Board of Directors

Peter Senior

Peter Senior BMedSci (Hons), MBBS (Hons), PhD, FRCP, FRCP(E) is the Director of the Alberta Diabetes Institute, the Charles A Allard Chair in Diabetes Research and a Professor of Medicine at the University of Alberta. Previously he was Director of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism between 2013-2020. He completed his specialist training in Diabetes and Endocrinology in the UK and received his PhD in 2002 before moving to Canada. His clinical and research interests focus on type 1 diabetes, islet transplantation, hypoglycemia and diabetic kidney disease. He is an investigator in a number of clinical trials in diabetes, is a popular speaker who has lectured in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and has authored more than 150 peer reviewed publications. Within Diabetes Canada he has served on the Professional Section Executive since 2010, the National Research Council, the Clinical Practice Guidelines Steering Committee and the Board’s Fund Development Committee. Currently he is Chair of the Clinical Practice Guidelines Steering Committee, Past Co-Chair of the Professional Section, Chair of the Mission Committee, member of all of the other Board committees and Chair of the Board of Directors. He also serves as a Director of the National Diabetes Trustee Corp. Board.

Michael McMullen

Michael McMullen has over 35 years of experience in business with extensive strategic planning expertise, deep knowledge and experience in the retail sector and expertise in operations management.

His work history includes time as the Chief Operating Officer/Executive Vice President (EVP) of Ashley Global Retail based in Tampa Bay; EVP for The NorthWest Company managing their 132 store Northern portfolio; leading WareHouse One: The Jean Store from bankruptcy to over 100 locations as CEO/President and one of three Division Managers for Ikea North America. Michael founded MCM Consulting Limited in 2013. MCM's client portfolio includes firms operating in the following sectors: Public Relations, the Internet of Things, Pharmacy Retail and Acquisitions, Human Resources, Municipal & Federal government agencies and a National Business Association.

Michael has travelled extensively across Canada, visited and conducted business in over 150 northern communities from coast to coast to coast in all of our Indigenous communities and nations. His portfolio included direct capital investment in northern communities, including the introduction of new stores and new concepts as well as conducting business in traditional segments of Indigenous trade.

He has served on the Board of Directors, the Executive and Chaired the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. Michael is a Governor of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and in 2019 was honoured and inducted to CCC’s Emeritus Leadership Circle. He is a past Vice-Chair for the Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce (2015-2019). Michael earned the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors and his MBA from The University of Western Ontario. He is Vice-Chair/Secretary of the Diabetes Canada Board and Chair of the Board’s Governance & Nominations Committee. Michael currently serves as Director and Past Chair of the National Diabetes Trustee Corp., the Board Chair of #SickNotWeak Mental Health Foundation and Vice-Chair/Secretary of First People's Economic Growth Fund. 

Patricia Li

Patricia Li is the Senior Vice President, Operations and Business Optimization at CPA Canada. She is a graduate of the Ivey Business School, Western University, a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and an Institute-Certified Director (ICD.D).

Patricia held a number of senior executive positions with the Government of Ontario as an Assistant Deputy Minister. She was an Assistant Deputy Minister within the Health Ministry providing emergency health services to all Ontarians, funding assistance for assistive devices and medical supplies to people with disabilities and including managing the Ontario Health insurance program.

Prior to the health care portfolio, Patricia was responsible for delivering a diverse portfolio of front-line government services and led reform initiatives to improve many programs within Ontario.

She has a passion for board governance and has been an independent director in a number of organizations. She was previously a director with the Ontario Pension Board, a trustee with the OPSEU Pension Trust, a commissioner with the Niagara Parks Commission and vice chair of the Catholic Women’s Leadership Foundation.

She is a member of the Departmental Audit Committee of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.

At Diabetes Canada, she is Chair of the Audit, Investment & Risk Committee and a member of the Fund Development Committee.

Michael Coyle

Michael Coyle, JD, CPHR, is Principal Consultant with MVC Management Consulting based in Canning, Nova Scotia. Michael practiced employment, labour and human rights law for 30 years in the public, private and non-profit sectors. He is also a Charted Professional in Human Resources. He has worked extensively on both sides of the labour-management table. He served as Legal Counsel and Chief Negotiator for the Nova Scotia Nurses’ Union for several years while, at other times, he represented management interests in healthcare labour relations. Michael was appointed Chair of the Nova Scotia Election Commission for a statutory 5-year term in 2009. Michael’s previous board service includes the Annapolis Valley District Health Authority, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the Annapolis Valley-Hants Community Action Program for Children, which he chaired for about 10 years. Michael is a member of the Diabetes Canada Board’s People & Culture Committee and is a Director on the National Diabetes Trustee Corp. Board.

