Our Board of Directors

Paul the founder of Impakt and a globally recognized authority on the social purpose of business. Paul has helped corporations in Canada and around the world to solve social problems and benefit from doing so. He has also written extensively about business and social change for publications including Advertising Age, Forbes, Financial Post, The Globe and Mail, The Guardian, Stanford Social Innovation Review and the LSE Business Review. In 2019, he founded the Impakt Foundation for Social Change to create pathways to employment for people in need.

Rona Ghanbari is a corporate lawyer practising at Stikeman Elliott LLP. Her legal practice focuses on securities, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, and general corporate and commercial law. Previously, Rona held positions as a legal researcher for the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing, and was a legal intern at SECTION27, a South African constitutional human rights legal centre. Rona is a volunteer with Matthew House Toronto’s Refugee Hearing Program, a program which helps refugees prepare for hearings before the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. Rona currently also serves on the Board of Directors of Young Diplomats of Canada and the Howland Company.

Rem has over 35 years of experience in executive leadership. As CMO for McDonald’s Canada, he directed all marketing and communications, oversaw annual marketing budgets in excess of $100 million and was also the CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities. Rem was part of the team that was responsible for McDonald’s expansion into 19 new countries including its historic entry into the Soviet Union.

Isidora’s passion for female equality as well as sexual and gender minority rights has led her to work with half a dozen transformative justice-driven organizations in Canada, the United States, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. In addition to collaborating with various organizations over the last 5 years, Isidora has also co-founded her own non-profit initiative, Holiday Helpers for the Homeless. HHH addresses the homeless crisis in Toronto by building and distributing care packages to vulnerable youth living on city streets.

Jon is the founder of Packer & Co. a consultancy built around the potential for communications to help organizations achieve meaningful, long-term advantage that is good for their business, their people and for society. He is a published contributor on urban and arts issues, a communications educator and speaker, communications advisor to the Toronto School of Art, a past member of the Board of Directors at the Gardiner Museum, and is currently a member of the Ryerson University ProCom Communications Advisory Council.

As a first generation Canadian, Claudia has a deep appreciation and personal connection to the newcomer journey. For over 20 years, Claudia has led the Marketing for some of Canada’s most well-known brands. From her tenure at IKEA to Petro-Canada, Havas Worldwide to Doner Canada, and Mazda to Honda, Claudia's diverse range of experience in corporate and advertising agencies, has shaped her into the leader she is today. Throughout her career she has valued and championed diversity in the workplace and always found that different perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences are the catalysts for innovation and progress.

Niluka Kottegoda is an empowering leader and avid philanthropist who founded the Dream Chaser Change Maker Foundation; investing in student-entrepreneurs with audacious dreams to change the world. With profound gratitude for her own good fortunes, Niluka continuously seeks opportunities to drive meaningful change. In addition to joining the Impakt Foundation she serves as a board member for GHTK (reducing neonatal and infant mortality) and the Starfish Canada (providing a voice for young environmentalists). Niluka also hosts the "Courage in Action" podcast to help empower women. As an immigrant to Canada herself, she is honoured to be of service to newcomers.

Outside of being a loving son, a dutiful grandson and, a friend, Jash manages the Royal Bank of Canada’s mass-market credit card portfolio and is a co-lead on the RBC Cards, Payments, Loyalty and Transformation D&I committee. He is passionate about aligning the worlds of business and impact. As an immigrant to Canada, he has a first-hand understanding of a newcomer’s experience and brings this lens with him in all spaces of work. A graduate of Western University’s Ivey Business School, Jash has previously led the development of the school's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion onboarding module and written two of the school’s first EDI-centric case studies. In his previous role at the City of London (Ontario), he helped build and implement the city’s civic engagement strategy and continues to find opportunities of impact within and beyond his day job.