MONTRÉAL 2024
ADVISORY BOARD
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CHAIR
Me Sylvie Rodrigue, Ad.E.
Sylvie Rodrigue, Ad. E., is the managing partner of the Torys’ Montréal office and one of Canada’s top litigators. Recognized for her versatility, she has been representing clients across industries and jurisdictions, including the Federal Court and the Supreme Court of Canada, for over 30 years. She has been recognized numerous times throughout her career, notably being named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in 2016 and 2019 and receiving the 2021 Litigation Lawyer of the Year award. Sylvie sits on the boards of various organizations, including The Advocates’ Society. She was awarded the designation of Advocatus Emeritus not only because of her outstanding legal career but also for her devotion to the community and her work on social issues, including her pro bono work on human rights violation cases. She successfully represented Olympian Mandy Bujold and the Canadian Olympic Committee against the International Olympic Committee before the Court of Arbitration for Sports following Dr. Bujold’s discriminatory disqualification because of her pregnancy. This victory allowed Dr. Bujold to take part in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, resulted in a landmark decision for the benefit of female athletes worldwide and led to Sylvie’s nomination as Chair of the Advisory Board of the Everything in Sport – Women’s North American Edition.
VICE CHAIR
VICE CHAIR
Benoit Girardin
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Guylaine Demers PhD
Full professor at Laval University, Guylaine Demers has promoted gender equality in sport for most of her life. Over the years, she has become the go-to leader, researcher and advocate on issues of gender equity and LGBTQ+ in Quebec and Canadian sport. Dr. Demers is a recipient of the IOC women and sport award for the Americas that acknowledge her tremendous contribution to the advancement of women in sport. Appointed co-director of the first Canadian center for research on gender equity in sport in 2020, she is now taking on her new challenge: directing the first Quebec research lab for the advancement of women+ in sport, the lab PROFEMS.
CORE THEME ADVISORY BOARD
Daniela Bas
Dr. Daniela Bas ( Ms) Global leading expert on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for social change. She founded Daniela Bas- SustainABILITY Advocacy Boutique International (SAB) providing advisory services on social development and sustainability to increase value of organizations and companies; global lecturer/and speaker; and brands’ ambassador.
She champions inclusion and diversity, equity and disability, inclusive tourism, sport for all for development and peace.
From 2011 until March 2023: executive position at the United Nations on inclusive social development and sustainability. She also worked at the United Nations from 1986 to 1995.
Prior positions to 2011. As adviser for: one of the Vice Presidents of the European Commission; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Presidency of the Council of Ministers and Committee to Promote non-Armed and non-Violent Civil Defense in Italy; Board Member of the EU FRA; CEO in the private sector; certified as life coach and journalist working for major press, radio, and television networks. Speaks: Italian, English, French, Spanish and basic German.
Dr. Mandy Bujold OLY
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Melissa Burns
National award-winning educator and international speaker within the field of esports, Melissa is the founder and CEO of Esport Canada, a federally registered not-for-profit and national body for Canadian esports. Esport Canada supports the development of the Canadian esports ecosystem by fostering a thriving national community built on respect, excellence, and love of the game through their K12 Education, Post-Secondary, and Competitive divisions.
Actively involved in esports advocacy and research, Melissa is a guest lecturer at Canadian post-secondary institutions on the topic of Game-Based Learning in schools, and published a chapter for the textbook “Esports Research and its Integration in Education” (IGI Global, 2021).
She serves as Chair of the Manitoba School Esports Association (MSEA), and her commitment to DEI and gender equity has driven her work in supporting and implementing programs that provide opportunities for female and marginalized students to gain visibility, STEM career exposure, and skill development.
Rebecca Brock Dixon
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Candice Maxis
Candice Maxis joined the COC in July 2023 after spending four years with Deloitte Canada, most recently as the Managing Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion co-developing and driving the firm’s DEI strategy and vision.
