Branksome Hall
Home › About ›
Leadership and governance
Great schools have great leaders.
Our Senior leadership team
Kimberly BROOKER Carter'96 is the Interim Deputy Principal for Branksome Hall. Prior to this position, she was the Executive Director, Enrolment Management , overseeing admissions, boarding and financial assistance. Kimberly was also Director of Enrolment Management from 2015–18, Director of Admissions from 2012–15 and Associate Director of Admissions from 2009–12. As a former Branksome Hall student, boarding advisor, classroom teacher, and advisor, Kimberly brings a wealth of personal experience and knowledge to the community.
Kimberly is a trained International Baccalaureate (IB) teacher. She holds a bachelor of education degree from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto (OISE/UT) and an honours bachelor of arts from Queen’s University, specializing in Sociology and French. Kimberly earned her Diploma in School Leadership through the Canadian Accredited Independent School (CAIS) Leadership Institute in 2008. Kimberly was invited to join the Enrollment Management Association (EMA’s) Admissions Leadership Council in 2015 and assumed the role of Co-Chair in 2022 for the Enrollment Management Leadership Council. Kimberly is also honoured to co-facilitate the Admissions & Enrollment Headways cohort for the International Coalition of Girls Schools since 2022.
Over the course of Cristina’s career in the Communications and Marketing industry, she has garnered over 30 awards, including most recently the 2016 CASE Gold award for Best Invitation Design. Cristina was the Director of Marketing and Communications at Upper Canada College and before that the Associate Director of Advancement Communications and Marketing at the University of Toronto. She holds a degree in Journalism and Communications from Concordia University.
Patricia is the Head of Talent Management at Branksome Hall. Prior to that, Patricia was a Principal and Senior Consultant at DiNi Associates. She has also worked as a Senior Human Resources Consultant at the Royal Ontario Museum and held the same title at Kinark Child & Family Services for nine years. Patricia is on the Advisory Board at the Aphasia Institute. She holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Carleton University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto. Patricia also attended York University for Human Resources Management and is a Certified Human Resources Leader.
Heather has been devoted to education at Branksome since 2000, and is currently Head, Academics and Professional Learning and a Science teacher. Heather started at Branksome as an MYP and DP Science teacher in the Senior & Middle School for seven years and has since filled various positions, including Head of the Middle School and Head of Academics. She was also the IB Middle Years Programme Coordinator for eight years and has attended and led IB Curriculum and Leadership Workshops since 2001. She previously worked at TVOntario for four years and was a Science teacher and Department Head at St. George's School in Montreal. She holds both a Master of Science and Bachelor of Science (Honours) from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Education from McGill University. Heather’s daughter Saffi’19 is a graduate of Branksome.
With more than two decades of increasing responsibility for budgets, asset management and planning at York University, Ran Lewin has expertise in many areas of finance and administration. As Assistant Vice-President, Budgets & Asset Management at York, Ran oversaw financial planning and budgeting for the third largest university in Canada. His skills include enterprise risk management, process design and optimization, financial analysis and management, budgeting and forecasting. Previously an Audit Manager for KPMG in Johannesburg, South Africa and Toronto, Ran holds an Honours Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting from the University of Johannesburg, a Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting from York University, and a Senior Certificate in Not-for-Profit and Charity Finance Leadership from Chartered Professional Accountants Canada.
Emily is Branksome Hall’s Head of the Junior School. She has previously served as Deputy Head of the Junior School at Trinity Grammar School in Melbourne, Australia, and taught at Chatsworth International School in Singapore, and at Beanstalk International Bilingual School in Beijing, China. Nearly 10 years ago, she began her teaching career at Branksome as a PYP Teacher and Residence Assistant. She holds a double Master’s of Education (Educational Leadership and Information Technologies) from Charles Sturt University, a Bachelor of Education (Primary/Junior) from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, and a Bachelor of Science from Dalhousie University.
Grace McCallum has nearly two decades of experience teaching in and leading International Baccalaureate schools across four continents. A career-long IB educator, she values an inquiry-based approach to education where students have authentic agency. She is passionate about moving beyond differentiation to create personalized pathways for each student to achieve individualized success.
