Board
A registered Canadian charity, Transparency International Canada relies on a volunteer board to oversee our continuing anti-corruption efforts.
Coming from a range of backgrounds, the board of directors is made up of experts from the private sector and civil society.
The following by-laws, governance guidelines, and policies apply to Transparency International Canada.
Toby Mendel
CHAIR AND PRESIDENT
Term: July 2023 - July 2026
Toby Mendel is the founder and Executive Director of the Centre for Law and Democracy, a Canadian based international human rights NGO that provides legal and capacity building expertise regarding foundational rights for democracy, including the right to information, freedom of expression, the right to participate and the rights to assembly and association. Toby has been a member of the Transparency International Canada Board of Director since 2020 and has held the position of Vice President since 2022.
Prior to that, he was for over 12 years Senior Director for Law at ARTICLE 19, an international human rights NGO focusing on freedom of expression and the right to information. He has collaborated extensively with intergovernmental actors working in these areas – including the World Bank, UNESCO, the UN and other international rapporteurs on freedom of expression, the OSCE and the Council of Europe – as well as numerous governments and NGOs in countries all over the world.
His work spans a range of areas of legal work. This includes having drafted or participated in drafting numerous laws in countries all over the world, engaging in strategic litigation before senior national and international courts, providing training and other forms of capacity building, including to judges and legal professionals, and preparing in-depth analyses of laws and proposed legislation. He is also the author of a large number of articles, monographs and books on a range of freedom of expression, right to information, communication rights and refugee issues, including several books published by UNESCO. Before joining ARTICLE 19, he worked as a senior human rights consultant with Oxfam Canada and as a human rights policy analyst at the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
Susan Côté-Freeman
PAST CHAIR AND PRESIDENT
Term: July 2020 - July 2023
Susan Côté-Freeman is an experienced anti-corruption professional whose career with the international Secretariat of Transparency International spanned almost two decades.Throughout her career with Transparency International, Susan worked for the organization in London, Washington D.C. and Berlin. As Head of Transparency International’s Business Integrity Programme, Susan led projects aimed at raising standards of corporate anti-corruption practice. She represented Transparency International on global anti-corruption initiatives such as the United Nations Global Compact, the Partnering against Corruption Initiative of the World Economic Forum and the B20.Following her career at Transparency International, Susan worked for the Conference Board of Canada where she managed an executive network of some 60 Canadian risk professionals and carried out research in the governance, compliance and risk areas.Susan has been a member of the Board of Transparency International Canada since 2016. She is also a member of the board and past president of IMPACT, a Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to addressing the problem of conflict minerals.
Emmy Babalola
TREASURER
Term: June 2022 - June 2025
Emmy Babalola, CPA,CA•IFA, CFE is a Partner in Deloitte’s Forensic practice, and the Ontario Region Market Leader for Financial Advisory. She leads Deloitte Canada's Whistleblowing Service and Workplace Conduct practice. Emmy has led numerous investigations into allegations of fraud, corruption and other workplace misconduct on behalf of public and private corporations, financial institutions, government offices and individuals.
She also works regularly with organizations to assess their workplace culture and ability to prevent and investigate workplace misconduct. Emmy has testified as an expert witness in The Ontario Superior Court of Justice in a criminal fraud matter, and has been qualified as an expert in forensic accounting and fraud investigation.
Emmy is a Chartered Accountant, Certified Professional Accountant and also holds specialist investigative and forensic accounting CA.IFA and CFF designations. Emmy is also certified in conducting Workplace Investigations by the Human Resources Professional Association. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Schulich School of Business at York University.
Anthony Cole
Term: June 2022 - June 2025
Anthony's practice focuses on internal investigations and compliance, with a particular emphasis in the areas of anti-corruption and anti-money laundering. He leads Dentons Canada’s White Collar Crime and Government Investigations practice. In the area of anti-corruption, Anthony has represented clients in the context of criminal investigations, prosecutions, civil recovery measures and forfeiture proceedings. He has also represented clients in international arbitration proceedings relating to corruption matters.
