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Annual General Meeting

DUCA holds an Annual General Meeting every April. At that time, Members have an opportunity to hear DUCA's Board and Executive Leadership Team report on the Credit Union's previous year's performance as well as strategies and plans for the coming year. In addition, the names of the successful Candidates who ran for the latest vacancies on the Board are announced. Please see our Corporate Reports below for more information on past annual performances.

BY-LAWS

DUCA's previous By-Laws can be reviewed here.
DUCA's current By-Laws can be reviewed here.
The Special Resolution can be reviewed here.

For insight into DUCA's financial performance, corporate goals, and the ways in which DUCA makes a positive impact on Members’ lives and communities, review our Corporate Reports.


Executive Leadership Team

DUCA relies on its Executive Leadership Team for strategic planning and direction and to oversee all functional areas of the Credit Union. The team is comprised of financial institution leaders who have years of experience in the industry.

Doug Conick CPA, CA

President & CEO

Doug has been President & CEO of DUCA Financial Services Credit Union Ltd. since November 2016.  During this time he has been leading the ongoing investment in people, process, technology and in communities, as he and the DUCA team transform the organization into a High-Touch and High-Tech Credit Union able to deliver trusted financial care for the best-interests of all whom DUCA serves.

Doug championed and led the development and launch of DUCA’s unique charitable foundation – the DUCA Impact Lab in 2018. Its purpose is to research, develop and launch new approaches to banking and finance for positive social impact and to achieve “banking that benefits all”.

Throughout Doug’s tenure, he has championed DUCA’s mighty mission and purpose: Helping people and businesses Do more, Be more, and Achieve more. Whether it’s helping Individuals and businesses with their everyday finances, advising on investments and wealth building, providing complex financial arrangements for large enterprises, or supporting society’s underbanked through the DUCA Impact Lab, Doug is proud to play a role in caring for Members, Employees, and Communities.

Trained as a CPA and CA, Doug has senior executive background in banking, insurance, investments, and capital markets internationally. He served previously as the CEO of Manulife Bank & Trust, head of Canadian investment products at Manulife, and was CFO of Manulife Japan Division.

Outside of work, Doug is a devoted father and husband, living in Burlington with his wife and two children. He is active in Community causes as a volunteer and enjoys cycling, snowboarding, and skiing. A lifelong learner, Doug is endlessly curious and is an avid reader.

Phil Taylor

Chief Member Experience Officer

Phil’s current role as Chief Member Experience Officer is an evolution of his previous position at DUCA in which he held responsibility for all Retail and Business Banking and for introducing new distribution channels to the Credit Union. Phil’s accountability has now been expanded to include oversight over all aspects of DUCA’s operations affecting DUCA’s promise to deliver positive Member experiences.

Phil is passionate about Employee and Member experiences and is personally invested in ensuring Employees and Members Do more, Be more, and Achieve more through DUCA’s Retail Banking channels, Wealth services, Broker services and partnerships, centralized Operations, and Facilities.

Phil spends much of his free time focused on his personal passions – Leadership, personal development and his family.  As a husband and father of three daughters, Phil spends much of his time with his family which includes his three cats and a dog!

Pippa Nutt

Chief Marketing and Member Solutions Officer

Pippa transitioned into her role as Chief Marketing and Member Solutions Officer at DUCA in March of 2021, joining the Executive Leadership Team (ELT). In this position, she orchestrates DUCA's strategic marketing endeavors, from shaping the brand identity to planning and executing marketing and communications campaigns and managing events. Her purview extends to the DUCA Impact Lab, where she contributes to piloting innovative fair banking solutions.

Before joining DUCA, Pippa established a distinguished record of driving results and nurturing innovation at GainShare Performance Marketing (formerly Northern Lights Direct)., where she ascended to the position of Chief Digital Officer and Partner. Over 14 years, she navigated a trajectory of leadership roles, culminating in the launch and stewardship of the agency’s digital performance marketing division across Toronto and Chicago. Pippa's dynamic leadership was instrumental in driving revenue growth, ensuring operational excellence, and fostering unwavering client satisfaction while managing a diverse portfolio of over 40 clients. 