A proud Maritimer, Grace holds a B.A from St. Thomas University, and a B.Ed and M.Ed in Educational Leadership and Administration from the University of New Brunswick. In addition to her role as Branksome Hall's 8th Principal, she has served as vice president on the executive board of the American Association of Schools in Brazil (AASB), as a member on the EU-based board for Pioneering Schools and brings in-depth experience with IB and CIS accreditation.
Dr. Yasmin RAZACK Head, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
With more than 20 years of progressive experience in senior leadership roles, Yasmin has focused on building belonging and community inclusiveness across distinct educational institutions. Past roles have included Dean of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (EDIB) at Humber College, Chief Diversity Officer at Canadian Blood Services, and Director of Global Citizenship Education & Inclusion at Centennial College.
Yasmin holds a Doctorate of Education in Higher Education Leadership from the University of Western Ontario, a Master’s of Education from York University and certification as a professional coach. Through her educational and professional experience, she has gained a comprehensive understanding of how to engage diverse communities and shape organizational strategies that address systemic biases and inequities. Her proven mentorship and advocacy experience will support Branksome’s students and employees in navigating complex issues, and her strategic vision and collaborative approach will contribute to building a more equitable and inclusive environment for all.
Dr. Yasmin RAZACK Head, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
As Branksome’s Head, Centre for Strategic Leadership, Karrie has been with the school for nearly 40 years. In her time at Branksome Hall, Karrie has served as the Deputy Principal, Head of the Senior & Middle School, Vice-Principal, Director of Admissions and an English teacher. Karrie is on various Branksome Hall Strategic Planning Committees, led Branksome’s Transgender Working Group and has been on the Leacock Foundation Board of Governors since 2005. Karrie holds a Master of Education in Administration Planning and Social Policy from Harvard University and has a Certificate of Education in English from Homerton College in Cambridge, England. She also has a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.
board of governors
Members of Branksome Hall’s Board of Governors include business and community leaders who are alums, current parents or past parents. They set the strategic directions for the school and, in partnership with the school Principal, they help ensure Branksome’s financial well-being and overall success as the Board’s vision and goals are met.
Members are elected at Branksome’s Annual General Meeting each September. The Board holds monthly meetings during the academic year and special meetings as required. In addition to the three standing committees of Audit, Governance and Property, ad hoc committees form at the Board’s discretion.
Mona Malone Board Chair
Mona Malone is Chief Human Resources Officer and Head of People & Culture for BMO Financial Group. Throughout her 20 years at BMO, Mona has held a variety of diverse roles in Human Resources and the business including Retail Banking Sales Leader in the Greater Toronto Area, VP Product and Marketing Officer at ePost (a joint venture between Canada post and BMO), Chief HR Officer of Canada’s Personal and Commercial Banking Group and Chief Talent & Learning Officer.
In 2021, Mona was a winner of the Report on Business Best Executive Award. She is also a recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of her community service with youth development organizations.
Mona holds an Honours Business Administration degree from Ivey Business School at University of Western Ontario. She is the Chair of the Advisory Council for the Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership at the Ivey Business School, Chair of the Branksome Hall Board of Governors, and a member of The Long Run Initiative Board of Governors. Mona, a Branksome Hall past parent, lives in Toronto with her husband and three children.
Mona Malone Board Chair
Donald Guloien Board Vice Chair / Honorary Chair, make Way Cabinet
Donald Guloien is the immediate past President and Chief Executive Officer of Manulife. A 36-year company veteran, Mr. Guloien held a variety of leadership roles in insurance and investments operations, global acquisitions and business development. Mr. Guloien is a Trustee and Chair of the Governance and Nominating Committee at The Hospital for Sick Children; Vice-Chair of the Board of Governors at Branksome Hall, and a Director and Chair of the Governance and Nominating Committee of the Banting Research Foundation. He has served as Vice Chairman of the Mayor of Shanghai's International Business Leaders’ Advisory Council, Director of the Geneva Association, a member of the Board of the Business Council of Canada, Past Chair of the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association, and a member of the Campaign Cabinet for the United Way and the University of Toronto’s Governing Council. Mr. Guloien has been named International Business Executive of the Year by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, awarded The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal, and received the Arbor Award for his many contributions to the University of Toronto. Mr. Guloien received B.Comm and Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Toronto.
