About Us

As Senior Investment Counsellor for RBC PH&N Investment Counsel, Janet provides comprehensive discretionary investment management for high net worth clients and their families, corporations, foundations and endowment funds throughout Canada, U.S. and abroad. Janet joined RBC in 1991, holds a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is a certified Personal Financial Planner.

She is an active member of the Ottawa community, supporting various charities, in particular as Co-Chair for the President’s Breakfast for the Ottawa Hospital Foundation. She sits on the board of the Ottawa Community Foundation and is a member of the Women for Mental Health, a philanthropic program that supports the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health, as well as the International Women’s Forum. When not spending time with her husband and four children, Janet enjoys running, travel, golf and music. She earned her music degree from the University of Ottawa.

Denise Carruthers, PhD., is an active member of the Ottawa community, and a long-time supporter of the Ottawa Hospital. She is a founding partner of The Permedia Research Group, an Ottawa-based petroleum exploration software company, sold to a Fortune 200 company in 2010.

A scientist and philanthropist, Denise was a Founding Board member of the Alexandria Archive Institute, honoured as a Champion of Change in Open Science at the White House in 2013. Locally, Denise is Vice Chair of Elmwood School Board of Governors, a member of the Executive Committee and is Chair of Elmwood’s Development Committee.

Denise received a Doctoral Degree in Archaeology from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

She was awarded the Prestigious Overseas Research Scholarship from the United Kingdom and a Carnegie Scholarship from The Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland to complete her Doctoral Research. She was also awarded a Postdoctoral Honorary Research Fellowship from the University of Liverpool’s Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology.

“As a long-time supporter of the Ottawa Hospital, it is an honour to be part of The Ottawa Hospital Foundation Board, and to have an opportunity to give back to this world-class research and health institution in a meaningful way.”

Brian Cook is a Senior Operating Partner at Brookfield Renewable, which owns and operates hydro-electric, wind and solar assets and provides decarbonization services across five continents. Prior to joining Brookfield in 2008, Brian held senior finance and investment positions at a major Canadian mutual fund company.  He and his family has lived in Ottawa for the last 25 years.

Brian holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Guelph, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CA. CPA). He is also member of The Ottawa Hospital Foundation investment committee and was previously on investment committee for the Terry Fox Foundation.

Kevin was born and raised in Ottawa and believes it to be one of the best cities in the world to live, work, and play. A vibrant community needs access to world-class healthcare, and after many interactions with The Ottawa Hospital through family, friends, and personally, Kevin has always been impressed with the quality of care and the compassion of the staff. Kevin views his Board of Directors role as an opportunity to give back and be a proactive member of a team working to ensure Ottawa will have "freaking awesome" health care services for the community in both the short and long term.

Tom Froggatt joined the Mint as Chief Commercial Officer in August 2019, following the merger of the VP Marketing and VP Sales positions. 

Prior to joining the Mint, Mr. Froggatt spent five years with car rental giant Hertz Canada as Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and also acted as executive marketing consultant for the CEO of Hertz Global Holdings for 2 years in the United States. He has 12 years of experience at Canada Post where he held roles leading retail merchandising and store design, retail products and services, and government affairs. Earlier in his career, Mr. Froggatt worked in various senior sales and marketing roles in the consumer packaged goods manufacturing and retail industries. 

Mr. Froggatt is a graduate of Business Administration – Marketing from Fleming College, Intensive French at McGill University, and the Executive Business Program at Queen's University. 

Sarah is a real estate advisor at Engel & Volkers, one of the world’s leading service companies specializing in the brokerage of premium residential properties. Prior to joining E&V, Sarah enjoyed a decade long career at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) in the areas of Communications and Corporate Relations. This experience provided Sarah with an exceptional understanding of the housing industry and its trends.

A long-standing community volunteer with deep roots in Ottawa, Sarah has worked with many charitable organizations including the Caring and Sharing Exchange and the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa. She also helped launch the Can’t Dim My Light project, a charity created by Erik and Melinda Karlsson to help eradicate bullying in schools. Most recently, she joined the Board of Directors of the Ottawa Hospital Foundation and is proudly serving as co-chair of the President’s Breakfast.

In her spare time she is a fitness enthusiast and avid reader. Sarah, her husband and their two children call Westboro home.

Taryn Gunnlaugson is a dedicated wealth professional with more than 30 years of experience in building client trust and caring for generations of family wealth.

Taryn is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Certified Financial Panner (CFP) and excels at her role as an Investment Counsellor. Taryn has been with BMO for over 30 years. Taryn is responsible for designing customized discretionary investment portfolios and for providing financial planning solutions to private clients, endowments and trusts throughout the Ottawa area.

