Board of Directors 2025-2026
Erin Crowe, Chair
Geoff Publow, Vice-chair and Treasurer
Guy Chartrand, Secretary
Dr. Alykhan Abdulla
Dr. Christopher Barnes
Christina Bova
Thomas G. Conway
Dr. Nadine Wiper-Bergeron
Janet Cosier
Paula Doering
Brian Coburn
Benoît Hubert
Brad Ezard
Valerie Holmes
Joanne Kudakiewicz (Foundation representative)
Elder Marques
Dr. Rob Swenson
Chloé Watt
In Memoriam
John Riddle
Board of Directors 2024-2025
Dr. Alykhan Abdulla
Dr. Alykhan Abdulla works in comprehensive family medicine in Manotick, Ontario, doing house calls, long-term care, palliative care, addictions, tropical, and sports medicine. He received his Certification in the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CCFP) in 1994 after going to medical school at the University of Calgary and completing this family medicine training at the University of Toronto.
He is a Fellow of the College of Family Physicians (FCFP). He has specialty designations from the Canadian Academy of Sports and Exercise Medicine; the International Society of Travel Medicine; the Canadian Society of Physician Executives (CCPE); the Schulich Leadership Programme (Masters in Physician Leadership), and the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D).
In addition to his medical practice, Dr. Abdulla has taught, coached, and mentored internationally trained doctors, medical students and family medicine residents for more than 30 years as an assistant professor at the University of Ottawa. He is the Director of the Leadership Curriculum at the University of Ottawa Undergraduate Medicine. He is the author of more than 1000 publications and has conducted more than 550 media interviews (radio, TV, podcasts, and print).
Dr. Abdulla has more than 25 years of leadership experience, building collaborations as Chair of the Section of General and Family Practice, Chair of the General Assembly, Chair of OMA District 8, Chair of Audit and Finance in the Ontario Medical Association (OMA); President of the Ottawa Academy of Medicine and Medical Director for The Kingsway Health Centre, among others. He is or has sat on various not-for-profit boards including the Bruyere Health, Bruyere Foundation, Beechwood Cemetery/Foundation, Ontario Medical Foundation, The Rideau Club, Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation, Eastern Ontario Regional Lab Association, Ontario Medical Association, Canadian Medical Association Finance and Audit, Carlton University Refugee Integration, Canada Games Council Finance and Audit, Equipe Sante Ottawa Ontario Health Team, and Shepherds of Good Hope.
He is honoured to have been awarded the Outstanding Family Physician of Eastern Ontario and Award of Excellence from the Canadian College of Family Physicians, Advocate for Students and Residents from the OMA, Professionalism Award from The University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Service Medal, King Charles III Coronation Medal for Public Service and the Top 40 Under Forty from the Ottawa Business Journal.
Dr. Abdulla believes in authenticity, acknowledging his personal struggles with mental health and finding joy in medical practice through work-life balance. He is passionate about improving the world around him. He is married to Tia and has five children. He loves pickleball, skiing, and exotic travel.
Dr. Christopher Barnes
Dr. Christopher Barnes joined the Bruyère Health Board of Directors in 2023. He is currently the President of the Medical Staff Association at Bruyère Health and a member of the Audit and Resource Management Committee.
Dr. Christopher Barnes is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, at the University of Ottawa.
Dr. Barnes received his undergraduate degree in Health Sciences from McMaster University and completed medical training at Queen’s University. His residencies in Family Medicine and Palliative Care were completed at the University of Ottawa in 2011.
Dr. Barnes was the Director of the Palliative Medicine Residency and Fellowship training programs at the University of Ottawa from 2012 to 2023. He maintains a strong interest in medical education and has recently added a career focus in planetary health. Since 2012, his clinical practice has been on the Bruyère Health Palliative Care Unit.
Christina Bova
Christina joined the Bruyère Health Board of Directors in June 2023 and is a member of the Board Quality Committee.
She is the Director of Member Engagement and Advocacy at the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP). As the national voice of emergency medicine (EM), CAEP provides continuing medical education, advocates on behalf of emergency physicians and their patients, supports research and strengthens the EM community. Christina has over 25 years’ experience in member, patient and donor relations in the health care industry having working at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and North York General Hospital in Toronto. Her passion for healthcare has lead her to her biggest project thus far as the Head Office lead for the EM:POWER Taskforce on the Future of Emergency Care in Canada.
She holds an Honours Bachelor of Science in Forensic Biology from Laurentian University along with a Certificate in Organizational Leadership from Algonquin College and a Management Certificate from Carleton University Sprott School of Business.
