Breaking Barriers: A Fireside Conversation on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Leigh Allen is the AVP, Global Strategic Research, Reinsurance Group of America Inc., one of the world’s largest global life and reinsurance companies.

As a proud Huron ‘93 alumna, Allen says she was both thrilled and honoured when asked to join the Board. “I love the Leadership with Heart campaign,” she shares. “I’m excited to be part of this and will work to help Huron differentiate itself and become a destination for a Liberal Arts education in Canada.”

Allen graduated from Huron with a degree in Psychology. After having worked in consulting, at the United Nations and now the reinsurance industry, she says her Liberal Arts education has helped her in achieving these positions and opening doors.

“A Liberal Arts background gives you a bit more latitude to explore your personality and interests, strengths and dislikes – there’s a lot of opportunity,” she says. “There’s more appetite to go in different directions.”

Having also volunteered her time with the London Goodenough Association of Canada, which fosters alumni development and community relations, Allen is enthusiastic for her work on the Board of Governors. Huron, she says, is the perfect university in which to produce future leaders and change makers.

“We need to develop future generations to be broad thinkers and open to inclusivity,” she says. “I met a lot of people here who are amazing and I’ve kept those bonds and ties even when we’re in different countries.

“It’s unusual to have those relationships, a sense of community and belonging, but Huron fosters these with ease.”

Yola Ventresca is a Managing Partner, Lerners LLP, Secretary of Huron’s Board of Governors and a Huron Class of ’02 alumni. Selected as one of Canada’s “Best Lawyers,” she is passionate about the value of Liberal Arts in helping students succeed in their careers.

“Not only does it prepare you to be very successful within your profession, but this type of well-rounded programming forms you as a person,” she says. “People have lost this communal sense of what the Liberal Arts can offer, and I am going to support a change in that narrative in any way I can.”

Outside of law, Ventresca is committed to improving her community whether through volunteer work with community organizations or promoting the advancement of women in the legal profession. As a member of Huron’s Board of Governors, she says she is excited for the role she can personally play in shifting systemic inequalities and preparing students to positively influence others through empathetic and inclusive decision making.

“A Leader with Heart has an academic inclination, but they are also highly emotionally intelligent and compassionate towards people who differ from them,” she says. “As a lawyer, I see the importance of this type of leader every single day. I have a real desire to encourage people to recognize the value of that flexibility in thought and critical capacity that allows my colleagues to really engage with people from all walks of life.”

Lisa Jones Keenan is the Vice President of Sales at Xplornet Communications, the largest rural fixed wireless broadband service provider in Canada.

In her work, Jones Keenan is known for fostering positive company cultures and productivity. She credits transferrable skills for her ability to move into roles she may not have otherwise considered. With the ever-evolving demands of the modern economy, ensuring young people can similarly adapt within new industries is one of the reasons Jones Keenan joined Huron’s Board of Governors.

“It might be presumptuous to say that a university has a social and moral prerogative to develop well-rounded, well-intentioned people,” Jones Keenan states. “But, at Huron you don’t have to suggest it – the university’s sense of obligation to form people who will benefit humanity is built into everything Leadership does.”

Jones Keenan has kept leadership development at the forefront of her career. When talking about the immediate need for an education that develops people skills and leadership potential, she emphasizes how Huron’s unique model of teaching can transform our future economy.

“So much of what I do focuses on coaching people who are already well-established in their careers yet still need that encouragement to be compassionate and empathetic in the office,” Jones Keenan shares. “To be able to start that learning in post-secondary school will not only be such a benefit to our students, but to the business world more broadly.”

Ranjita is Executive Chair of the Oxford Global Partnership, advising investors, businesses, family offices and entrepreneurs on sustainable, inclusive and responsible value creation. A Business Fellow at Oxford University’s Smith School, Ranjita engages with companies on pursuing value with values, and teaches a postgraduate “Essentials of ESG & DEI” course.