In the local community Taryn has been an active supporter of many local charities. Taryn was with the Snowsuit Fund of Ottawa for over 14 years. She served as the Chair and a board member and in 2021 stepped down but remains active with the Fund. In 2022 Taryn lost her father to Cancer and his last 3 months were spent at the Ottawa Hospital. The care and compassion her father and entire family received during that period was second to none and Taryn will always be grateful to Ottawa Hospital. In 2023 Taryn Joint the Investment Committee of the Ottawa Hospital Foundation as a volunteer. Taryn is honoured to be joining the Board of Directors of the Ottawa Hospital Foundation.

Taryn lives with her partner Dean, and her three teenage stepchildren. They are constantly out and about, staying active by skiing, golfing, swimming, hiking and challenging each other to a game of tennis. They all have itchy feet to travel and love to plan a few new adventures each year.

Prior to his retirement, Mr. Jones was CFO of Shopify Inc. He joined Shopify in early 2011 and took them public in May 2015. Mr. Jones has also held senior executive roles at a number of companies including Mitel Corporation, Newbridge Networks, Watchfire, Quake Technologies. He also co-founded a CFO advisory firm focused on earlier stage technology companies. Mr. Jones is a director of CPA Ontario and Sierra Wireless. He is a CPA, CA and holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from Carleton University and an ICD.D certification from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng is the Department Head of Critical Care at The Ottawa Hospital. He dedicates his time to care for the sickest of the sick patients in the intensive care unit (ICU).  As a researcher, he is interested in using ICU resources more efficiently and improving access to palliative care in the ICU. To help do this, he founded the Resource Optimization Network, a multidisciplinary research group working to reduce health spending in this area without compromising care. In September 2019 Dr. Kyeremanteng launched his ever-growing podcast “Solving Healthcare with Kwadwo Kyeremanteng”. These podcasts feature interviews and discussions on the topic of improving healthcare delivery in Canada. Underpinned by the values of cost-effectiveness, dignity, and justice, these podcasts will challenge the status quo, leaving no stone unturned as we explore gaps, assumptions, and different perspectives in the pursuit of finding solutions to problems in Canada’s healthcare system. During the COVID 19 pandemic, Dr. Kyeremanteng created ‘Solving Wellness’ a virtual health & wellness platform for health care professionals. ‘Solving Wellness’ has been helping to address health care burnout and providing health, fitness, and self care for its members. In 2023 Dr. Kyeremanteng became a first-time author with his book “Unapologetic Leadership”. He has recently been asked to join the Board of Directors of The Ottawa Hospital Foundation. Dr. Kyeremanteng is passionate about the impact that the Foundation has on our community. He also wants to play a key role in support of our new civic campus that will be state of the art and utilized by generations to come.

The Ottawa Hospital is an integral function of the community and, in one way or another, most residents have had a connection to the compassionate, high-quality care that it provides. As an Ottawa resident, Mike McGahan has always had a great appreciation for The Ottawa Hospital and looks forward to helping this great institution.  

Mike is a graduate of the University of Ottawa and has been a licensed real estate agent and mortgage broker for over 30 years with extensive real estate experience in operating multi-residential apartment and commercial properties, allowing him to understand various communities and their desires. From his professional experience, Mike understands the significance of giving back and is committed to community service and involvement. Philanthropy is in Mike’s nature and he is humbled to hold a position with the board in the hopes of making a difference within the community and surrounding areas. Mike looks forward to the future and is grateful to be a part of the Foundation and to give back to our community.  

Born and raised in the Ottawa area, Mychelle has a deep connection to the city and to the Ottawa Hospital. She had first hand experience with the excellent and compassionate care the hospital provides when she spent weeks in the Civic campus having Harrington rod spinal surgery as a tween and through the numerous orthopedic surgeries she had throughout her life. But it wasn’t until she attended her first President’s Breakfast that she also became aware of, and interested in, the hospital's world-class research. 

Professionally, Mychelle has held executive positions at Klipfolio, IBM, Cognos, and Solace. Currently she is the Chief Marketing Officer of an Ottawa-based tech startup called Knak.  

Mychelle has a degree in Engineering Geophysics from Queen’s University. Outside of work, Mychelle loves doing anything outside, particularly kayaking, hiking and cycling.  

Ryma Nasrallah is a Partner in the Ottawa office of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP and a member of the Tax, Corporate Commercial, Private Client Planning, and Charities and Not-for-Profit Law Groups.

She regularly advises registered charities and non-profit organizations on the income tax implications of their transactions and activities and is frequently involved in the establishment of charitable organizations and foundations. Ryma is currently the Secretary of the CBA Charities and Not-for-Profit Law Section and a Member of the Executive of the OBA Charities and Not-for-Profit Law Section.

Ryma also advises private clients, trusts, and closely-held private companies on tax-related matters such as corporate reorganizations, estate-planning transactions, post-mortem transactions, tax dispute resolution, and voluntary disclosures.

Ryma is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Ontario Bar Association and Canadian Bar Association, and the County of Carleton Law Association. She holds a LLB from the University of Ottawa, where she also completed a B.Comm.

