Our People
The Foundation brings together highly motivated individuals who lead our work through research, collaboration, and partnership. We are a tightly knit, cross-functional team with members spread across Toronto and Montreal in Canada, and Geneva in Switzerland. Our strategic work is guided by the expertise and experience of our Board of Directors.
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Our Founders
John H. McCall MacBain
Founder and Chair
John H. McCall MacBain is a Founder, Director, and the Chair of the McCall MacBain Foundation. Previously, he was the Founder, President, and CEO of Trader Classified Media, the world’s leading company in the classified advertising sector, from its inception in 1987 until its successful sale in 2006.
Originally from Niagara Falls, Ontario, John is a Rhodes Scholar and has received an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, an M.A. in Law from Oxford University, and a B.A. in Economics from McGill University. Additionally, he holds honorary degrees from McGill University, the University of Ottawa, Dalhousie University, and Brock University in Canada, as well as Monash University in Australia.
John is a Trustee of the Mandela Rhodes Foundation in Cape Town, a Trustee Emeritus and Second Century Founder of the Rhodes Trust in Oxford, a Foundation Fellow of Wadham College, Oxford, the Founding Chair of the European Climate Foundation, and was on the Principal’s International Advisory Board of McGill University. He served as the 20th Chancellor of McGill University from 2021 to 2024.
For his achievements as a business leader and for his contributions to academic institutions as a philanthropist, Mr. McCall MacBain was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2016.
Dr. Marcy McCall MacBain
Founder and Vice-Chair
Dr. Marcy McCall MacBain is a Founder, Director, and Vice-Chair of the McCall MacBain Foundation. Originally from Huron County, Ontario, she holds a BKin (Hons) from McMaster University, an MSc in International Health Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a DPhil in Evidence-Based Health Care from the University of Oxford. She also holds an honorary doctorate from Monash University, Australia, and an honorary degree from McMaster University, Canada.
Marcy is also a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Evidence-based Medicine and the Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford, where she supervises students in the MSc of Evidence-based Health Care program and has developed online education tools to improve access to health care.
Marcy’s academic areas of interest include the effective management and prevention of chronic diseases, especially applying mixed methodologies to improve the knowledge base and implementation of self-care health strategies. She has previously consulted with the World Health Organization in Geneva on chronic diseases and health school policies.
Marcy is the Chair of the McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill. She serves as a member of the Geneva Committee of Human Rights Watch and is a recipient of the Bynum Tudor Fellowship at Kellogg College, Oxford and of the McMaster Alumni Gallery Award.
Board of Directors
The McCall MacBain Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors comprising our Founders and individuals who bring subject matter and governance expertise to our work. Working closely with the Foundation’s team, they set the strategic direction for the Foundation’s philanthropy.
Susan Bell
she/her
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Susan Bell is a Director of the McCall MacBain Foundation. She is the Principal of Susan Bell & Associates, providing strategic counsel to private philanthropies and nonprofit organizations addressing environmental and social issues. Susan is also Managing Director of the Water Funder Initiative, a collaborative effort to activate promising water solutions through strategic philanthropic investments in the U.S., starting in the West. She served as Vice President of The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation for over twelve years. At Hewlett, Susan also served as Senior Fellow for Energy and Climate, helping to launch the ClimateWorks network—in the United States, Europe, China, India, and Latin America—designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enable economic growth. Her career includes work in strategic planning, development, and communications at Stanford University, the Sierra Club, and Northwestern University. Susan is Chair of the National Audubon Society, and previously served on the boards of the European Climate Foundation, Monterey Bay Aquarium, MenloSpark, and Water Foundation. She is a graduate of Duke University.
Margaret Biggs
she/her
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Margaret Biggs is the former President of the Canadian International Development Agency and is the Matthews Fellow in Global Public Policy at Queen’s University as well as a Nonresident Senior Fellow, at the Center for Sustainable Development, Brookings Institution. She previously served as Chair of the International Development Research Centre and was Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet for Priorities and Planning in the Privy Council Office, Government of Canada. Margaret is an active contributor to issues related to Canada’s engagement in global sustainable development, democracy support, and education. She serves on the Board of the International Foundation on Electoral System, is on the Advisory Council for FinDevCanada, and is the past Chair of the World University Service of Canada. Margaret is a graduate of the University of British Columbia and the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University.