Christina strongly believes in community service and has served on the Board of Directors at Volunteer Ottawa and the Women’s Business Network of Ottawa.
Personally, she is the mother of two active Irish dancing and hockey playing daughters Sophie and Valerie along with a rather small 95-pound German Sheppard named Fergus. In her spare time she enjoys daily yoga classes and occasional spin classes.
Thomas G. Conway
Thomas G. Conway is a trial and appellate lawyer, based in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a founding partner of Conway Baxter Wilson LLP.
A graduate of the Faculty of Common, Law University of Ottawa, Mr. Conway was called to the bar of Ontario in 1989. Tom represents clients in civil cases before all levels of trial and appellate courts and before arbitral and administrative tribunals.
Tom was recognized in 2007 by the National Post, one of Canada’s national newspapers, as one of Canada’s top corporate and commercial litigation lawyers. Tom is ranked by his peers as one of The Best Lawyers in Canada in the specialty of corporate and commercial litigation. He is included in Lexpert-ranked directory of Canada’s leading and consistently recommended litigation lawyers.
In 2013, Tom was recognized by Canadian Lawyer Magazine as one of Canada’s 25 most influential lawyers, and one of five recognized in the category of “change makers.”
In June 2014, Tom completed a two-year term as the 64th Treasurer of the Law Society of Ontario, Ontario’s regulator of legal services and Canada’s largest law society. First elected by the profession as a bencher (i.e. a governor of Law Society) in 2007, Tom was acclaimed as Treasurer in 2012, by Convocation, the governing board of the Law Society. The position of Treasurer is the highest elected office of the Law Society of Ontario. The Treasurer is the president and chair of the governing board of the Law Society.
In 2019, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada appointed Tom as the founding chair of the board of the newly created College of Patent Agents and Trademark Agents of Canada (CPATA). In this role, Tom led the successful establishment of Canada’s national regulator of intellectual property professionals in the public interest. Tom continues to contribute to the work of this independent and innovative regulator as the Chair of its Governance Committee.
Dr. Nadine Wiper-Bergeron
Dr. Nadine Wiper-Bergeron is a senior academic leader and biomedical scientist dedicated to advancing health through education, research, and innovation. As Vice-Dean in the Faculty of
Medicine at the University of Ottawa, she oversees graduate and postdoctoral programs that train the next generation of health researchers, clinician-scientists, and educators.
A bilingual educator for over 20 years, Dr. Wiper-Bergeron has designed and delivered curriculum in immunology, histology, and embryology, foundational sciences that underpin clinical excellence. She has led the development of new health-focused graduate programs and championed student wellness and quality assurance initiatives that strengthen the medical research and clinician-scientist workforce pipeline.
Her research explores how adult stem cells repair skeletal muscle and how muscle wasting conditions, such as cachexia, can be mitigated. These efforts have direct implications for patient recovery, healthspan and quality of life.
Dr. Wiper-Bergeron brings to the board a deep understanding of medical education, a commitment to patient-centered innovation, and a proven record of building programs that bridge discovery science with real-world clinical needs.
Erin Crowe, Chair
Erin Crowe returned to her role as Ottawa Senators’ executive vice-president and chief financial officer in February 2022. Upon her return, she played a key role in the team’s sale process and has been a lead in the club’s arena development initiatives. She added the title of chief operating officer to her role after the change in ownership in September 2023.
Erin has more than 25 years’ experience in senior finance and executive roles. Prior to rejoining the Senators, she spent three years as CFO of Martello Technologies Group, a TSXV-listed software company in the digital experience monitoring space. While at Martello, Crowe played a critical role in the company's public listing and acquisition strategy and led all aspects of financial reporting and planning.
She also held various CFO and chief operating officer roles, including CFO of a global leader in water ride innovation and design and COO and CFO of a real estate developer and manager. Prior to these roles, she previously spent 18 years with Senators Sports & Entertainment.
Erin is the recipient of numerous accolades, including being recognized as one of Sports Business Journal’s “Game Changers: Women in Sports Business” in 2024, the Ottawa Board of Trade and Ottawa Business Journal’s 2022 CFO of the Year, the Ottawa Women’s Business Network 2009 Corporate Businesswoman of the Year, and one of the Ottawa Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 in 2010.
She holds a degree in Commerce from Queen’s University, as well as FCPA and FCA designations. She is committed to the Ottawa community through her roles as Chair of the board of trustees of Bruyère Health, and as director for the Senators Community Foundation and West Ottawa Soccer Club boards.