Relevant experience

Mark is a Vice Chair of Deloitte and a senior partner based in the Ottawa office. He has held a number of roles within Deloitte, most recently as the Managing Partner of the Ottawa office. Mark is a member of the Canadian Tax Foundation, the Canadian Securities Institute, and the Canadian Association of Certified Financial Planner and has written numerous tax articles and taught at tax courses presented by the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants and within Deloitte. In 2019, Mark was recognized in the Expert Guides, the world’s finest advisors as chosen by their peers.

Mark has a long history of supporting the local community. In addition to volunteering as a table captain for The Ottawa Hospital Foundation President’s Breakfast, Mark has also spent several years coaching minor hockey, volunteering for the Boys and Girls Club charity breakfast, and has been an active member of the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group community cabinet.

In his spare time, Mark is a sports enthusiast who enjoys golfing, cycling, and hockey. He and wife Jenny are the proud parents of three sons Connor, Nicholas, and Clark.

Former Ambassador Nadir Patel is a Management Consultant and Corporate Director. He currently serves as Senior Strategic Advisor at global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, managing director at Fairfax Consulting Services, and strategic advisor to the President of Huron University at Western. In addition to The Ottawa Hospital Foundation Board, Mr. Patel concurrently serves on the Board of Directors of Canadian Tire Corporation where he also chairs the Audit Committee, as well as Board Chairman at Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities.

Prior to his current roles, Mr. Patel held several senior government positions over a distinguished career in Canada’s public service. Most recently, he served as Canada’s High Commissioner for the Republic of India, with concurrent accreditation as Canada’s Ambassador to Nepal, and Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bhutan until 2021. He also previously served as Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Financial Officer for Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development and as Canada’s Consul General in Shanghai. He brings a wealth of experience in strategic planning, finance, human resources, risk management, information technology, procurement, and international relations, and has served on the Boards of several public, private, crown corporations, and not-for-profit organizations.

Mr. Patel holds a joint MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business, London School of Economics and Political Science, and HEC (Paris) School of Management.

Ross is a portfolio manager and investment advisor at CIBC Wood Gundy. He advises affluent investors, corporations, and institutions on long-term investment strategies, wealth, estate planning, and retirement planning. Ross holds a B.Comm from Queen’s University, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation from the CFA Institute, and has been working in the investment management industry since 1997. Ross is a member of both the CFA Institute and the Ottawa Society of Financial Analysts. Ross is actively involved in the community and sits on the boards of Club Mont Ste. Marie, Ski for Kids and The Ottawa Hospital Foundation.

"My father served as a board member of either the CHEO Foundation or The Ottawa Hospital Foundation for his entire professional career. Giving back was just something I grew up knowing I had to do. I have lived in Ottawa for most of my life and The Ottawa Hospital has been there when I needed it most. I was born there, my daughter was born there, and my father beat cancer there. I have a lot to be thankful for and that is why I give back."

Tim is a finance executive with approximately 35 years of international experience in public companies and private equity-backed start-ups. More recently, Tim was the EVP & CFO of Canopy Growth Corporation from its early days to May 2019 when he decided to retire. Since then, Tim has led a publicly listed SPAC through to a successful business combination.

Over Tim’s career, he has raised over $8 billion in corporate financings and directed almost 40 M&A transactions, and led historic listings on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), including rankings on the S&P/TSX 60 Index and the number one position on the TSX30. Prior to joining Canopy Growth, Tim held executive finance positions at Mitel, Zarlink Semiconductor, Vodafone (UK/Czech Republic), and Oskar Mobil (Czech Republic). Tim was awarded the Fellow distinction by the Chartered Professional Accountants Institute of Canada (FCPA, FCA).

In addition to The Ottawa Hospital Foundation Board and Finance Committee, Tim also serves on the Elmwood School Board of Directors and Finance Committee and the Board of Invert, Inc. and also serves as Audit Chair. Tim earned his CPA, CA with PricewaterhouseCoopers and is a proud graduate of Bishop’s University where he obtained his BBA. Tim also earned an executive certificate from the Ivey Business School at Western University and is a holder of the Institute of Corporate Directors Director designation (ICD.D).

Julie is the President of Taggart Realty Management, which operates within the broader Taggart Group of Companies.

After completing her Undergraduate Degree in Business at Bishop's University, Julie joined the Taggart Group in 2000 and has progressed in her career, gaining skills and industry knowledge during her 20 years of Real Estate experience. She oversees the Leasing, Asset Management, and Property Management divisions, and is involved in all new development projects for Taggart Realty Management.

Over the years, Julie has developed strong and productive relationships with key national retailers and investors. Taggart Realty Management boasts a substantial portfolio and currently holds more than three million square feet of commercial space and more than 600 residential units.

Julie has been personally affected by cancer and the support and care her family received during a difficult time was exceptional.  Julie feels that by being on The Ottawa Hospital Foundation board she can support the further development of an incredible team to ensure that all patients received the best care possible.