Len Daniels

Len Daniels is Principal of Daniels Management Consulting (DMC) which began operation in 2014. DMC specializes in Human Resource and Management expertise and looks to help organizations that are looking to improve business results and utilize the talents of its most important assets, their people.

Len’s career in Human Resources and Business Management began in the private sector which lasted close to 15 years. More recently, he has worked in the public sector, for Commercial and Treasury Crown Corporations and Municipal government. Len has been fortunate to work in different HR sectors such as Agriculture, Call Centre, Insurance, Business Registry, Liquor, Gaming, Policing and more recently in the Media Industry. These experiences have provided him with a range of experience in unique and diverse environments. He holds a Degree in Administration from the University of Regina in partnership with the First Nations University of Canada along with a Chartered Professional of Human Resources (CPHR) designation. He is a proud member of the George Gordon First Nation. Len’s immediate and extended family have been impacted significantly by Diabetes along with his Indigenous community. Len is a strong advocate of his profession and he brings that same kind of focus to Diabetes Canada where he serves as Chair of the Board’s People & Culture Committee.

Diane T. Finegood

Diane T. Finegood, PhD is a Professor and Fellow at Simon Fraser University’s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue. Her academic career has spanned a broad range of disciplines and leadership experiences. She is currently the Executive Director of the Canadian Health Services and Policy Research Alliance. She served as President & CEO of the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (2012-2016) and inaugural Scientific Director of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes (2000-2008).

Diane is also an internationally recognized academic with scholarly work in a range of disciplines and problems including the fundamental science of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, application of mathematical modeling to physiological systems, new models for population health science, cross sector partnership, and complex adaptive systems. She has published more than 140 peer reviewed papers and book chapters, received a total of $35 million in grants and awards. Diane has received numerous honors and awards for scientific excellence, leadership and mentorship including the Fredrick G Banting and Young Scientist Awards from Diabetes Canada. Diane also held many volunteer positions for Diabetes Canada including Co-chair of the first two annual professional conferences, Vice-Chair of the Clinical and Scientific Section and member of the National Research Council. She serves on the Diabetes Canada Board’s Mission Committee.

Mark Lehman

Mr. Lehman is an Audit Partner with KPMG based in Toronto, Ontario. Mr. Lehman specializes in Consumer and Industrial Market practice with public, private and multi-national companies. He is a seasoned finance professional with over 30 years experience in public accounting. 

Throughout his career, Mark has gained significant experience in many different Boardroom settings and has developed a strong understanding of Board Governance. Mark has served a variety of companies, large and small, including not- for-profit organizations and Family Foundations, as well as pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical, consumer goods, transportation, service sector and manufacturing companies. 

Mark has an understanding of the challenges in working with volunteer boards through personal volunteer experience, including religious and academic Boards and Advisory Boards. He is a member of Diabetes Canada’s Audit, Investment & Risk Committee and is a Director on the National Diabetes Trustee Corp. Board. 

Lorraine Lipscombe

Lorraine Lipscombe, MD, MSc, FRCPC, is a practicing endocrinologist and diabetes researcher. Her current roles include: Staff Physician, Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Women’s College Hospital; Senior Adjunct Scientist, ICES; Professor of the Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto; and Director of the Novo Nordisk Network for Healthy Populations at University of Toronto.

While Lorraine’s clinical practice includes patients with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, her two areas of focus are women with gestational diabetes and young adults with type 1 diabetes.

She has developed new programs to enhance the care for patients with diabetes; she advocates for more effective, efficient and person-centred health care models for persons with or at risk of diabetes; and her current research is testing interventions for new mothers to help lower their risk of developing type 2 diabetes. As the Director of the Novo Nordisk Network for Healthy Populations, a cross-disciplinary research network at the University of Toronto, she is leading a multi-pronged research program to address the burden of diabetes and related conditions in the region of Peel, Ontario.

She has been a member of Diabetes Canada’s Professional Section since 2001, received funding from DC, and volunteered with DC in a number of roles including speaker, grants and awards reviewer, consultant and the lead author of the chapter on pharmacotherapy for type 2 diabetes for the 2018 Clinical Practice Guidelines and 2020 update. She is a member of the Board’s People & Culture Committee.

Nafisa Merali 

Nafisa Merali is the founder of Naz Pharmacy and Co-Founder of Wellness Pharmacy. The NAZ Wellness Group consists of several pharmacies in the lower mainland area of Vancouver. Since 1996 Nafisa has been a consulting pharmacist within the NAZ Wellness group and has served in a variety of capacities for the group. 

Currently Nafisa is a Regional Chair for Diabetes Canada. Since 2013 she has been a Certified Diabetes Educator and a Diabetes Case Manager. Additionally, her current engagements include being a patient advocate for People Living with Crohns and Colitis and a committee member for Fraser Health. She was previously on a working group for Vancouver Coastal Health. 

