Board of Directors Biographies
Sarah Adams
As Regional Vice President, Sarah leads the Halton South Market with overall responsibility for providing service to personal and small business clients in 15 retail branches with over 250 employees, including financial planning, small business, mortgage specialists and investment retirement planners in the Town of Oakville and City of Burlington.
Responsibilities include providing a superior client experience, increasing market share and driving revenue growth along with community involvement.
Ms. Adams joined RBC in 1996 in London, Ontario holding numerous sales and service roles. She went on to work in a variety of positions prior to her promotion to Regional Vice President in 2007 including holding positions such as Manager, Financial Planning, Senior Manager, Sales Support and Head of Sales Strategy, National Office, before rising to her current position of Regional Vice President.
Ms. Adams holds a Masters Business Administration degree from Dalhousie University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Western Ontario, London and also holds the Personal Financial Planning and the Specialist, Trust Institute designations.
Ms. Adams has recently moved to Oakville with her husband and young daughter. When they are not in Oakville enjoying the community, they are at their vacation home at Big Bay Point, Lake Simcoe.
Sharon Aitken
In 2000, Sharon joined the Business Development department of Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning and managed key business partnerships with existing and new major product suppliers.eg. IBM, Cisco, Telus, Panavision, Fuji, Sony. In 2001, Sharon received the Oakville Economic Development Alliance Award of Appreciation in recognition of her assistance and support of Oakville’s Economic Development Program. In 2002, Sharon received an award of appreciation for her contribution to Sheridan’s Media Arts program in their successful acquisition of a new Digital Production Facility.
In 2003, Sharon was the Project Lead for the creation of a new Digital Media incubator on the Sheridan campus that today houses one of Canada’s leading animation studios. In 2004, Sharon officially joined Sheridan’s fund raising team and provided the leadership for many new initiatives, including the outreach and stewardship with Sheridan’s animation graduates in California. Sharon has been successful in negotiating millions of dollars in support for Sheridan and along with her staff, is directly responsible for the alumni relations for Sheridan’s 105,000 alumni; annual giving; awards solicitations; and Sheridan’s annual Big Picture Gala.
Aby Alameddine
Aby Alameddine is Co-Founder of Core Marketing Strategies. He graduated from the Michael G. DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University in 1997 with a Master of Business Administration. Aby has also earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA™) designation. Core Marketing Strategies was established in 2005 to help small and mid-sized businesses grow by making marketing a discipline in their business.
Prior to co-founding Core Marketing, Aby was a senior analyst in the Toronto Financial sector and owned and operated a property management company in Hamilton, Ontario. Aby has been directly involved with the launch of several new businesses including BMO Life, the Bank of Montreal’s life insurance subsidiary. He’s worked with Pepsi Cola Canada, Hewlett-Packard, and Corel Corporation in both marketing and finance roles.Through Core Marketing Strategies, Aby has helped small and midsized companies in varied industries including healthcare, service, technology, manufacturing and retail grow their business and achieve predictable and sustainable results.
Aby is currently the Immediate Past Chair of the Board of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce and is actively involved with the local business community.In addition to his business activities, Aby is an active military officer with a reserve combat engineering regiment in Toronto. He joined the Canadian Forces in 2003. Aby lives in Oakville with his wife Tasleem and their two boys.
Mark Brown
Mark has been active in the Oakville community for the last 30 years including terms as the president of the Glen Abbey Residents Association and six years as a Town Councillor for Ward 4.
Mark graduated from the University of Toronto with an honours degree in History and Political Science. After a successful career in sales, sales management and as an executive in telecommunications and software, Mark started a new career in real estate with a focus on commercial properties. Mark is associated with Coldwell Banker Commercial Integrity Real Estate. He currently provides real estate services to clients in the Oakville, Brampton, and Mississauga areas, as well as the Niagara Penninsula.
In addition to his role as Chair of the Board of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce, Mark is the Patrol Leader of the Mansfield Ski Patrol and an instructor trainer for the Canadian Ski Patrol Association – Central Zone. Photography and technology are his hobby and passions – particularly sports photography. Mark, his wife Heidi, and their two teenage children live in Oakville.
Kerry Colborne
Kerry Colborne is a seasoned business executive with international experience gained through a long career in the finance, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. Specific roles include Managing Director (CEO) of New Zealand and Global Marketing Director (in both Lyon, France and Duluth, Georgia) for Merial a leading company in the animal health sector.
More recently, she played a role in supporting small and medium sized businesses in the Oakville and Burlington area by providing financing as a Senior Manager of Loans with the Business Development Bank of Canada. Finally, she has returned to her entrepreneurial roots by working full time for her own company, Force 10 Capital Management Inc., which she established in 2007.
Upon returning to Canada in 2005 she made it her mission to give back to the community and has done so by becoming a Big Sister (though her “Little” just turned 19!), participating as a Judge for the Oakville Awards for Business Excellence, and recently joined the Board of the Oakville Arts Council.
In her spare time she is an avid sailor, soccer player and art collector.