Erin resides in Kanata with her husband, Joe Abel, and children Owen and Reganne.
Guy Chartrand, Secretary
Guy Chartrand is the President and CEO of Bruyère Health, serving as Secretary to the Board of Directors and holding ex-officio roles on all board committees, as well as on the Bruyère Health Foundation and Research Institute Boards.
With over 29 years of executive experience, Mr. Chartrand’s value proposition is simple: breathe life into organizational design. His career includes senior management roles in three acute care hospitals, one sub-acute care hospital, and within the Ministry of Community Support Services, Long-Term Care, and Community Services.
A strong advocate for health system integration, he has led significant projects, including the redevelopment of Collingwood General and Marine Hospital (CGMH) and the amalgamation of Mattawa Hospital with Algonquin Nursing Home. He also spearheaded a sub-regional transformation at CGMH, implementing a shared accountability model among service partners.
Mr. Chartrand holds an MBA and an Honors Bachelor of Commerce degree from Laurentian University, where he taught in the MBA program for 18 years. Currently pursuing a PhD at Pécs University in Hungary, his thesis focuses on "Leading Teams." Proficient in French and English, he has built a strong professional network across the province and country, believing in the value of every stakeholder's voice.
A dedicated family man, Mr. Chartrand lives in Ottawa with his wife, Caroline, and their children. He is passionate about sports, having coached and refereed in the Ontario Hockey League, and enjoys outdoor activities like skiing, boating, hiking, and biking.
Janet Cosier
Janet joined the Bruyère Health Board of Directors in 2021 and was appointed Vice-Chair of the Board Quality Committee in in 2023.
Janet is a Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant (FCPA/FCMA). After a successful 30 year career, Janet retired from the Bank of Canada where she held executive-level positions leading the strategic planning and enterprise risk management portfolios. She also held the positions of the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Internal Auditor. Since retiring, Janet has been actively involved in leading two international central banking training courses in strategic planning and risk management.
Janet has considerable Board governance experience, having served on several not-for-profit Boards of Directors including the Canadian Payments Association, the Queensway Carleton Hospital, and the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Center. Presently, Janet is a board member of the Ontario Hospital Association, and the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Rideau Community Health Services. Janet has a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics and computer science from York University, and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Windsor. Janet and her husband Tony are avid naturalists and enjoy hiking and canoeing in the Rideau River system.
Paula Doering
Ms. Paula Doering is Senior Vice-President of Clinical Programs, Chief Nursing Executive and Chief of other Health Professionals. She is a member of the Bruyère Health Board of Directors and a member of the Board Quality Committee and the Audit and Resource Management Committee.
Ms. Doering received her Diploma in Nursing from Algonquin College in 1982, completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Post RN Program) in 1988 and an Executive MBA from the University of Ottawa in 1995. Ms. Doering has over 35 years of experience as a health care leader. She has worked at The Ottawa Hospital as Vice-President of Clinical Programs and Diagnostics. She was also the Regional Vice-President at Cancer Care Ontario for the Champlain Regional Cancer Program responsible for the quality, standards and advancement of cancer care for the region.
In her current position, she is responsible for planning, organizing, directing and evaluating patient care delivery. Ms. Doering has been involved at the local, regional, provincial, national and international levels in supporting excellence in nursing practice and patient care. She is passionate about ensuring patients receive the highest, safest quality care.
Brian Coburn
A Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CMA) with extensive executive leadership experience in the non-profit and charitable sector, specializing in financial stewardship, governance, and organizational operations.
Served as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), reporting directly to Boards of Directors and acting as staff liaison to Finance and Audit Committees. Professional career has focused on strengthening mission-driven organizations through expertise in financial management, corporate governance, human resources, information technology, and asset management.
Widely experienced in board governance, currently serving as Trustee, Ottawa Catholic School Board (OCSB) and Chair of the OCSB Audit Committee. Previous and concurrent governance roles include Vice-Chair (former) of the Ontario School Board Insurance Exchange (OSBIE), Board Member of the Catholic Child Care Corporation (CCCC), and Board Member (former) of the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA). Also served as a member of the Audit Committee of Youville Centre, a registered charity supporting adolescent mothers and their children.
An original member of the 6th Man Club at the University of Ottawa, a network of alumni varsity basketball players dedicated to fundraising and supporting the university’s men’s basketball program.
Family includes spouse Luce Mercier, daughters Emily and Dominique (Michel), and grandchildren Tomas, Zoe, Ophelia and Jade. Personal interests include basketball, golf, politics, and reading.
