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Chair Winston Shyam Liaquat Kassim, C.M., MBA, ICD.D, has been volunteering for IDRF for over 10 years and was appointed its Chair in 2010. In his professional capacity, he is currently the Head, Strategy and Performance Management, RBC's Personal and Commercial Banking ( the banking businesses in Canada, the U.S. and the Caribbean) where he has worked for 35 years in senior leadership positions of strategy, product and sales management, business development, Commercial and Private Banking as well as being a Branch Manager. In 2009, Winston was recognized as a member of the Order of Canada for his extensive volunteer services in community involvement, economic development, and advocacy for groups and individuals. Winston is also a Board member of the Institute of Canadian Citizenship and the Canadian Museum of Hindu Civilization. Due to his various designations, Winston is often called upon to act as a Presiding Officer at Canadian Citizenship ceremonies. In June 2012, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal. Winston holds an MBA from Athabasca University, and as a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors, is also a Certified Corporate Director. Vice-Chair Javed Akbar holds Bachelor's degree in Commerce, is a Management Accountant by profession, and has a passion for advocacy for social justice. He is a member of the Steering Committee of the June Callwood Campaign Against Child Poverty (JCCACP). Javed is engaged in inter-faith ventures beyond the dialectic. In addition, he was the returning officer for the 1997 federal elections for the Markham riding. His opinion columns have appeared in the Toronto Star on social justice issues as well as ethical and spiritual matters. Vice-Chair / Treasurer Zeib Jeeva, O.Ont., is the Managing Director of Cover-All Computer Services Inc., an IT company based in Markham, Ontario. Mr. Jeeva was a founding member of the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund Canada. He currently serves on the IDRF Board and is heavily immersed in the charitable sector. He is an international social entrepreneur focusing on technology solutions for the education sector that would allow South Africa to make a measurable impact to children’s education. Mr. Jeeva is also a member of the African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa and a recipient of the Order of Ontario. General Secretary Reza Rizvi is a professional with over twenty years of management experience in the computer graphics industry specializing in feature film, television and video gaming. He has worked for industry leaders like Apple Computer, Autodesk Inc, Alias Systems and Avid Technology. He also has a long history of volunteerism and is committed to helping those in need. Over the last two decades, he has led various efforts related to charitable and disaster relief projects in South Asia, Eastern Europe and Central America. In 2005, Reza co-founded Children of Hope which today is a federally registered charity helping fund the education of orphan children. He has served as Executive Vice President for the Dalhousie University Students' Union and has held positions of responsibility with several civic and charitable organizations. Executive Member at Large Nurhan Aycan (J.D.) is a partner of the international law firm Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP in the Business Law group. Mr. Aycan is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Canadian Turkish Islamic Trust and continues to serve on the IDRF By-Laws, Governance & Ethics Committees.
Executive Member at Large
Dr. Abida Usman, a Family Physician, is a noted philanthropist, a community advocate and fundraiser. She has been closely involved in raising funds for disaster relief, rehabilitation and development work and is deeply engaged in increasing outreach for numerous organizations such as, the Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital, the Lahore Cancer Hospital and the Zindagi Relief Fund Inc., for which she is also the Chair. She also lends support to various causes in Ontario such as the Markham Stouffville hospital expansion program, and the Yellow Brick House which helps battered women and girls. Her community services in Canada have been acknowledged through many awards including, the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship & Culture’s ‘5 Years of Continuing Service’ Award and the York Region, ‘Women of Influence’ Award.
Mukhtar Rahemtulla is the co-founder and CEO of AutoVision Wireless Inc. The Company specializes in fleet management and has Bell Canada as one of its larger customer. He is a recognized industry expert in the technical and commercial aspects of mobile data communications. In his previous position as Senior VP, Infosat Telecommunications, a division of BCE, he led the growth of the start-up Company to $54M and a world-wide presence. Mr. Rahemtulla obtained his Bachelor of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering and an MBA from the University of British Columbia. He received his early education from the Aga Khan School in Uganda and the Royal University in Malta. His extensive community service includes supporting non-profit organizations working in various parts of the world. He is also an active hiker, squash and tennis player. Samir Dossal is the owner and President of Linkks Canada Inc., a company focused on providing business development and support services to clients. He is actively involved in Rotary and is the recipient of Rotary District 7070 Les Faludy’s Highest Leadership Award and the recipient of "Paul Harris Fellow". He now serves as Assistant District Governor and continues to serve on the board as the Public Relations Chair for Rotary Club of Richmond Hill. He received the Outstanding Asian Canadian Award "Honouring the Pioneers" for 2009 presented by The Canadian Multicultural Council Asians in Ontario. He plays a major role in the Canada-Pakistan Business Council to promote trade between Canada and Pakistan and beyond. Samir effectively coordinated the shipment of relief goods for Pakistani Earthquake victims. Seema Rizvi is a human resources professional with years of experience working in multinational corporations. She has recently set up her own business, consulting with clients on their CVs. Seema has a Bachelor of Arts degree in employment relations and sociology from the University of Toronto. She has volunteered in many initiatives including organizing a fundraising event for IDRF in the fall of 2010 for Pakistan Flood Relief, which brought in approximately $52,000. Seema was team Captain for the 2009 Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, coached children in an after school program, was a supporter and volunteer of the “Out of the Cold” program, and is an annual participant in the United Way CN Tower Climb. |