketing and communications plan for a variety of the firm's practice lines, delivering integrated marketing campaigns to strengthen the KPMG brand and support relationship development. Prior to joining KPMG, Geraldine had roles at the British Columbia Institute of Technology and the Chartered Professional Accountants of BC where she focused on student recruitment and promotion. Geraldine is an alumna of Simon Fraser University's Beedie School of Business.
Job Titles:
- Vancouver Strategic Council Member
Job Titles:
- Co - VP, Marketing
- Digital Marketing Manager at KPMG Canada
Ivy Chen is a Digital Marketing Manager at KPMG Canada. With her digital and events & sponsorship expertise, Ivy oversees the digital marketing plan across the marketing and communications team to drive business development. Ivy graduated from Simon Fraser University with a bachelor's in Communication & Interactive Art Technology and a minor in publishing. Before joining KPMG, Ivy worked at Progressive Housing Society, a registered non-profit charity that provides support services to adults living with mental health issues or facing homelessness. There, she focused on marketing and building brand awareness.
Job Titles:
- Manager in PwC Canada 's Private Company Services
- VP, Sponsorship & Membership
Jeff is a Manager in PwC Canada's Private Company Services practice. With more than five years of experience working closely with a variety of businesses in the private company and technology space, he has developed strong professional relationships with clients of a diverse background, experience and industry as a trusted tax advisor. Jeff has been involved in a wide range of consulting and compliance assignments covering domestic Canadian and cross border taxation. Jeff is passionate about people and mentorship. He continues to coach team members at PwC and shares his professional journey with his high school through its annual career speaker series.
Job Titles:
- AVP, Sponsorship & Membership
Job Titles:
- Tax Partner at BDO
- Vancouver Strategic Council Member
Joanne Sun is a Tax Partner at BDO and currently leads BDO's Global Employer Services group in the Western Region and is the Leader of BDO's Immigration Services practice in Canada. She has over 20 years of professional experience assisting employers in managing the Canadian and U.S. tax issues arising from the cross-border movement of its employees, consultants, directors, and executives. She partners with Global Mobility, HR, Legal, Tax, and Finance teams in a wide range of industries, including financial services, mining & natural resources, engineering & construction, and technology & life sciences sectors. Joanne also has extensive experience in executive compensation matters (equity compensation) and expatriate policy design and implementation.
Joanne joined Ascend in 2013, and was one of the founding members of Ascend Canada's Vancouver chapter. She is passionate about people development, and sparking new ideas with diversity. She has participated in a number of premier leadership programs, joined various Diversity & Inclusion employee community groups, and has actively mentored many employees in the organizations that she worked for over the years. In 2018, she proudly served as a mentor to emerging leaders in Ascend Canada's Mentorship Program to share her personal experiences and help her mentees develop professionally to their full potential. Today, she continues to serve on Ascend's Strategic Advisory Council (Vancouver Chapter) along with our Vancouver Chapter President and many of the chapter's founding members.
Joanne is a graduate from the University of British Columbia. She earned her CPA, CA designations in both B.C. and Quebec, and has also been admitted to practice before the United States IRS. In her spare time, she can be found working out in her pandemic-home gym, exploring new Asian fusion recipes, and treasuring time with her blended family.
Job Titles:
- Senior Marketing Manager
- VP, Marketing & IT
Karthik is a Senior Marketing Manager with experience in cross-functional leadership, digital marketing, and marketing automation technology. His cross-functional leadership and technical expertise helps businesses and non-profits improve customer acquisition, retention, and engagement, resulting in increased revenue and growth. Karthik's been a volunteer with Ascend Canada since 2019. He supports Ascend Canada's IT and marketing ecosytem. He also supports community initiatives in Toronto as an advisory board member of: Victoria Shuter Non-Profit Housing Corporation that supports poverty alleviation through affordable housing and First Stage Child Care Centre that supports early childhood development through four licensed child care centers.
Job Titles:
- General Counsel
- General Counsel - Loyalty, Air Canada
Kathleen Butterfield is General Counsel - Loyalty for Air Canada. In this role she is responsible for providing strategic business and legal advice to the loyalty functions within Air Canada, including Aeroplan.
