Richard Pound is a Counsel in the Montréal office of Stikeman Elliott and member of the firm's Tax Group. Mr. Pound is included in the 2012 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada. He is a Fellow of the Ordre des comptables agréés du Québec (FCA) and won the 2012 Outstanding Achievement Award, the Ordre's highest recognition for members of the profession. A former Olympic swimmer and Vice-President of the International Olympic Committee, Mr. Pound has been inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame for his achievements in sports, both as an athlete and as an executive. Mr. Pound has been named to Time Magazine's 100 most influential people in the world for his relentless efforts to rid sport of performance-enhancing drugs.

A proud graduate of McGill University (B.C.L. 1967, B.Comm 1962), he also served as Chancellor from 1999–2009 after which he was named Chancellor Emeritus. He was appointed as Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel of the Canadian Grenadier Guards in 2007, and is the author of two books on Canada's legal history, Chief Justice W.R. Jackett: By the Law of the Land and Stikeman Elliott: The First Fifty Years.

Former Lieutenant Governor Gordon Barnhart is an acclaimed historian and recognized expert on the Canadian parliamentary process. Dr. Barnhart’s extensive experience in government includes twenty years as Clerk of the Saskatchewan Legislature and five years as Clerk of the Canadian Senate. He has worked as a consultant to strengthen democratic governance in countries around the world. Dr. Barnhart obtained a Ph.D. in history at the University of Saskatchewan, where he taught political studies and served as University Secretary. He has published several books on prairie history and Saskatchewan political figures,and for a brief time taught Grade 10 and 11 history in the classroom.

W. John Bennett is Chairman of the Board of New Look Eyewear Inc. and C.E.O. and founder in 1991 of Benvest Holdings Ltd (“Benvest”), an investment holding company. He is an experienced merchant banker and private investor. Mr. Bennett had a long and distinguished career as an executive and investment banker at Scotia McLeod Inc. a major Canadian investment bank (now Scotia Capital Inc.). Prior to his retirement in 1989, he was Executive Vice President and member of the Executive Committee of Scotia McLeod Inc.

Great War historian at the Canadian War Museum and award-winning author of several military history books, Tim Cook most recently completed The Madman and the Butcher, a double biography on Arthur Currie and Sam Hughes. Tim is also an adjunct professor at Carleton University. Shock Troops: Canadians Fighting the Great War, 1917-1918, Volume Two won the 2009 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction and At the Sharp End: Canadians Fighting the Great War, Volume One, won the 2007 J.W. Dafoe Prize and the 2008 Ottawa Book Award.

Alex Graham is Head of Communications, Media & Technology Investment Banking at RBC Capital Markets. Prior to joining RBC was was Managing Director in the Investment Banking Department of Morgan Stanley in Canada. Alex began his investment banking career in New York with Salomon Brothers Inc (now Citigroup) in 1986. Relocating to the UK in 1991, he was made head of European Equity Capital Markets for Salomon Brothers in 1994. Subsequently Mr. Graham headed ECM for BT Alex. Brown International and Donaldson,Lufkin & Jenrette International both in London. From 2002 until joining Morgan Stanley in 2006, Mr. Graham worked for Citigroup in New York. A native of Ottawa, he graduated from the Richard Ivey School of Business (University of Western Ontario) in 1989, (MBA, with distinction) and from Trinity College (University of Toronto) in 1984 (BA History). Prior to becoming an investment banker, Alex worked for former Prime Minister John N. Turner.

Paul Jones is a Principal with TK Advisors Inc., a publishing consultancy with clients in Canada, the US and Latin America. He retired in 2004 from the position of Senior Vice-President at Rogers Publishing after a 30-year career with Maclean Hunter and Rogers. He had also served as Publisher of Maclean’s and as President & CEO of Canadian Business Media Ltd. and Publisher of Canadian Business, PROFIT and MoneySense magazines, the last of which he launched. An alumnus of the University of Toronto and of the Senior Executive Programme at London Business School, Jones chaired the Canadian Information Productivity Awards, Magazines Canada and the Print Measurement Bureau. He has recently concluded a two-year term as Chair of the Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society.

