Our People

CHAIR

Robert is the Managing Partner of the McCarthy Tetrault London office, where he has been based since 1998. He is an experienced corporate/commercial lawyer, focusing his practice on transatlantic M&A and capital markets work.

Rob received his LLB from Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto and his BA (Economics) from the University of Western Ontario. He is the past President of the Canada-UK Chamber of Commerce.

TREASURER

A Corporate Finance Partner with KPMG and Global Head of Valuation Services from 1991 to 2020, he recently joined the $400bn Public Investment Fund as Senior Director.  He moved to London from Vancouver in 1997 with his wife and 3 kids, is a graduate of the University of British Columbia and a Chartered Accountant.  He has previously served on the Board of Trustees of Achievement for All, an educational charity focused on the UK’s most underprivileged children and on the Board of Directors as Vice Chairman of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Business Valuators.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Jenny is the Executive Director of the Maple Leaf Trust. She joined the organisation in 2019, bringing experience of event fundraising, philanthropy, donor engagement and operational management. She has non profit experience in both the UK and India, having worked with grass roots NGOs across India including the World Aids Campaign. After studying at University College London , she started her career during the dot com boom at an internet start up, before moving into investment banking and the oil and gas industry. She brought her business acumen & discovered her true passion of working in the none profit sector whilst living and working in India. When she isn’t working, she can be found spending time with her family, her beloved dog, and indulging in her twin passions of reading and yoga.

TRUSTEE, CANADIAN CENTENNIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Kaylyn works for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), a multilateral development bank, where she leads its blended finance practice. Kaylyn has been based in London since 2010. Prior to EBRD, Kaylyn held roles with a boutique impact investor and in economic and financial consulting. 

Kaylyn holds two postgraduate degrees: a MSc Economic History from the London School of Economics in the UK, and a Master of Economics and Public Policy completed jointly between Sciences Po Paris and the École Polytechnique in France. She also holds a BA (Hons) in Economics and French from Dalhousie University in Canada. 

Kaylyn co-chairs the activities of the Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund (CCSF) sub-committee within the MLT.

TRUSTEE, HEAD OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Ashley is a seasoned executive, most recently serving as the Managing Director of the British Antique Dealers’ Association (BADA). Previously, she was the financial controller and business development officer for a long-established Mayfair gallery. Having received her BA(Hons) from McMaster University in Art History, she worked in Toronto for the Ontario Heritage Trust and as a curator for a Contemporary gallery. In 2010 she moved to London to pursue a Masters in East Asian visual culture before joining a distinguished Bond Street gallery.

Ashley volunteers her time with the women’s charity, Smart Works, and is a proud member of Allbright.

TRUSTEE, UK TERRY FOX ASSOCIATION

Description goes hereNeil Johnson is an Executive Director and the Chief Executive Officer of Duke Capital. Neil is responsible for the overall strategic direction and performance of the company. He works closely with the other Board members and the Investment Committee, leveraging his extensive experience of originating, evaluating and structuring deals to deliver bespoke and flexible funding solutions for an underserved segment within the SME market.

Neil’s 30-year career has been dedicated to supporting the inflow of capital into mid-market growth companies, primarily between the United Kingdom and Canada. During this time, he has raised over £5 billion in capital across the private and public markets, as an investment banker and through his own ventures.

Prior to establishing Duke Capital in 2017, Neil co-founded Difference Capital Financial, a Canadian publicly listed merchant bank. This followed two successful decades at Canaccord Genuity, initially in Canada and later at Canaccord London, where he rose to the position of Head of Corporate Finance (Europe) and became a member of the Global Executive Committee. Throughout his ten years, the Canaccord European operation grew revenues from less than £5 million to over £50 million and completed over 500 transactions, becoming the #1 corporate broker on AIM by market value.

Neil is a graduate of the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University and holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst. He is also the Founder and Chair of the UK Terry Fox Association, the UK affiliate of the global cancer research charity, to further the legacy of Terry Fox for the UK.

TRUSTEE, CANADA-UK FOUNDATION & CANADIAN MEMORIAL FOUNDATION

Steven Lowe is the CEO of Lowe Strategic Inc, a London-based enterprise focused on providing consulting services to the metal industry with a focus on adopting new technologies across the precious metals value chain to create transparency, integrity and adherence to responsible sourcing criteria.  

Before this Steven spent most of his career with Scotiabank, holding numerous management positions including Global Co-head of the Bank’s base and precious metals businesses.  Steven had a range of responsibilities including business development as well as formulating and implementing the business strategy of ScotiaMocatta’s European operation.  

Steven earned his Bachelor of Commerce, with honours, at Queen’s University. He went on to the University of Western Ontario, where he completed his Masters in Business Administration. Steven qualified with the FSA as a futures and options representative and became a fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute. He has served as a Director and Trustee on numerous notable Boards including Scotiabank Europe Plc, The London Bullion Market Association, The Canadian Memorial Foundation and the Canada UK Foundation. 