In 2018 Nafisa received the Charles H. Best Award that recognizes a health professional who has made a significant difference across Canada towards improving the quality of life for individuals living with diabetes. In 2016 Nafisa received the "Outstanding Health Care Professional Award" from Diabetes Canada’s Vancouver Coastal Region. She is serving as a member of Diabetes Canada’s Governance & Nominations Committee.

Jimmy Mui

Jimmy Mui holds the position of Executive Vice President, Corporate Services, Chief Operating Officer and CFO at the Canadian Medical Association. He is a Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant (FCPA, FCA) and holds a Master of Accounting degree from the University of Waterloo. He holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

He has held a variety of senior leadership roles across many diverse industries, including CFO at the Canadian Red Cross and Executive Director at the Ottawa Police Service, and has experience in a governance capacity on various boards and committees. He is a member of the Diabetes Canada Board’s Audit, Investment & Risk Committee.

Verlyn Olson

Verlyn Olson is a Partner of Olson+Rau. He practiced in Camrose, Alberta for over thirty years before entering politics in 2008. He served as MLA for Westaskiwin-Camrose. In 2011 - 12, he acted as the Minister of Justice and Attorney General. Then in mid-2012, he was appointed as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. After seven exhilarating years in politics, Verlyn returned to law. He wanted to focus his practice on assisting families transition their farms or small businesses to the next generation. With that vision in mind, he founded OlsonLaw in 2016.

Verlyn has been living with Type 1 Diabetes for some 39 years. In the spring of 2015, he had 2 Islet Cell Transplants at the University of Alberta Hospital and then had a 3rd one in early 2017. He and his family are very grateful for the very significant improvement this has made to his health.

Verlyn is a member of the Diabetes Canada Board’s Fund Development Committee.

Robert Screaton

Robert Screaton, PhD, is Senior Scientist, Biological Sciences Platform at the Sunnybrook Research Institute and Associate Professor in Biochemistry at the University of Toronto. His previous roles include Senior Scientist at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, where he held the Canada Research Chair in Apoptotic Signaling. He was also an Affiliate Investigator at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and Associate Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, and Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Ottawa.

His expertise is in cell and molecular biology with a focus on the use of robotic technology to identify the genetic program that governs the growth of adult human insulin-producing beta cells.  The goal of his work is to identify strategies to help promote replication of beta cells in order to treat insulin deficiency disease (Types 1 and 2 diabetes). 

He is a founding member of the Canadian Islet Research and Training Network (CIRTN), and is a co-coordinator of the first national graduate course in Islet Biology hosted by UToronto. He has been a professional volunteer at Diabetes Canada since 2007, a former Chair of the DC Islet and Immunology Panel, and currently serves as Co-Chair of the DC National Research Council and a member of the Board’s Mission Committee.

Sonia Yung

Sonia Yung is the General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Bloom Burton & Co., a firm dedicated to accelerating returns in the healthcare sector for both investors and companies. Prior to that, she was a partner in the global law firm Baker McKenzie and led their corporate and securities law practice group in Toronto.

Sonia was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2017 prompting her avid interest in advancements in the detection, treatment and management of diabetes, and in advocacy for a better quality of life for people living with diabetes.

Sonia currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors and of the Governance Committee for TNG Community Services, a not-for-profit organization that works with people affected by poverty, isolation and/or marginalization, providing access to innovative and effective programs, and collaboratively building and advocating for an equitable, just and vibrant community. She also serves as a volunteer director on the boards of Neighbourhood Link Homes. The Neighbourhood Group Foundation and the National Diabetes Trustee Corp. Prior to that, she served as Chair of the Quality Committee and Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of St. Stephen’s Community House. She is a member of the Diabetes Canada Board’s Governance & Nominations Committee.

Ben Voss

Ben Voss, P.Eng, ICD.D, is the Director of Sales for North America and Australia with Raven Industries. An Agricultural & Bioresource Engineering graduate from the University of Saskatchewan, Ben has worked in several long-term roles in agribusiness, private equity and technology. Born and raised on a farm near Spiritwood, Saskatchewan, he has farmed part-time since 2011. However, throughout his career he has travelled to over 35 countries over various periods of his life through his professional endeavours. During his tenure at Raven, he has been a collaborative leader in many of the commercial activities, including the Autonomy technology developments.

As a recognized business leader, Ben works as an executive, board member, farmer, agriculture engineer, technology expert and community volunteer. He has dedicated a significant portion of his life to philanthropy and community volunteering, specifically as a board member with STARS, Big Brothers Big Sisters and the University of Saskatchewan Alumni. Currently, Ben works both in the United States and Canada and lives with his family in Sioux Falls, SD and Spiritwood, Saskatchewan. He is the Chair of Diabetes Canada’s Fund Development Committee.