Founded in 1988, we are a uniquely Canadian, independent ethics centre. We are dedicated to promoting and maintaining an ethical orientation and culture in Canadian organizations.
Our mission is to champion the application of ethical values in the decision-making process of business and other organizations.
We operate in a non-judgmental and inclusive way to explore and promote the positive role of ethical decision making. We serve as a forum and catalyst for constructive discussion and debate.
Through awareness-raising, learning, and networking opportunities, The Ethics Centre brokers partnerships, fosters understanding, identifies best practices and helps develop ethically-based leadership for today’s organizations.
We present stimulating presentations as part of our widely acclaimed luncheon speaker”s series as well as hosting relevant seminars and conferences featuring some of Canada s most distinguished speakers on issues of organizational ethics.
Our newsletter management ethics, containing some of the most thought provoking articles on ethics, corporate governance and corporate responsibility, is published quarterly and distributed to a readership across Canada and around the world.
We maintain a website complete with links, speeches, articles and other resources about ethics and corporate policy.
We host roundtables and senior management workshops where business leaders, ethics practitioners and others can share their perspective and views on ethical issues and dilemmas.
We help put people together to solve ethical problems and provide a home for organizations to tackle various aspects of ethical decision-making.
We offer a roster of leading experts available to speak on ethical issues and government conferences and provide details on some of the latest research on ethics and corporate responsibility.
DIRECTOR, TED ROGERS LEADERSHIP CENTRE AND ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, TORONTO METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY
Chris MacDonald is Director of the Ted Rogers Leadership Centre and Associate Professor at Ryerson University’s Ted Rogers School of Management. He has a PhD in Philosophy from University of British Columbia. He is a consultant and keynote speaker, and is co-author of the Concise Encyclopedia of Business Ethics. Recent scholarly projects include work of the impact of ethics certifications on small businesses, and an examination of the knowledge-processing obligations of corporate boards.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CANADIAN CONDOMINIUM INSTITUTE
Laura Pacheco is currently the Executive Director of Canadian Condominium Institute (CCI) and an active volunteer member in a number of organizations including Board Member and Programme Committee Member at the Ethics Centre (Canadian Centre for Ethics and Corporate Policy), Program Advisory Committee Member (School of Business, Accounting Program) at Centennial College, Member and past Board Member of the Canadian Association of Women Executives and Entrepreneurs (CAWEE), Board Member and Membership Chair of the Federation of Portuguese Canadian Business Professionals (FPCBP) and Finance Committee Member at Casey House. More recently, as a result of COVID19, she volunteers at the Bloor West Food Bank operating as the Loaves and Fishes Food Bank.
Laura is a business and finance leader with an established foundation in finance, and deep understanding in marketing operations, project management and market research. Laura earned her MBA from Dalhousie University and holds the CPA designation. A lifelong learner, Laura recently completed her Diploma in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) /Sustainability from the University of St Michael’s College at the University of Toronto. Laura has a strong sense of social responsibility and community engagement.
DIRECTOR, ETHICS, BMO
Karen Thrasher is a driven, thoughtful, and empathetic leader that is consistently recognized for exemplary performance and outcomes conducted with integrity, collaboration, and customer focus. Karen is Director of Ethics at BMO. Her team is responsible for setting expectations and promoting awareness across BMO around ethical business conduct. She also oversees BMO’s global Whistleblower Program.
Prior to this, Karen held roles at BMO as Deputy Ombudsperson, leading a team focused on the resolution of escalated customer complaints, and Senior Legal Counsel, accountable for litigation management for BMO’s Wealth Management businesses.
Before joining BMO, Karen practiced law in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice at Torys LLP. She holds a Master of Laws (Dispute Resolution) from Osgoode Hall Law School, a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Alberta, and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Windsor.
Paula Bernardino is a Strategic Communication Management Professional (SCMP) with 20 years of experience. She has an expertise in strategic corporate communications and public relations acquired while working for large global corporations and not-for-profit organizations, specializing in Corporate Responsibility since 2014. Paula is currently a course lecturer at McGill University in the Public Relations program. She is also an instructor at the University of Ottawa’s Professional Development Institute in the Communication and Marketing program. Paula joined the board of Desjardins Insurance in 2021. She is also a board member of the Montreal-based Caisse Desjardins Portugaise since 2009 where she was nominated President in 2022. She had previously led the Ethics, Cooperation and Governance committee and acted as Board Secretary and Vice President. She completed the Institute of Corporate Directors’s Directors Education Program in Montreal in November 2024.
CEO, THE OPENING DOOR AND FOUNDER, THE NEW FACE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Rose Genele is a dynamic entrepreneur who is passionate about driving business growth through innovation and strategy. With years of experience in the tech industry, Rose has developed a reputation as an AI transformationalist with a penchant for data, ethics, and futures-forward thinking.
As CEO of The Opening Door, Rose specializes in automation and artificial intelligence (AI) integration for enterprise clients across sectors. Her expertise in responsible AI has helped numerous companies develop efficiencies across their operations, sales and marketing, and customer experiences with custom AI solutions, and agentic workflows.
In addition to her work at The Opening Door, Rose is also the founder of The New Face of Artificial Intelligence, a division on social impact organization The New Face of Inclusion, providing AI education, career support, and community to non-technical professionals interested in AI safety, governance, and ethics.
Rose is a Toronto Metropolitan University, Ted Rogers School of Management alumnus, and majored in Law and Business.
AVP, HR INVESTIGATIONS & POLICY, TD
Ryan Treleavan leads the Canadian HR Investigations and Global Policy team at TD Bank. In this role he oversees all HR investigations in Canada and is responsible for enterprise HR policy documents, including the Code of Conduct and Ethics and Raising Conduct and Ethics Concerns policy. Ryan joined TD in 2015 in the employee relations advisory area and has held increasingly senior roles, including time as TD’s Deputy Ombudsman.
Prior to joining TD, Ryan practiced law at a national full-service firm, specializing in commercial litigation and labour & employment matters. He received his B.Comm (Hons) and LL.B from Queen’s University and was called to the bar in Ontario in 2008.
Known for his collaborative and pragmatic style, Ryan regularly engages with sensitive workplace matters and provides thought leadership as to how TD structures and manages its employee listening channels.
PARTNER, LITIGATION, OSLER
Lauren is a partner in the Osler litigation group and a key contact for the Domestic and International Arbitration Group. Her commercial litigation practice has a particular focus on commercial arbitration, corporate and securities litigation and white-collar defence and enforcement proceedings. Lauren is also a member of the Osler Risk Management and Crisis Response Group, and has acted on teams conducting internal investigations, as well as in managing cross-border regulatory investigations involving parallel class actions.
Lauren has significant experience with domestic and international
arbitrations under a variety of procedural rules, including International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) and multiple ad hoc arbitrations. She has acted on numerous significant and highly confidential arbitrations in the construction, infrastructure, and mining and resource industries.
CEO, LIBERTY HOLDINGS INC
Sam is a seasoned financial executive with deep expertise in corporate finance, risk management, and business transformation. With leadership roles at CPP Investments, Ensurex Corp, and CIBC, Sam has demonstrated an exceptional ability to drive strategic growth, enhance operational efficiency, and deliver sustained financial success. Known for his collaborative leadership and innovative thinking, he has led multi-million-dollar cost transformations, spearheaded digital innovations, and fostered cross-functional collaboration to achieve measurable and sustainable results.
The Canadian Centre for Ethics and Corporate Policy looks forward to keeping in touch with electronic messages containing event invitations, newsletters and other information.