TRUSTEE

Katharine’s experience has included strategy consulting (McKinsey), banking (JP Morgan), the public sector (UK Cabinet Office), the law (Linklaters) and, most recently, asset management at The Olayan Group. The common element across these roles has been strategy, with a particular interest in implementing change in organisations with long and successful histories. She was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 2016 for services to public efficiency.

Katharine holds two degrees from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts: an A.B. in English and American Literature and an MBA. Although born in Canada (to English and Irish parents), Katharine has spent most of the last 35 years in the UK.

TRUSTEE

Scott has over 15 years of live events programming and production experience in both North America and Europe. He was Director of Programming and Partner Promotions and Associate Producer at Luminato in Toronto before moving to the UK. He has produced a range of world-class events from large scale performances and galas, to limited run pop-ups and brand activations. In the UK he produced Canada Day in Trafalgar Square (2013) and is currently Events Programme Director at Interact Branding leading the creative team of Skylight at Tobacco Dock and producing visitor experience programmes for a variety of clients. Scott graduated from York University in Toronto, Canada with a Bachelor of Fine Arts - Theatre.

TRUSTEE

Jerry del Missier founded Copper Street Capital in July 2015. Prior to founding Copper Street, Mr. del Missier was Co-Chief Executive Officer of Barclays Corporate & Investment Bank and subsequently, Chief Operating Officer for Barclays Bank Plc (1997-2012).

Mr. del Missier is a past Chairman of the Board of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), and served on the Boards of the Global Financial Markets Association (GFMA); the Markets Management Group (MMG) of the International Institute of Finance (IIF); the British American Business Council; and the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA). He currently serves on the Board of Room to Read, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and the Advisory Board of the Queen’s University School of Business (QSB) in Kingston, Canada.

Mr. del Missier holds an MBA from Queens University (1987) and a BSc in Chemical Engineering from Queens University (1985).

TRUSTEE

Richard is an Adjunct Professor of the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto where for many years he has taught the MBA course - "How Banks Work-Management in a new Technological Age”.  He is also Chair of the Rotman LEADS mentoring program since 2020.  Richard is a Senior Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics. He is Chair of a research institute “The Inclusion Initiative at LSE” established in 2020.  His most recent book (with Michael King) is titled “The Technological Revolution in Financial Services” (UTP 2020).  In June 2017, Richard published a book (with Barbara Annis) titled “Results at the Top” on the issue of men’s responsibility for gender diversity to improve their organisations (Wiley 2017). 

Richard currently serves on several corporate boards, and he works closely with a small number of companies building innovative businesses.   He was CEO of CIBC World Markets and Chief Operating Officer of CIBC from 2008 to 2014.  From 2004 to 2008 Richard was Chief Executive Officer of the Toronto Stock Exchange, having joined TSX as President of TSX Markets in 2001. Richard graduated from LSE with an MSC in Accounting and Finance in 1986, Rotman School of Management with an MBA 1985, and from Ivey Business School with an HBA 1978. Completed LSE PKU Summer School, China’s Economic Development, Beijing, 2012.  Completed the Institute of Corporate Directors 3 module course “Board Oversight of Climate Change” 2022.  Completed the Indigenous Learning Series certificate program 4 module course, Office of Indigenous Initiatives, University of Toronto. 2024.

TRUSTEE

Courtney works in CIBC’s Investment Banking division where she advises clients in the infrastructure & power sectors across the UK and Europe. Born in Toronto, Courtney relocated with CIBC to London to pursue her career in finance in 2018. Courtney joined CIBC in 2012 as part of the Debt Capital Markets team. In that role, she focused on debt origination in the corporate bond market, specialising primarily in the power & utilities, infrastructure and energy sectors.

As a dual Canadian and UK citizen, Courtney has always had close ties to the UK.  She has been involved in a number of charities and organisations historically including Special Olympics and the United Way’s Women Gaining Ground. Courtney holds a Honors Business Administration (HBA) from Ivey Business School in Canada and is also a Chartered Financial Analyst.

PATRON

Ralph Goodale assumed his responsibilities as High Commissioner for Canada in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in April of 2021.

Raised on a family farm near Wilcox, Saskatchewan, Ralph Goodale received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Regina in 1971, and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Saskatchewan in 1972. He has practical experience in business, agriculture, law, and broadcasting, as well as federal and provincial politics.

He was first elected to the Parliament of Canada in 1974 at the age of 24, representing Assiniboia in Saskatchewan. In the 1980s, he served as leader of the provincial Liberal Party, and was elected to the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly in 1986.

Mr. Goodale returned to the House of Commons in 1993 as the Member of Parliament for Wascana, and was subsequently re-elected in 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2011 and 2015. He served in the federal Cabinet as Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Minister of Natural Resources, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Minister of Public Works and Government Services, Minister of Finance, and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.

In March of 2020, Mr. Goodale became Special Advisor to the Government of Canada with respect to Iran’s deadly attack against Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 which claimed many innocent Canadian lives. In December of 2023, Mr. Goodale was named Canada’s official representative to the Ismaili Imamat.  He continues in both of these roles.

He is joined by his wife, Pamela.