Governance

RUGBY CANADA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Name	Title	BIO
Kathleen McGinn	Chair	Kathleen is a professor of Governance & Ethics of Data Analytics at the Humber Business School in Toronto, teaches Business Ethics at the Rotman School of Management, and is currently the director of Trustlab, a research + consultancy firm focused on organizational trust. Kathleen is the former Chair of Rugby Ontario and served the board in several roles from 2017 to 2022. Previously, Kathleen co-founded and operated beerbistro – a foodservice enterprise, and established a charitable foundation dedicated to concussion injury recovery education. Kathleen is a former member of the Ottawa Banshees Rugby Club and the University of Ottawa Women’s Rugby Team.
Steve Swaffield	Vice Chair	Steve is an experienced business leader and financier, based in Vancouver, BC. Trained as an engineer, Steve worked as an investment banker for over twenty years with RBC and independently thereafter. He is currently Chair of the board of directors of CDEV, a Federal crown corporation, and sits on the board of Transmountain Corporation and Canada Hibernia Holdings. Steve has been a keen rugby player and supporter, representing Oxford University and Oman . Steve has a MA in Engineering Science and an MBA from INSEAD in France.
Jim Logan	Treasurer	James has been active in the Canadian banking industry for more than 25 years, and has spent the past 20 years working with mid-market businesses in either a senior or junior lending capacity. Since joining CIBC in 2004, James has held a series of increasingly senior roles and was most recently appointed Regional Vice President, CIBC Commercial Banking for the Province of Ontario in May 2013. He is a former director and treasurer of Rugby Ontario and has been a member of Rugby Canada’s Audit & Finance Committee since 2021. James holds both Bachelor of Arts (University of King’s College) and Master of Arts (Dalhousie University) degrees, and graduated with a Master of Business Administration from the Richard Ivey School of Business.
Sandy Donald	Secretary	Sandy Donald has over 45 years experience in rugby as a player, coach, official and administrator, which culminated in six years as president of Rugby Manitoba. Sandy is a great believer in grassroots and development rugby, and has a leadership style of open and honest dialogue. As a past organizer of the quarterly Provincial calls, Sandy has a deep understanding of the game across Canada. He is currently also involved as a World Rugby Match Commissioner where he can be seen pitch-side at the Canada 7s and occasional international match. Donald’s background in farming, finance and business management offers a wide spectrum of experience.
Tara Erskine	Director	Tara is a labour and employment lawyer and partner with the law firm Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark LLP. Based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, she is a member of the Ontario, Alberta and Nova Scotia bars and provides advice to employers across Canada. Tara was named as one of Atlantic Canada’s Most Powerful Women in Business by Atlantic Business magazine in 2023. She is a Certified Human Resources Professional and was named Queen’s Counsel (now K.C.) in 2016. Tara was a founding director of the Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers and has served as a member of the Canadian Human Rights Commission. She played varsity and club rugby in Nova Scotia and Ontario and coaches junior women with Halifax RFC.
David Fortier	Director	David is the Co-Founder and Co-Executive Chairman of Boat Rocker Media, an international media company with over 850 employees with offices in seven international city centres. Prior to launching Boat Rocker Media, David was a lawyer in the Entertainment Group at Goodmans LLP. David was on the Board of Directors for Rugby Ontario 2016-2020 and served as a coach and an Executive Committee member of the Toronto City Youth Rugby Club 2014-2017. He was a member of the Rugby Canada Governance Review Taskforce 2018-2019 and is a current member of the Toronto Arrows Advisory Network. David holds a BA from McGill University and a JD from the University of Toronto.
Sean Hofstetter	Director	Sean lives in Alberta and is a corporate strategist, executive advisor and business partner. He is currently senior business advisor for Teck Resources Limited and founder of Ripple Affect Solutions Inc. Sean has a masters degree from Dalhousie University in Information Management, Library and Information. Sean has been an active volunteer for Rugby Canada, as a member of its Strategic Planning Advisory Group, and played an integral role in the review and recommendations with respect to its high-performance programs in 2022. Sean was former President (2017-2022) and Vice President of Rugby Alberta (2013 – 2017) and was President of Hornets Rugby Football Club (2010-2014).
Karen Paquin	Director	Karen has been representing Canada for the last decade and is a currently an active member of the National Senior Women’s 7s and 15s teams. Karen is from Quebec City, where she obtained her Chemical Engineering Degree from Université Laval. She was a member of the Rugby Canada Hall of Fame 2013 and 2014 Silver Medal Winning Teams at the 7s and 15s Rugby World Cups as well as a Bronze Medallist at the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2015 Rugby Canada 7s Player of the Year. Karen was named 2021 AthletesCAN Rep of the Year and prior to joining the Rugby Canada Board, was a member of the National Senior Women’s Players Committee for five years.
Jebb Sinclair	Director	With 43 Caps for Canada 15’s and two for Canada 7’s, and having been part of two Rugby World Cup campaigns, Jebb Sinclair is one of Canada’s most decorated professional rugby players. He brings a wealth of rugby knowledge based on his playing experience with Canada’s National Team and in the UK Premiership League, as well as international Super Rugby experience winning the 2012 Currie Cup. Off the field, Jebb has excelled in the highly contested Vancouver commercial real estate market, and currently serves on the Meraloma Rugby Club Executive Committee. Jebb was nominated to the Board by the Canadian Rugby Players Association.
Lauren Wolman	Director	Dr. Lauren Wolman, Ph.D., is Manager of Research and Strategic Initiatives, EDI at Centennial College and Director of Up & Under Consulting. Lauren’s sports leadership spans over 25 years, which includes research, advocacy, policy, governance, coaching and administration. Lauren holds a Ph.D. and Masters in Kinesiology and Health Science from York University in the field of sport development and inclusive practices. She has been instrumental in developing women and girl’s rugby programs both in Canada and the UK, and supports various sports organizations throughout Toronto aimed at increasing sport participation, particularly amongst equity-deserving groups. Lauren is Chair of Rugby Canada’s Governance Committee and Chair of the Ethics & Integrity Committee, which provides a multi-faceted ethical lens to assist Rugby Canada with the development of national policies and practices to help foster an environment of accountability, inclusion and safe spaces.
Dara Parker	Director	Dara is a social impact executive with over 20 years' experience leading purpose-driven organizations. She currently serves as the CEO of Toniic, a global communityof private asset owners who are stewarding their wealth and influence in service of a thriving world. She recently served as the Vice-President, Grants and Community Initiatives at the Vancouver Foundation, where she led a team of 26 and was responsible for deploying $50M annually in grants. Previously Dara served as Executive Director of SVP Vancouver and the Executive Director of QMUNITY, BC's Queer, Trans and Two-Spirit Resource Centre. Dara sits on the Board of Forward Global, a network of global philanthropists activating their capital to maximize social impact. A former provincial rugby player, and captain of her University team, Dara is now a superfan who hasn't missed a Vancouver rugby sevens tournament. Dara lives with her partner in Syilx Okanagan territory, and spends her down time chasing her French bulldogs.