The lockdowns have lifted, unemployment is at record lows, and the economy is red hot. But many of these positives are offset by real negatives: Inflation, rising interest rates, falling home prices, weather disasters, fears of recession and the war in Ukraine. Given this backdrop for Financial Literacy Month, it is no surprise that Canadians have a lot of anxiety about their financial future.
Join Canadian Club Toronto on November 21 to hear our expert panellists talk about financial resilience – a topic made all the more urgent by the uncertainty ahead of us.
Keith Martell
CEO, First Nations Bank of Canada
Mr. Martell is a Director, President and Chief Executive Officer of First Nations Bank of Canada. He was involved in the creation of the Bank and has been on the Board of Directors since 1996.
He graduated from the University of Saskatchewan in 1985 with a Bachelor of Commerce and received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the same institution in 2016. After 10 years with the Chartered Accounting firm KPMG he served the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (“FSIN”) as the Executive Director of Finance and Fiscal Relations from 1995 to 2000.
Mr. Martell is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and a Certified Aboriginal Financial Manager (CAFM). He is a Director of Nutrien Ltd. and River Cree Enterprises GP Ltd. He Chairs the Board of Trustees of the National Indian Brotherhood Trust.
He resides in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Judith Robertson
Commissioner, Financial Consumer Agency of Canada
Judith Robertson was appointed the Commissioner of the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (the Agency), effective on August 19, 2019, for a term of 5 years.
Ms. Robertson is an experienced leader in financial services, with expertise in technology-enabled businesses, securities markets, investment products and risk management in both established and startup businesses. She has had a diverse career, including 25 years of private sector experience, during which she held senior executive positions with leading financial services firms in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.
Ms. Robertson also has substantial experience in regulatory oversight, policy development and adjudication. She served as a Commissioner on the Ontario Securities Commission from 2011 to 2017 and, most recently, was a member of the board of directors of the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario, from 2017 to 2019.
Ms. Robertson holds an MBA from the Ivey Business School at Western University and an Honours BA in International Relations from the University of Toronto. She is a CFA charterholder and holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.
Scott Stirrett
CEO, Venture for Canada
Scott is the Founder/CEO of Venture for Canada (VFC), a national charity that fosters the development of entrepreneurial skills and mindset in young Canadians. In 2021, VFC had an annual operating budget of over $14 million, 35 full-time employees, and 2,600 students and recent grads participated in its programs. VFC’s donors include Employment and Social Development Canada, The RBC Foundation, TD Bank, The Hunter Family Foundation, The Future Skills Centre, Fasken, and The Donald R. Sobey Foundation.
Originally from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Scott is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. Immediately after graduating from Georgetown, Scott worked at Goldman Sachs Inc. in New York City.
Scott was recognized as the 2018 Telus LGBTQ Innovator of The Year by The Inspire Awards, a 2019 Young Impact Leader by Future of Good, a 2022 Changemaker by The Globe and Mail, and a 2022-2023 Action Canada Fellow by The Public Policy Forum.
Scott has contributed to or been featured in The Washington Post, The Globe and Mail, The National Post, Forbes, Future of Good, The Chronicle Herald, and The Georgia Straight. He has also appeared as a commentator on CBC News Network and BNN Bloomberg.
Yvonne Ziomecki
EVP, HomeEquity Bank
As Executive Vice President, Marketing & Sales, Chief Marketing Officer Ms. Ziomecki heads up Marketing and Consumer Sales operations and is responsible for developing sales, marketing strategy and vision for HomeEquity Bank.
Reporting directly to the CEO, Ms. Ziomecki is responsible for driving originations growth and increasing revenues through successful implementation of marketing initiatives, brand strategy, research, pricing, product marketing, marketing communications, advertising and public relations.
Ms. Ziomecki is a member of the Executive Committee. Ms. Ziomecki joined HomeEquity Bank in 2013.
Ms. Ziomecki graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Arts and she also holds a Masters of Business Administration from Schulich School of Business.
Bruce Sellery
CEO, Credit Canada
Bruce Sellery is the CEO of Credit Canada, the longest-standing non-profit credit counselling agency in the country. He is also the Money Expert for the lifestyle TV show Cityline, has a weekly, national money column for CBC Radio, and hosts a weekly radio show on personal finance for SiriusXM.
Prior to his role at Credit Canada, Bruce was a commentator for CBC Television’s The Exchange, wrote a column for MoneySense Magazine, hosted Million Dollar Neighbourhood on the Oprah Winfrey Network and was a sought-after keynote speaker on personal finance. He also consulted to major financial institutions on innovation in financial literacy.
Bruce has written two Globe & Mail bestselling books including, “Moolala: Why smart people do dumb things with money (and what you can do about it)” and spent a decade as an anchor for BNN Bloomberg in Toronto and New York City.
He serves on the Board of Venture for Canada, and the Advisory Board of the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University, his alma mater. He is an alumnus of the Governor General’s Leadership Conference, former Chair of Friends of Adoption Options, and former President of the Canadian Club of Toronto.
Bruce lives with his husband and child in Toronto.