Prior to joining Air Canada in September 2023, Kathleen was a partner in Fasken's Financial Services Group. Her practice included advising insurers, banks, payments and other businesses on a wide array of governance, commercial, transactional and regulatory matters including loyalty and credit card programs. In addition, Kathleen was the leader of Fasken's Asia Practice.
Kathleen is recognized nationally by legal directories including IFLR 1000 as Highly Regarded in the area of Financial Services Regulatory and as a Stand Out Lawyer by Thomson Reuters.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Executive Vice - President
- Member of the Board
- President of ASCEND Canada and Is a Board
Job Titles:
- Associate Vice President at TD Bank
- VP, Sponsorship & Member Engagement
Margarita is an Associate Vice President at TD Bank and has diverse leadership experience in change delivery, consulting, and internal audit. She started her career at Deloitte, where she earned her Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) designations. Margarita is passionate about strategy setting, innovation, and talent management. At TD, she currently serves as as the Executive Co-Sponsor of the Filipinos@TD employee resource group (ERG), participates in various mentoring programs, and is an active member of the TD Finance Inclusion and Diversity Council.
Job Titles:
- Board Member / President & CEO, Manulife Canada
- President & CEO, Manulife Canada
Naveed Irshad is President & CEO, Manulife Canada, where he leads the implementation of the company's growth strategy across the Canadian market.
He is a member of Manulife's Executive Leadership Team. Mr. Irshad has almost 30 years of industry experience and has a deep understanding of the global life insurance industry. Most recently, Naveed was Global Head of Inforce Management and Head of our North American Legacy Business, where he led initiatives to release capital and reduce risk across the organization. Prior to that, Naveed rejoined Manulife in 2014, and was appointed as President & CEO, Manulife Singapore where he was responsible for the overall development of Manulife's business operations in Singapore. This included key business segments - protection, retirement solutions, high net worth and wealth management - across a multi-channel distribution platform. Prior to this role, he spent three years in a key leadership position at a major global reinsurance company with a focus on business and product development globally.
Having initially joined Manulife in 1995, Naveed held a variety of business roles in Toronto and Boston. Just prior to leaving Manulife in 2011, he was the Senior Vice President, Product and Insurance Risk Management, responsible for new product and insurance risk, globally.
Naveed holds a B.Sc. in Actuarial Math from Concordia University. He is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) and of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries (FCIA), and is a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries (MAAA). He served as Deputy President, Life Insurance Association of Singapore; and is a Board Member of Ascend Canada (promoting Pan-Asian leadership).
Job Titles:
- Associate Vice President, Finance at TD Bank
- VP, Governance
Sarah Lau is Associate Vice President, Finance at TD Bank Group. In her current role, she oversees financial planning & analysis for Corporate functions within the bank including Real Estate, Finance & Treasury, HR, Sourcing and Corporate Citizenship. Before joining Corporate Segment, Sarah spent a number of years working in the Chief Accountant's Department at TD within their Accounting Policy & Advisory group.
Prior to joining TD, Sarah worked at PwC where she was part of their Audit and Assurance Group focused on financial services, mutual funds and hedge funds audits. Sarah is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and obtained her Masters and undergraduate degrees from the University of Waterloo.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director
- Board Member / Managing Director and Head of North American Institutional FX Sales, CIBC World Markets
Vincent Lee is Managing Director and Head of North American Institutional FX Sales at CIBC Capital Markets. With over two decades of experience, he leads teams in Toronto and New York servicing CIBC's largest foreign exchange clients. Vincent started his career as an intern at TD Bank in 1994 and quickly established himself as a builder of relationships and the provider of innovative solutions. He rose through the ranks to become the Canadian Head of Institutional FX Sales at TD before joining CIBC.
Vincent is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia. Vincent is the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) and a Board Member of Ascend Canada. He is an active participant in visible minority, mentoring and charitable initiatives. Vincent is a husband and the proud father of two daughters. In his free time, he is an avid tennis player, skier and golfer.