Senior Executive Team

group photo of United Way team Rahima Mamdani Gillian Mason Susan McIssac Frances Lankin Amy Tong Julia Gorman LouiseBellingham Michael Herrera Waseem Syed Scott Perchall

Susan McIssac

Susan McIsaac became President and CEO of United Way Toronto on September 1, 2010. She is a widely recognized leader with more than 20 years experience in the non-profit sector. A senior executive with United Way since 1998, Susan is a key architect of the organization's strategic transformation, from trusted fundraiser to a community mobilizer and catalyst for change.

Under her leadership as Chief Development Officer, United Way's annual fundraising campaign was reshaped to become a community engagement strategy – an approach that seeks to engage donors and volunteers in community strategies to change social conditions in our city.

The resulting direct alignment of United Way's annual fund development to its community impact agenda has resulted in phenomenal growth for United Way over the last 12 years, with campaign revenue growing from $58 million in 1998 to $110 million in 2009. The transformation has enabled the organization to leverage enormous resources in support of a community agenda that now works to address underlying, root causes of social issues, in addition to fulfilling its historical role as a supporter of urgent community services.

Before joining United Way, Susan worked for KCI Ketchum Canada, a leader in organizational health, fundraising communication and philanthropic counsel, where she supported a variety of non-profit clients as a campaign director and later as Vice President of Educational Services from 1992 to 1998. And she once led Loyalist College's first-ever capital campaign.

Susan has spent a lifetime in service to the community. She donates much of her time to several non-profit institutions in Toronto and also works as a mentor for United Way's CITY Leaders program, an initiative that develops the capacity of the community social services sector.

In 2007, she received the National Award of Excellence from United Way of Canada–Centraide Canada and was named Outstanding Fundraising Professional of the Year by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).

Frances Lankin

The Hon. Frances Lankin, PC, LLD (HC) was the President and Chief Executive Officer of United Way Toronto from 2001 to 2010. She will remain with United Way until 2011 to assist with the transition of our new CEO.

During her tenure, Frances guided the organization through its strategic transformation to a leading community builder in the city. Under her leadership United Way engaged in a number of strategic initiatives that aimed to improve the lives of individuals, families and communities in Toronto:

  • a five-year Neighbourhood Strategy, which is currently developing social infrastructure and engaging residents in priority neighbourhoods identified by the City of Toronto and United Way
  • partnerships with Government, Business and Labour have focused attention and resources on United Way Toronto's key priority areas: neighbourhoods, youth and newcomers
  • primary social research such as Losing Ground, Decade of Decline, Poverty by Postal Code, as well as participation in the Strong Neighbourhoods Task Force Report, has focused attention and resources on poverty in the City of Toronto and its underserved inner suburbs
  • building and strengthening the city's critical social infrastructure of community supports through funding United Way's network of health and social service agencies, and by developing agency capacity and local leadership skills
  • mobilizing the community's volunteer and financial resources. In 2009, through tough economic times, United Way reached its largest achievement of $109 million.

Frances has spent a lifetime in service to the community and is a recognized leader in the non-profit sector. In 2006, she chaired a federal government commissioned Blue Ribbon Panel, which made recommendations for improving how Ottawa distributes grants and contributions to charities and other organizations. She has served on the Boards of several not-for-profit and charitable organizations including Equal Voice, The Canadian Club, The Canadian Foundation for Economic Education (CFEE), Altruvest Charitable Services and the Board of Governors of Seneca College. In 2002 and 2003, she co-chaired the Toronto City Summit. She serves on the Toronto City Summit Alliance Steering Committee, the University of Toronto's School of Public Policy Advisory Committee, the External Advisory Board of the City Institute at York University, and is an honorary board member of the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance.

Frances has been widely recognized for her community work. In 2003, Frances was awarded the Queen's Jubilee Medal. In 2004, she was presented with United Way of Canada's Award of Excellence for her community building work in Toronto. In 2007, she was named the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) CEO of the Year for Excellence in Public Relations and received the Toronto Star Laurel Award for Losing Ground, United Way's report on family poverty in Toronto. In 2008, she was named one of More Magazine's Top 40 over 40 in the Fighting-for-equality category. That same year, she received the Equal Voice EVE Award for her achievements in political life and her efforts to advance the cause of electing more women in Canada as well as the Consumers' Choice Woman of the Year Award. Most recently, Frances was honoured with the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Toronto's Community Builder Award and received a honourary Doctorate of Laws from Queen's University, recognizing her contribution as a strong advocate for social justice and human rights.

Frances served as an MPP for 11 years until she joined United Way in 2001. In 1990, Frances was elected MPP for the Toronto riding of Beaches-East York and served in the Rae government as Minister of Government Services and Chair of the Management Board. She was Minister of Health from 1991 to 1993 and was appointed Minister of Economic Development and Trade, a position she held until 1995.

