As a Partner in the Competition, Antitrust & Foreign Investment group at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, Jonathan is known for his expertise in advising clients on competition, antitrust and Investment Canada Act review clearances for their mergers and acquisitions. He has advised on some of the most complex and high-stakes domestic and global mergers across a diverse array of industries. Jonathan is also a trusted advisor to those seeking advice regarding compliance with the Competition Act and the Investment Canada. Additionally, he acts for clients in investigations and litigation relating to the Competition Act. Jonathan also advises on a variety of communications law topics, such as telecommunications, broadcasting and spectrum management.

Sandra Easton and husband Tony along with son David, daughter-in-law Kathy and two grandchildren are life-long residents of Lincoln. Retired from the health care sector she was elected Mayor in 2014. She represents Lincoln on Niagara Regional Council and has given more than 30 years of dedicated service to her community. Under her leadership, the Town of Lincoln has made great strides toward realizing its vision as a ‘Place to grow, a Place to prosper and a Place to belong.’ Sandra is committed to providing new and meaningful opportunities for residents and business owners to help shape the future of their community.

Karen Fisman is a Managing Director with PwC Corporate Finance in the Toronto office, leading Private Equity coverage for the Canadian team.​ Prior to joining PwC, Karen was a Director at an independent North American investment bank, where she initiated and built a successful Private Equity coverage program. Previously, Karen was Director, Communications at an M&A advisory and Private Capital firm, where she led and executed the firm’s content initiatives and built awareness of its brand and services. Karen started her career in film and television financing at Scotiabank and at RBC. She subsequently moved to an institutional equities analyst role, covering public sector media companies for the purpose of making investment recommendations to institutional investors.​ Karen has an MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, and a law degree (LLB) from the University of Toronto.

Frank Guarascio is a senior partner at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, one of Canada’s leading law firms and has been practicing Corporate and Business Law for over 35 years. Frank’s primary focus is on transactions involving mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, private equity investments and other major transactional work.  He has extensive experience in structuring, negotiating and managing acquisitions and divestitures of both private and public companies. He has advised Canadian and multinational clients in many sectors, including food and beverage, agribusiness, technology, consumer products, financial services and manufacturing. Frank also has significant experience with private equity firms and structuring private equity investments. He regularly advises sponsors, managers, pension funds and other institutional investor clients on their private equity and real estate investments. Frank has been recognized as a leading Canadian lawyer in several publications, including  Lexpert, Best Lawyers in Canada, Thomson Reuters and International Financial Law Review. Frank has written in the area of mergers and acquisitions, has made presentations on negotiating the acquisition of private companies for the Canadian Institute and the Osgoode Hall Law School professional development program and is an instructor of Commercial Law at the Goodman School of Business.

Jeff Smith is a Partner in the Toronto office. Jeff leverages more than 30 years of diverse global experience in the world of government relations, issues and stakeholder management, governance and corporate communications to serve clients who want to understand and communicate more effectively with their audiences. Whether they face sensitive or high-profile business decisions such as a merger, sale, purchase, or restructuring; find themselves with a sensitive issue or crisis; or face business challenges dealing with regulation and government policy, Jeff’s background in government working for cabinet ministers at both the federal and provincial levels including for the Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, and 18 years at an international public relations and public affairs consultancy provides a unique and valuable perspective on all elements of communications and government relations. Jeff is a graduate of the University of Toronto where he studied political science, history and philosophy. He has also completed the Directors Education Program at Rotman School of Management.

Alexander Morsink is a Co-Founder and Managing Director of Equivesto, a Canadian online investment platform, equity crowdfunding portal, and licensed Exempt Market Dealer.  Alexander is also an Angel Investor and Board Member of the Niagara Angel Network. Alexander plays an active role in the Canadian startup ecosystem, acting as a mentor/advisor to both entrepreneurs and other angel investors at several startup accelerators and universities.  Prior to launching Equivesto, Alexander worked for several years in Commercial Banking and Corporate Banking at Scotiabank.  Alexander has a Bachelor of Commerce from Queen’s University.

Paul is a Professor of Accounting at Brock University in the Goodman School of Business. He holds a PhD from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Paul has held academic appointments in the USA (Boston University and Bentley University), Japan (Waseda University), and Sweden (Linnaeus University). He is a director on the board of Value Analysis Canada and also a board member and editor of the Asia-Pacific Management Accounting Journal. He teaches courses in managerial accounting and control with a focus on Lean Production.

Gary Zalepa, Lord Mayor of Niagara-on-the-Lake, is a lifelong resident committed to enhancing the community’s well-being and building a bright and sustainable future. With an impressive political career of over 15 years, Gary has demonstrated his dedication through his four successful terms in Municipal Council Elections. Presently, he holds the position of Lord Mayor for the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake (2022-2026), Councillor for the Regional Municipality of
Niagara (2022-2026), and Chair of Niagara Regional Housing. Beyond his political engagements, Gary has an extensive three-decade background in real estate, currently holding the Senior Vice President of Network Development role at Century21 Canada.

