Board of Directors
At PortsToronto, we recognize that good corporate governance lies at the heart of a sustainable business. It allows organizations to stay true to their purpose and drive progress on their value creation journeys. Our governance framework hinges on our commitment to the highest levels of transparency, compliance and accountability, all enabled by our core value of integrity.
PortsToronto is guided by a board of directors comprised of individuals appointed by all levels of government – federal, provincial and municipal.
The federal Minister of Transport appoints seven members to the PortsToronto board (with six of these appointments coming through the recommendations of a variety of user groups affiliated with the business lines of PortsToronto, for example, Port-related users and Airport-related users). The City of Toronto and the Province of Ontario each have one appointee to the board of directors.
The PortsToronto board comprises directors with decades of executive-level experience in several fields. They bring to the table expertise in subjects including, but not limited to, transportation, logistics, public policy, investment portfolio management, business law, finance, accounting, communications and community relations.
The PortsToronto board relies on four standing committees to facilitate business and guide its decisions.
Board Members
Sandra Pupatello, Chair
Ms. Sandra Pupatello has been elected Chair of the PortsToronto Board of Directors effective April 1, 2024. Ms. Pupatello is an active member of the PortsToronto Board and has served on the Audit and Finance Committee and Communications and Outreach Committee.
Sandra Pupatello is the President of Canadian International Avenues Inc., a management consulting firm she founded following a distinguished career in the public sector. There she served as an Ontario Cabinet Minister for eight years, six as the Minister of Economic Development and Trade. She was a member of the Ontario Legislature for 16 years. She holds her ICD.D certificate, and is a corporate director of Martinrea International Inc. She has chaired Hydro One, the Pearson Centre, and served on the Boards of the Asia Pacific Foundation and Ontario Global 100. She recently co-founded Reshoring Canada, a non-profit promoting Canadian business and is a Board Member of St. Elizabeth Healthcare Foundation. She has been recognized for her leadership in business, politics and community service with awards such as the Women’s Executive Network’s (WXN) 2014 Top 100 Canada’s Most Powerful Women, Businesswoman of the Year by the ICCO in Toronto, Canada, and the 2016 Innovation and Global Growth Award by the Bank of Montreal, one of Canada’s largest banks.
To contact the PortsToronto Board Chair, please email [email protected].
Hellen Siwanowicz
Hellen Siwanowicz is a legal consultant specializing in business law with experience in the areas of corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance. Before beginning her legal consultancy, Ms. Siwanowicz was a partner at McMillan LLP. She received her law degree from the University of Toronto and was named one of The Best Lawyers in Canada in 2017 and was named to The Legal 500 Canada in 2015. Ms. Siwanowicz currently serves on the Board of Directors of Catholic Crosscultural Services and Waverley Pharma Inc.
Thomas Ruth
Thomas Ruth has extensive experience in airport and airline operations, having held senior executive positions throughout North America in the multi-modal cargo and logistics industries, including President and Chief Executive Officer of Edmonton International Airport and Halifax International Airport, President and Chief Executive Officer of Oceanex, and President of Canadian North Airline. Mr. Ruth has previously held Board positions on the Airports Council International (ACI) World Governing Board, the Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA) Board of Directors, and chair of the Canadian Airports Council (CAC). He also supports regional community organizations as a member of the board for Explore Edmonton and the Telus Edmonton Community Foundation. Additionally, Mr Ruth was just appointed as an executive director of Airlink, an international non-profit organization that provides logistic and humanitarian support for global disasters.
Jane McKenna
Jane McKenna is a lifetime resident of the Greater Toronto Area, with a strong background in Ontario politics. Before entering politics, she worked in advertising and ran her own successful small business, Rainmaker Consulting. Ms. McKenna was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2011 to 2014 and again from 2018 to 2022, representing the riding of Burlington. In 2018, she was appointed by the Premier as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development; and in 2021 she was appointed as Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues. In addition to her appointment as Provincial representative to the PortsToronto Board, Ms. McKenna was also recently appointed to the Halton Police Board. Ms. McKenna has volunteered with many community organizations, including Rotary Central, Salvation Army, Carpenter Hospice and the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
Robin Pilkey
Robin Pilkey, CPA, CA, is the City of Toronto appointee to the Board of Directors. With over 30 years of experience in finance, accounting, and public service, Ms. Pilkey brings a strong background of fiscal responsibility to complement her passion for community. Formerly the Chair of the Toronto District School Board, she currently serves on a number of boards including roles as the Chair of Audit, Finance & Investment committees. Robin’s commitment to the intersection of economics and community service is also marked by her work with the United Church of Canada, the Canada-Wide Industrial Pension Plan (CWIPP), and the ONE-T ELHT board. As a Chartered Professional Accountant and small business owner, Ms. Pilkey has provided corporate and personal accounting, consulting, and tax services. Ms. Pilkey holds a Graduate Diploma and Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University and is a graduate of the Directors Education Program at the Institute of Corporate Directors.
Standing Committees
The Audit and Finance Committee assists the Board of Directors ensure the integrity of PortsToronto’s financial reporting process and system of internal controls regarding financial reporting and accounting compliance. It provides oversight on legal and regulatory compliance, internal audit and all other maters related to financial reporting systems and risk management.
The primary purpose of the Governance and Human Resources Committee is to assist the Board of Directors in corporate governance, human resource and compensation matters, and to interface with user groups to facilitate Director nominations.
The Communication and Outreach Committee seeks to assist the Board with respect to PortsToronto’s communications strategies and community outreach efforts.
The Pension Committee administers PortsToronto’s pension plans, and makes recommendations to the board of directors on matters relating to them.