In 2009, Frances was sworn in to the Queen's Privy Council of Canada and appointed by the Prime Minister as a member of the Security Intelligence Review Committee, which provides an external review of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

Louise Bellingham

Louise Bellingham joined United Way Toronto in June 2006 and holds the position of Vice President of Marketing. Louise is responsible for managing the development of marketing strategies and marketing communications support for the United Way Toronto brand. This includes the development and execution of market research, mass advertising, direct mail, marketing collateral, special events, promotions and online marketing initiatives. As an integrated part of United Way Toronto's Resource Development department, Louise and her team are focused on reinforcing the community building positioning of the United Way brand, building increased awareness and engagement with the brand, and enhancing overall resource development efforts of the organization.

Louise joined the United Way movement after leaving a 25-year career with Bell Canada. In her years at Bell Canada, Louise held a number of progressively senior positions in the areas of product management, consumer and business advertising, promotion, sponsorship, and corporate communications. In her previous position as Senior Director - Corporate Social Responsibility for Bell Canada and BCE, Louise championed the company's significant commitment to community investment and partnered with a large number of charitable organizations, including United Way, to advance their work in the community.

Louise holds an Honours BA in Social Science from York University and Masters of Business Administration with specializations in Marketing and Organizational Behaviour from the Schulich School of Business. She is active in the community and has volunteered for numerous non-profit organizations including the Faculty of Social Work at University of Toronto, the Board of Directors for the Toronto International Film Festival Group, the Conference Board of Canada's CSR Advisory Group, United Way, Kids Help Phone, Altruvest and Imagine Canada.

Julia Gorman

Julia Gorman joined United Way Toronto in 1994 and was appointed Vice President, Resource Development in 2010. She is responsible for overseeing United Way's fundraising campaign, new donor acquisition, and strategies related to business development.

As a member of the Senior Executive Team at United Way, Julia participates in the development and implementation of the strategic and operational direction for United Way Toronto. Julia is also a member of United Way of America's Major Gifts Staff Leadership Council, a group of professionals from twenty of North America's largest United Way major gift programs.

Prior to becoming Vice President of Resource Development, Julia was United Way Toronto's Director of Major Individual Gifts (MIG). She led a team of eight professional fundraisers and ninety volunteers to ensure the success and growth of the MIG program. In 2009, this high-growth segment of United Way Toronto's campaign represented over $30 million in annual donations over $10,000, special targeted gifts and endowment giving. Before her role as Director, Julia also helped launch The Tomorrow Fund endowment program and was a Major Gifts Officer.

Before coming to United Way, Julia worked with the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy (now IMAGINE Canada) and the IMAGINE public awareness campaign for over ten years. She is an Art History and Museum Studies graduate who has found her place in the world of financial data and donor relationship management in her career as a professional fundraiser.

Michael Herrera

Michael Herrera joined United Way Toronto in August 2009. As Vice-President, Finance, Michael provides strategic leadership in accounting and financial management. He supervises the Finance Department's day-to-day operations and oversees the development and delivery of accurate and relevant reports to United Way stakeholders.

Michael has spent a career in service to the not-for-profit sector, having worked with social services, religious and arts organizations. Most recently, Michael was the Interim Treasurer at the Anglican Church of Canada. He has held similar positions at YMCA of Greater Toronto and National Ballet of Canada. Previously, Michael was a manager at Ernst & Young and, as an independent consultant, he supported arts and heritage organizations through the development and delivery of financial and governance training to a variety of organizations throughout the province.

Michael's community involvement includes past governance roles with organizations such as Community Social Planning Council - Toronto, Toronto Community Foundation, and Ontario Museums Association. He also teaches a course in financial management for arts managers at the University of Toronto at Scarborough.

Michael holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Toronto and has been a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ontario since 1996.

Rahima Mamdani

Rahima Mamdani joined United Way Toronto as Director of Human Resources and Organizational Development in February 2005 and is responsible for developing the HR capacity of the organization. She provides senior management with strategic counsel, directs the development and administration of HR goals, plans and programs, and provides HR advice and support across the organization.

Under Rahima's leadership, several comprehensive HR programs for UWT Staff have been introduced in areas such as recruitment, performance management, professional development, compensation and wellness.

Rahima began her career at Bell Canada over 15 years ago, where she researched best practices in Human Resources and focused on designing and implementing HR programs. Rahima also worked for Saville Systems, Rogers iMedia and Buybuddy Incorporated.

As well, Rahima has provided HR consulting services to not-for-profit organizations such as Right To Play and Greenpeace Canada and volunteered with the Toronto Children's Aid Society, the Aga Khan Development Network and Médecins Sans Frontières.

Rahima holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Anthropology and a Masters of Information Studies from the University of Toronto. She holds a Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation and is a member of the Human Resources Professionals of Ontario (HRPAO). Rahima also sits on a national steering committee for the HR Council for the Voluntary/Non-Profit Sector's project to build capacity for effective HR management across the sector.

