Our Leadership
Owen Charters
President and Chief Executive Officer
Owen is a seasoned non-profit leader with experience leading national organizations including BGC Canada and CanadaHelps. He serves on multiple boards and advisory committees, including Common Good, the School for Advanced Studies in the Arts and Humanities at Western University, the National Alliance for Children and Youth, the Institute on Governance, and Baseball Canada. A vocal advocate for a stronger non-profit sector voice, Owen is a regular speaker, author, and lecturer on sector-wide issues.
Firoozeh Radjai
Chief Development Officer
Firoozeh brings nearly three decades of experience leading successful fundraising and marketing campaigns, with a strong commitment to social justice and equity. Prior to Pathways, she served as Director of Philanthropy at YWCA Toronto and held senior roles at Stratcom, Eva’s Initiatives, and Boost Child & Youth Advocacy Centre.
Subagini Sivapatham
Chief Impact Officer
Subagini brings over 20 years of non-profit leadership experience spanning organizational strategy, impact programming, brand building, and integrated marketing. She has held senior roles at Artscape, Futurpreneur Canada, and the Newcomer Centre of Peel, and currently serves as Co-Chair of the Board of Directors for Applaud.
Fedja Stevanovic
Chief Technology Officer
Fedja brings deep expertise in technology strategy, software development, and digital innovation. He is known for building high-performing teams and delivering user-centered solutions that are responsive to community needs. Previously, he held leadership roles at Capital One Canada, Rocket Piggy, and SecureKey Technologies.
National Board of Directors
As the governing body of Pathways to Education Canada, the National Board of Directors oversees our policy development, sets our strategic direction, and monitors our performance against our goals.
Vincent Mercier, Chair
Partner, Davies LLP
Lori Pearson, Vice-Chair
Vice Chair Human Resources, Brookfield Corporation
Trevor Nakka, Treasurer
Audit and Assurance Partner, Deloitte Canada
Katherine Gibson
Chief Financial Officer, RBC
David Ain
Managing Partner, Egon Zehnder
Darren Googoo
Director of Education, Membertou First Nation
Stacey Grant-Thompson
Director
Myriam Legault
Educator, B.Ed, M.Ed, D.E.A.
Fabrice Morin
President and COO, Canada Life
Bassem Shakeel
VP, Corporate Secretary and Associate General Counsel of Magna International, Inc.
Pamela Sugiman
Professor, Toronto Metropolitan University
Nisita Tappata (Pathways Canada Alum)
Integrations Ecosystem, POAP inc.
National Campaign Cabinet
The National Campaign Cabinet is a group of volunteer leaders who use their networks to support our fundraising initiatives, help plan our major campaigns, and direct our funding.
Jay Mehr, Co-Chair
President, Shaw Communications Inc.
Carolyn Acker
Founder, Pathways to Education
Glen Campbell
Paul Cowling
Senior Vice President, Legal & Regulatory Affairs, Shaw Communications Inc.
Patrick Fejer
Principal, B+H Architects
Mark Harris
Partner and Managing Director, Boston Consulting Group
Gervais Jacques
Managing Director, Aluminum – Atlantic, Rio Tinto
Grant Kernaghan
Managing Director, Citigroup Global Markets Canada
David Kines
President and Co-Founder, Hollywood Suite Inc.
Danny McCarthy
Eric Rawlinson
Central Leader, EY
Maddy Ross
Pathways Alum
Nicole Swales
Investment Counsellor, Mawer Investment Management Ltd.
Silvy Wright
President and CEO, Northbridge Financial Corp.
Research Advisory Council
The Research Advisory Council is an advisory body of accomplished Canadian researchers from diverse fields who share research and feedback and provide us with critical evidence-based insights.
Amanee Elchehimi, MPH
Director of Innovation & Sustainability, DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society
Anne Lessard, PhD
Dean, Faculty of Education, University of Sherbrooke
Jen Gilbert, PhD
Professor, Faculty of Education, York University
Karen Robson, PhD
Professor and Ontario Research Chair in Academic Achievement and At-Risk Youth, McMaster University
Sarah Vickery
Senior Director for Ecosystem Development, Canadian Council for Youth Prosperity
Shauna MacKinnon, PhD
Professor and Chair, Department of Urban and Inner-City Studies, University of Winnipeg
Tanya Sethi, MPP
Director, Research and Evaluation, Pathways to Education Canada
Véronique Dupéré, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Université de Montréal
Alumni Advisory Committee
The Alumni Advisory Committee is a group of Pathways alumni who guide our decision-making and facilitate our alumni engagement.
Ermias Nagatu
Pathways Regent Park, 2010
Erum Hasan
Pathways Scarborough Village, 2017
Hamshaa Sivaruban, Secretary
Pathways Regent Park, 2014
Iris Wang
Pathways Hamilton, 2019
Luipa Tamanna
Pathways Regent Park, 2008
Maddy Ross
Pathways Kingston, 2014
Muzammil Syed
Pathways Scarborough Village, 2014
Richard Fung, Chair
Pathways Regent Park, 2005
Roshaan Hajira
Pathways Scarborough Village, 2013
Tyler Fournier
Pathways Hamilton, 2013