Aron Rogers

Chief Technology Officer

Aron Rogers, DUCA's Chief Technology Officer, brings extensive experience and a strong commitment to innovation. Since 2018, he has progressed through various IT and Operations roles, now leading DUCA's IT strategy to deliver high-tech, high-touch financial services. Aron's deep passion for technology drives his leadership of a skilled team managing DUCA's applications, infrastructure, and cybersecurity. He also oversees the Project Management Office, ensuring efficient project execution. Previously, Aron excelled in technology roles across finance, insurance, and telecom, championing digital transformation initiatives. A proud graduate of the University of Waterloo's Systems Design Engineering program, Aron's dedication to excellence is evident in his work. Outside of DUCA, he enjoys quality time near High Park in Toronto with his family and dogs. Aron's leadership propels DUCA's technological evolution, driving continued success and innovation. 
Mo Mauri

Chief Commercial Banking Officer

As DUCA’s Chief Commercial Banking Officer, Mo is responsible for driving DUCA’s growth for the Commercial Banking, Business Banking and Commercial Leasing divisions, as well as developing DUCA’s strategic direction in this sector. In addition, Mo oversees the Commercial Portfolio’s overall credit risk process throughout the life span of all Commercial deals.

Prior to arriving at DUCA in 2018 and taking on oversight of DUCA’s Commercial Banking Team, throughout his 35 years of experience in Commercial and Business Banking, Mo worked for both Canadian and International Banks as well as other Ontario Credit Unions.

Mo is a graduate of Mohawk College’s Finance Program and the University of Toronto’s Executive MBA Program. He has served on several not-for-profit Committees including being a member on the Mohawk College Alumni and Sons of Italy Boards.  Mo is a car enthusiast and baseball fanatic and currently resides in Hamilton.

Tom Robertson

CEO, Continental Currency Exchange 

Tom joined DUCA via its acquisition of Continental Currency Exchange, where he serves as CEO. Continental is Canada’s largest retail FX bureau with nineteen branches across Ontario and a growing suite of online products and services. 

Prior to Continental, Tom held progressively senior roles in the financial services sector, including Sun Life Financial and TD Bank Group. He has acted as a strategic advisor to Capital Allocators internationally, and he writes regularly on the intersection of risk and the marketplace.

Tom lives in Toronto with his wife and three children. He spends most of his free time at their gymnastics competitions, hockey tournaments, and soccer festivals. Occasionally, he wakes up early and sneaks out of the house with the dog to fish.

Yan Xu

Chief Financial Officer

Yan joined the DUCA team in September 2020 as Chief Financial Officer after a 20-plus year career in the financial services sector. In her role as CFO, Yan is responsible for stewardship over DUCA’s financial resources as well as setting and achieving DUCA’s strategic and financial goals.  

Prior to arriving at DUCA, Yan held progressively senior finance roles at TD Bank and Home Capital Group, after obtaining her CPA designation with PricewaterhouseCoopers earlier in her career. Yan is also a CFA charter holder. 

In her spare time, Yan enjoys travelling to experience new culture and cuisine as well as spending time outdoors with her family.  Yan is passionate about promoting diversity and inclusiveness and has served as a Board Member and Officer at a number of not-for-profit organizations. 

Karey Carson

Chief People & Culture Officer

Early on in her career, practicing occupational therapy helped Karey fulfill her passion of helping people overcome challenges and achieve their goals. She later channeled that passion into several senior leadership roles in operations, risk management and human resources.

Since 2017, she has led DUCA’s People & Culture team, responsible for developing and leading our human resources strategy and key programs that support the achievement of DUCA’s business strategies and goals. Guided by our Purpose and Values, Karey drives the delivery of DUCA’s employee experience, through building and maintaining an organizational culture that harnesses positive energy for our purpose of helping people Do more, Be more, and Achieve more. Through these efforts, DUCA aims to attract and retain the talent necessary to deliver an exceptional Member experience. As part of her role, Karey is also accountable for leading the people side of change pertaining to wide-scale strategic initiatives, positively impacting the speed of adoption and the realization of business results.

