From our tireless staff and volunteers to our incredible donors, Board of Directors and celebrity ambassadors, our team lives by a shared set of values that keep us connected. Fuelled by shameless idealism, we empower youth to change the world through “WE” thinking and “WE” acting.
We are fortunate to have a dynamic, dedicated and experienced Board of Directors to help us in our mission to transform lives by empowering communities to lift themselves out of poverty. Through their expertise, the Board of Directors provides legal and financial oversight to all of WE Charity’s projects and activities.
Michelle Douglas (Chair)
DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CANADA
Area of Expertise: Social Justice, Change Management
Kannan Arasaratnam, MBA, CPA
MANAGING DIRECTOR, FTI CONSULTING
Area of Expertise: Finance
Chris Besse
CEO, EDGEMAKERS
Area of Expertise: Finance, Governance, Educational Programming
Gerry Connelly
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (RETIRED), TORONTO DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
Area of Expertise: Educational Programming, School Engagement
Mary-Eileen Donovan
SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION (RETIRED), TORONTO CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
Area of Expertise: Educational Programming, School Engagement
Eric Morrison
FORMER CEO, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Area of Expertise: Strategic Communications, Public Relations
Graham Moysey
CEO, CANADIAN OPERATIONS, IPG MEDIABRANDS
Area of Expertise: Technology, Marketing & Digital Media
Dr. Jonathan White (Chair)
DIRECTOR, BENTLEY SERVICE-LEARNING AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT CENTER; PROFESSOR OF SOCIOLOGY, BENTLEY UNIVERSITY
Area of Expertise: Educational Programming
Dr. Brenda Cassellius
FORMER MINNESOTA COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION, MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Area of Expertise: Educational Programming
Stanley Hainsworth
FOUNDER & CEO, TETHER INC.
Area of Expertise: Brand & Marketing
Terry Mazany
FORMER PRESIDENT AND CEO, THE CHICAGO COMMUNITY TRUST
Area of Expertise: Public education, Philanthropy
Tawfiq Rangwala
PARTNER, MILBANK, TWEED, HADLEY AND MCLOY
Area of Expertise: Legal, Governance
Stephanie Swedlove
INDEPENDENT PRODUCER
Area of Expertise: Digital Media & Marketing, Philanthropy
Dr. Shelley White
PROGRAM DIRECTOR; MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH; ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, PUBLIC HEALTH AND SOCIOLOGY, SIMMONS COLLEGE
Area of Expertise: Educational Programming, Social Justice Education
Lord Rumi Verjee (Chair)
FOUNDER, THE RUMI FOUNDATION
Area of Expertise: Business, Governance
Craig Burkinshaw
Co-Founder, AUDLEY TRAVEL
Area of Expertise: Marketing, Business, Social Enterprise
Michael Comish
ENTREPREUNER IN RESIDENCE, TPG
Area of Expertise: Business Development, Entrepreneurship, New Media
Pauline Latham
CONSERVATIVE MP FOR MID-DERBYSHIRE
Area of Expertise: Government Relations, International Development, Educational Programming
Carlos Pinto
GLOBAL HEAD OF CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT, ROYAL BANK OF CANADA
Area of Expertise: Strategy, Finance
Neil Roskilly
CEO, INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION
Area of Expertise: Educational Programming
Meigan Terry
SVP GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS, SCOTIABANK
Area of Expertise: Communications, Sustainability, Employee Engagement, Regulatory Affairs
Dave I. McKay
President & Chief Executive Officer, RBC
David Aisenstat
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer & President, Keg Restaurants Ltd.
Hartley Richardson
President & Chief Executive Officer, James Richardson & Sons Ltd.
Craig Burkinshaw
Co-Founder, Audley Travel
Jennifer Tory
Chief Administrative Officer, RBC
Darren Entwistle
President & Chief Executive Officer, TELUS
Elio Luongo
Chief Executive Officer, KPMG Canada
Bill Thomas
Chairman Elect, KPMG International & Chair, KPMG’s Americas Region, KPMG
Andrew Williams
Chief Executive Officer, DHL Express Canada
Nelly Furtado
Canadian Singer/Songwriter
Jeffrey Latimer
President, Jeffrey Latimer Entertainment
The Honourable David C. Onley
Former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
Chief Perry Bellegarde
National Chief, Assembly of First Nations
James Villeneuve
Former Consul General of Canada to Los Angeles
Mark Dervishian
Chief Operating Officer, Ardene
Steve Robinson & Janet Crown
Chief Executive Officer, Zilliance & Officer LAPD/Hawthorne PD
Founder/Chief Executive Officer, Burn 60 Studios
Thomas J. Wilson
Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer, Allstate
Jane Francisco
Editorial Director, Hearst Lifestyle Group
Ed Sims
President & Chief Executive Officer, WestJet
Bill & Sabrina Elkington
Chief Executive Officer, JV Driver
Rob Geremia
President, Boardwalk REIT
Leon Draisaitl
Player, Edmonton Oilers
Sean & Crystal Murray
President & Chief Executive Officer, Advocate Printing & Publishing
Creative Director Media Operations, Advocate Printing & Publishing
Ken Power
Regional Vice President, Atlantic Canada, TELUS
Doug Reid, FCPA, FCA
Atlantic Managing Partner, KPMG
Ashton & Adair Newhall
Managing General Partners, Greenspring & Associates
Stephanie Argyros
President & Chief Executive Officer, Argyros Group
Brett & Miranda Tollman
Chief Executive Officer, The Travel Corporation
Patricia Arvielo
President, Chief Executive Officer, New American Funding
Jeff Skoll
Founder & Chairman, The Skoll Foundation & Participant Media
Thomas J. Wilson
Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer, Allstate
Alex Gourlay
Co-Chief Operating Officer, Walgreens Boots Alliance
Linda Imonti
National Partner in Charge, Advisory Office Leaders & Chicago Advisory Office Leader, KPMG LLP
Arne Duncan
Managing Partner, Emerson Collective & Former U.S. Secretary of Education
Hartley Richardson
President & Chief Executive Officer, James Richardson & Sons Ltd.