Rajan’s passion and professional raison d’être is supporting and shaping imaginative organizations and businesses as exemplars of outstanding value creation, responsible governance and equitable, inclusive net-zero sustainable development (“NZSD”). Over a decade at McKinsey & Co, Rajan advised public, private and family-owned businesses in retail, telecoms, energy, mining, banking, finance on value creation. She was a founding member of McKinsey’s Climate Change Special Initiative, today its Sustainability Practice. Rajan started her career as a macroeconomist in Africa and Asia, negotiating financing for structural adjustment and sustainable development projects and laying the foundations for NZSD as a non-negotiable.

Rajan is also Founder of the Karta Initiative, a global social mobility movement, building technology, finance, and networks to bridge the divide between ‘base of pyramid’ youth and world leading universities and employers in Canada, India and the UK.

Rajan’s passion for inclusive prosperity comes from a childhood spent in rural, remote Liberia where she witnessed how accident of birth is a key driver of life outcomes. Here, she saw firsthand how the basic necessities, such as running water and electricity, are markers of privilege for many people. At the same time, Rajan says “even a tiny drop of opportunity and access to education or training” can make a tremendous difference to nurture potential and improve equality of outcomes.

“In the early days of Karta, we reached out to Canadian universities to explore their interest in international inclusion, and I was introduced to Barry. It did not take long to realize we were totally, utterly mission aligned,” she says. “What we wanted – and are both still working hard to achieve – is the removal of barriers to opportunity so a more representative group of young people can excel and thrive in world class environments.”

As a member of Huron’s Board, Rajan is excited to support Huron as a world class university, globally celebrated for its world class education and advancement of inclusive prosperity, social mobility, and equitable NZSD.

Michael Medline is the President and CEO of Empire Company Limited and Sobeys Inc., a leading Canadian grocery retailer with grocery and ecommerce brands that reach across Canada, including Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, FreshCo, Foodland, Thrifty Foods, Farm Boy, Longo’s and Voilà.

Medline is a Huron Class of ’84 Alumnus. In 2021, Medline returned to Huron as a member of the Board of Governors in order to “contribute to a school and part of his life that means so much to him.” A passionate advocate for the Liberal Arts, Medline is focused on supporting Huron to “take the Liberal Arts experience to another level.”

As the CEO of one of Canada’s largest and longest-running food retailers, Medline understands what it takes to attain success by combining profitability and a values-based approach to business. He attributes a part of his career success to Huron, saying Liberal Arts can “springboard” students to pursue their passions across countless fields.

“I strongly believe in the value of the Liberal Arts. What you learn is how to communicate, ingest and synthesize a large amount of information,” he says. “The ability to think critically and innovatively have been integral to my business career and our students will benefit immensely from learning to adapt, embrace change and follow their passions.”

As part of Huron’s Board of Governors, Medline hopes to build on the university’s vision to develop students through a strong educational foundation, a belief in the common good and a commitment to civic engagement.

“When I went there, I absolutely loved everything about Huron,” he says. “The institution is definitely getting better every single year. It’s an amazing place to get an education.”

Beyond his business accomplishments, Medline is active in the community. He serves as a member of the Board of the SickKids Foundation and is currently Chair of the Grocery Foundation. He holds an MBA from Raymond A. Mason School of Business, William & Mary; an LL.B. from the University of Toronto, and, of course, a BA from Huron University College at Western University. Medline also proudly received an Honorary Doctor of Divinity from Huron College in 2020.

Susan Farrow is an Assistant Professor in The Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto and a Founding Partner and Co-Director of The Toronto Institute of Group Studies, an organization offering certified training and education in group leadership.

“Our public education systems have recently been more focused on STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and math), which are extremely important,” says the Huron ’85 alumni. “However, we cannot lose the significant value of the humanities – the subjects that truly help educate us to communicate, better understand each other, and be caring and decent human beings.”

Farrow has been a committed clinician and educator throughout her career, with expertise in mental health and psychotherapy. High on her list of priorities as a member of the Board of Governors will be to ensure there is a real focus on the student experience, and their wellbeing, particularly with respect to mental health.

Saying she was “honoured” to be asked to join the Board, Farrow notes she was already avidly watching Huron’s commitment to creating Leaders with Heart. “This focus on developing and giving back to our communities is essential for us to make both the local and global changes that are so necessary to our world today,” she says.