Donald Guloien Board Vice Chair / Honorary Chair, make Way Cabinet
Chad Bayne Board Member
Chad Bayne is a Partner at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. As a founder and Co-Chair of Osler’s Emerging and High Growth Companies Practice Group, he advises various emerging and growth companies across all technology sectors, the venture capital funds and investors that finance them and the strategic acquirers who buy them. Chad is widely recognized as the leading lawyer in Canada for startups and venture capital investors. Chad is the proud father of two current Branksome Hall students.
Chad Bayne Board Member
Rod Bolger Board Member
Rod Bolger spent over two decades in senior positions working at large banks - Bank of America and Citigroup (both in the US) as well as more than a decade at Royal Bank of Canada (in Canada). He recently served as group Chief Financial Officer at RBC for five years from 2016-2021. Prior to joining banking, he served multiple roles for more than a decade at PriceWaterhouseCoopers in NYC, London UK, and NJ. He also served as CFO for a global cryptocurrency firm for a few months. He spent eight years on the Board of Dixon Hall Neighborhood Services, a multi-derive not-for-profit agency that offers a wide range of supportive programs and services to several Toronto communities, acting as Chair of the Board for three years. Rod is a dual Canadian/US citizen; he is a graduate of Georgetown University and earned an M.B.A. from Columbia University. Rod is the father of two current Branksome Hall students.
Rod Bolger Board Member
Michael Bratty Board Member
Michael Bratty is President of the High-Rise Division for The Remington Group, a multi-generational, family business with more than seven decades of experience in land development, commercial and residential construction, and property management. He has served on the Building Committee for St. Michael’s Hospital and the Toronto International Film Festival Bell Lightbox Committee. Michael is the proud father of three Branksome Hall students.
Michael Bratty Board Member
Clementine Chang Board Member
Clementine Chang is an architect practicing at the internationally recognized KPMB Architects. With two decades of experience in projects of varying scales and typologies, she offers a wide range of experience in developer, public sector and academic projects, including the TIFF Bell Lightbox, the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto, and the Julis Romo Rabinowitz Building at Princeton University.
Most notably, Clementine’s performing arts portfolio is extensive. It includes the award-winning Massey Hall Revitalization Project, which she considers a career highlight as it combines her expertise in heritage architecture and her love of the performing arts. Her portfolio also includes the Royal Conservatory TELUS Centre, the Young Centre for the Performing Arts, and the Adams Center for Musical Arts at Yale University. Recently, she was the project architect leading the design efforts for two new theatres as part of the expansion and modernization of Calgary’s Arts Commons, the largest performing arts centre in Western Canada. Currently, she is the senior associate-in-charge of a new Dramatic Arts Building at Yale University which will include the new Yale Repertory Theatre.
A classically trained pianist, Clementine is passionate about the arts and channels her passion into designing projects for their performance. Her daughter is a proud Branksome Hall student in the Junior School.
Clementine Chang Board Member
Karen CORDES Woods'99 Board Member
A Branksome Hall alum, Karen joined the Board of Governors in 2017 and has served on multiple committees including audit, governance and strategy. She has also served as the President of the Alum Association. Karen is Vice President, Personalization and Client Enablement at Scotiabank where she has worked for more than 15 years, holding a variety of roles across Capital Markets, Wholesale Banking, Retail Banking and Operations. She was also Vice President, Sales, Service and Operations at Tangerine Bank, a subsidiary of Scotiabank. Karen received a Master’s degree in Economics from Queen's University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of King's College and Dalhousie University in Halifax. She lives in Toronto with her husband and their two daughters.
Karen CORDES Woods'99 Board Member
Devon Domelle Parsons'95 President
Devon formerly served as President of the Branksome Hall Alumnae Association. She also served on the Branksome Hall Board for nine years, and during that tenure chaired the Governance Committee. She is currently the President of the Branksome Hall Parents’ Association. Outside of Branksome, Devon’s career included a decade in medical software design and sales, followed by a return to school and a career shift into interior design. Devon attended Branksome for 10 years and graduated in 1995. Her daughter is currently attending Branksome, while her three sons attend other independent schools in downtown Toronto.
