Chief Executive Officer
rick@wellesleyinstitute.com
Rick is a senior, general management executive, with experience in both the Canadian and American public and private sectors specializing in organizational revitalization and change management, strategic leadership, governance and execution, relationship growth and management, and operational excellence. He has a diverse background in health care, population health, and consumer-centric organizations.
He is currently the CEO of the Wellesley Institute, a national non-partisan progressive institute focused on population health through applied research, pragmatic public policy and social innovation. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto and a Fellow of Social Innovation Generation. Rick has held the position of president at several private sector organizations including RONA Retail Canada, Wal-Mart FJ in the US, Bi-Way Stores, and People Jewellers amongst others.
Rick is a Director or Governor of several private and public sector organizations including the Toronto Board of Trade where he is also Chair of the Policy and Advocacy Committee, Imperial Manufacturing Group, Centennial Colleges Centre for Applied Research and Innovation, World Presidents Organization-Ontario, Lawson Displays & Creative Designs, The Canadian Centre for Diversity, and the Harvard Club of Toronto (Treasurer). He is a member of The Harvard Lodge, UCC and BCS Associations, and St. Gabriel’s Parish.
Rick is a graduate of the Not-for-Profit Certificate Program at the Harvard Business School and Kennedy School of Government, and has a Masters of Business Administration (Honours), from the University of Toronto, a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from Carleton University and is an alumnus of Bishop’s College School.