Peter is an accomplished senior financial services and public policy executive with extensive experience across large global banking and life insurance organizations. His experience includes being a successful senior partner in international professional services firms. Peter is passionate about leveraging his more than 30 years of experience in financial and professional services to support the world’s transition to a low-carbon economy and a sustainable future.
CFT is a sustainable forestry start-up company that plants and maintains biodiverse forests throughout Canada by developing employee and customer engagement programs for corporations. In addition to CFT’s corporate programs, CFT also develops fundraising and education programs for students of public and private schools throughout Canada. Before joining CFT, Peter was a Director at Anthesis, a global sustainability consultancy, leading its North American Climate Risk and TCFD Reporting practice.
Peter was an Executive in Residence at the Global Risk Institute in Financial Services (GRI). Before joining GRI in March 2020, Peter was a Partner at PwC, where he was the National Tax Policy Leader. Before PwC, Peter was Senior Vice President, Finance, at TD Bank Group and led the tax function of TD Bank Group. Previous positions held by Peter include Senior Vice President, Tax at Sun Life Financial, and International Tax Partner at EY.
Peter has been a Senior Fellow at the C.D. Howe Institute since October 2019. He is also an advisor to start-up companies in the climate technology and AI space, including Manifest Climate and 15Rock. Peter lectures at the University of Waterloo, the University of Toronto and Laurier University on an ad-hoc basis.
Throughout his career, Peter has built strong relationships with government and regulatory authorities in many countries, including Canada, the U.S., the U.K., the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Singapore. In 2010, Peter received the HMRC’s – the U.K.’s tax authority – External Engagement Award for Advancing Transparency in Tax. Also, Peter has developed strong relationships with the OECD through his active participation in the OECD’s Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) initiative.
Peter has a Dutch and a Canadian Master of Laws degree (University of Leiden Law School and Osgoode Hall Law School, respectively) and a Canadian Master of Business Administration degree (Richard Ivey School of Business). Peter also holds the SCR (climate risk management) and ICD.D (corporate governance) designations.

2023 Symposium

The Role of Accounting in Sustainability and Circular Economy

The CPA Centre for Public Policy and Innovation in Accounting hosted its annual symposium on November 3, 2023. The theme for 2023 was “The Role of Accounting in Sustainability and a Circular Economy.” There were speakers from academia, Walker Industries, and KPMG, as well as a panel discussion with a local mayor, and the CEO of Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce. Prizes were presented to the winners of the high school and Brock Undergraduate video competition.

Guest Speakers:

• Dr. Leanne Keddie, Assistant Professor of Accounting, Carleton University
• Dr. Cheol Lee, Professor of Accounting, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
• Dr. Liette Vasseur, Professor of Biological Sciences, Brock University
• Dr. Samir Trabelsi, Professor of Accounting, Brock University
• Gary Zalepa, Lord Mayor of Niagara-on-the-Lake
• Mishka Balsom, CEO of the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce
• Paul Smith, Vice President of Finance, Walker Industries
• Ramsha Ahmed, ESG Manager, KPMG
• Mani Siddiqui, Founder of Jitto

Student Video Competition

Brock University undergraduate students and high school students were invited to submit a short video about the role accounting can play in a circular economy for a chance to win a $1000 prize and the opportunity to attend the 2023 symposium.

2022 Symposium

Extractive Sector Transparency Measures Act (ESTMA)

The CPA Centre for Public Policy and Innovation in Accounting at the Goodman school of Business was pleased to host a symposium in conjunction with Natural Resources Canada’s (NRCan) on the Extractive Sector Transparency Measures Act (ESTMA). This event was held in a hybrid format, online and in person at Goodman School of Business Atrium at Brock University. The free symposium featured speakers from NRCan, CPA Ontario and PWC as well as industry partners.

Guest Speakers:

• Mr. Ross Gallinger, President, RG Consulting
• Mr. Jason Manikkam, Deputy Director, Extractive Sector Transparency Office, Natural Resources Canada, Government of Canada
• Emily Nickerson, Team Lead / Policy, Strategy and Partnerships, Extractive Sector Transparency Office, Natural Resources Canada, Government of Canada
• Jacques Radder, Director, Accounting Advisory Services, PwC Management Services LP
• Dr. Galit A. Sarfaty, Canada Research Chair in Global Economic Governance, Associate Professor | Allard School of Law, The University of British Columbia
• Dr. Charles Cho, Professor/Erivan K. Haub Chair, Schulich School of Business, York University
• Mr. Daniel Mule, Policy Lead, Extractive Industries Tax and Transparency, Oxfam America