Jacques Lacoursière is recognized as the best popularizer of Quebec’s history. He is a recipient of the Pierre Berton Award, consulted on history education and curriculum reformin Quebec, and is co-author of Boreal Express, a journal of the History of Canada and Canada-Quebec. But he is perhaps best known for his many contributions to radio and television as well as his remarkable series A Popular History of Quebec.

Stéphane Lévesque is Associate professor of history education at the Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa and Adjunct research professor at the University of Western Ontario. In addition to being author of many books, he is the director of the Virtual History Lab at the University of Ottawa and creator of the Virtualhistorian.ca, an innovative software to teach Canadian history. His research focuses on students’ historical thinking, Canadian history, citizenship education, and new media and technology in education.

Since joining MTS Allstream's predecessor AT&T Canada in 1999, Mr. Peirce has held a series of increasingly senior positions within the Company, initially as Vice President, Government Affairs. During his tenure, the Company has been a leading advocate for a pro-competitive regulatory framework on all significant files including the contribution subsidy mechanism, competitor network access, anti-competitive behaviour, wireless spectrum auction rules and foreign investment restrictions. Prior to his career in telecommunications, Mr. Peirce fulfilled senior roles in two other significant, federally regulated industries in Canada — oil and gas, and agriculture — as well as with the Government of Canada. Mr. Peirce obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Alberta, Bachelor of Laws degree at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and practiced law in Edmonton, Alberta from 1983-1993. Mr. Peirce serves on the Board of the Canadian-American Business Council.

Lawrence O. Pollard joined his family's printing business, Saults & Pollard, in 1947. Saults and Pollard was for a time the printer of The Beaver magazine. By 1974 the company had changed its name to Pollard Banknote Limited and by 1978, it prepared to transition successfully into the instant lottery and break open ticket printing industry. He remains Chair of the Board of Directors today. Lawrie Pollard graduated from the Dunwoody Industrial Institute of Printing Management in Minneapolis. He is past national president of the Canadian Graphic Arts Industries Association and was on its executive for 10 years. He has also been president of the Winnipeg Graphic Arts Association. He was named Manitoba's Entrepreneur of the Year in 1991. He has subsequently received many honours for business achievement and philanthropy, including the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters of Manitoba Hall of Fame, and the Manitoba Museum’s Tribute Recipient in 2007.

Karen Prentice has thirty years of combined legal, executive management and governance experience. Most recently she chaired the Board of Trustees of the TSX traded CANMARC REIT and served for six years as a member of the Alberta Securities Commission. Prior to that, she was Executive Vice-President of ENMAX Corporation responsible for legal services, corporate governance, human resources, facilities, environment, health and safety, government relations and corporate communication functions.

Her extensive not for profit governance experience includes having been a director or chair of over a dozen boards spanning the diverse sectors of visual, performing and literary arts, mathematics, science, and advanced education. She currently is a director of the National Arts Centre Foundation, the Walrus Foundation and Canada's History. She is also a member of the President's Advisory Council of OCAD University. Most recently, she was the Chair of the Banff International Research Station for Innovation and Discovery, and a member of the boards directors of Calgary's Telus World of Science and the Ottawa Art Gallery.

A retired partner of Deloitte and Touche Canada, David Ross has a broad range of commercial experience in accounting, auditing, acquisitions, regulation, litigation support including forensic investigations and management consulting. Mr. Ross’s board governance experience includes consulting to boards and serving on boards and board committees including those of Deloitte Touche Canada, the World Wildlife Fund, and the Baycrest Centre.