Devon Domelle Parsons'95 President
Michael Gans Board Member
Michael has been a partner of Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP in Toronto since 2002. Michael’s practice focuses on Canadian and international merger and acquisition transactions and he has advised on many of Canada's highest-profile M&A transactions. Michael previously sat on the advisory board of the North York Harvest Food Bank. Michael is the proud father of a current Branksome student and a Branksome graduate.
Michael Gans Board Member
Daniel Moore Board Member
The father of three Branksome Hall students, Daniel Moore has 25 years’ experience in financial services, spanning capital markets, corporate banking, and risk management. Daniel has worked as a Senior Advisor to several companies including Microsoft and EY, and is co-CEO and co-founder of River Run Ventures – an early stage Fintech and AI venture capital partnership. Daniel recently served as Group Head and Chief Risk Officer for Scotiabank.
Daniel is also an advisory board member of the Global Risk Institute and has served as an advisory board member for the Queen’s University Centre for Customer Analytics, the International Financial Risk Institute, a member of the United Way MIG Cabinet, and executive sponsor of the China Bankers Forum. Daniel is also a board member and chair of the risk committee of Deutsche Bank USA.
Daniel holds a D. Phil. in Theoretical Physics from Oxford University and a B.Sc. from Queen’s University.
Daniel Moore Board Member
Alex MORTON'09 Board Member/President BHAA
Alex is a change manager at RBC Capital Markets where she specializes in technology product rollout. In her ten years with the organization she has worked across operations, business transformation and technology teams. She is an avid volunteer for youth-leadership, mentoring young leaders through a variety of programs and leading a specialized program to connect youth in underserved communities to opportunities in the financial industry. Alex holds a B.A. in History from Western University and additional certificates in Public Relations and Human Resources. Alex is an alum of Branksome having attended the school from grades 7 to 12, and is the President of the Alumnae Association.
Alex MORTON'09 Board Member/President BHAA
Tawfiq Popatia Board Member
Tawfiq is Co-Head of Onex Partners, responsible for Onex Partners’ operations and overall performance. He is a member of the Investment Committee and oversees Onex Partners’ origination efforts in Aerospace and Transportation-focused industries. Since joining Onex, Tawfiq has led Onex Partners’ investments in WestJet, Advanced Integration Technology, and BBAM and its related investments in FLY Leasing and Meridian Aviation.
Tawfiq currently serves on the boards of WestJet, AIT and BBAM, and previously served on the boards of Celestica and Spirit AeroSystems. He is a Trustee of the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO). Prior to joining Onex, Tawfiq worked at Hellman & Friedman LLC, a San Francisco-based private equity firm. Previously, Tawfiq worked in the investment banking division of Morgan Stanley & Co. and Morgan Stanley Asia Pacific. He currently has three daughters attending Branksome.
Tawfiq Popatia Board Member
Tricia “CK” PURKS Hoffler’80 Board Member / 2025 Allison Roach Alumna Award
Tricia “CK” PURKS Hoffler’80 is the CEO of The CK Hoffler Firm, the trailblazing Atlanta-based law firm. An accomplished attorney, Ms. Hoffler was previously a partner at Edmond, Lindsay & Hoffler, LLP. and a partner at Gary, Williams et al. in Florida. She has represented and is counsel to Civil Rights icon Rev. Jesse Jackson, and has managed several billion-dollar commercial cases, including record-setting medical negligence verdicts. Ms. Hoffler has also worked on significant civil rights and children’s rights cases that have resulted in bringing much needed justice for American citizens. Ms. Hoffler has served on the boards of The Pine School (Stuart, Florida), Georgetown University Law Alumni Board (Washington, DC), Planned Parenthood of South Florida (West Palm Beach, Florida) and Women in Philanthropy (Stuart, Florida - founding member). She is also a very active member of the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys (GABWA) and hosts an informal shadowing program for lawyers throughout Georgia who she mentors. Recently rated a “Super Lawyer” in 2022, Hoffler also received the Randolph W. Thrower Lifetime Achievement Award from the Georgia Bar in 2022. Ms. Hoffler served as the 78th President of the National Bar Association in July 2020 and has made regular media appearances on television and radio both domestically and internationally. She is a weekly guest host of her own radio show on Atlanta’s WAOK with Juandolyn Stokes entitled “Law and Legal.” She has also appeared and provided legal and political commentary on CNN, ABC, Court TV, and MSNBC. She is a past Installation Speaker and Branksome Hall’s first Black Head Prefect.
