The BlackNorth Initiative Announces Newly Appointed Members to the Board of Directors

TORONTO , January 26 /Businesswire/ - The BlackNorth Initiative is proud to announce the addition of four new directors to its board, who through their collective experience further deepen the expertise of the BlackNorth Initiative to create the right policies and oversight needed to dismantle anti-Black systemic racism in Canada.

The newly added members to the BlackNorth Initiative Board of Directors include:

• Dominique T. Hussey, Vice Chair and Toronto Managing Partner Co-Head of Innovation, Technology & Branding Practice – Bennett Jones
• Jad Shimaly, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer – EY Canada
• Jay Rosenzweig, Founding partner of Rosenzweig & Company, social impact entrepreneur, investor, humanitarian, trained lawyer, and leadership strategist
• Pauline Dhillon, Chief Corporate Officer, Cargojet

“The BlackNorth Initiative's Board of Directors reflects the rich cultural mosaic of Canada and acts as a dynamic and diverse governance body,” said Wes Hall, Founder and Chairman of the BlackNorth Initiative. “We are pleased to welcome our new members and look forward to engaging them in the fight towards ending anti-Black systemic racism.”

The BlackNorth Initiative challenges senior Canadian business leaders across a vast range sectors and industries to take the pledge. To date, close to 500 companies representing more than $1.3 trillion in market capitalization have signed the CEO pledge. This movement includes support from virtually every business sector and region across Canada.

Board Member Bios

Dominique Hussey is Vice Chair & Toronto Managing Partner at Bennett Jones. In addition to her management role, she has an active practice, leads the Intellectual Property Litigation group and is co-head of the firm’s Innovation, Technology and Branding group. With more than 20 years of experience in Canada and the U.S., she is recognized by clients as "a dynamo", "intelligent", a "great litigator", "a true professional", "extremely client-focused" and providing "very sound, business-minded advice". She was named Outstanding Practitioner in Patent Law by Managing IP in their Americas Awards in 2020. For the last four years, Managing Intellectual Property has name her in the Top 250 Women in IP in the world.

Jad Shimaly is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of EY Canada. He is a seasoned executive with deep financial and operational experience, having led critical national initiatives and programs across service lines and markets. He's led critical national initiatives and programs across service lines and markets. He is actively involved within the community, and is regularly quoted discussing the innovation economy, the importance of sector diversification, and overall Canadian competitiveness in the global markets. He is also the Chief Inclusiveness Officer at EY Canada; a champion of diversity and inclusiveness in the workplace, addressing issues of diversity, education, and supporting low-income communities.

Jay Rosenzweig is an internationally renowned social impact entrepreneur, investor, humanitarian, trained lawyer, and leadership strategist. He is the founder of Rosenzweig & Company, which specializes in leadership strategy and executive team building. In addition to being on the board of directors of BlackNorth Initiative, he sits on the boards of Irwin Cotler’s Raoul Wallenberg Centre For Human Rights, Xander Schultz and Zoë Pappis’s When We band Together, Director X’s Operation Prefrontal Cortex and a number of causes ranging from healthcare, youth empowerment, refugee protection, and anti-gun violence.

Pauline Dhillon has been a noteworthy leader in the Transportation and Logistics space as the Chief Corporate Officer at Cargojet, Canada’s largest and leading cargo airline. With over 20 years experience, Pauline has grown the organization from its inception, leading the Marketing, Human Recourse, Public and Government Relations sectors. Coming from a diverse background and overcoming adversities in both her personal and professional life, she is passionate about diversity and inclusiveness as well as ensuring the voices of all are heard equally. In addition to her day job, Pauline has a love for movies which she has channeled into the entertainment industry as a producer of many ethnically diverse films.

About the BlackNorth Initiative

The BlackNorth Initiative was created by The Canadian Council of Business Leaders Against Anti-Black Systemic Racism to combat anti-Black systemic racism in Corporate Canada. The initiative challenges senior Canadian business leaders to commit their companies to specific actions and targets designed to end anti-Black systemic racism and create opportunities for all of those in the underrepresented BIPOC community.

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