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Investors Board of Trustees

Our Board is comprised of highly respected, veteran business leaders across Canada.

Home  >  Investors  >  Board of Trustees

The leading position that we have achieved in a mere twenty years is due in part to the support and guidance we receive from our Board of Trustees and Senior Management. Their vision and values have helped RioCan achieve the success and respect that we are revered for.

Edward Sonshine, O.Ont., K.C., Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of Trustees
RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust

Mr. Sonshine is the Founder and was Chief Executive Officer of RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust until March 31, 2021. Since April 1, 2021, he has served as Non-Executive Chairman of the Trust. Mr. Sonshine is the Chairman of Chesswood Group Limited and a Director of Sinai Health System. He was a Director of Cineplex Inc. from 2010 to May 2020 and a Director of the Royal Bank of Canada from 2008 to 2017. In addition, Mr. Sonshine was Co-Chair of the annual campaign of the United Jewish Appeal and a member of the Top Gifts Cabinet of the United Way. He is also a past Trustee of the International Council of Shopping Centers. Mr. Sonshine is a graduate of the University of Toronto and Osgoode Hall Law School, was appointed Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) in 1983, a member of the Order of Ontario in 2011, and in 2013, he was honoured as Canada’s Outstanding Chief Executive Officer of the Year. In 2022, he was awarded a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from Toronto Metropolitan University and was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Sonshine was inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame in May 2023.

Siim A. Vanaselja, Lead Trustee
Director & Chair of the Board of TC Energy Corporation
Director of Power Corporation
Director of Great-West Lifeco Inc.

Mr. Vanaselja is a Corporate Director who served as the Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer of BCE Inc. and Bell Canada, from 2001 to 2015. Prior to joining BCE Inc., he was a Partner with KPMG Canada in Toronto. Mr. Vanaselja is a director and the Chair of TC Energy Corporation, a director of Power Corporation and a director of Great-West Lifeco Inc. Mr. Vanaselja has been a Trustee of the Trust since May 2017 and was appointed as Lead Trustee in December 2021. Mr. Vanaselja served as a director and Chair of the Audit Committee of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. He also served on the Finance Minister’s Federal Advisory Committee on Financing, Moody’s Council of Chief Financial Officers, the Corporate Executive Board’s Working Council for Chief Financial Officers as well as the Conference Board of Canada’s National Council of Financial Executives. Mr. Vanaselja is a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario, a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors and holds an Honours Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the Schulich School of Business. His community involvement has included Big Brothers Big Sisters, St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation, the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the annual Walk for Kids Help Phone.

  • Nominating and Environmental, Social and Governance Committee (Committee Chair)
  • Audit Committee
  • People, Culture and Compensation Committee

Bonnie Brooks, C.M., Former Executive Chair of the Board of Directors of Chico’s FAS Inc.
Former CEO & President, Hudson’s Bay Company and Chico’s FAS Inc.

Ms. Brooks recently held the position of Executive Chair of the Board of Chico’s FAS Inc., a USA based publicly traded company. She served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Chico’s FAS Inc. from July 2019 until June 2020 and has more than 30 years of experience in the retail sector across all Canadian markets and internationally. From 2008 to 2016, Ms. Brooks held leadership roles at Hudson’s Bay Company including CEO, President and Vice Chair. From 2008 to 2012, she was CEO and President of HBC Canada, from 2012 to 2014, she was President of HBC Canada and USA, and from 2014 to 2016, she served as Vice Chair of Hudson’s Bay Company (Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord and Taylor USA, Kaufhof Germany and Hudson’s Bay Canada). Ms. Brooks has been a Trustee of the Trust since June 2013. From 1997 to 2008, Ms. Brooks served as an executive officer, including as President, of the Lane Crawford Joyce Group based out of Hong Kong with over 500 Asian retail locations. Prior to that, she served as Executive Vice President at Holt Renfrew in Canada. Ms. Brooks is a director of Chico’s FAS Inc., and a former director of Rogers Communications Inc., Abercrombie and Fitch USA, Empire (Sobey's) Ltd. and Indigo Books in Canada. She served on the Federal Finance Minister’s Economic Advisory Board and the Ontario Provincial Jobs and Prosperity Board. Ms. Brooks has a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Western Ontario and holds three honorary Doctorate Degrees. She was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal for her philanthropic work and in 2016 was appointed to the Order of Canada.