Outside of work, Karey enjoys adventure travel and spending time with her extended family.

Riz Ahmad 

Chief Risk Officer

As DUCA’s Chief Risk Officer, Riz leads a team with enterprise-wide risk management responsibilities including oversight of credit, operational, compliance, market, and information technology risks.  The team’s focus is to deliver value to DUCA Members with a balance of risk and reward for profitable growth.

Prior to joining DUCA in 2017, Riz worked in banking at various financial institutions in London, New York, and Toronto in both client-facing and client-support functions. In addition, Riz was engaged in academic business research and executive education.

Riz grew up living in countries all over the world. He continues to enjoy travel and experiencing the world through cuisine, books, and cinema.

Michael Creasor

Treasurer

Michael Creasor, Treasurer, is one of DUCA’s longest serving employees, having joined the DUCA team in 1985.  As Treasurer, Michael is accountable for all treasury functions at our Credit Union including managing the Balance Sheet, investing excess funds, and using a number of different methods to provide balanced funding to support DUCA’s loan and asset portfolios. 

In addition, Michael works on building alternative channels for both loans and deposits to help DUCA achieve growth targets and reach new potential Members. He is passionate in executing DUCA’s purpose in serving Members and, with his team, rallies around DUCA’s mission to help Members Do more, Be more, and Achieve more.

Michael is a graduate of York University and a CPA, CGA. He is looking forward to being able to spend time in Florida with his family and cheering on all of his favourite Toronto sports teams. Go Leafs Go!!!

Afzal Hussain

Vice President, Audit

Since August 2011, Afzal’s priorities at DUCA have centered on the execution of independent and objective testing of controls. In order for DUCA to address the possible existence of deficiencies that could prevent DUCA from achieving its goals, Afzal oversees investigations and reporting intended to reveal areas that may require strengthening. As DUCA continues to grow and evolve, Afzal proactively supports this business transformation by ensuring adequate controls are tested as new business processes develop.  Currently Afzal holds the following designations: CPA, CISA, CDPSE. 

In his spare time, Afzal organizes and coaches a Ball Hockey League for children under the age of 16. He is equally passionate about supporting and watching both the Toronto Raptors and the Toronto Maple Leafs.


​​2024 Board of Directors

The Board is elected by DUCA Members and proudly acts as the voice of the Members, overseeing and setting the policies and governance of DUCA. 

  

Tom Vandeloo is a trusted advisor to business executives across Canada. Now retired, Tom was a Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers and KPMG where he worked with more than one hundred companies in nearly every sector of the Canadian economy. He has over thirty years of consulting experience in business integration & separation, cost optimization, business performance improvement, procurement & strategic sourcing, and supply chain services.

In addition to his role on DUCA’s Board, Tom is a Director at Central1 where he chairs the Human Resources committee and serves on the Audit & Finance Committee and the Ontario Pension Sub-committee. He also works as a Volunteer Consultant with Management Advisory Services, providing pro bono consulting services to non-profit organizations in the GTA.

Tom holds an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors and a B.Math in Computer Science from the University of Waterloo.

Janet Cloud

Director

Janet Cloud has 15+ years’ experience on corporate, government, hospital and charitable boards, including board and committee chair. She brings deep senior executive experience in information technology and digital transformation; a critical skill set missing from many board rooms. This combination of Director and “hand’s on” experience enables Janet to contribute high value at the board table.

Janet has created strategy and driven rapid sustainable growth and profitability in multinationals requiring innovative management of technology and operations. She has managed the business model of a head office supporting satellite units and multiple products and services by creating and expanding operations and technology organizations to support this model. She has built and inspired diverse teams supporting more than 20 franchise/agency companies on all continents delivering digital products world-wide to the globe's largest multinational CPG companies in 19 languages. She has been a catalyst for delivery of new ideas, products, and services.