Tricia “CK” PURKS Hoffler’80 Board Member / 2025 Allison Roach Alumna Award
Kurankye Sekyi-Otu Branksome Parent and Board member
“My daughter entered Grade 4 in the Junior School this year has a long runway at the school, and I think it will be great for her to understand that her dad is involved in the school and also has a voice in terms of the future strategic direction of the school and the organization. It’s a global world and the school certainly embraces that, and so I think I can bring something from my own experiences, my own travels and my family’s blended heritage.”
Kurankye Sekyi-Otu Branksome Parent and Board member
Sachin Shah Board Member
Sachin Shah is a Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer of Brookfield Asset Management, Chief Executive Officer of Brookfield’s insurance solutions business and Vice Chair of Brookfield’s Renewable Power Group. As CIO, he is actively involved in all investments made by the firm and oversees its growth into new lines of business. As CEO, he oversees a seasoned team focused on providing capital-based solutions to insurance companies and their stakeholders. As Vice Chair, he supports business development initiatives for the renewables business.
Mr. Shah joined Brookfield in 2002 and most recently served as Chief Executive Officer of Brookfield Renewable Partners where he was instrumental in growing the platform into a global business diversified across multiple technologies.
Mr. Shah earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto, is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada and serves as Chair of the Board of the Ryerson University Brookfield Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Sachin Shah Board Member
Claire STURGESS'91 Board Member
Claire is a Managing Director in Global Investment Banking at RBC Capital Markets. During her tenure at RBC, Claire has also acted as a member of the RBC Capital Markets Diversity Council, Co-Chair of the Women in Capital Markets’ Return to Bay Street program and is one of the Executive Sponsors of RFuture, a program designed to support and encourage the firm’s next generation of leaders. Claire is also a current Director and former Chair of the Conn Smythe Foundation. Claire is a Branksome Hall alum, having attended Branksome from Grades 7-13, and is a parent of a current Branksome Hall student.
Claire STURGESS'91 Board Member
Christine WATSA McLean'99 Board Member
Christine McLean is a Portfolio Manager at Fairbank Investment Management, an investment advisory firm, founded by the former President and Co-Founder of Sprucegrove Investment Management. Christine previously held the position of Director of Research until 2020 at Sprucegrove, a private investment advisor specializing in global equities with $20 billion in assets under management for institutional investors. Christine began her investment career at Sprucegrove in 2004 as an Investment Analyst. Christine serves as a Board Member of Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd and Upper Canada College's Foundation. Christine holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration specializing in Finance from the University of Richmond, Virginia. Christine is a Branksome Hall alum and the mother of students at Branksome Hall, Upper Canada College and Royal St. George's College.
Christine WATSA McLean'99 Board Member
the branksome HALL Foundation
Established in 2005, the Branksome Hall Foundation manages Branksome’s endowment assets — now valued at more than $20 million.
Foundation Holdings and Disbursements
The Foundation’s holdings are held and invested, with a disbursement (typically four per cent of a fund’s value) provided to the school each year. In order to protect the endowment’s principal, any additional earnings above the disbursement are reinvested as a growth strategy.
Endowment income is used to support Student Financial Assistance, capital improvements, upkeep of facilities, curriculum and program enhancement and school awards.
Board of Trustees
The Foundation is overseen by an independent board of trustees who aim to serve as judicious stewards of all Foundation resources. They are guided by the important trust placed in them by Foundation donors.
foundation board of trustees
Scot Martin Chair
Geoff Browne Trustee
Ashley Caldwell Trustee
Jim Christie Trustee
Donald Guloien Board Vice Chair / Honorary Chair, make Way Cabinet
Bridget HORNE Colman'87 Trustee
Larry Lowenstein Trustee
Jackie NIXON Gowdy'03 Trustee
Tim Price Trustee
Ali Salahuddin Trustee
Eric Tripp Trustee
Join Us To Build Branksome’s Legacy
For more information on the Branksome Hall Foundation or endowments, please contact the Advancement Office.