  • Nominating and Environmental, Social and Governance Committee
  • Investment Committee

Richard Dansereau, Corporate Director
Senior Vice-President, Investor Relations, Woodbourne Capital Management

Mr. Dansereau has over 35 years of experience in the real estate industry, including currently serving as Senior Vice-President, Investor Relations of Woodbourne Capital Management. Prior to these roles, Mr. Dansereau was President and Global Head of Fiera Real Estate, Managing Director of the Investment Management Division of Stonehenge NYC for 11 years, responsible for asset management and business partnerships and development, and was President of Cadim, the real estate division of Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec for 9 years. Mr. Dansereau has been a Trustee of the Trust since May 2018. Over his career, Mr. Dansereau has been involved in all aspects of real estate in most major markets throughout Canada, USA, Western Europe and Asia. He has served his community through his involvement in charitable organizations that assist children in need.

  • Audit Committee
  • People, Culture and Compensation Committee

Janice Fukakusa, C.M., Chancellor, Toronto Metropolitan University and Corporate Director

Ms. Fukakusa is The Chancellor of Toronto Metropolitan University and a corporate director. She was the Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Royal Bank of Canada, until she retired in January 2017 following a distinguished 31-year career. Ms. Fukakusa currently serves on the boards of a number of corporate and not-for-profit organizations. She was inducted into Canada’s Most Powerful Women Hall of Fame and previously selected as Canada’s CFO of the Year by Financial Executives Canada, PwC and Robert Half. In 2016, she was named one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking by American Banker magazine for the fourth consecutive year and in 2021 was appointed to the Order of Canada. Ms. Fukakusa holds the professional designation of Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant (FCPA and CPA). She obtained a Master of Business Administration from Schulich School of Business, and in 2016 was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from York University.

  • Audit Committee (Committee Chair)
  • People, Culture and Compensation Committee

Jonathan Gitlin, President and Chief Executive Officer
RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust

Jonathan Gitlin is currently President and Chief Executive Officer of RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust. Mr. Gitlin succeeded Edward Sonshine effective April 1st, 2021. Concurrently with Mr. Gitlin’s appointment to the role of CEO, he was also appointed as a Trustee. Mr. Gitlin has held various positions within RioCan since joining in 2005, most recently as President and Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining RioCan, he was a real estate lawyer at McCarthy Tétrault LLP from 1999 to 2005. Mr. Gitlin graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1998. He completed the CEO Academy Program with Wharton University Executive Education in 2022. Mr. Gitlin is active in the community and among other engagements, is currently a Director of Sinai Health Foundation and the Real Property Association of Canada (RealPAC).

Marie-Josée Lamothe, President of Tandem International and Corporate Director

Ms. Lamothe is the President of Tandem International and a corporate director. She currently sits as a director on the board of Alimentation Couche-Tard. She has over 25 years of experience in the competitive digital and consumer products world (Google, L’Oréal, Procter & Gamble). Ms. Lamothe is best noted for her expertise in Global Branding and Digital Transformation. From 2014 to 2018, she acted as Managing Director at Google Canada where she helped brands and retailers harness the best of technology to grow their business in Canada and internationally. Ms. Lamothe also held several executive positions at L’Oréal between 2002 and 2014, from International Marketing Director in France to Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Corporate Communications Officer in Canada. She was also appointed to the 2017 Advisory Council on Economy and Innovation for the Government of Quebec and was a Member of Canada 150 Research Chairs Multidisciplinary Review Panel which aims to award research chair positions to Canadian universities and enhance Canada’s reputation as a global center for science, research and innovation excellence. Ms. Lamothe is a Professor of Practice at McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management and is an active member with various associations in the field. She is a graduate of Mathematics & Economics with honors from the University of Montreal and from INSEAD's L'Oreal's Executive Management program, with program certifications from MIT Sloan & MIT CSAIL Artificial Intelligence: AI Implications for Business Strategy (2020), from Saïd Business School, Oxford University in Cybersecurity for Business Leaders (2021), and from NASBA (National Association of State Boards of Accountancy) in Assessing Cybersecurity Risks (2021). In 2023, she earned a Professional Designation in regulatory standards of environmental, social, and governance (ESG): GCB.D.