Mark Chipman
Chairman, True North Sports Ltd.
Bob Silver
President, Western Glove Works
Dean & Hutton Phillips
Congressman, Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District
Paul Desmarais III
Senior Vice President, Power Financial & Power Corporation
Catherine Turner
Young Presidents’ Organization
David Bensadoun & Isabelle Poirier
President, ALDO Global Retail
Jeff York
Chief Executive Officer & President, Farm Boy Inc.
Patrick Mullins
Chief Executive Officer, Silver Maple Developments
Marjolaine Hudon
Regional President, Ontario North & East, RBC
Jolene McCaw
Founder, Jolene McCaw Family Foundation
Judson & Laura Althoff
Executive Vice-President, Worldwide Commercial Business, Microsoft
Coach Pete Carroll
Head Coach, Seattle Seahawks
Russell Wilson & Ciara
Quarterback, Seattle Seahawks
Singer, Songwriter, Record Producer & Actress
Jan Miller & Jeff Rich
Founder, Dupree, Miller & Associates
Chief Executive Officer, Co-Founder, Plumtree Partners
Pat & Emmitt Smith
Founder, Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities
Hall of Fame Running Back and Former Dallas Cowboy
Matthew & Jessica Upchurch
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Virtuoso
Ambassador of Sustainability & Advisory Board, Virtuoso
Kris Depencier
Vice President, Personal Lending & Commercial Strategies, RBC
Jon Levy
Chief Merchant, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Mastermind
Holly Branson
Co-Chair, Virgin Management, Virgin Unite & Big Change Charitable Trust
Lord Rumi Verjee
Founder, Rumi Foundation
Kees Kruythoff
President Home Care, Unilever
Carolyn Everson
Vice President, Global Marketing Solutions, Facebook
Ornella Barra
Co-Chief Operating Officer, Walgreens Boots Alliance
Lynne Doughtie
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, KPMG US
Lorne Segal
President, Kingswood Capital Management
Della & Stuart McLaughlin
Grouse Mountain Resorts
Scott Menke
Chief Executive Officer, Paragon Gaming & Parq
Shafin Diamon Tejani
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Victory Square Technologies
Dr. Djavad Mowafaghian
Founder, The Djavad Mowafaghian Foundation
Dalal Al Waheidi
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WE Charity
As Executive Director of Executive Leadership at WE Charity, Dalal Al-Waheidi has been integral in shaping the success of the WE movement into an international charity and educational partner. She joined the organization in 2002, and has held a variety of pivotal roles, including Chief Operations Director and Executive Director of WE Day.
Dalal’s exemplary leadership at WE has been recognized by the Women’s Executive Network with Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women Award in the “Future Leaders” category, and by her former alma mater, Trent University, with the Distinguished Alumni Award for demonstrating extraordinary leadership early in her career.
In 2014, Dalal was selected as one of RBC’s Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award winners for her passion and desire to make the world a better place, especially for the lives of youth around the world. As a war-affected youth born and raised in Kuwait during the Gulf War, Dalal has been a firsthand witness to the terrible impact of conflict on children. These early experiences gave her a unique understanding of the real costs of political and cultural divide, allowing her to place hope firmly in the value of cooperative peace-building.
Now in her role as Executive Director of Executive Leadership, her focus is on moving the strategy of WE forward and delivering on the promise of making doing good, doable.
Craig Kielburger
AMBASSADOR FOR WE CHARITY (VOLUNTEER)
Marc Kielburger
AMBASSADOR FOR WE CHARITY (VOLUNTEER)
Brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger are social entrepreneurs and co-founders of a family of organizations dedicated to the power of WE, a movement of people coming together to change the world. Together, they co-founded WE Charity, which provides a holistic development model called Free The Children’s WE Villages, helping to lift more than one million people out of poverty in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Back at home in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, WE Schools and WE Day provide comprehensive service learning programs to 10,000 schools, engaging 2.4 million young change-makers. Lastly, they co-founded ME to WE, a pioneering social enterprise, the profits from which help sustain the work of their charitable organization.
Craig is the youngest ever graduate from the Kellogg-Schulich Executive MBA program. He has also received 15 honorary doctorates and degrees for his work in the fields of education and human rights. Craig is a New York Times bestselling author, who has published 12 books, as well as a nationally syndicated columnist. Craig has received The Order of Canada, the Nelson Mandela Freedom Medal and the World Children’s Prize. He was recently voted by Canadians as one of Canada’s top most trusted influencers in a Readers Digest poll, and along with his brother Marc, he was named Canada’s Most Admired CEO in the public sector in 2015.
Marc graduated from Harvard University with a degree in International Relations. He won a Rhodes Scholarship and completed a law degree from Oxford University. He has also received 10 honorary doctorates and degrees for his work in the fields of education and human rights. Marc is a New York Times bestselling author, who has published 8 books, as well as a nationally syndicated columnist. He is the recipient of many honors, including the Order of Canada, and was selected by the World Economic Forum as one of the world’s Young Global Leaders. Marc was also recently inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame for his humanitarian efforts and his work to empower youth to change the world. In 2015, along with his brother Craig, he was named Canada’s Most Admired CEO in the public sector.