Gillian Mason

Gillian Mason joined United Way Toronto in October 2007 and now holds the position of Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives and Community Partnerships. Gillian is responsible for advancing United Way's community impact work by providing leadership on research, public policy as well as the development of community initiatives and partnerships. She also works closely with Board Committees such as the Community Impact Committee and the Research, Policy and Priorities Committee.

Gillian previously held the position of Executive Director and CEO of the Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management (CAPAM), an international organization she helped found. At CAPAM she was responsible for the leadership and strategic management of its international membership association of senior public officials, both appointed and elected. Gillian gained a wealth of experience working in diverse, multicultural environments while traveling to many of the 53 Commonwealth nations, where Gillian worked closely with local teams in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the south Pacific as well as the United Kingdom and Malta in Europe in capacity building and knowledge exchange.

Prior to CAPAM, Gillian was the Vice President of the Canadian Urban Institute which she also helped found. In the late 1980s, Gillian was Project Manager, Municipal Economic Development Program and Director, Policy and Research Department with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). At FCM, she led projects including the establishment of the FCM International Office, which works with municipal governments worldwide to improve the quality of life and the sustainability of local communities.

Gillian holds a number of volunteer positions in the community that have included member and Vice Chair of the Toronto Public Library Foundation, member and Chair of the Toronto Public Library Board, and various positions with the Diaspora Dialogues, the Community and Race Relations Committee – City of Scarborough, the Canadian Institute of Planners and the Wilderness Canoe Association. She is the recipient of a number of leadership and community service awards.

Gillian holds a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Western Ontario, where she graduated with distinction. She also holds a Bachelor of Environmental Studies (Honours) in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Waterloo.

Scott Perchall

Scott Perchall joined United Way Toronto in January 2008 to lead a communications unit with a focus on raising public understanding of today's United Way and to provide strategic communications and brand development support. Scott has lead responsibility for the organization's media relations, issues and crisis management, message and brand positioning, internal communications, as well as public and stakeholder relations. In June 2010, Scott was named Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs assuming responsibility for the organization's government and public policy stakeholder relations efforts and to support the advancement of United Way's community impact agenda.

Scott has spent fifteen years in communications in non-profit, public and private sector roles. He has developed a wide array of communications specialities ranging from media relations, issues and crisis management, and stakeholder relations management to design and marketing, message development and speech writing.

Raised on the West Coast, Scott moved to Toronto with his wife Karen after seven years in British Columbia politics. He is the former political advisor and press secretary to BC's Official Opposition Leader, Carole James, and a former communications officer for the BC New Democratic Party.

WaseemS yed

Waseem Syed joined United Way Toronto in February 2007 as Vice President of Community Investment. He leads the development and oversight of UWT's fund distribution process, including funding to member agencies and special grant programs, the volunteer review, and developing investment opportunities for major individual donors.

Waseem is also responsible for organizational capacity building support in such areas as leadership, strategic planning, organizational assessment and governance for staff and board member and partner agencies interested in improving their operations.

As a newcomer to Canada, Waseem brings a wealth of international and local experience. His first position in Toronto was an internship at TD Bank Financial Group through Career Bridge, a program designed to integrate skilled immigrants into the Canadian workforce.

Prior to moving to Canada in 2005, he was head of Operations for the United Nations Development Program in Geneva, Switzerland, where he co-managed a US $140 million trust fund for global crisis prevention initiatives. From 2001 to 2003, Waseem was head of Administration and Finance for the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, where he oversaw the Kosovo education budget, allocating funds to municipalities, and the reconstruction of educational infrastructure.

Waseem's background also includes the role of Regional Administrator for Central Asia for ACTED, an international non-governmental organization, and Chief Financial Officer for Brikks PLC, a construction material manufacturing company in Pakistan.

Waseem holds an MBA in Finance from the Institute of Business Administration, Karachi, Pakistan.

Catherine Smith

Amy Tong joined United Way Toronto in February 2009. As Chief Operating Officer, Amy is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organization and leadership of the Finance, Information Services and Human Resources teams. She is also responsible for all regulatory and legal issues, risk management, privacy, change management initiatives, internal communications and Board committee work.

Amy's professional career has bridged key roles in the not-for-profit and private sectors. Most recently, Amy held the position of Vice-President, Finance and Operations with UNICEF Canada. Prior to UNICEF, she held similar positions with the CN Tower and with the Addiction Research Foundation. Previously, Amy was a Principal with Ernst & Young and held financial roles with the City of Toronto and Province of Ontario.

Over the past five years with UNICEF, Amy was responsible for a staff of 70 people in a wide range of departments, including six regional offices across Canada, Finance & Accounting, Information Technology, Human Resources, Administrative Services and Customer Services.

Amy served on UWT's Allocations Committee from 1995 to 2008, taking on the role of Committee Chair from 2004 to 2007. She was a member of UWT's Board of Trustees from 2002 to 2008. She has also volunteered on Boards and committees of organizations such as Invest in Kids, Women's College Hospital and Holy Trinity School.

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