Board of Directors

R. Scott Hutcheson is the Executive Chair of Aspen Properties, a commercial real estate company based in Calgary. Prior to co-founding Aspen Properties in 1998, Hutcheson served as president of a real estate partnership in Florida and was employed as an investment banker for Goldman, Sachs & Co. in New York and San Francisco. Scott is an active member in our community, having served on numerous boards across the country. He is currently the Chair of Invest Alberta Corporation and is a member of the Board of Directors of Own the Podium, a member of the Advisory Board for Rohit Investments Inc, and a member of the Board of Directors of QuadReal.

Most recently, Scott also served as Chair of the Board of Directors of Arts Commons, as well as Chair of the Board of the Calgary 2026 Olympic and Paralympic bid for the winter games, and Chair of Winsport amongst many other private and not-for-profit boards.

Hutcheson earned a Master of Science degree from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Utah.

The Honourable A. Anne McLellan, P.C., O.C., A.O.E. served four terms as the Member of Parliament for Edmonton Centre from 1993 to 2006. She served as Deputy Prime Minister of Canada and as Canada’s first Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. McLellan also served as Minister of Health (2002-2003), Justice and Attorney General (1997-2002), Natural Resources, and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians (1993-1997).

In 2006, McLellan joined Bennett Jones in its Edmonton office. She currently serves on the boards of the Institute of Corporate Directors and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research and chairs the boards of the Institute for Research on Public Policy and the TELUS Edmonton Community Board. In May 2015, McLellan became Dalhousie University’s seventh chancellor, a position she held until May 31, 2020.

McLellan was a Distinguished Scholar in Residence at the University of Alberta in the Alberta Institute for American Studies and was awarded honorary Doctor of Law degrees by the University of Alberta, the University of Cape Breton, and the University of Ottawa.
Prior to her political career, McLellan worked in academia. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and a law degree from Dalhousie University and a Master of Laws degree from King’s College, University of London.

Laura Daniels is a retired partner of PwC. During her 32 years in public practice, 18 of them as a partner in the Calgary office, she acquired significant business acumen specializing in PwC’s private company services practice. Ms. Daniels believes strongly in the entrepreneurial spirit that thrives in Alberta having worked with a broad range of family owned or private equity companies. Her work spanned several industries including manufacturing and distribution, real estate, engineering, professional services, aviation, senior care facilities, technology, private investment companies and hospitality.

In her last five years at PwC, Ms. Daniels led the Public Sector assurance practice for the Calgary office. She is a director of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation and currently serves as Chair of the F&A Committee and Vice Chair of the Governance Committee. She is also active in her professional association having been a member of the Practice Review Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta for five years. She continues to teach various technical courses and enjoys mentoring and coaching new CPAs. Ms. Daniels is a CPA and graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary.

Bob Dhillon is the President, CEO and founder of Mainstreet Equity Corp. He is also the owner of National Payments, a Visa and MasterCard approved merchant processing business for the financial service industry.

Dhillon sits on the board of the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and serves as the Honorary Consul General for Belize in Canada, based in Calgary. He is the author of the book Business and Retirement Guide to Belize, currently in its second edition.

Dhillon has received numerous awards including Ernst & Young’s 2015 Entrepreneur of the Year for the Prairies, Real Estate & Construction category, and has been recognized in Alberta Venture magazine as one of Alberta’s 50 Most Influential People. In March 2018, the University of Lethbridge renamed their business school to the Dhillon School of Business in his honour.

Dhillon completed his MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario in 1998. In addition, he holds honorary degrees from Lakehead University and the University of Lethbridge. He is a philanthropist and has made significant donations to a variety of causes, including providing free apartment suites to victims of the Fort McMurray and Slave Lake fires.

Over the past 30 years, Robert has served in senior and executive positions in both private and public sectors across Europe and Canada. From 1983 to 2000, he worked with technology giant Siemens AG in senior corporate and marketing positions across Europe. Before joining the Government of Alberta’s (GoA) Treasury Board and Finance team in 2008, he worked in senior and executive level positions with companies such as Pace Industrial Inc. (Vector Industries), Johnson Controls L.P. and FoodTeller. He served in senior and executive level positions with the Government of Alberta until 2016 and in 2018 joined Stuart Olson Inc. as Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for Western Canada.

He is currently the President of the Mansbach Advisory Group, a strategy and advisory services firm providing advice for decision-makers, investors, government officials and entrepreneurs.

He has also served on various community boards such as The Citadel Theater (Board Member and Vice Chair), Junior Achievement of Canada (National Board Member), Junior Achievement AB and NWT (Chairman, Past Chair and Executive Director). Robert earned his Bachelor’s in Business Administration (Sc MBA) from AKAD University Düsseldorf, Germany in 1995 and Graduated in Telecommunications Engineering (CET) Chamber of Trades, Hamburg, Germany.

A radiologist by training, Chen Fong is currently a professor emeritus for the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Calgary. He is also Co-Chair of the Global Strategy Board of the Creative Destruction Lab, a mentoring platform for young entrepreneurs.

Fong has 18 years of experience in building startup companies and is the co-founder of Pureweb Incorporated. He currently serves on the board of directors at Pureweb, Clarius Mobile Health, Cohesic Inc., and Innovere Medical.

He is active in the community and sits on a number of philanthropic boards in health care.