  • Nominating and Environmental, Social and Governance Committee
  • Investment Committee

Dale H. Lastman, C.M., O.Ont., Chair and Partner, Goodmans LLP

Mr. Lastman is the Chair of Goodmans LLP. He practices corporate, commercial and securities law and provides counsel in connection with public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, as well as business restructurings. He is a Director of MLSE Ltd. and an Alternate Governor for the NHL and NBA. He previously served as Chair of the Board of Governors of the CFL and currently serves as the Governor representing the Toronto Argonauts. He has extensive experience on corporate boards and currently sits on the Board of Directors of Roots Corporation in addition to RioCan, where he has been a trustee of the Trust since 2004. He is actively involved in community and charitable organizations and is a Director and former Chair of Baycrest Health Sciences and a Honorary Trustee of the Hospital for Sick Children. Mr. Lastman is a Member of the Order of Canada and Order of Ontario and an Honorary Captain of the Royal Canadian Navy. He has been awarded the rank of an Honorary Detective by the Toronto Police Service and an Honorary Big by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto. He is recognized among Toronto’s 50 Most Influential People by Toronto Life and as a leading lawyer in numerous publications around the world.

Jane Marshall, Trustee, Plaza Retail REIT
Trustee, BSR REIT
Former COO Choice Properties REIT

Jane Marshall has more than 30 years of experience in real estate management, particularly with food and retail companies. Ms. Marshall has been a Trustee of Riocan since 2015 and Chair of the Investment Committee since 2017. In 2019, she was appointed to the board of Plaza Retail REIT and in 2022 she was appointed to the board of BSR REIT. Ms. Marshall spent the majority of her career in various senior leadership roles at Loblaw Companies Ltd./Weston Foods including Chief Operating Officer of Choice Properties REIT and Executive Vice President of Loblaw Properties and Business Strategy. At Loblaw, Ms. Marshall was responsible for the acquisition, development, construction and management of its portfolio of more than 65 million square feet of owned retail, warehouse and office space as well as its leased locations. She also initiated/led several strategic initiatives including the redevelopment of Maple Leaf Gardens, the acquisition of T&T Supermarkets and the IPO of Choice Properties REIT. Most recently, Ms. Marshall was the CEO of GoodLeaf Farms, where she led the development of the company’s first automated vertical farm, and the sale of a minority interest to a multinational food company in 2019. Ms. Marshall holds the ICD.D designation of the Institute of Corporate Directors.

  • People, Culture and Compensation Committee (Committee Chair)
  • Nominating and Environmental, Social and Governance Committee
  • Investment Committee

Guy Metcalfe, Corporate Director

Mr. Metcalfe has over 30 years of experience in the capital markets, banking and real estate industries. He joined Morgan Stanley in 1990 and was a member of the Investment Bank’s Executive Committee and led its Real Estate Investment Banking business for over two decades, serving most recently as Global (Executive) Chairman, until his retirement on January 31, 2024. During his time at Morgan Stanley, Mr. Metcalfe advised clients on over $850 billion of transactions. Mr. Metcalfe has been a Trustee of the Trust since February 1, 2024. Throughout his career, he has dedicated his time to numerous charitable causes and currently serves on the Board of the Child Mind Institute, an independent non-profit organization dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders. Mr. Metcalfe holds an Honours B.A. in Business Administration from the Ivey Business School at Western University.

  • Investment Committee
  • People, Culture and Compensation Committee

Charles Winograd, President, Winograd Capital Inc.

Mr. Winograd is President of Winograd Capital Inc., an external consulting and private investment firm. Mr. Winograd retired from RBC Capital Markets in December 2008, where he was Deputy Chairman from 1996 to 1998, President and Chief Operating Officer from 1998 to 2001, and President, or Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer from 2001 to 2008. Mr. Winograd began his career at Richardson Securities in 1971 as an investment analyst and had several progressively senior positions with Richardson Greenshields and predecessor companies, becoming President and Chief Executive Officer in 1987 and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in 1991 until it merged into RBC Dominion Securities in 1996. Mr. Winograd is Director and Chairman of TMX Group Limited, Director of James Richardson and Sons Limited and KEV Group and Lead Director of Spin Master Corporation. Mr. Winograd is a Director of Sinai Health System. He is also a Management Advisor with RP Investment Advisors and was on the Advisory Council for Promoting Women on Boards. Mr. Winograd has been a Trustee of the Trust since February 2009. Mr. Winograd is past Chairman of the Investment Dealers Association of Canada. Mr. Winograd received his MBA from the University of Western Ontario in 1971 and earned a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 1979.

  • Investment Committee (Committee Chair)
  • Audit Committee

Communicating with the Board of Trustees

If you are interested in communicating directly with the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, please email chair@riocan.com.