Geoff Publow
Geoff Publow joined the Bruyère Board of Directors in 2020. He is Vice Chair of the Board as well as Treasurer and Chair of the organization’s Audit and Resource Management Committee.
Geoff is the CEO of the Myers Automotive Group, leading the strategic direction and operations of the organization. Myers is Eastern Ontario’s largest vehicle dealer group with 18 Dealerships and 3 CARSTAR Collision Centres representing 8 OEM’s and 15 brands. Prior to joining Myers, Geoff held various senior executive positions with Senators Sports & Entertainment over 19 years, including six years as Vice President of Strategic Development. While with the Senators, Geoff led the organization’s real estate development initiatives including the downtown arena project, development of the Sensplex community arenas through private-public partnerships with the City of Ottawa, and the management, operation and major renovations to the Canadian Tire Centre. Geoff has extensive experience in strategic planning, operations, mergers and acquisitions, real estate development, capital financing, reporting, treasury and risk management.
Community involvement is a passion for Geoff, including 17 years of coaching minor hockey. Geoff has served as a board member and Treasurer with the Ottawa Youth Service Bureau Foundation and is the past chair of a number of community boards, including Ottawa Tourism, the Tourism Development Council and Ottawa Community Ice Partners.
Benoît Hubert
Benoît Hubert is the President and owner of PGF Consultants. He has more than 25 years of experience managing Canadian and international organizations and projects. He specializes in strategic planning processes, organizational development, change management, governance, and organizational transformations for institutions and organizations within Canada’s Francophonie and Inuit Nunangat. His approach prioritizes strengthening client capacity in every mandate he undertakes.
Benoît holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and Canadian history from the University of Ottawa, as well as a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Sussex in England. He is accredited by the Center for Creative Leadership in Raleigh, United States, as a facilitator of 360‑degree feedback exercises, and he has also completed an advanced peacekeeping course at the Lester B. Pearson Canadian International Peacekeeping Centre.
Over the years, Benoît has served on various boards of directors, including Hospice Care Ottawa (2017–2024), the PlaneTree Francophonie Network (2014–2022), the 2001 Francophonie Games Fund (2021–present), the Foundation of the Fédération de la jeunesse canadienne-française (2025–present), and the campaign cabinet for the new MIFO (2020–2022).
A father of two, he is passionate about travel—a love he shares with his life partner—as well as running and cycling.
Brad Ezard
Professionally, Brad is a Partner at Confederation M&A and oversees the firm’s local mergers and acquisitions practice. Based in Ottawa, he works alongside the Atlantic Canada team to provide high-end advisory services to Confederation M&A's clients.
Prior to joining Confederation M&A, Brad worked for an international law firm where his practice centered on M&A, private equity investments and public company representation. Brad's focus when working with clients is to navigate complex transactional issues and advise on the potential risks and opportunities of the deal.
Brad also brings senior operational experience to Confederation M&A after serving in a Chief Operating Officer capacity for an Ottawa-based professional services firm. This real-world management experience allows Brad to work with clients on operational issues relating to their growth initiatives, succession planning and transaction management.
An active member of Ottawa’s charitable community, Brad previously sat on the Board of Directors of the Bruyère Health Foundation where he served on the Executive and Finance and Audit Committees. Brad also chaired the “Celebrating Life at Every Stage Campaign” as Campaign Chair. In addition to his work for the hospital, Brad is the Vice-Chair of 100 Men Who Care Ottawa, a local philanthropic social group that works to raise funds for grass-roots charities in the region. In recognition for his contributions to the city’s business community, Brad received a 2020 Forty Under 40 award from the Ottawa Business Journal and Ottawa Board of Trade.
Valerie Holmes
Valerie Holmes has many years of experience in healthcare leadership and is currently the director of home and community care at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). In this current role, Valerie has lead system transformation initiatives while working closely with community and family partners.
She has also worked in acute care, system funding, and research sectors of health, focusing on system improvement and quality of care for patients.
Though Valerie was born and raised in Timmins, she has lived in Ottawa for over 15 years. She holds a Bachelor of Health Sciences from the University of Ottawa, a Master of Health Administration from the University of Regina and has also completed a diploma in paralegal studies. She is a member of the Canadian College of Health Leaders and holds a certified health executive designation.
Joanne Kudakiewicz (Foundation representative)
Joanne has trailblazed a career path as a successful entrepreneur, award-winning financial advisor, business development strategist and recipient of the Forty Under 40 award in 2019.
