board of directors

Russ Harrington

Chair

A collaborative senior executive with extensive public and private sectors experience, strategically leading corporate functions including finance, risk management, communications, human resources, information systems, legal, government relations, privacy and facilities management.

Currently, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants, a federal regulator that serves to protect the public interest by overseeing licensed immigration and citizenship consultants and international student advisors. Responsible for the day-to-day operational leadership of the Council’s operations of the organization, and leading finance and all corporate services.

Previously, the COO at the College of Early Childhood Educators a provincial regulator of more than 57,000 registrants. In this role, he was responsible for the redesign and implementation of corporate services, including strategic communications and stakeholder relations, IT transformation and financial sustainability. Additionally, the founding CFO & COO of HealthForceOntario, a provincial government agency mandated to provide health workforce solutions. This role involved leading an interprofessional care/education (IPC/E) initiative to support the provincial IPC/E Steering Committee and providing full corporate services for the establishment of five separate and independent new health regulatory colleges by leveraging the agency’s infrastructure to support them to proclamation.

Private sector experience includes executive level responsibilities at several for profit companies, and an active role on the Executive Committee of the Canadian Gift and Tableware Association, including Vice-Chair and Chair-Elect of the Board of Directors, and Chair of the Trade Show Committee.

Currently, Russ also is on the Board of the Rekai Centres, a NFP charitable corporation owning and operating two Long-Term Care Homes in downtown Toronto. He is a member of the Outreach and Partnership Committee.

Mary McLean

Secretary

Mary is an accomplished executive with extensive experience in the Canadian Health Care and Medical Devices industries. A strategic leader with an accomplished track record in corporate and business excellence, change management and employee development, Mary has held a number of senior management positions, including President & General Manager of a multi-national organization. She has extensive experience in human resources, labour management, P&L stewardship and patient and health care advocacy across the spectrum of care. She currently works as an independent consultant in the Medical Devices industry.

Mary holds a Masters of Business Degree from Queen’s University and a non-practicing nursing designation. She is an Oakville resident, a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors and a volunteer with the Kidney Foundation of Canada and has previously served on the Board of Directors for V.O.N. Canada, Halton Branch and as a sitting member of the MEDEC Wound Care Committee.

Narendra Shah

Board Member

Narendra is an accomplished health care executive who has over 30 years of management and governance experience in diverse health care settings in Ontario. He has held several senior leadership positions including a provincial addictions agency; teaching and community hospitals in Toronto and Ottawa; as regional director for Central GTA , Hamilton and Niagara regions with the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care where he was responsible for funding and performance of many hospitals, long-term care facilities, home care and community agencies. He was the Chief Operating Officer with the Mississauga Halton LHIN for over seven years where he was responsible for planning, funding and accountability of over 80 health care providers with a budget in excess of $1.3 billion.

His accomplishment includes in providing leadership in health care transformation to better integrate care, improve management efficiency and effectiveness of the health care system. He is known for his leadership in change management, strategic partnerships, policy development, and he has developed innovative solutions to resolve intractable health care system issues, governance and operational excellence.

His current governance experience includes being a board member and past Chair of the Board of Nucleus Independent Living (2017-June 2020) a community health agency that provides care at home to seniors and adults with disabilities. He sits on the Council of the College of Optometrists of Ontario as an appointed public member by the Ontario Cabinet. He has served on several other boards including the Wellfort Community Health Services (Brampton), the United Way of Peel Region where he was Chair of its governance committee; Hospital Shared Services Inc. (Ottawa) amongst others.



Narendra received his Master’s degree in Health Management from the University of Toronto where he was the recipient of the Canadian Liquid Air Award for top standing in his graduating class. He is a member of the Canadian College of Health Leaders and holds the Certified Health Executive designation from the College.

Jaspreet Hansra-Kulasingam

Vice Chair

Jaspreet Hansra-Kulasingam is a seasoned finance executive with extensive experience serving both private and public companies ranging in size and complexity. Jaspreet has 15 years of real estate experience four of which have been spent working in the seniors housing industry.

Jaspreet is a passionate leader and takes a keen interest in developing & mentoring individuals. Currently as CFO of CreateTO, she is responsible for the overall financial & IT management of the company, including finance, accounting, treasury, insurance, procurement, risk management and financial planning.

She has held several senior positions throughout her career and has overseen complex projects, while effectively managing cross functional teams to deliver finance and operational efficiencies. During her time at Deloitte Jaspreet advised and assisted clients to identify and execute initiatives around corporate strategy & vision, designing & optimizing organizational structures, process improvements, controls and technology needs.

Jaspreet is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), Chartered Accountant (CA) and holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and Masters of Accounting degree from the University of Waterloo.

Garvin Linley

Board Member

Garvin is an accomplished change leader with broad experience managing organizational transformation in retail, higher education, and various levels of government.

He believes building trust is essential to supporting individuals, teams and organizations through change. “We are all stewards of change, from leadership, right through to front line employees, vendors and ultimately the customer (or consumer) – everyone is linked by the change.”

