Chair of the Board
Amir Boloor is the President of Caspian Equity Partners, Inc. of Vancouver, British Columbia, a private investment firm he founded in 2012. He has specialized in helping entrepreneurs accelerate growth and optimize performance, while propelling long-term profitability and value. Prior to founding Caspian Equity Partners, Inc., Mr. Boloor held various positions in the Mergers & Acquisitions and Diversified Investment Banking groups of TD Securities, Inc. where he advised Boards and Executive Teams of mid-market and large-cap companies on numerous strategic review mandates, initial public offerings, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, corporate restructures, leveraged buyouts, and takeover defenses. Mr. Boloor has a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance (with Honours) from the University of British Columbia. Mr. Boloor is a Chartered Financial Analyst from the CFA Institute.
Principal, Cityzen Development Group
Joseph Cordiano joined Cityzen Development Group, a real estate development company, as a principal in 2006, where he is responsible for the sales and marketing as well as new business development of its Greater Toronto Area projects. During his 21 years of public service as a Member of the Ontario Provincial Legislature, Mr. Cordiano served as the Minister of Economic Development and Trade, GTA Regional Minister, and as a member of the Priorities and Planning Committee of Cabinet. A graduate of the University of Toronto and The University of Toledo, Ohio, Mr. Cordiano holds an MBA with a specialty in marketing.
Martin Goldfarb is an entrepreneur and a leading expert in the study of human behavior as it relates to the marketplace and society. He is Chairman of Almada Inc., President of Goldfarb Ventures, private equity companies and Principal at Goldfarb Intelligence Marketing. In 1966, Mr. Goldfarb established Goldfarb Consultants, a market research consulting firm, which he led until the sale of Goldfarb Consultants in 1998. Mr. Goldfarb has consulted to a number of national and international organizations. He also served as official pollster to the Liberal Party of Canada from 1973 to 1992. He was formerly Co-Chair of Kantar (WPP’s market research division). Mr. Goldfarb is Chairman, President and CEO of The Goldfarb Corporation, a TSX and then a NEX Board of the TSX Venture Exchange (“TSX-V”) company, until it became a private corporation in 2011. He is a director of NoNO Inc., a pharmaceutical research company. He was also Director and Chairman of Dayforce, a workforce performance software company until its sale. He was Chairman and Director of SMK Speedy International Inc., then a publicly listed company, until its sale in 2004. He was Director, investor, and non-executive Chair of Jempak until its sale. Mr. Goldfarb is former Director and Chairman of Workbrain and former Director of Altamira and Noma Industries Limited. He was a founder of Fast Company magazine. Mr. Goldfarb co-authored “Marching to a Different Drummer” in 1988 and “Affinity: Beyond Branding” in 2010. Mr. Goldfarb has a B.A. in Anthropology and an M.A. in Sociology from the University of Toronto. In 2009, Mr. Goldfarb was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from York University. He is an inaugural recipient of the University College, University of Toronto, Distinguished Alumni Award. In 1998, Mr. Goldfarb was designated an Officer of the Order of Canada in recognition of his pioneering work in the market research industry and philanthropic activities. Mr. Goldfarb sits on the Toronto General and Western Hospital Foundation board and is a member of the hospital’s Peter Munk Cardiac Centre Innovation Committee.
President & CEO, Covalon Technologies Ltd.
Brian Pedlar has been President and Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation since April 3, 2010 and a member of the Board since January 14, 2010. Previously, Mr. Pedlar was President of Pedlar Ventures Limited, a private venture investment and consulting firm based in Oakville, Ontario. He has served in senior executive positions with public companies including temporary Chief Financial Officer, Cygnal Technologies Corporation, October 2007; President, Cedara Software Corp., 2005 to 2006; Chief Financial Officer, Cedara Software Corp., 2004 to 2005; and Director of Finance, Cedara Software Corp., 2000 to 2004. Mr. Pedlar has also held senior executive positions with Merge Healthcare and IMAX Corporation. Mr. Pedlar holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Mount Allison University, a post-graduate diploma in Accounting from Wilfrid Laurier University, is a Canadian Chartered Public Accountant and Chartered Accountant.
Covalon Technologies Ltd. | Founder & President, Schwartz Technologies Corporation
Abe Schwartz is the president of Schwartz Technologies Corporation and has been an advisor to Covalon Technologies Ltd. since March 7, 2008. Mr. Schwartz has been actively building and managing companies, from start-up to maturity since his first start-up, Polaris Technology Corporation, a computer software firm which he founded in 1975. In 1993, Mr. Schwartz co-founded The Workflow Automation Corporation. He was involved with Inter-Citic Minerals Inc. in 2001 as an advisor on a mining-related computer project in China. Mr. Schwartz serves as a Member of the Advisory Board at RedHill Biopharma Ltd. Mr. Schwartz has also held executive positions in various public and private companies including, among others, President, CEO and Director of Cedara Software Corp. Mr. Schwartz has over 45 years of experience in launching products, R&D, international distribution agreements, re-organization in large-scale corporations, venture capital financing, and negotiating mergers and acquisitions.
Independent Director
Ron Smith (FCPA, FCA, ICD.D) is an experienced independent director with years of Board experience in the private, not-for-profit, and public sectors. He is the Chair of the Board of the Nova Scotia Public Service Superannuation Fund and of the Western Regional Enterprise Network. He also serves on the boards of Alamos Gold Inc., PROREIT, the IWK Health Centre, Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI), and Engage Nova Scotia. Over his remarkable career, Mr. Smith has held numerous high-profile executive positions. He served as Interim CEO of Nova Scotia Business Inc. concurrently with his work as a Director thereof. He was CFO of Nova Scotia Power and Emera prior to his retirement in 2005, and CFO of MT&T prior to the merger that created Bell Aliant. He has also served on the Board of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, was Chair of the Board of Governors of Acadia University from 2004 to 2009, and was the Chair of the National Board of The Arthritis Society from 2016 to 2018. Mr. Smith has the prestigious designation of Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants and holds the ICD.D designation from the Rotman School of Business.
Founder & President, War Child Canada and War Child USA | Medical Doctor
Dr. Samantha Nutt (MD, MSc, CCFP, FCPC, C.M.) is a medical doctor, best-selling author, and award-winning humanitarian. As Founder and President of War Child Canada and War Child USA, Dr. Nutt has worked with children and their families at the frontline of many of the world’s major crises. With a career that has spanned more than two decades and dozens of conflict zones, her international work has benefited millions of war-affected children globally. Dr. Nutt has been appointed to the Order of Canada and is a recipient of the Order of Ontario. She graduated summa cum laude from McMaster University, earned an M.Sc. in Public Health with distinction from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and holds a Fellowship in Community Medicine/Public Health (FRCPC) from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. She is further certified by the College of Family Practice (CCFP) and completed a sub-specialization in women’s health through the University of Toronto as a Women’s Health Scholar. Dr. Nutt is the recipient of numerous honorary doctorates from universities in Canada and the U.S.A. She is a staff physician at Women's College Hospital in Toronto and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto.