Executive Leadership Team

Lili-Anna Pereša was President and CEO of the McConnell Foundation from 2020 to 2024. Previously, she served as the President and Executive Director of Centraide of Greater Montreal for eight years.

For more than 30 years, Lili-Anna has been dedicated, as a leader, to organizations that share a common goal: empowering individuals, contributing to the development of disadvantaged communities, and helping to improve the living conditions of the most vulnerable populations. These organizations include the YWCA Montreal, the One Drop Foundation, Amnesty International France, and Les Petits Frères des Pauvres. Earlier, she was engaged in humanitarian service as Head of Mission for CARE in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina during an armed conflict, as a Volunteer Cooperant for Oxfam-Québec in Burkina Faso, and as a science teacher in Malawi.

Her career has earned her numerous distinctions, including an honorary doctorate awarded by the University of Montreal, the title of Knight of the National Order of Quebec in 2018, the Germaine-Gibara Award from the Mercuriades of the Quebec Federation of Chambers of Commerce in 2016, and the title of Fellow of Engineers Canada in 2014.

Lili-Anna has contributed and continues to volunteer with various organizations, including as a member of the Board of Directors of the Roncalli International Foundation, the National Executive Committee of the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference, the Advisory Board of the Future Skills Centre of Canada, the Independent Advisory Board for Supreme Court of Canada Judicial Appointments from 2016 to 2021, the Board of Directors of the Domaine Forget de Charlevoix, and her alma mater, the Board of Directors of Polytechnique Montréal.

An engineer by training, she graduated from the École Polytechnique de Montréal before going on to earn graduate degrees from McGill University in management and the Sorbonne in Paris in political science.

Julie heads up the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s key corporate and financial functions, overseeing the organization’s non-profit, charitable, and social enterprise while collaborating with the executive leadership team on strategic initiatives. She is a highly accomplished financial professional who has held progressively senior roles across the private sector as interim vice-president of finance at Minto Group and, most recently, chief financial officer at the Conference Board of Canada. Throughout her career, Julie has demonstrated exceptional leadership, financial acumen, and a keen ability to manage complex financial systems.

Outside of the office, Julie travels frequently (30 countries and counting). While living in Paris for a few years, she developed such an appreciation for wine that she plans to pursue sommelier studies in the future. She also enjoys reading mystery novels and watching the latest reality TV series. Julie holds a certificate in accountancy and a bachelor of commerce from Concordia University and is a chartered professional accountant.

Karla joined the Mental Health Commission of Canada in 2014, bringing a wealth of health care leadership experience and a unique mix of expertise in research, marketing, communications and building key stakeholder relationships in the private, non-profit and government sectors.

As Vice President of Programs, Karla is responsible for strategic and operational leadership of the Programs and Priorities of the MHCC. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, she works collaboratively to ensure the alignment of business plans with the Commission’s strategic objectives and priorities.

Karla has earned a Master of Science in Statistics from Queen’s University as well as a Bachelor of Commerce from Carleton University. Karla also earned her Certified Health Executive designation in 2022 (awarded by the Canadian College of Health Leaders).

A graduate of the Not-For-Profit Governance Essentials Program, Karla is also an active member of the Institute for Corporate Directors. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Family Services Ottawa, a registered charity providing a wide range of accessible counselling services and educational and supportive programs for children, adults, and families in all their forms.

Leanne brings over 20 years of national and international experience in stakeholder engagement and government relations to her role as Vice President, External Affairs and Development at the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC). With a career that has spanned across diverse regions, from Cameroon to the Yukon, and from British Columbia to Ontario, Leanne has worked with a wide range of rights-based non-governmental organizations focused on women’s rights, environmental sustainability, and mental health care.

Leanne is a passionate advocate for social inclusion and thriving communities. Her career includes significant experience managing policy and research initiatives, as well as leading advocacy campaigns, with over a decade in federal, territorial, and municipal politics.

Prior to joining the MHCC, Leanne served as Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), where she led member and stakeholder engagement efforts, oversaw governance and supported strategic planning at the executive level. She also served as a senior member of FCM’s Policy and Public Affairs team for eight years.

Rodney is a human resources executive who enjoys driving change, staying relevant, and helping organizations increase their effectiveness. His professional philosophy has always been to improve daily by remaining curious and continuously learning. While he has accumulated in-depth experience and expertise in people operations, talent development, performance management, and diversity and inclusion in a career that spans over two decades, Rodney considers his most cherished accomplishment the trusting professional relationships he has established during that time. His progressive leadership roles include work with highly recognized brands in consumer packaged goods, entertainment, and retail. He has a proven track record of establishing and building the people function, implementing effective people practices, and creating an environment for highly effective teams, which will serve him well in his new role at the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Before joining us Rodney was the vice-president of people and culture at Habitat for Humanity GTA.

Rodney holds a bachelor’s degree in human resources management from York University and numerous certifications from Cornell University specializing in financial management, compensation, and strategic human resources management. When he’s not in the office, you’ll likely catch him on a basketball court. He is a passionate youth basketball coach in a program he co-founded that builds character and resilience to inspire an “anything is possible” mindset.

Shane is an accomplished business executive who, for 25 years, has been inspiring teams to think outside the box and drive sustainable growth. His people-first approach, combined with his experience in strategy, sales, marketing, and innovation, has driven success in the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors.

Shane most recently served as the vice-president of social enterprise and strategic partnerships for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, where he established a business-to-business services division, leveraged technology-based innovation, and championed strategic partnerships to diversify revenue streams and drive growth.

He previously served as the vice-president of social enterprise for the Canadian Hearing Society, where he introduced a structured sales approach to drive growth of hearing health care and assistive technology. Prior to his not-for-profit work, Shane honed his skills in the consumer packaged goods (Kraft Foods, Borden, Georgia-Pacific) and pharmaceutical industries (Bristol-Myers Squibb, Mylan).

Shane holds a master’s degree in business administration from the Schulich school of business at York University and an undergraduate degree from Western University.

Passionate about helping people live the lives they choose; he believes that balance in life is critical for our physical and mental well-being. In his spare time, Shane enjoys playing sports (albeit, more recreational now), spending time with family and friends, volunteering at a large animal rescue facility, and (optimistically/naively) cheering for Toronto sports teams.