Jean-François Ducrest
he/him
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Jean-François Ducrest is a Partner of the Law Firm Ducrest Heggli Avocats LLC, established in Geneva in 2010. During his over 30-year career, he has also been a partner at Swiss firms Borel & Barbey, and Bonnant & Peyrot, and was a foreign associate at Paul Weiss, in New York. He obtained his law degree at the University of Fribourg in 1981 and obtained a Master of Laws from Duke University in 1990. Jean-François is a former Chair of the Geneva Bar Association and has served on the board since 2004. He is involved with various non-profit organizations in Geneva.
George Estey
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George Estey is a Senior Advisor at Evercore and Chair of the firm’s Canadian advisory business. Prior to joining Evercore, George was Managing Director and co-head of Greenhill Canada, an independent Canadian advisory firm which he co-founded. He was also the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Goldman Sachs Canada for six years and held various investment banking advisory roles with Goldman Sachs in New York. At the beginning of his career, he was a general management consultant at McKinsey & Company. His nonprofit activities have been primarily focused on educational institutions. He is a former member of the Board of Governors of the University of New Brunswick and Branksome Hall and was a member of the Principal Advisory Committee at Upper Canada College. George received a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Brunswick and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He resides with his spouse Doone in Toronto and has four children.
Stephen Toope
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Stephen Toope is the President and CEO of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR). He taught law at McGill University before becoming the faculty’s youngest-ever Dean of Law at age 34. Stephen served as President and Vice-Chancellor at UBC from 2006-2014 and was the founding president of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation. Before joining the University of Cambridge as Vice-Chancellor, Stephen was the Director of the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto. He is currently a member of the Board of Canada’s International Development Research Council (IDRC) and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2015. Stephen holds degrees in literature and history from Harvard, a degree in law from McGill, and received his PhD in Law from Cambridge. As a scholar, Stephen has specialized in human rights, international dispute resolution, international environmental law and the use of force. He has published numerous articles and books on change in international law and the origins of international obligation.
Robert Fetherstonhaugh
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Robert Fetherstonhaugh is President and Chief Operating Officer of Belvoir Investments Corporation and was previously Chief Operating Officer and Chief Investment Officer for a prominent Silicon Valley family where he was instrumental in helping set philanthropic strategies. Rob previously served as President of Claridge Inc., where he developed investment strategies and set up the Claridge Food Group. Earlier in his career, he was Deputy Chairman and Corporate Secretary for Trader Classified Media in Paris and prior to that a Partner at KPMG. He currently serves on the Desautels International Advisory Board at McGill University, Chairs the investment committee of the McConnell Foundation, and is on the board of directors for the McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill, Nunavut Trust Fund and the Environmental Working Group based in D.C. and San Francisco. In 2002, Rob created “Canada Cycles for Kids” with his friend Marc Balevi while they cycled across Canada to raise money for the Children’s Wish Foundation. Rob has received the Canadian Meritorious Service Medal for his cycling philanthropy efforts and a Fellow CPA recognition for his work in finance. Rob holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill and is a Chartered Accountant.
Staff
Alexandra Conliffe
CEO
she/her
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Alexandra Conliffe is the Chief Executive Officer of the McCall MacBain Foundation, a role she assumed in 2024. Her transition to the role followed five years at the Foundation in Director and Vice President roles, during which she led philanthropic giving across the Foundation’s three areas of focus – education & scholarships, climate change & environment, and health. Previously, Alex spent a decade building and implementing programs and public policy in the non-profit and government sectors, including with Engineers Without Borders Canada where she served as VP Operations and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada where she served as Canada’s agriculture negotiator to the United Nations climate change negotiations. Alex holds a PhD and an MSc from the University of Oxford, where she studied at the School of Geography and Environment as a Rhodes Scholar. She obtained a BEng from McGill University, where she studied as a Loran Scholar. She is a Board director with Nature United and the Loran Scholars Foundation, and a member of the McGill Engineering Faculty Advisory Board.