Governance over technology is an increasingly important board matter. As opportunities expand to leverage technology for increased stakeholder value, so do the technology risks: IT spend/project governance; digital strategy risk (could your company be ubered?); and cyber security. In addition to her proven ability to steward digital risk management at the board level, Janet’s wide range of competencies, experience and attributes closely match what DUCA expects from a director in order to fulfill the DUCA vision and comprehensively support their governance model.

Carlo is a corporate director and senior executive with over 30 years’ experience in large companies in regulated industries as well as entrepreneurial start-ups.  He is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and has earned the Institute of Corporate Directors designation, ICD.D, through the Rotman School of Management. 

Carlo has served on the DUCA Board of Directors since 2020 where he is currently Chair of the Human Resources and Compensation Committee and Vice-Chair of the Audit Committee. Carlo also serves on the board of the not-for-profit Columbus Centre of Toronto, the Finance Committee of Villa Charities Inc. and is an advisor to Five Points Ventures.  Carlo has previously served as the senior executive in charge of strategy, mergers and acquisitions and project development and as the Chief Risk Officer at a large Ontario-based company operating in a heavily regulated industry.  Through these experiences he brings to the DUCA Board expertise in strategy development, collaboration, financial oversight and risk management.

Carlo strongly believes in DUCA’s philosophy of putting people before profits and that providing an exceptional, personalized Member experience will help them Do more, Be more and Achieve more.

Anita Stefan

Director

Anita Stefan is recently retired from RBC Capital Markets. Her interest in serving on the Board comes from a shared vision to support DUCA Members in achieving their financial goals and in serving the community in which we live. She has 35+ years of experience in the financial services industry as well as Board experience and is committed to building a culture of sustainability, collaboration, and accountability.

Prior to retiring from RBC, Ms. Stefan was the Managing Director and Global Head of Business services where she led a global team which included Capital Markets IT, Quantitative Services, Business Management, Client Strategy and Analytics and Trade Desk Supervision for Global Markets. Previous roles at RBC included Head of U.S. Commercial Mortgage Securitization, Head of Term Funding and Securitization, Corporate Treasury and Chief Dealer, and was responsible for the trading and execution of RBC’s hedging, discretionary trading and investment portfolios.

Anita is involved in various volunteer activities including currently serving as Board Director for Moorelands Kids, an innovative charity empowering kids from low-income neighbourhoods to transform their lives through summer camp and after school programs. She previously served as Chairman of the Board for DevXchange, a charity focused on International Development projects around the world. 

Anita has completed the ICD Rotman Corporate Directors Education Program and was granted the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Western Ontario.

Michelle Wassenaar is a founder of Method Law Professional Corporation, an intellectual property agency and litigation firm. Michelle represents and advises multinational, international, and domestic companies and their lawyers on patent, trademark, industrial design, and copyright law services as well as providing pro bono IP services to charities such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada and BOOST.   

She is a lawyer, patent and trademark agent with a JD, MSc, BSc from the University of Toronto, and ICD.D from the Institute of Corporate Directors.  

Michelle has appeared before the Federal Court, the Federal Court of Appeal, and the Trademarks Opposition Board and has represented clients in domain name dispute proceedings. She is a speaker and author on intellectual property issues for various publications and organizations. 

She currently serves as a Board Director with DUCA (elected 2018)  and is a past President (2003-2006) of the non-profit Holland House Canada (formerly named CNBPA). 

Michelle lives and works in Toronto. She enjoys watching her three sons (ranging from 6’7” to 6’10”) play professional, varsity and beach volleyball. 

David is a multi-disciplined executive transformation leader with 30 years combined experience in fintech and financial services. He has 10 years experience with the largest credit unions in Canada of which 6 were spent as part of the Executive Leadership Team. He is a growth oriented, innovative, and passionate individual whose strongest assets are in strategy development, execution, governance, finance, marketing, digital, analytics, and technology

David has leveraged technology to scale a business, build brand, improve operational efficiencies and build amazing member experiences. During his tenure as Chief Digital Officer, Meridian won best fintech and Artificial Intelligence Credit Union in Canada and also won a product innovation award. David is a continuous learner and has successfully completed the following degrees and certifications:

  • Bachelor of Mathematics (Major in Actuarial Science and Minor in Statistics)
  • Certificate in Financial Planning
  • MBA (Rotman)
  • CPA, CMA
  • Completed Director’s Education Program at Rotman (ICD.D designation in March 2023)

David has served on Boards for the past 12 years. He currently serves on 3 not-for-profit boards and 1 for-profit board.  He does committee work and currently serves as Treasurer of Flamborough Connects.