Fong holds an M.D. from the University of Manitoba and an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Calgary. He was invested into the Order of Canada and inducted into Junior Achievement’s Alberta Business Hall of Fame. Other honours include his election as Fellow of America College of Radiology.

Don is an entrepreneur & co-owner of a successful business operating in Southern Alberta with national distribution of birdseed and petfood products.  Don completed his Batchelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan and is registered as a Professional Engineer in Alberta.  He started his career with Procter and Gamble Inc. rising through the ranks of the Engineering and Product Supply organizations in Alberta and Ontario. 

Don is a loving father and a highly valued member of his community, contributing his time to local organizations such as minor hockey, high school organizations and political interests.  When Don is not giving time to his business or community you can find him running, hiking, travelling, and spending time with family and friends.

Sam Jaber is a distinguished entrepreneur, renowned for his leadership as the Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tax Pros Franchise Corporation, a prominent tax filing firm empowering franchisees to build prosperous businesses. With a sharp focus on regulatory compliance and cost-effective strategies, Sam drives efficiency and profitability across franchises, ensuring sustainable growth.

Beyond his role at Tax Pros, Sam is the visionary behind Jaberson & Associates, an esteemed accounting and tax firm headquartered in Edmonton. With extensive experience in the financial sector, Sam has earned acclaim for his commitment to excellence and innovative practices in both ventures.

Sam’s academic journey includes earning a Business Administration and Management degree from Lebanese American University in Beirut, Lebanon. He further honed his expertise with a Diploma in Business Administration (Accounting) and a Bachelor of Applied Business Administration (Accounting) degree from Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.

A dedicated professional, Sam has been an Associate Member of the Association of International Accountants in London, UK, since 2009. Outside his professional sphere, Sam is deeply involved in community engagement, actively contributing to initiatives such as Medical Relief Group Canada and the United We Stand Foundation. He also lends his expertise to political endeavors, reflecting his commitment to driving positive change and making a meaningful impact on society.

In his volunteer capacity, Sam has served various organizations with unwavering dedication.

Ashif Mawji is a serial social entrepreneur, philanthropist, community builder and investor, who has built and sold several enterprises. He presently serves as a Venture Partner at Rising Tide, a San Francisco Bay Area venture capital firm.

A nationally renowned business owner, Mawji is the winner of numerous awards including BDC’s Entrepreneur of the Year and Canada’s Top 40 under 40. He has received Canada’s 50 Best Managed companies award three years in a row. In 2017, Mawji received the Queen’s Golden and Diamond Jubilee medals, as well as the Alberta Centennial Medal. NAIT bestowed him with an Honorary Bachelor of Business Administration the same year.

Mawji is chair of the Edmonton Police Foundation and the Young Presidents’ Organization Alberta. He has served on the boards of Sarah McLachlan School of Music, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation, Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation, Kids Kottage, Edmonton Economic Development Corporation, University Hospital Foundation, Citadel, and Edmonton Opera.

Mawji is also an Honorary Colonel with the Canadian Armed Forces and has been named a Fellow of the Henry Crown Fellowship (Aspen Global Leadership Network) — one of only five Canadians bestowed with this great honour.

Robert Price is a Founder and the CEO of Bōde, an online real estate marketplace that launched in Alberta in 2019 and rapidly expanded to British Columbia and Ontario selling over 1200 homes from homeowners and over 50 builders across Canada. He has brought together a seasoned team that is turning the traditional real estate industry upside down, as one of Calgary’s Top 15 most innovative companies in 2020 and top 50 most promising businesses by Alberta Innovates. Bōde directly connects buyers and sellers to work out a deal with ease while saving 10s of thousands of dollars fully online.

Previously, Robert was a senior executive at telecom leader and disruptor Axia, which provided next-generation fibre-based networks to customers in Canada, the US, France, and Singapore. Robert is also an Advisor to one of Canada’s fastest-growing tech companies Symend and has a land development partnership building high-tech, sustainable communities. As an Avenue Magazine Calgary’s Top 40 Under 40, Robert has a passion for transformational businesses that empower customers with choice through exceptional experiences.

Janet Riopel is the President & CEO of TREYL Communications Inc. She has deep roots in our community and considerable experience in managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects.

Janet’s career has been diverse and fascinating. She honed her skills and experience in the land development industry, with other adventures including working with Canada’s Governor General, the Alberta Government, Katz Group, CAREERS The Next Generation, EPCOR, and Port Alberta. Most recently she was the President & CEO of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce.

Janet is a director on the boards of Melcor Developments, Nearctic Property Group, and Invest Alberta Corporation.  Past service includes roles as board chair of the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation, Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, and Compassion House Foundation.  She was board chair of MacEwan, a board governor of NAIT, campaign chair for United Way, and president of the Urban Development Institute Alberta.

Her community service has brought her much recognition.  She was honoured with both the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal and the Golden Jubilee Medal, has twice been named one of Alberta’s 50 Most Influential People, and was a Global TV Woman of Vision.  Janet has received UDI’s Merit Award and the City of Edmonton’s Outstanding Service Award.  She is a member of the International Women’s Forum and the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Janet is a lifelong Edmontonian with two children and four amazing grandchildren.

Ray Gilmour is Alberta’s Deputy Minister of Executive Council and Secretary to Cabinet. He has served in several deputy minister positions since joining the public service 12 years ago.

Before joining the Alberta government, Gilmour worked for the City of Medicine Hat and spent 15 years in the banking and financial services industry. Gilmour is a CPA and graduated with a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in agriculture.