Owen Charters on nonprofit leadership, impact, and what drew him to Pathways Canada.
In early 2026, Pathways Canada welcomed Owen Charters as our new President and CEO.
Owen joins us from BGC Canada (formerly Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada). Throughout his career, he has held senior leadership roles across multiple national organizations and is a passionate advocate for a strong and effective nonprofit sector in Canada. At Pathways, Owen’s deep expertise will help to grow our national impact and create meaningful opportunities for young people across the country.
In this Q&A, he shares his perspective on Pathways, the experiences that shaped his career and what he’s looking forward to in months ahead.
What inspired you to join Pathways?
Working across the youth-serving and nonprofit sector, I’ve come to know Pathways well over the years. I think there is a genuine sense of admiration within the sector for what Pathways has built. A big part of this comes from the organization’s unique model and its focus on data, outcomes, and impact.
In the nonprofit sector, demonstrating how our work changes lives is the holy grail. It’s both a defining goal and the most challenging question we face. We’re often asked to show how today’s investments lead to meaningful outcomes years—even decades—into the future. Other sectors may not face the same long-term scrutiny, but understanding the lasting value of what we do should matter to all of us.
Pathways’ evidence-based approach puts us in a strong position to explore these questions at a national level, and that’s one of the reasons I was excited to take on this role.
On a more personal level, this work is also deeply connected to my family’s story. Education was the reason we were able to succeed as an immigrant family in Canada. My parents both pursued careers as educators because they believed that education is the key that unlocks everything else.
Pathways is driven by that same belief—we see it in the program, the systems, the people, and the work happening every day. The challenge ahead is how we can support all those pieces to take our impact to the next level.
What drew you to a career in the nonprofit sector, and what aspects of that work excite you the most?
Early in my career, I worked with charities like the YMCA and Easter Seals, where I became really interested in the role that nonprofits serve in society: from how they operate to why they never have enough of the resources they need. That curiosity led me to pursue an MBA in nonprofit management and to spend much of my career working across marketing, fundraising, and governance.
Fundraising, which I once thought would be awful, turned out to be something I love. At its core, fundraising is matchmaking. You don’t have to convince people of anything when they are already attached to the cause and want to be there. Marketing helps tell the story of why the match is worthwhile, and then fundraising is making that match happen.
Governance is another area I care deeply about. Boards carry enormous responsibility, but they spend relatively little time inside the organization. Helping them understand the work well enough to make strong, informed decisions is critical.
What are you hoping to focus on in your first six months at Pathways?
My immediate focus is on listening, learning, and building strong relationships. That means spending time in meaningful conversations with teams and the board, connecting with funders and government partners, and most importantly, getting out to program locations to see Pathways’ work firsthand.
This work is only possible because of the shared commitment that exists across the Pathways network. I’m very much looking forward to getting to know our program partners in the weeks and months ahead, deepening my understanding of the communities they serve, and championing their work in order to secure the resources needed to support young people’s success.
When you’re not at work, what do you enjoy doing and what are you looking forward to in the near future?
Baseball is a big part of my life. The recent World Series run was a lot of fun, although admittedly a bit heartbreaking at the end. I serve on the board of Baseball Canada, and both my sons play elite ball, so I spend a lot of time around the sport.
I’m also really excited about a special family trip I have planned with my boys this year. I’m half Japanese on my mother’s side. When I refer to education as a pathway for her, it comes from her grandparents’ journey to Canada and from the way completing high school and going on to university truly shaped her trajectory.
My mom has never been to Japan, and neither have I, so this trip is a chance for my family to connect with that part of our heritage. We’ll be spending a week immersing ourselves in the culture. For my sons, I hope it’s just a first taste that inspires them to return someday. And for my mom, I know it will be the trip of a lifetime.