Cameron Revington
Director of Programs & Grants
Strategic Lead: Education
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Cameron Revington is the Director of Program & Grants, and the Foundation’s strategic lead in education & scholarships. He also oversees the McCall Huron County scholarships and the MacBain Niagara Falls scholarships. Cameron holds a Master’s in Public Policy (specialization in economics and development) from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, including a semester at the Hertie School in Berlin, Germany. His research has focused on homelessness policy in Singapore and youth civic engagement in Bangladesh. Previously, he served as Manager, Program and Development at the Loran Scholars Foundation and as a researcher in social procurement with the Learning Enrichment Foundation. Cameron holds an Honours Bachelor of Social Sciences in political science (French Immersion stream) from the University of Ottawa, where he studied as a Loran Scholar. He has also lived, worked and studied in France, Bangladesh, and Turkey.
Kendall Anderson
Director of Grants
Strategic Lead: Climate & Health
she/her
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Kendall Anderson is the Director of Grants and the Foundation’s strategic lead in climate and health. Previously, Kendall was the Director of Equitable Transition at the Pembina Institute, a national clean energy think tank based out of Alberta. Prior to that, she led the development of research, communications, and policy at the Samara Centre for Democracy, a national charity focused on improving participation in politics. She began her career as a book editor at Random House of Canada. Kendall holds a Graduate Certificate in the Science and Policy of Climate Change from Royal Roads University, a publishing diploma from Toronto Metropolitan University, and an Honours Bachelor of Science from the University of Guelph.
Fatema Diwan
Engagement & Communications Manager
she/her
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Fatema Diwan is the Engagement and Communications Manager. Before joining the Foundation, Fatema was an Associate Manager with Journalists for Human Rights, working towards the protection of Afghan journalists and human rights defenders. Prior to that, she worked with UNICEF Canada, advocating for children’s health, education, and safety. She is originally from India, where she has worked across strategic communications, fundraising, and campaigning with rights-based organizations, philanthropy, and social enterprises. Fatema holds a Master of Global Affairs from the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto, and a Bachelor of Mass Media, specializing in Journalism, from the University of Mumbai.
Sara Saidi
Research & Grants Officer
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Sara Saidi is a Research & Grants Officer, focusing primarily on the Foundation’s youth mental health and well-being strategy. She holds a Master’s in Political Studies (specialization in nationalism, ethnicity, peace and conflict) from Queen’s University. Previously, she worked on health and student experience initiatives across counselling, accessibility, and student leadership departments at York University. Sara holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts specializing in Political Science from York University, Glendon College.
Saya Soma
Grants & Program Officer
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Saya Soma is a Grants and Programs Officer, focusing on the Foundation’s Education and Scholarships strategy. Previously Saya worked in the Education Sector of the UNESCO New Delhi Regional Office, focusing on program and policy development in education that addresses climate change, hate speech, disability inclusivity, and gender inequality in South Asia. She has also worked at Douglas College in Vancouver, BC, supporting its international student community and student mobility. She holds a Master of Arts in Global Governance from the University of Waterloo and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of British Columbia. Her expertise includes migration, refugee support, disability rights, and education in displacement and development settings. She is originally from a small town in Hokkaido, Japan.
Kevin Yu
Executive Assistant to the CEO & Grants Administrator
he/him
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Kevin Yu is the Executive Assistant to the CEO and Grants Administrator. Prior to joining the Foundation, he worked for the New Zealand Government as a Civil Case Manager and Deputy Registrar at the Auckland High Court. He has also worked with underserved youth in Hong Kong and South Korea through English for Asia and the Seoul Metropolitan Board of Education. Kevin holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with Minors in Visual Arts and Urban Studies from the University of Toronto.
Our Scholarships & Fellowships Team
Natasha Sawh
CEO, McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill
she/her
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Natasha Sawh is the CEO of the McCall MacBain Foundation’s flagship scholarship programs, including the McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill, a role she assumed in 2024. She joined the McCall MacBain Foundation in 2017 and has held numerous roles, most recently Dean of the McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill and Vice-President, Scholarships of the McCall MacBain Foundation. Natasha has worked in the public, philanthropic and non-profit sectors in higher education and awards, qualifications recognition, and international education for over two decades. She has run scholarship and fellowship programs at the Gordon Foundation and the Loran Scholars Foundation. Natasha has also worked in public sector organizations, including the Privy Council Office, the Canada Millennium Scholarships Foundation, and the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada. She was Rapporteur for the UNESCO Drafting Committee on the Global Convention on the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications, and is currently a member of the Max Bell School of Public Policy Advisory Board. Natasha holds degrees from McMaster University and McGill University, and she studied at the National University of Singapore on exchange.