Following graduation from United College (now known as the University of Winnipeg) in 1959, with an honours Arts degree, Joseph E. Martin embarked on a varied and successful business career. He served as the Executive Assistant to the Honourable Duff Roblin, Premier of Manitoba. He completed the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program in 1983. He did senior consulting work for Touche Ross & Partners and retired in 1995 as Managing Partner of the Deloitte & Touche Consulting Group. Past president of the Manitoba Historical Society, Mr. Martin joined the Board of Canada's National History Society in 1994, and served three consecutive terms, stepping down from the Board in June 2003. Currently, he is Treasurer of the Ontario Historical Society.

Former Vice-President and Secretary of Hudson's Bay Company, it was Rolph Huband's vision, initiative and leadership that established the History Society and for which he was named Founding Chair in recognition of his contributions. From 1994 to 1997, Mr. Huband held dual positions as Chairman of the Board of the History Society and Publisher of The Beaver, the publication with which he had been closely associated since 1960. He was responsible for the shift in focus from a magazine about the North to one of general Canadian history, which lead to an increase in The Beaver's circulation and visibility. In August 2003, Mr. Huband was appointed to the Order of Canada.

With the TD Bank Financial Group for over 20 years, Charles Baillie retired as Chairman in 2003. Charles Baillie has won numerous civic awards, including the 2003 Outstanding Achievement Award presented by the Ontario Library Association. In 2002, he was awarded a Doctor of Laws (Honorary) from Queen's University. He is a self-described “travel, nature and history buff,” and an avid reader of history and collector of antiquarian books.

Elsa Franklin was a unique phenomenon in the field of Canadian television, film and publishing for over forty years. In the sixties, she produced the record–breaking Pierre Berton Show dubbed “the program that comes to you from the major capitals of the world.” In addition to other successful television shows she created over the years, Ms. Franklin has also produced television documentaries for CBC and Global. Elsa Franklin was on the board of directors for McLelland & Stewart Publishing Ltd. and was active as a public relations consultant. She was the driving force behind the creation of the senior residence, Toronto–based, Performing Arts Lodges of Canada Foundation, built in 1993. She is Pierre Berton's literary agent and sits on the board of directors for the Berton House Writers' Retreat Society.

The author of twenty-two books that have sold two million copies, Peter C. Newman has won a half dozen of the country’s most illustrious literary awards, including the Drainie-Taylor Biography prize for his 2004 memoir, Here Be Dragons: Telling Tales of People, Passion and Power. A former editor-in-chief of the Toronto Star and Maclean’s, Newman has been honoured with a National Newspaper Award, has been elected to the News Hall of Fame, and has earned the informal title of Canada’s “most cussed and discussed” political commentator. He received the Pierre Berton Award (now Governor General's History Award for Popular Media) in 1998. Photo: C. Latinga.

Professor Symons, the founding President of Trent University in Ontario, is widely recognized nationally and internationally for his work in the field of Canadian Studies, in particular in the areas of public policy, heritage and education. For his commitment to and support of the Confederation Centre of the Arts (PEI), they named their annual lecture series The Symons Lecture on the State of Canadian Confederation.

Jane Urquhart is the author of five internationally acclaimed novels: The Whirlpool, which received Le prix du meilleur livre étranger (Best Foreign Book Award) in France; Changing Heaven; Away, winner of the Trillium Award and a finalist for the prestigious International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award; The Underpainter, winner of the Governor General’s Award and a finalist for the Rogers Communications Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize; The Stone Carvers, which was a finalist for The Giller Prize and the Governor General’s Award, and longlisted for the Booker Prize; and A Map of Glass, a finalist for a regional Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best Book. She is also the author of a collection of short fiction, Storm Glass, and four books of poetry, I Am Walking in the Garden of His Imaginary Palace, False Shuffles, The Little Flowers of Madame de Montespan, and Some Other Garden). Her work has been translated into numerous foreign languages. Urquhart has received the Marian Engel Award, and is a Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France and an Officer of the Order of Canada. Photo: Elsa Trillat.