Julia Hanna
“Family is whoever sits around the dinner table”
This has been Julia’s lifelong philosophy regarding her friends, family and business practices spanning 30 years as a successful chef and restaurateur. Julia’s lifelong love affair with food stems from a strong Italian upbringing that embodied the belief that everyone is welcome at the table.
She started her first restaurant, Café Galleria in Downtown Oakville, at the age of 26. In 1993, she opened Paradiso. After its sale in 2000, she went on to open Ristorante Julia, which embodies her philosophy that “one should never sacrifice taste for nutrition or nutrition for taste, one can have it all”. Julia’s features a blend of Italian and Latin cuisine called “Lataliano”. Her latest restaurant venture is Ritorno, which features authentic Italian fare. Her successful restaurants have garnered several awards and recognitions including Entrepreneur of the Year, Restaurant of the Year, Most Attentive Owner, to name but a few. Julia’s passion for fresh, authentic, healthy and delicious food is the driving force behind her success. Julia’s newest undertaking is her not-for-profit initiative, Kids Culinary Community. Julia’s passion for families, food and love is embodied through a hands-on program dedicated to empowering children through the knowledge of food.
Elaine Holding
As Director of Client Services and Business Development, Elaine Holding brings expertise that is critical in supporting SB Partners’ commitment to client-service excellence. Elaine has an impressive track record in economic development in the public and private sectors. She has a respected reputation in the Halton business community, and is well-versed in industry trends, workforce development issues, venture capital and government programs.
Elaine is involved in a number of organizations. In addition to being a proud member of the Oakville Chamber’s Board of Directors, she is Chair of the Halton Apprenticeship Advisory Council, a Board member of the Golden Horseshoe Biosciences Network, Board member of The Centre for Skills Development and Training. She is the former Co-Chair of the Golden Horseshoe Materials and Manufacturing Network and also involved with the organization of Innovation Night, a grassroots initiative providing a forum for entrepreneurs or inventors with new ideas and products.
Steve Howse
An adjunct professor at the DeGroote School of Business, Steve teaches business strategy and business-to-business marketing for the Bachelor of Commerce and MBA programs. Steve is also a guest lecturer for the MBA level Corporate Reputation & Brand Management and Crisis Management & Communications courses. After completing his Chartered Director Certification in January 2007 Steve subsequently joined the faculty of the Directors College and lead a module on IT Strategy and the risks associated with it.
Steve graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce from McMaster University in 1988. Steve then embarked on a highly successful nation-wide sales career in the telecom industry,supporting clients in Canada, the United States, Europe, Scandinavia, and Australia. By 1993, Steve was promoted to his first management role and over the next 12 years held progressively more senior roles with both start-up organizations (TMI and Maxlink) and large corporations (Ericsson and TELUS). Steve's areas of responsibility in management included sales, product marketing, marketing communications, distribution, customer service and service delivery.
Steve believes in giving back to the community and is the: Chairman of the Board for the Canadian Football Hall of Fame,a past member of the Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Halton Board of Directors,Director for the Oakville Chamber of Commerce and on the Leadership Council with McMaster Children’s Hospital Foundation. Steve is married to Jen and they have two daughters (Cassandra and Sarena). With what little free time is left, I enjoy playing hockey and golf.
Caroline Hughes
CAROLINE HUGHES is the Director of Government Relations at Ford Motor Company of Canada, Ltd., where she and her staff conduct strategic analyses and dialogue with all levels of government regarding public policy and economic issues of importance to Ford of Canada and the Canadian vehicle industry. Ms. Hughes is also responsible for developing Ford of Canada's long-range forecasts for new vehicle sales in Canada, and for tracking and reporting Canadian economic trends to senior management.
In addition to her Government Relations responsibilities, Ms. Hughes works with Ford's US manufacturing and product teams on strategic issues involving Ford's Canadian manufacturing operations. Ms. Hughes was part of the Ford team that developed the project to convert Ford's Oakville Assembly Plant into a world-class flexible assembly plant, and a member of the team that is presently working to convert Ford's Essex Engine Plant into a flexible engine manufacturing facility. Ms. Hughes also led the Canadian efforts to develop a Canadian demonstration project for 10 Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine Shuttle buses.
Ms. Hughes has more than 20 years experience with Ford of Canada, having worked in several capacities within Ford's Finance and Canadian Vehicle Sales Division. Ms Hughes holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Michael's College, University of Toronto and an M.B.A. (Finance) from the Schulich School of Business, York University.
Sonny Jelinek
Sonny, along with his brother Jay, has been at the helm of Jelinek Cork Group since the late 1990's. Determined to continue the success of the four generations prior to them, they have taken the 150 year old family business to new and innovative successes.
One of their early initiatives was to oversee the implementation of the company's historic retail showroom, The Cork House, and integration of the company's online business. Under their leadership, Jelinek Cork’s reputation as a well known proponent of renewable and sustainable materials, has grown. An expert on cork and sustainability, Sonny’s opinion has been sought by many international media outlets including the Wall Street Journal, Moneyline, and the National Post.
After graduating with a degree in corporate communication, Sonny founded an Internet company in the days before e-mail became a commonplace tool. He has briefly lived in London, New York, and San Diego and travels extensively. Sonny’s experience allows him to offer a global perspective on local issues.