In addition, Anthony has substantial experience in conducting complex cross-border internal investigations, including within North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Anthony also conducts and oversees compliance reviews and regularly advises on risk assessments, the development of business integrity policies and procedures, and the delivery of anti-corruption training programs. Anthony is also a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), and advises clients on a broader range of compliance and governance issues, including Canada’s economic sanctions laws.
Anthony has also acted on numerous complex and high-value civil fraud claims, including several arising out of cross-border internal or external investigations. First recognized in 2017, Anthony has been commended for his extensive knowledge and experience in a variety of respected publications, including Chambers Canada: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (Nationwide), and Global Investigations Review’s Investigator’s Guide to Canada. In addition to being a member of the Bar of Alberta, Anthony is a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England & Wales.
Peter Donolo
Term: July 2023 - July 2026
Peter Donolo has served as a senior advisor to leaders in all three orders of government, including as the longest serving Director of Communications for a Canadian Prime Minister (The Rt Hon Jean Chretien). He is the former Vice Chair of Hill+ Knowlton Strategies Canada and was a partner at the Strategic Counsel. In both those positions, he provided strategic communications advice to CEOs and senior executives of some of Canada's largest companies as well as to public agencies and government departments and ministries. He has also served as Senior Vice President of Air Canada, and as SVP of the 2015 Pan Am Games, Chief of Staff for the Leader of the Official Opposition (Michael Ignatieff) and Canadian Consul General in Milan, Italy.
Peter is currently vice chair of the boards of directors of three separate not-for-profits: Journalists for Human Rights; CIVIX, Canada's premier school-based civic engagement program for youth; and the Canadian International Council. He is a former director of the Toronto Board of Trade and Pathways to Education Canada. He lives in Toronto, with his wife Mary Cruden. They have three children.
Mark Garcia
Term: July 2023 - July 2026
Mark Garcia is the Government Relations and Advocacy Coordinator for the Canadian Teachers’ Federation. Professionally, Mark has held an array of roles including having worked in the offices of elected officials in Ontario and Alberta, at the United Steelworkers’ Canadian National Office, at the Japanese Consulate in Calgary, and at the Assembly of First Nations. Mark has a Bachelor of Social Sciences from the University of Ottawa and a Masters of Arts in Political Studies from Queen’s University. He’s a proud Hamiltonian and a proud advocate for public ownership and strong public services.
Dr. Daniela Chimisso dos Santos
Term: June 2022 - June 2025
Dr. Daniela Chimisso dos Santos has practiced law in the extractive industries (oil, gas, and mining) for more than 20 years. She has extensive national and international experience, including in Sub-Saharan Africa, South America, and Asia. Daniela is Senior Advisor, Governance at Proactiva, a boutique sustainability consultancy firm, and Principal at Invenient Solutions Consulting. She is a member of the board of directors of Transparency International – Canada (TI), as well as one of the Canadian representatives to the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR Task Force on “Addressing Issues of Corruption in International Arbitration.” Daniela has lectured at several law faculties, including at Western University, University of Toronto, and Osgoode Hall Professional Development. Her research interests include institutional change, anti-corruption, and extractive resources. Daniela graduated from the University of Rome, Italy, in International Relations, she has an LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School, an LL.M. in Natural Resources Energy and Environmental Law from the University of Calgary, and an S.J.D. from the Faculty of Law, University of Toronto.
Lindsey Marchessault
Term: June 2022 - June 2025
Lindsey is OCP’s Director for Data and Engagement. As part of the senior management team, she helps to direct OCP’s strategy and organizational stewardship.
Lindsey leads OCP’s engagement with country implementers and international institutions, oversees our technical assistance to partners, and manages our data team as well as the OCDS helpdesk.
She also oversees our research & guidance portfolio and is responsible for the Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) and its related tools.
In her work, Lindsey advises on legal and policy reform to implement open contracting and supports the co-creation of tools, methodologies, and feedback loops to ensure that open contracting delivers impact.
Lindsey is a lawyer who previously worked with the World Bank, the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, and in private practice in Canada.
