Bruce Catoen
Board Chair
Bruce is a technology, strategy, mergers and acquisitions consultant. He has more than 3 decades of experience in business development, manufacturing and product development. Bruce has served as the Chief Technology Officer and Senior Executive for companies such as Milacron, Mold Masters and Husky Injection Molding Systems. Bruce is a mechanical engineer who has completed the Ivey and Darden school of business executive education programs. He is the named inventor of more than 50 patents and is the author of the book Selecting Injection Molds. Bruce regularly authors articles and presents on plastics and machinery technology worldwide. In addition to consulting, Bruce serves on two not-for-profit boards, mentors new immigrant engineers, plays hockey and competes in triathlons. Bruce and his wife Shelley have 3 grown children and are long time residents of Georgetown.
Derek McNally
Board Vice Chair
A registered Nurse, Derek McNally is the past Executive Vice President Clinical Services and Chief Nursing Executive at Niagara Health. In that role, he provided professional leadership to nurses and regulated health professionals across the organization as well as operational leadership for the Clinical Services Portfolio. Derek retired from this position in May 2021.
Mr. McNally has had a leadership role in health-care research, education, and administration for more than 35 years in both Academic Health Sciences Centers and Large Community Hospitals. Prior to starting at Niagara Health in February 2014, Mr. McNally was the Executive Vice President Clinical Services at Markham Stouffville Hospital. He has held progressive leadership positions at Trillium Health Centre, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, The Credit Valley Hospital and the Hospital for Sick Children.
Trish Talabis
Director
Trish Talabis is the Director of Operations for Extendicare Canada’s Assist division, which manages 50 senior care and living homes across Ontario, Alberta and Manitoba on behalf of third-party partners, including hospitals, municipalities, not-for-profit and for-profit organizations.
Extendicare is a leading provider of care and services for seniors across Canada, operating under the Extendicare, ParaMed, Extendicare Assist, and SGP Purchasing Partner Network brands. Extendicare is committed to delivering quality care throughout the health continuum to meet the needs of a growing seniors population, and proudly employs approximately 19,000 qualified, highly trained and dedicated individuals who are passionate about providing high quality care and services to help people live better. A company that is at the for front of seniors care across Canada, who works very closely with government, community agencies, and many care partners throughout the Healthcare sector.
Trish has a demonstrated history of leading teams in the long-term care and retirement sectors, helping a diverse range of partners achieve high performance, even under the most challenging circumstances. With more than 25 years of experience in healthcare management, she has cultivated effective relationships across the health system, and continues to contribute to the transformation of seniors’ care, from a variety of partner perspectives.
Omer Chaudhry
Director
Omer is a Barrister & Solicitor and currently is the principle counsel at Everest Law. Omer has a competitive nature which lead him towards a practice which is heavily immersed in litigation. Omer had his start in corporate commercial litigation but does significant work in family law as well. Omer is specifically interested in complex litigation and appeal work.
Prior to law school Omer was heavily involved in volunteering for multiple organizations in the Peel region. Throughout law school Omer regularly did pro bono work which earned him pro bono honors. Omer has continuously worked on volunteer projects and is now looking to combine his knowledge of law with his passion for helping others and hopes to achieve same through the Links2Care Board.
Omer grew up in Mississauga and now is a resident of Oakville. Omer enjoys spending time with his family, specifically with his two children. The fact that Omer is a litigator speaks to his competitive spirit and even with his busy schedule he finds time to compete in local softball and soccer leagues.
Gunther Ha
Board Secretary
Gunther is a registered pharmacist with over 10 years experience working in tertiary care hospitals as well as community pharmacies in Ontario. His attention to detail and caring nature allowed him to connect with patients to provide excellent care in his various areas of clinical practice from surgery, medicine to ambulatory environments. As a graduate of the Executive MBA program at McMaster University with a passion for digital transformation, Gunther now focuses his time on developing solutions to streamline the delivery of healthcare to patients through the use of technology.