Farrow remembers her Huron experience as “an amazing learning environment” and hopes to give back to Huron to express her gratitude for the incredibly positive impact Huron has had on her life.

Frank Holmes is CEO and Chief Investment Officer of U.S. Global Investors, as well as a business commentator, philanthropist and Huron Class of ‘78 alumnus. Holmes also serves as the Executive Chairman of HIVE Blockchain Technologies, the first cryptocurrency mining company to go public in 2017.

Born in Toronto, ON, Holmes says he was exposed to many different cultures and socio-economic backgrounds as a child. As a result, he says he developed a determination to leverage the capacity he built through U.S. Global Investors to invest in charities that give underserved kids a leg up.

“My goals have always been to create economic growth and a better well-being for the communities I work within,” he says. “I have always believed in giving back and, as you become more readily able to do so, you should recognize your obligation to invest in the people and spaces around you.

“That giving mentality has to go hand-in-hand with prosperity.”

In recent years, Holmes has reconnected with Huron, intrigued both by the school’s academic offerings and its commitment to civic engagement. His forward-looking vision aligns well with the university’s commitment to innovating and strengthening itself as an international leader with the same growth mindset it will foster within its students.

“Good leaders have a growth mindset,” he says. “They are not forced into learning, but instead are naturally curious and excited about taking the initiative to challenge their own preconceived notions. Huron is nurturing a new generation of students who are inspired to be transparent and accountable. Not only do they have drive, but their high achievement is underlined by a willingness to disrupt the status quo and give back.

“Who wouldn’t get excited about that?”

Caleb Hayhoe is the Founder & Chairman of Flowerdale Group and a Huron Class of ’85 Alumnus. Flowerdale Group is a Hong Kong based family office with a global investment outlook across public markets, real estate and private investment. Hayhoe previously spent over ten years building a global sourcing business together with an exceptional team, and remains committed to entrepreneurialism and helping great ideas become sustainable companies.

Hayhoe prioritizes character above all else when looking at who and what to invest in. “I have hired hundreds of people, and what I always look for is how people do things,” Hayhoe says. “As the world becomes increasingly globalized, businesses have access to countless intelligent, qualified people. However, cultural capital is what really counts: you need to be willing to learn, work well with people from diverse backgrounds and accept ideas that starkly differ from your own.”

Hayhoe, who currently lives in London, UK, remains an avid believer in the value of a Liberal Arts education. As a member of Huron’s Board of Governors, he hopes to reaffirm and support the responsibility of educational institutions to develop graduates who have integrity and who recognize the importance of balancing financial success with social responsibility.

He looks forward to working with Huron’s Board of Governors to create a legacy at Huron that stands for the core fundamental values of treating people with dignity and respect and acting in the best interests of society.

“I am excited about the opportunity to help my alma mater become an even more representative and dynamic school that emphasizes integrity, celebrates uniqueness and never loses that sense of home it had when I attended,” he says.

Kelly Meighen is an experienced philanthropist and volunteer. In her role as president of the T.R. Meighen Family Foundation, she has created a legacy of volunteerism and philanthropic giving in the areas of youth mental health advocacy, environmental conservation and cultural vibrancy.

A Huron Class of ’71 alumnus, Meighen also holds an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Huron, conferred to her on the 156th Founder’s Day. She is putting strategic planning and governance skills to work as part of Huron’s Board of Governors to help amplify the school’s as an elite Liberal Arts institution with an inclusive environment designed to welcome people from all backgrounds.

“Huron’s advantages have always been obvious to the people who appreciate that kind of an environment,” she says. “My hope is that our Board can help broadly share the vision of the school as I cannot imagine how it would not resonate with a very broad and enthusiastic audience.”

Meighen says Huron’s emphasis on personalized support, equitable opportunity and community integration has never been so important.

“Now, we just need to ensure our message reaches everyone who recognizes the mutual benefit of intellectual pursuit and personal development,” she says. “Huron’s intention to deliver an education that prioritizes the student as an individual while fostering their role within society will no doubt benefit both learners and their communities alike.”