Garvin goes all-out to make the connection between an organization – its people – its product or service – and their customer a part of his DNA. Through that process the foundation of trust is established and an open transfer of knowledge and information launches us down the path of change … together.

Much like his beliefs to supporting change, Nucleus’s Mission, Vison and Values are constant and enduring. These small set of guiding principles are their connection and speak to who they are as stewards of change.

Iveta Amova

Treasurer

Iveta is a Chartered Professional Accountant with 19+ years progressive executive experience. As a senior finance professional, Iveta has holds BA degrees in Business Administration and in Applied Economics from the American University in Bulgaria (a campus of the University of Main), a Chartered Professional Accountant designation in Ontario, multiple diplomas from the McMaster Institute for Leadership Development, a Lean and Six Sigma Greenbelt for healthcare, and an executive MBA from the Rotman School of Management.

Iveta is presently employed as the Director Corporate Finance and Reporting at William Osler Health System. Prior to that Iveta was the Director of Finance at St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto, and a Manager of Integrated Analytics, Decision Support at Hamilton Health Sciences. Giving back to the community holds a special purpose for Iveta, especially during these dynamic times of change in the health and social services sectors.

Saquib Vali

Board Member

Saquib Vali is a global business leader who breaks new ground and creates success in environments where a playbook has yet to be written.

Saquib is the co-founder of Beyond Frontiers Inc., a firm that enables successful businesses expand beyond their existing geographic strength; this could be products, services and/or concepts.

He is an Executive in Residence at Spyder Works, a Management Consulting firm that has over 25 years developed design-driven strategies to help clients move past “front burner” issues and develop clear, implementable steps into the future. Rounding out Saquib’s current professional endeavour is his engagement as an Independent Board Director and holds the ICD.D Designation.

Saquib built his experience over a 25+ years executive career with multinational companies; starting with Ogilvy, moving to Pfizer then to P&G. His last assignment was President of Duracell Canada – a Berkshire Hathaway Company.

Guy Belliveau

Board Member

Guy is an accomplished lawyer and corporate executive with more than 25 years of broad legal and business experience with publicly traded, multinational corporations and with a leading law firm. He obtained his Law degree and his Bachelor of Business Administration from the Université de Moncton and is a member of the Law Society of Ontario and the Law Society of New Brunswick. He is fluently bilingual in English and French.

After a successful career with a leading law firm in Atlantic Canada, Guy worked in the Aerospace industry in Montreal and Toronto and more recently for the leading wholesale distributor to the plumbing, HVAC/R, waterworks and industrial markets in Canada.

Guy understands the importance of giving back to the community in which he lives and believes in the mission, vision and values of Nucleus Independent Living.

Yves Bélanger

Board Member

Yves has rejoined the Board of Nucleus in 2019 after a 2-year hiatus. He has been involved in several Strategic Planning cycles in a 15-year span on the Board and has helped with the implementation of the current Governance structure. Yves deeply believes in the Mission of the organization and the impact it has on the community it is servicing.

Yves is a senior executive at Wolseley Canada, where he leads the transformation of its Supply Chain and is responsible for managing critical relationships between operations, supply chain, sourcing, vendors and customers. With a focus on industry leading competitive advantage, he leverages company processes to ensure relevant products are available to our customers anywhere and at any time, leads a talented supply chain team and maximizes technology for the best possible sourcing from supplier, to shelf, to customers.

Yves has accumulated nearly 30 years of retail, wholesale and manufacturing industry experience in progressive executive roles focused on supply chain management. Before joining Wolseley, Yves held executive positions with Weston Foods, West Monroe Partners, SERCA Foodservice and Loblaw Companies.

He holds a B. Eng. & M. Eng from Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal and is a member of the Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO). He is Fellow of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) and a Member of the Council of Industrial and System Engineers.

Vivek Joseph

Board Member

Vivek is a seasoned leader and brings to the board over seventeen years of diversified work experience in finance, strategy development and operations management. Vivek currently works at Newmont, a leading gold mining company, as their Director of Investments & Value Management. Vivek’s career spans multiple mining companies and various management consulting firms, where he has excelled in managing and executing strategic and key projects for various stakeholders and clients.

Prior to rejoining the Nucleus Independent Living board, Vivek served as a Board Member for several Vancouver-based nonprofits for five years. Vivek previously served on the Nucleus Independent Living board from 2011 to 2019. 

Vivek’s educational background includes a BASc in Chemical Engineering from the University of Waterloo, and a MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University. He is also a licensed Professional Engineer in the province of Ontario.

Melanie Milburn

Board Member

Melanie’s career has spanned strategic and operational roles across several pharmaceutical companies. She has more than 25 years experience in Canada’s research-based pharmaceutical companies. Her key areas of focus are strategic planning, stakeholder relations, and commercializing unique assets. Throughout her career, Melanie has focused on enhancing health care along with developing people in all aspects of their careers. 

Melanie currently serves Oak Valley Health as a Board Director and member of the Planning & Development and Quality & Safety Committees. 

Melanie is a long-time resident of Markham with her husband and two children. She loves spending time with her family and friends along with traveling and spending time outdoors. 

we believe that people can live well at home with appropriate support in their community