At the October 7, 2021 Canadian Rugby Foundation Annual General Meeting – for the first time a virtual Zoom event – and the subsequent Board of Directors meeting, the Contributing Members and Directors made the following decisions:
ELECTIONS
Three new Directors were elected by the Members to initial 2-year terms, effective immediately. All three have been active at the club and provincial level, with two having extensive experience with Rugby Canada.
Graham J. Brown, Director, CATAPULT Career Advantage Inc.
A founding Partner and current Director with CATAPULT Career Advantage, Graham was most recently the President & CEO of U SPORTS, the national governing body for University Sport in Canada. Following his ten (10) years lecturing in the Business Faculty at the University of Toronto, Graham most recently lectured on Leadership at McMaster University’s W. Booth School of Engineering, Industry Operations Leadership & Management (IOLM) Program.
Prior to U SPORTS, Graham spent fourteen years as President & CEO of Rugby Canada where he remains a Director on the Canada 7s LLP Corporate Board and provincially on the Board of Rugby Ontario. Graham holds both an undergraduate and graduate degree from the University of Windsor and continues to provide corporate leadership for a number of Corporate and Canadian amateur sport boards in Canada.
Jerrold D. Marriott, Consultant, Eastmount Financial Consulting Ltd.
Jerry has been actively involved in the Toronto rugby community since 1983 as a member of the Toronto Scottish RFC. He has served as a captain on the field, Director of Men’s Rugby and two extended terms as the Treasurer of TSRFC. As the current Treasurer of TSRFC, he has become an advisor to the Board of Fletcher’s Fields Limited (“FFL”) to assist in the sale of its property north of Toronto, decisions regarding the use of sale proceeds and the transition of FFL to a new role in the promotion and support of rugby in the greater Toronto area.
Jerry’s business career has involved the practice of law, corporate finance, banking, debt capital markets, debt credit ratings, financial markets regulation and consulting. Most recently, he has run a consulting practice focusing on financial institutions with issues relating to asset valuations and funding or government regulation of capital markets.
Jerry’s financial acumen has developed over a number of years. He has completed a Bachelor of Commerce, a Master in Business Administration and levels I & II of the CFA designation. He has worked in debt capital markets for over twenty years at two major Canadian banks and was a senior executive at a Canadian debt rating agency during and after the financial crisis of 2008-2009. The result is a wide-ranging understanding of asset valuation and financial markets that will provide background for active participation in the Canadian Rugby Foundation Investment Committee.
Nick Taylor, Director of Development, Athletics & Recreation, Ryerson University
Nick stepped onto the rugby field in 1990 at Queen Elizabeth High School in Halifax NS, and other than setbacks from injuries has not yet retired from actively participating in the game as a player. Along the way, Nick competed at the Provincial level with Quebec’s U19 program, played with five clubs in Quebec and Ontario, served as a board member with three of the clubs, spent eight years as a senior leader with Rugby Canada and currently enjoys watching two of his three children with shared aspirations of playing for Canada as they play 7s and 15s rugby at club, invitational, regional and provincial levels.
Away from the field, Nick currently volunteers with Sport4Ontario and his professional career has included a variety of roles across the for profit and non-profit sectors including senior leadership positions in Canadian sport, healthcare, and academia. With experience in sales & marketing, communications & PR, sponsorship, fundraising, lotteries, and major gifts as well as in strategic planning.
The 2021-2022 Board of Directors now consists of:
- Mike Holmes (Chair)
- Pat Aldous (Vice-Chair)
- Rick Bourne (Rugby Canada appointee)
- Graham Brown
- Hans de Goede
- Sally Dennis (Rugby Canada appointee)
- Neil Duke
- Barry Giffen
- Randy Heward
- Jim Kellett
- John Lecky
- Jerry Marriott
- Colette McAuley
- Nick Taylor
- Bill Webb
- John Woodward
APPOINTMENTS
The Board approved the appointment of the Foundation’s Officers and Executive Committee members as follows:
- Mike Holmes (Chair)
- Pat Aldous (Vice-Chair)
- John Wrafter (Treasurer, non-voting)
- Sally Dennis (Secretary)
- Hans de Goede
- Jim Kellett
- Jeff Chan (ex officio, non-voting)
The Board approved the appointment of the Investment Committee members as follows:
- Jim Kellett – Chair
- Jerry Marriott
- Mike Holmes
- Bill Webb
- John Woodward
Lastly, the Board approved the establishment of a Governance Committee, comprising Chair Sally Dennis, Mike Holmes, and Executive Director Jeff Chan. Among the primary objectives of the new committee will be a review, update and recommended revisions to the Constitution and By-laws of the Foundation, and the establishment of a formal Nominations process.