At the COC, Candice is responsible for continuing the evolution of the people and culture strategy for the COC, which ranks among the Best Workplaces™ in Canada. She is a respected HR executive, recognized for her impressive career, her authentic leadership and her strategic sense, and whose personal mission is to inspire others to reach their full potential, while helping under-represented voices to feel seen, heard and supported. Candice has over 15 years of experience in Human Resources with sector leaders such as Deloitte, Coca-Cola and Intact.
She sits on several boards including the Afrodescendant Leadership Alliance and Aéroports de Montréal. She received a WXN Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award in 2022 and was nominated as one of the 100 Black Women to Watch in Canada in 2019. Candice holds a bachelor’s degree in human resources management from ESG-UQÀM and is a member of the Human Resources Professional Association of Quebec.
Me Patrice Brunet
With over thirty years of experience, Patrice Brunet is the founder and managing partner of PBA.
Patrice Brunet is accredited as a civil and commercial arbitrator by the Barreau du Québec. In this capacity, he acts as an arbitrator for ADR Chambers, ADRBO, the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC) and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Mr. Brunet has been practicing sports law since 1995. Over the course of his career, he has issued numerous arbitration decisions and attended 3 Olympic Games as counsel for Canadian athletes (1996, 2002 and 2006). He also served on the CAS during the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games. He is currently a lecturer in sports law (doping) at the Université de Sherbrooke.
Heavily involved in Canadian sport circles, he was a member of the Canadian Olympic Committee for more than 25 years and held various roles in Canadian and provincial sports federations and foundations. In 2015, he set up a sports event production company to host international competitions in triathlon, beach volleyball, 3X3 basketball and running.
Marie-Huguette Cormier
Marie-Huguette has been part of the Desjardins team for over 30 years. She’s been the Executive Vice-President of Human Resources since 2016 and a member of the Executive Committee since 2008.
Marie-Huguette has many feathers in her cap, and her passion for communication now extends to marketing and business development too. She’s known as an inspiring, people-focused leader who fosters engagement and expertly coordinates efforts to tackle even the toughest challenges.
She‘s also deeply involved in areas like sports, business, education and promoting female leadership. She currently serves as Chair of the Board for Port de Québec. She also sits on the board of the Canadian Olympic Committee and chairs the Team Selection Committee.
To top it all off, Marie-Huguette is an elite fencer who represented Canada first at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and again 4 years later at the Seoul Olympics.
Professeur Kim Dawson, PhD
Kimberley Dawson, PhD, is a professor in Sport/Exercise Psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University (Waterloo, ON). Through her consulting company, Mind2Achieve, Dr. Dawson utilizes her expertise in psychomotor behaviour, behaviour modification, performance psychology, and group dynamics to support individuals and organizations in reaching their full potential in achievement-oriented environments. For the past 15 years, she has worked with professional and Olympic athletes, artists, medical professionals, sport leaders, corporate executives, and various teams to achieve their objectives.
Dr. Dawson is a sought-after media consultant collaborating with international magazines (Outside Magazine, Runner’s World), National television (CBC, CTV), and National newspapers (Toronto Star, National Post). She is a regularly requested podcast guest speaking on topics ranging from sport retirement to Olympic preparation. Dr. Dawson is an accomplished academic with $1.5 million in funding, and over 200 publications and presentations to scholarly/community groups. She is currently writing a book called “Mind2Achieve” based on her experiences.
Isabelle-Rousseau
Isabelle Rousseau joined the INS Québec leadership team in September 2016 after being part of the executive team of the Jeux du Québec organizing Committee (Montréal 2016). She holds a Bachelor of Economics, and a Master’s degree of Science in Management. Isabelle has worked as a professional and manager in various organizations and institutions in the fields of economics, business development and continuing education. Beyond her professional pursuits, she is a dedicated sports enthusiast who has actively contributed to the creation and management of clubs, federations, and sports events. Isabelle is also involved in the advancement of women’s leadership and serves as President of the Board of Directors of Égale Action. Further solidifying her commitment, she mentors other women in the Québec sports industry through her involvement in the Espace Leadership féminin of the Pôle sport HEC Montréal.