Gunther lives in Oakville and enjoys hiking, cycling and photographing in and around the beautiful Halton area with his wife Jackie and their dog.
Sime Pavlovic
Director
Sime is an experienced Chief Information Officer (CIO) with a demonstrated history of working in the hospital & health care industry. With over 20 years of experience and specializing in digital transformations in the healthcare sector, Sime has extensive knowledge and experience with hospital information systems, operations, and the integration of digital systems across the continuum of care. Currently a Senior Advisor to Deloitte, prior roles Sime was the Global Lead and VP for CGI’s Health and Life Sciences Program. He also served as CIO for Niagara Health and VP for eHealth Ontario with a focus on Strategic Sourcing, Vendor Management & Human Resources and Cornerstone Information Systems.
Sime lives in Oakville with this family. They spend as much time as possible enjoying the waterfront area and hiking within the region.
Tania Li
Director
Tania Li is a finance professional in the banking industry, supporting the Financial and Regulatory Reporting Management team in providing accurate and timely financial information to the bank’s shareholders and regulators, with a focus on driving efficiency and maintaining an exceptional control environment. Over the course of her career, Tania has gained experience in audit, tax compliance, governance, controls and strategic finance initiatives.
Tania is a Chartered Accountant (CPA, CA) and holds a Bachelor of Arts Economics degree from University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Commerce Accounting degree from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Tania lives in Oakville and enjoys travelling and spending quality time with her husband and two sons.
Simone Hamm
Director
Simone is a global HR leader with over 25 years of distinguished experience in Telecom, Banking, Retail, and Pension sectors. As a trusted partner to senior executives, she is renowned for aligning talent strategies with business priorities. Known for her strategic vision, client-centric approach, and unparalleled problem-solving abilities, she consistently propels organizational success through collaborative HR leadership and innovative practices. Throughout her career, Simone has driven transformative initiatives, advanced DEI efforts, and is known for fostering authentic connections and cultivating leadership potential. In addition to coaching leaders within organizations, she has also provided pro-bono coaching and served as a mentor to HR students.
Simone holds a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree, is a Certified HR Professional/Leader (CHRP/CHRL) and Coach (ICF – PCC). She also holds an HR Law for HR Professionals Certificate from OsGoode Hall Law School, York University.
Simone resides in Halton Region and enjoys gardening and spending time with family and friends.
Vish Iyer
Director
Vish is a seasoned transformation leader with over 20 years of experience driving strategic and operational change across healthcare and business sectors internationally. He holds a Master’s in Health Services Management, an MBA in Project Management, and a Bachelor’s in Physiotherapy, complemented by executive education from Harvard Business School. Vish currently serves as Partner Healthcare Solutions at Deloitte Canada, where he leads digital transformation and back-office initiatives, and partners with healthcare organizations to improve patient care and operational efficiency.
His diverse background spans experience across, the Ontario Ministry of Health, Cleveland Clinic UAE, and Apollo Hospitals, India. Vish has successfully managed large-scale integration and technology projects, facilitated cross-sector collaboration, and delivered value-driven solutions to complex organizational challenges. His expertise includes stakeholder engagement, governance, and the implementation of patient-centric models of care.
Vish is passionate about giving back to the community and is committed to advancing the missions of not-for-profit organizations. He brings a collaborative approach, strong communication skills, and a deep understanding of the unique needs of the not-for-profit sector. Vish looks forward to contributing his experience and insights to support impactful, sustainable outcomes for the board and the senior management team and relevant interested parties.
Sally Blackwell
Board Treasurer
Sally Blackwell is a financial and regulatory professional with over 25 years progressive experience in regulatory affairs, accounting, and financial planning and analysis in rate regulated environments and the consumer-packaged goods industry. She is currently the Executive VP and CFO at Burlington Hydro Inc. Sally is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CMA) and holds a Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Commerce degree from McMaster University. She is a long time Oakville resident and enjoys the outdoors, hiking, and swimming.