As a community relations manager with Desjardins Financial Security Independent Network, Joanne provides client tailored insurance and estate planning strategies for high-net-worth families and business owners. She works closely with her clients to understand their specific needs and financial goals, and analyzes the net, after tax impact of various investments. As a former business owner herself, she has a real passion for ensuring that income remains in the hands of her clients all while helping them maximize the impact of their charitable donations.
Joanne is deeply passionate about her involvement in the community. She is a co-founder of Recovery Matters, an Ottawa based initiative, raising money to help local families and business owners struggling financially due to cancer diagnosis. Additionally, she is a board vice-chair for the Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Sport (CCMHS). The CCMHS is the first in Canada to offer collaborative sport/performance focused mental health care services to athletes, coaches and performing artists to achieve their goals while preserving their mental health and well-being.
Joanne is a busy mother of two young kids who enjoys outdoor activities such as skiing, hiking and ultimate frisbee.
Elder Marques
Elder Marques is a lawyer and partner with Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP in Ottawa and Toronto. He was called to the bar in 2006 and was previously a partner at another national law firm, based in Toronto. His practice includes litigation, crisis management, internal investigations, foreign investment and government and regulatory strategy. From 2015-20 he held various senior roles in the Government of Canada, including serving for more than two years as Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister.
He also served as Chief of Staff to the Minister of Finance and Chief of Staff to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. He holds degrees from the University of Ottawa, the London School of Economics, and the University of Toronto. At the beginning of his legal career, he served as Judicial Law Clerk to the Chief Justice of Canada.
Elder has served on numerous charitable boards in both Ottawa and Toronto, with a focus on social services, health, and education. He was previously an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law. In 2024, he was made a Commander of the Order of Camões, an honour bestowed by the President of Portugal.
He lives in Ottawa with his wife and their three children.
Dr. Rob Swenson
Rob graduated from the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine in 1980 and then spent four years as a military medical officer, working as a resident in cardiology and internal medicine at the National Defence Medical Centre. Subsequently he completed a psychiatric residency in Ottawa and a fellowship year in San Diego.
In his clinical work Rob focused on treatment of patients with both medical and psychiatric illnesses and participated in research in the area of depression and heart disease. He founded a collaborative shared mental health program with family physicians, psychiatrists and other mental health professionals which provides care to patients of the Ottawa Hospital and Bruyère Health. This program also provides training for residents in psychiatry and family medicine.
Rob spent eight years on the board of directors of the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) representing Ontario academic physicians. At the OMA, he participated in governance change, the Physician Health Program and was the founding chair of the Academic Medicine Forum. He has been the Head of Psychiatry at The Ottawa Hospital and Associate Chair of Psychiatry at the University of Ottawa.
Rob retired from clinical practice in 2023 and also retired as a Full Professor at the University of Ottawa. He was awarded Distinguished Fellow of the Canadian Psychiatric Association and the designation of Canadian Certified Physician Executive of the Canadian Medical Association.
Chloé Watt
Chloé joined the Bruyère Board of Directors in 2025, bringing extensive expertise in organizational resilience, cyber security, enterprise risk management, and digital transformation.
She currently serves as the National Lead for Disaster Recovery at PwC, where she directs enterprise-wide resilience programs and critical technology initiatives across North America. Her experience includes leading complex transformation programs for federal institutions, healthcare organizations, and critical infrastructure providers. Prior to her current role, she worked in PwC's Cyber Forensic Investigations practice and Digital Operations, specializing in technology-enabled business transformation.
Before joining PwC, Chloé held senior positions at other consulting firms where she led major organizational transformation initiatives. Throughout her career, she has focused on delivering human-led, technology-enabled solutions that drive measurable business outcomes.
She holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Ottawa, complemented by professional and technical certifications.
Chloé serves as Chair of a nonprofit organization focused on preventing gender-based violence and creating safer communities through evidence-based programs and stakeholder collaboration.
In Memoriam
John Riddle
It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of John Riddle, a cherished member of the Bruyère Health family, who left us last month. John was a dedicated and passionate leader, serving as Chair of the Quality Committee, Treasurer, and ultimately, as Board Chair. His commitment to our mission was unwavering, and his contributions have left a lasting impact on our organization.
John's legacy is one of excellence, compassion, and dedication to improving the lives of those we serve. His leadership was instrumental during his time as Chair of the Audit and Resource Management Committee, a role in which he was greatly respected by his peers, who had the privilege of working closely with him.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to John's family and friends.