David is purpose driven and is passionate about the sustainability and growth of the credit union system in Canada.  His values are congruent to credit union values and is excited and motivated to add value and make a strong impact as a DUCA Board member.

Bruce is an experienced business leader with 30 years of experience in financial services. He has an ICD.D designation from the Rotman School of Management and a deep understanding of best practices in lending and credit risk, liquidity risk, enterprise risk management, compliance and regulatory risk, and strategic planning.

Bruce’s experience includes having headed the Enterprise Risk Management function at one of Canada’s leading banks as well as leading a supervisory team at Canada’s banking supervisory, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions. Most recently, he was employed at one of Canada’s largest credit unions based in British Columbia where he served as Chief Risk Officer, Interim Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Enterprise Solutions Officer responsible for Operations, Marketing, and Product Management.

Having spent the last 5 years of his career within the Credit Union system, Bruce has a strong understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing both DUCA and the Credit Union system as a whole and looks forward to utilizing this experience to contribute to the continued success of DUCA.

Bruce believes in DUCA’s vision and values, and the importance of its Purpose. He recognizes the key role that the Board plays in ensuring that DUCA’s strategy and culture work together to improve the financial well-being of its Members and to make DUCA a great place to work for its employees. 

Steve Dobronyi

Vice Chair

Steve Dobronyi is an independent Corporate Director and business leader with 40 years of experience in insurance and financial services. He is a retired Chief Executive Officer and finance professional with expertise in governance, strategy, people and finance.

Steve has served on the Board of Directors of DUCA since 2019 and is currently the Chair of the Governance Committee.  Outside of DUCA, he is the Chair of Accerta Health, a Board member of Securian Canada and the Chair of Endeavour Consulting.

Steve has an ICD.D designation from the Rotman School of Management. He’s an Associate of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries and a graduate of Western University.

Lee Bennett

Director

Lee Bennett is a member of DUCA and a senior financial executive with twelve years of board leadership, served on a number of corporate boards and has an extensive background in banking, capital markets and asset management. Throughout her thirty-five-year career, she has been recognized as a strategic and innovative leader focused on delivering exceptional client experiences. She has led two large brokerage firms, a financial planning business and an investment fintech business through double-digit growth and large technology and digital transformations. Lee is a collaborative executive, who considers multiple points of views and balances priorities of stakeholders before executing. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Western University, the Institute of Corporate Directors from Rotman Business School and the ESG designation from Competent Board. She believes strongly in giving back to the community and presently serves on the board of March of Dimes Canada as Vice Chair, an organization focused on empowering people with disabilities.

As a board director, she would bring in-depth experience and knowledge in strategy, board and financial industry acumen, business to consumer expertise and strong governance and risk management. Her dedication to transparency, accountability and ethical decision-making aligns with DUCA’s principles and will be an asset in guiding DUCA towards continued growth and excellence.  

 

 
 

Annual Board Nominations & Election

The Board of Directors are elected positions and are here to serve you.

Members of DUCA are Owners and have a right to influence the governance of the Credit Union through the annual Board of Directors Call for Applications and Elections. Every year in November, the DUCA Board Elections Committee raises awareness of the upcoming Election for Board vacancies by mailing Members a Call for Applications letter. Then, in late January or early February, a Director Candidate Information & Voting Instructions package will be mailed to Members.

For insight into DUCA's financial performance, corporate goals, and the ways in which DUCA makes a positive impact on Members’ lives and communities, review the Corporate Reports.

DUCA would love to hear from you and can provide further information on any upcoming Board opportunities. Please email boardelections@duca.com with your questions or comments.