In her spare time, Lindsey enjoys hiking, paddling, biking, camping, and skiing with her children.
Lida Preyma
Term: June 2022 - June 2025
With over 25 years of experience in Canadian capital markets, Lida Preyma is currently co-founder and managing partner at the Global Climate Finance Accelerator. She has held various positions in the financial services industry, most recently spending close to a decade at BMO Capital Markets, latterly as director of Capital Markets Strategy & Client Insights where she was responsible for delivery of strategic initiatives. Prior to this role she was director of Global AML Risk Management and AMLRO Designate (Toronto). In this capacity, she led the development and implementation of the Site Visit Program for high-risk clients and advised on global policy developments. In her previous role as Director of Global AML Compliance, she was responsible for regulatory compliance management, issue management, inherent risk assessments and testing.
Since 2015, she has been a member of various B20 Taskforces providing policy recommendations to the G20 leaders on Anti-Corruption, Trade & Investment, Finance & Infrastructure and Financing for Global Economic Recovery. Additionally, she was invited to sit on the B20 Women in Business Action Council since its inception in 2020 and collaborated with the International Organization of Employers to create the One Global Women Empowerment (OGWE) platform. She regularly speaks at international conferences on gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.
Lida was a member of the board of directors for Invest Toronto and chaired the Audit & Risk Management Committee and (merger) Transition Committee. She was a member of the Credit Committee reporting to the board of directors for the Ukrainian Credit Union and ran for a seat in Canada’s parliament in 2004 right after serving as Managing Director of Corporate Citizenship at Magna International.
Lida holds an HBA from the University of Toronto with a specialist in international political economy, an MBA in international business from the University of Cumbria and completed the Women’s Leadership Program at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.
Adam Ross
Term: July 2023 - July 2026
Adam is a founding partner of Templeton Research, a research firm that focuses on integrity due diligence, investigations and strategic advisory engagements. He has over a decade of experience in business intelligence and investigations, and has worked extensively with government and private sector clients to tackle issues related to money laundering and corruption. Adam began his career as an investigative researcher for leading anti- corruption and human rights organizations in the UK and Asia. He is the author of several ground-breaking reports for Transparency International Canada on issues related to opaque ownership and money laundering risk, and has been an active member of TI Canada’s Beneficial Ownership Working Group.
Amee Sandhu
Term: July 2023 - July 2026
Amee Sandhu is Senior Legal Counsel at Alstom Canada, where she is the dedicated project lawyer for the Alstom scope of work on the multi-year and multi-billion dollar Go Expansion project – a project which will expand and electrify the Greater Toronto and Hamilton public regional transit system, Go Transit.
Prior to joining Alstom, Amee was founder and principal lawyer at Lex Integra PC, a firm that exclusively focused on business law and corporate ethics. Before founding Lex Integra, Amee spent several years at major engineering and construction companies with roles in legal, commercial, and integrity departments, including global head of compliance operations. She started her career on Toronto’s Bay Street.
Amee is a board member of Transparency International – Canada, and a long- standing member of their Legal Committee. Amee, along with two esteemed colleagues from TI-Canada, has been a Canadian expert for the global Transparency International Secretariat’s “Exporting Corruption” report. She frequently speaks on corporate ethics, anti-corruption law, compliance programs, as well as diversity. In 2022, she taught an anti-corruption short course at McGill University’s Faculty of Law. In 2023, she will teach a short course on ESG law. She has guest lectured at several Canadian law schools and business schools on anti-corruption and business ethics.
Amee is a mentor to law students at the TMU’s Lincoln Alexander School of Law, as well as an instructor of business law to undergraduates. She has been an assessor or mentor to lawyer-candidates at TMU’s Law Practice Program since 2019. She is on the roster of Climate Governance Experts at the Canada Climate Law Initiative, a joint project of the University of British Columbia and York University. She is also on the Law and Business Advisory Council at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Toronto Metropolitan University. Amee has three ethics and compliance and anti-corruption certificates, as well as the ESG Competent Boards certificate. She was a contributor to the 2020 multi award- winning book, Great Women in Compliance.
