Legal team size: 14

What projects are you most proud to have worked on over the past 12 months?

I would highlight evolving the Canadian commercial real estate landscape by leveraging office and retail space to be repurposed for healthcare access in communities that historically have difficulty accessing emergency and/or primary care; opening first-in-Canada Virtual Walk In Clinic at Lawrence Allen Centre in partnership with the Hospital for SickKids; and developing and executing strategy to navigate through HBC CCAA filing in developing mitigation and growth opportunities for RioCan’s joint venture with HBC

Have you had any experiences during your career as a lawyer that stand out as particularly unique or interesting?

I have been very fortunate to have been able to transition my areas of focus several times in my career. Beginning with establishing an incredible foundation in business law at Blakes and Goodmans, then moving into a variety of progressively senior in-house counsel roles at globally leading pharmaceutical and medical device companies where I established newly created legal and compliance departments was incredibly fulfilling. The opportunity, however, of being able to transition fully into commercial real estate eight years ago at RioCan at a time when this blue-chip Canadian REIT decided it was time to invest in a General Counsel has allowed me to fully realise my potential.

I have had the privilege of creating and overseeing the most talented teams in the country in legal, ESG, and insurance departments, as well as acting as Corporate Secretary to one of the most sophisticated Boards of Trustees in Canada. Every day is unique, as are the challenges that come along with being a leader at one of Canada’s pre-eminent organisations and I relish the chance to contribute to the strategy, culture and shareholder value we strive to create every day.

How does your team contribute to the overall business strategy of the company?

Every member of the legal department is fully integrated within the broader business and participates early and often in evolving strategic decisions. The legal team members are often called upon to negotiate and execute novel leasing, construction and development initiatives and have participated in establishing leading precedent in the Canadian real estate landscape as RioCan has transformed its retail, office and residential platforms. Their dedication and expertise ensures that RioCan remains at the forefront of leading public companies in Canada.