Martine is the Chief Financial Officer of CC&L Infrastructure, an experienced owner and active manager of infrastructure assets.

Martine has over 15 years of experience in finance, accounting and infrastructure investment management. Prior to joining CC&L Infrastructure in 2025, Martine held senior finance roles at Fiera Infrastructure, where she supported the firm’s growth. Earlier in her career, Martine worked at HudBay Minerals, a mid-sized Canadian mining company and at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Martine has been involved in several charity events over the years including as a committee member of an intergenerational Prom for Holocaust Survivors for over 400 Survivors and Young Professionals.

Matthew Deforest is an Associate Investment Counsellor with RBC Phillips Hager & North Investment Counsel Inc. which he joined in 2026. 

Prior to joining RBC, Matthew was an Associate Investment Counsellor at Mawer Investment Management Ltd., which he joined in 2023 and was an associate investment counsellor at Guardian Partners where he worked with a variety of clients including individuals, institutions, and not-for-profits across Canada.

Matthew was happily involved with Best Buddies throughout his time at university. He is a member of the CFA Institute, the Toronto CFA Society, and earned his Bachelor of Management and Organizational Studies from Western University.

Maha Masood is a Partner at Bay Street HR, a boutique outsourced HR consulting firm which she joined in 2013.

Maha has supported numerous organizations on all topics related to Human Resources and Governance. Her expertise lies in employee relations, compensation, team building, performance measurement and strategic HR planning. Maha has worked with large organizations, boutique firms and start-ups to grow their internal HR infrastructure and overall business presence. She provides strategic planning and solutions to senior executives, as well as hands on support to management teams to ensure her clients take a wholesome approach to their HR function.

Beyond her role at Bay Street HR, Maha has served as the Chair of the Governance Committee at Volunteer Connect York Region. A non-for-profit organization connecting volunteers to meaningful opportunities in their community.

Maha holds a Bachelor of Administrative Studies degree with Honours in Human Resources Management from York University. She is a Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) through the Human Resources Professional Association (HRPA). Maha is also a certified practitioner of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI), which helps her clients understand the importance of diverse teams, encourages cohesion and fosters healthy conflict.

Jacob is a Senior Associate at Tory’s and is a corporate lawyer with a specialization in commercial banking and debt financing.

Jacob represents both lenders and borrowers in complex domestic, cross-border and international transactions, syndicated loans, private equity, and acquisition financings.  In 2024, he was recognized as one of the Best Lawyers in Canada to watch in banking and finance law.

Michael is a graduate of McMaster University and has been a full-time, award winning real estate professional for over 37 years.

He has extensive knowledge in all aspects of the residential market including resale, waterfront, new homes, and condominiums and has his own real estate team that is currently affiliated with Re/MAX Escarpment Realty Inc.

Chris Waterston is a Partner in PwC’s Front Office Transformation Consulting practice based Ottawa.

He specializes in large-scale business led, technology enabled transformations, focused on enabling his public sector clients to drive real and sustained business value from their front office. His expertise is in platform-enabled implementations of emerging cloud technologies, including Salesforce and their adoption within organizations to maximize his client’s return on investment.

In his role, Chris has worked globally as a trusted advisor to both public and private sector organizations. He leads large scale digital transformation programs which drive sustained outcomes for his clients.

In addition to his responsibilities with PwC, Chris is a mentor with the JUMP Bishop’s University Mentorship Program and with the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business MentorPoint Program.

Prior to joining PwC in 2013, Chris was a Public Servant in the Canadian Federal Government with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. He is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC), a Prosci Chan Management Professional (CMP), a Certified Scrum Master (CSM) and holds a Master of Politic Management from Carleton University as well as a Bachelor of Business Administration from Bishop’s University.

Robert is the CEO of RUA GOLD, a gold exploration company focused on finding high grade gold in New Zealand.

Robert’s background is in finance, specially in the mining sector and has worked across Australia, Africa, South America and North America. Robert is a Chartered Accountant, holds a Masters in Science and a Bachelor of Commerce. He has over five years of board experience with various public corporations and this is his first not for profit board. He has a son with special needs and brings lived experience as well as corporate board experience to Best buddies.

Emma Teitel is a Senior Consultant at Crestview Strategy. Emma has also held roles as a senior consultant at Navigator Limited and a current affairs columnist at the National Post. At Navigator, Emma worked across the corporate and non-profit sectors, focusing on thought leadership, strategic communications, government relations, and crisis communications. Before joining Navigator, Emma was a National Columnist and podcast host at Maclean’s Magazine and an Op-Ed Columnist and Editorial Board member at the Toronto Star, where she helped shape the paper’s authoritative stance on pressing political and cultural issues.

Lauren Mansfield is a Vancouver-based healthcare leader and Senior Manager in EY Canada’s Transformation Delivery practice, where she supports organizations in designing strategies, strengthening governance, and delivering multi-billion-dollar healthcare projects. Her early work teaching swimming with the Canucks Autism Network sparked her commitment to inclusion and belonging—values that closely align with Best Buddies Canada’s mission. She holds an MPH from Boston University and a BA in Psychology from the University of Victoria.

Dave is a Partner with Recruiting in Motion where he co-founded the downtown Toronto practice in 2013.

Dave has 30 years of experience across accounting, finance and recruiting.  Prior to joining Recruiting in Motion, he held progressive leadership roles with a large multinational recruiting agency.  Earlier in his career, he worked in equity research at UBS, as the Controller of a private investment company and in the audit practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers.  Dave holds his CPA, CA and CFA designations and is a graduate of the Commerce program at Queen’s University.

Dave is the proud father of two boys, one with Down syndrome.  His son is an active participant in events through the Down Syndrome Association of Toronto as well as Special Olympics, Challenger Baseball, Sportclusive, Big Spoon Lil Spoon and is looking forward to joining Best Buddies.  For several years, he and his wife facilitated a new parent coffee night to welcome parents into the Down syndrome community as they navigated the news of their baby’s diagnosis and planned for the future.