Anar Shamji Popatia
Term: June 2021 - June 2024
Anar is a certified Corporate Director with 20 years experience in governance, international business, stakeholder engagement and strategic consulting. With a purposeful and collaborative leadership style, Anar helps boards navigate through strategy, innovation, and emerging ESG issues. With a passion for lifelong learning and serving in the public interest she draws from her corporate, public, and not-for-profit leadership experiences to contribute to board discussions. Her governance and professional experiences are in healthcare, education, government, regulatory, financial services, manufacturing, credit risk, and supply chain.
Anar's board committee experiences include Executive, CEO Search, Governance & Nomination, HR & Compensation, Finance, Audit & Investment, and Government Relations. She is the Chair of the Honorary Governors’ Council at the Vancouver Foundation and member of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority Nominations Committee (CIRA).
Anar has held business development and consulting roles with Dun & Bradstreet, been an interim CEO for an international manufacturing and steel distribution company and leads client relations for a wealth management practice.
She has a Bachelor’s in Business & Economics from Brock University and is a graduated of the Wharton School's Executive Development Program, the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D) and the Global Competent Board ESG Program (GCB.D).
Anar’s recognitions include the 2020 BMO Celebrates Women on Boards Award for empowering women to lead in corporate governance and making a difference in the boardroom, the 2013 RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrants Award for exemplary community engagement, and Dun & Bradstreet Presidential Citations for excellence in management of corporate clients across a wide range of industries.
Board committees
Management Committee
Responsibilities
Supports the Executive Director and the Chair and President in matters relating to the management and operations of Transparency International Canada.
Recommends senior staff engagement and compensation for approval by the Board.
Determines job descriptions, performance measures and objectives for the Executive Director for approval by the Board.
Evaluates the Executive Director’s performance.
Membership and Meetings
Comprised of up to five members including the Chair and President, the Vice-Chair, the Treasurer, a member-at-large, the Executive Director (ex officio) and the Past Chair.
Members are appointed for a three-year term, renewable.
The Committee meets as needed, but no less than three times a year.
Current Members
Toby Mendel, Emmy Babalola, Anar Shamji Popatia, Susan Côté-Freeman (ex-officio), Niamh Leonard (ex-officio)
Governance and Nominations Committee
Responsibilities
Proactively makes governance-related recommendations to the Board and Transparency International Canada senior staff.
Ensures that Transparency International Canada has appropriate Board policies and practices that are in line with recognized best governance practices for not-for-profit organizations.
Identifies, investigates and make recommendations to the Board on governance compliance, including conflicts of interest.
Creates an open, honest and integrity based decision-making process for Transparency International Canada.
Overseas a regular review of Board policies and makes recommendations to the Board for improvements as needed.
Recruits and makes recommendations to the Board about new Board members.
Membership and Meetings
Comprised of 4 to 6 members including the Chair and President and the Executive Director (ex officio).
Members of the Committee and its chair are appointed by majority vote of the Board, on recommendation of the Chair and President.
Each member is appointed for a three-year term, renewable.
The Committee meets as needed, but no less than three times a year.
Current Members
Anthony Cole, Amee Sandhu, Adam Ross, Toby Mendel (ex-officio), Niamh Leonard (ex-officio)
Fundraising Committee
Responsibilities
Oversees the development of Transparency International Canada`s fundraising plans and priorities for adoption by the Board.
Manages relationships with major supporters and donors.
Ensures that funds received align with Transparency International Canada mission, vision and values
Membership and Meetings
Comprised of 4 to 6 members of the Board, including the Chair and President.
Members of the Committee and its chair are appointed by majority vote of the Board, on recommendation of the Chair and President.
Members are appointed for a three-year term, renewable.
The Committee meets as needed, but no less than three times a year.
Current Members
Lindsey Marchessault, Peter Donolo, Mark Garcia, Toby Mendel (ex-officio), Niamh Leonard (ex-officio)
Annual General Meetings
Each year, the organization’s members meet to review the financial statement, nominate the board of directors, and appoint the organization’s auditors. The minutes of past annual general meetings can be found below.