Sonny and his wife Michelle participate in a local program that provides housing in Oakville for transitional living recipients. Their ongoing donation of a home is in recognition of those who make an effort, and the belief that a helping hand is sometimes all that is needed to get back up.
As well as their commitment to philanthropy, Sonny and Michelle enjoy Canadian art and their unruly dogs. Sonny, still a “techie” at heart, spends his spare time “twittering” and surfing the Internet for fun and innovative ideas that will help shape the future.
Orla Johnston
Orla Johnston is the President of SOCS Retail Solutions Inc., an award-winning, full service marketing and advertising agency located in Oakville. She holds an Hons.BA Geography (Urban Development) from the University of Western Ontario. Her business expertise is concentrated in marketing, new business development and advertising. Prior to her work at SOCS Retail Solutions, Orla held management and senior management positions with Kyocera Wireless, Qualcomm International, Bell Distribution Inc, Bell Mobility, Granada Canada, Panasonic and Compusearch Market Research. In addition to her directorship with the Oakville Chamber of Commerce she also sits on the Board of Directors at the Royal Botanical Gardens.
Cameron D. Neil
A lawyer with the law firm Feltmate Delibato Heagle LLP, Cam’s practice is strictly focused on civil litigation, including contract and construction disputes, estate litigation, consumer protection, commercial litigation, collections, torts, product liability, and landlord and tenant disputes.
In addition to his directorship with the Oakville Chamber of Commerce, Cam volunteers his time as pro bono legal counsel to local not-for-profits and charitable organizations.
He is a member of the Advocates’ Society, the Ontario Bar Association, the Ontario Trial Lawyers’ Association and the law associations of both Halton and Hamilton, and he is pleased to live and work in Oakville.
Ken Nevar
Ken is the Executive Vice President of Cooper Construction Limited. Founded in Hamilton, Ontario in 1905, Cooper had a long history as a family-owned general contractor constructing institutional and commercial buildings in both the public and private sectors.
Ken joined Cooper Construction in 1979 and has played a pivotal role in transforming the company into one of the leading design builders and industrial land developers in the GTA. In recent years, the company has earned an enviable reputation based on its diverse experience, versatility and management depth which have enabled it to successfully complete over 300 design build projects for a long list of corporate clients and tenants. The company acquires and develops its own industrial lands, principally in the western GTA, to serve as a platform for its design build projects and to offer tenants and clients a single-source project delivery capability. The company has developed industrial parks in most municipalities in the western GTA including Brampton, Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington and Milton.
Wendy Rinella
Wendy Rinella is the Vice President of Corporate Affairs at First Canadian Title, a proud Oakville company and the largest provider of title insurance in Canada. Wendy also serves as the Vice President of Public Affairs for the Title Insurance Industry Association of Canada. In the past Wendy has served on the Boards of the Responsible Gambling Council, the Arthritis Society (Ontario), the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, the 4-H Society, Stop 103 a Toronto food bank, the Advisory Committee of the Consumer’s Council of Canada and she has been a Big Sister. Wendy lives in West Oak Trails with her husband, Peter and daughter Katerina (Katie) and is thrilled to be a member of the board of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce.
Peter Turkington
Peter Turkington is a partner in Strategic Communications Solutions (SCS), a public relations agency specializing in getting organizations in the news. Throughout 12 years in the public relations industry, Peter has performed public relations services for many companies, community groups and charitable organizations, including: Regional Municipality of Halton (production of yearly economic survey), Tim Hortons (internal communications and corporate training), Waste Management of Canada (communications consultant), World Vision Canada (communications consultant), numerous downtown Toronto public relations agencies (communications consultant).
SCS helps clients develop and communicate the messages needed to build visibility and credibility for their business. The goal is to ensure that media outlets view the companies we work with as experts in their respective fields.
Through its network of experts, SCS offers over 50 years of communication/public relations experience. As a result, SCS combines current knowledge of the industry and its trends with a wealth of seasoned expertise. This allows SCS to offer communication solutions that help organizations differentiate themselves from the competition.
Peter currently represents SCS as a member of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and co-chairs the Chamber’s Marketing Committee.
Barry Wylie
Born in Winnipeg before colour television, personal computers and cell phones, Barry along with his pharmacist wife Angie, has lived in Oakville since 1977.
With 13 years in public practice with Price Waterhouse and 22 years in the corporate accounting and finance field, he has a firm grasp on a wide range of business needs including budgeting, cash flow projections, accounting policies, internal controls, reporting, etc. He can also instantly spot spelling errors, missing or superfluous punctuation marks, grammatical errors and the irritating misuse of i.e., e.g., its and it’s! Critiquing web sites is a minor hobby.
A greater than normal interest in wine has designated him unofficially as the Chamber’s oenophile.
President of the not-for-profit Canadian Club of Halton Peel, presenting seven guest speaker dinners each year on a wide range of subjects, and former Treasurer of the charitable Bronte Butterfly Foundation, Barry has been nominated twice for the Oakville Community Spirit Awards.