Colin Monk
Director, McCall MacBain International Fellowships
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Colin Monk is the Director of International Fellowships at the Foundation. He is the former program director for the Sauvé Scholars, and most recently was Vice President, Operations with Enactus Canada. A trained lawyer, he has managed interns at the International Criminal Tribunal in the Hague, worked in Canada’s trade office in Taiwan and Canada’s High Commission in Sri Lanka, and at the Center for International Relations in Washington, DC. In addition to these places, he has lived in Beijing, Mexico City, Toronto, Singapore, Hong Kong, Lima, Berlin, and Montreal. Mr. Monk speaks English, French, Spanish, and Mandarin.
Cameron Revington
Director, Hometown Scholarship Programs
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Cameron Revington is the Director of Program & Grants, and the Foundation’s strategic lead in education & scholarships. He also oversees the McCall Huron County scholarships and the MacBain Niagara Falls scholarships. Cameron holds a Master’s in Public Policy (specialization in economics and development) from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, including a semester at the Hertie School in Berlin, Germany. His research has focused on homelessness policy in Singapore and youth civic engagement in Bangladesh. Previously, he served as Manager, Program and Development at the Loran Scholars Foundation and as a researcher in social procurement with the Learning Enrichment Foundation. Cameron holds an Honours Bachelor of Social Sciences in political science (French Immersion stream) from the University of Ottawa, where he studied as a Loran Scholar. He has also lived, worked and studied in France, Bangladesh, and Turkey.
Finance & Operations
Xavier Giboin
CFO, Pamoja Capital
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Xavier Giboin is the Chief Financial Officer at Pamoja Capital and is also involved in the activities of the McCall MacBain Foundation. From 1997 to 2006, he was Vice President Finance Operations at Trader Classified Media, where he was in charge of financial reporting, control and analysis, involved in financial and operational matters at Group and subsidiary levels, as well as acquisitions and integration. Prior to that, Xavier worked as a financial auditor at Arthur Andersen in Paris. He graduated from HEC Paris (Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales).
Audrey-Anne Boudreault
VP, Finance & Operations
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Audrey-Anne Boudreault is Vice President, Finance and Operations for the McCall MacBain Foundation and its flagship scholarship programs, including the McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill. She brings over 15 years of experience to the role, having served most recently as Vice President of Finance and Operations at Montréal International, where she also held roles as Director and Senior Director of Finances. Audrey-Anne also worked as Manager of Financial Reporting for The GTI Group, Controller for Just For Laughs, as an Accountant for Ubisoft, and as a Senior Associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers. She holds a Bachelors and Masters in Accounting Science from the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi.
Roberto Corvaglia
Accountant, Pamoja Capital
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Roberto Corvaglia is an accountant in the finance department of Pamoja Capital. He is also involved in the activities of the McCall MacBain Foundation. Roberto began his career in the finance department of Leman Commodities SA. Prior to this, he worked for the Swiss Medical Network, one of Switzerland’s two leading private clinic groups, where he was in charge of the suppliers’ department. Roberto has a Federal Certificate of Proficiency in Commercial Business from the Geneva Business School and a degree in Italian language and culture.
Founding Chairman
Honourable Donald J. Johnston (June 26, 1936 – February 4, 2022) was a former Director and past Chair of the McCall MacBain Foundation. He had a long career as a lawyer and politician, including spending ten years as a Member of Canadian Parliament, and ten years in the role of Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Mr. Johnston studied Arts and Law at McGill University, graduating as the Gold Medalist. He held Honorary Doctorates from McGill University, King’s College, Bishop’s University, McMaster University and the University of Bratislava.
In 2008, Mr. Johnston was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. The Government of France made him an Officer of the Légion d’Honneur. He also received the highest honours bestowed on non-citizens from the Governments of Slovakia, Hungary and Belgium and was a recipient from the Emperor of Japan of the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun.