Rosemary Sadlier is a driving force for diversity, equity, inclusion and the celebration of Black History across Canada and around the world. After graduating from Glendon College to pursue sociology and social work, she translated her experience as a Black woman into a longstanding, award-winning career as an internationally renowned social justice advocate, researcher, educator, author, consultant and speaker on Black History, anti-racism and women’s issues.

During her more than two-decades-long tenure as president of the Ontario Black History Society —Canada’s only Provincial Heritage Organization (PHO) focusing on Black History—Sadlier transformed how our society promotes and values Black History. Among her many notable accomplishments, Sadlier led the successful commemoration of both Black History Month and Emancipation Day across all levels of Canadian government, momentous steps forward in her mission to advance Black History.

Sadlier continues her work creating positive change by mobilizing education and advocacy to raise awareness and remove barriers for young Black Canadians. Whether as an educator influencing curriculum and policy, a professional consultant promoting diversity, equality and inclusion, an activist showcasing the experiences of her community through the Black Canadian Network, or a celebrated author immortalizing her history through a series of written works, Sadlier’s undeniable impact will endure for generations.

For more than 20 years, Ann Cavoukian has been recognized as one of the world’s leading privacy experts. Since graduating from Glendon College with a degree in psychology, she has dedicated her professional career to serving the public, advocating on their behalf and designing innovative solutions that safeguard their personal, financial and medical privacy in the face of new technologies and a rapidly advancing society. 

As Privacy Commissioner of Ontario—a role she had the unprecedented distinction of serving in for three consecutive terms—Cavoukian took the province’s commitment to privacy countless steps forward. The pinnacle of her achievements, “Privacy by Design,” laid out a framework for privacy to take centre stage at every step of the development process for new systems and technologies. Now adopted internationally, these ground-breaking principles garnered Cavoukian widespread acclaim, including the Governor General’s Meritorious Service Medal.

Cavoukian’s irrefutable impact in the public sphere has led the way for her to expand her influence. As an adviser, she supports leading businesses, committees and agencies in the development of forward-thinking privacy policies and legislation, and as an educator, she is nurturing future leaders and preparing them to tackle impending challenges to our fundamental freedoms. Through her many contributions, Cavoukian has kept us safe today and paved the way for this safety to sustain into tomorrow. 

For nearly three decades, journalist Heather Scoffield has been a distinguished and dominant voice in the conversation on Canadian economics, public policy, trade, energy, environment, Indigenous affairs, business, and politics. Her time at Glendon College sparked a powerful love of writing, and she parlayed her bilingual education in international studies into an illustrious career in journalism that has positioned her front and centre on a national stage and embedded her commanding words into the consciousness of many Canadians.

Scoffield’s body of work transcends borders, addressing topics of vital significance in Canada—including her award-winning coverage of opioid addictions in remote First Nations communities—while also contributing to the international discourse through coverage of economic emergencies in Brazil and Argentina and the 2008 global financial crisis. Following roles with Reuters and The Globe and Mail, Scoffield inspired widespread strategic change and drove digital modernization efforts from the nation’s capital as Ottawa Bureau Chief with the Canadian Press. More recently, her work as a national columnist and Ottawa bureau chief at the Toronto Star staked out unique ground by pulling together economics and politics in a way that spoke directly to regular people about the implications of power and money.  

Through the Business Council of Canada, Scoffield mobilizes her economic expertise and extensive experience in federal politics and policy to cultivate an even greater impact on the development of future-focused ideas and innovations. For years, her writing brought readers up close and personal with important issues, and by influencing policymakers and business leaders to discover solutions to these problems, Scoffield is helping to build a better future for all Canadians.

Sara Singh is an up-and-coming Ontario politician, social justice and arts advocate, and non-profit leader poised to make a significant difference for the communities she has committed to serving. Elected as a member of the Ontario New Democrats at the young age of 33, Singh built upon her political science education at Glendon College to develop a progressive campaign and platform that resonated with voters, who mandated her to help make a difference on their behalf. 

Breaking through the glass ceiling as the first Indo-Caribbean woman ever elected to the Ontario legislature, Singh overcame systemic barriers to represent the Brampton Centre riding from 2018 to 2022. During her tenure as part of the official opposition party, she helped guide their approach as deputy leader and devoted her time, effort and energy to tackling imminent issues affecting her riding, including under-equipped health care, underfunded education and racial injustices stemming from controversial carding practices.

Singh’s public service goes beyond the voting booth. She is passing along her passion for social justice as the founding director of Broadening Horizons, a non-profit organization that empowers youth to affect social change in their local communities and at a global level through education, the arts and creativity. With numerous achievements already under her belt and a bright future ahead, Singh is setting the tone for young people eager to affect change. 

As one of Canada’s most prolific political leaders and public servants, and the first York graduate to become a Member of Parliament and federal cabinet minister, the Honourable David Collenette dutifully served his country and constituents at the federal and provincial levels for nearly 30 years. First elected as MP in 1974, Collenette has left a deep imprint on the nation’s history and made an irrefutable impact on Canada's political, social and cultural fabric across several fundamental portfolios—from transportation and multiculturalism to veteran affairs and national defence.

Throughout his illustrious political career with the Liberal Party of Canada, Collenette served in the cabinets of three prime ministers, playing an essential role in some of the nation’s most pivotal moments. Among his many accomplishments and contributions include representing the nation during the constitutional debates of the 1980s, leading Canada’s swift response to the September 11 terrorist attacks and overseeing significant expansions to cultural infrastructure and public transit across the Greater Toronto Area. 

Following his retirement in 2004, Collenette has dedicated his time and expertise to advancing the public good as a strategic advisor in the transportation, information technology and national defence industries, as a volunteer with numerous non-profit organizations—including the NATO Association of Canada—and as an academic with several high-profile institutions, including his alma mater, Glendon Campus. For his steadfast dedication to Canadians, Collenette was named to the Order of Ontario in 2023, cementing his legacy as a true statesman who has shaped the trajectory of the province and the country as a whole.

As an established and forward-thinking financial leader on the world’s stage, Will Paterson is helping to influence global markets and cultivate thought leadership across disciplines and beyond borders. With a background in international studies and conflict resolution, economics, public policy and administration, and civil and common law, Paterson has leveraged his diverse and extensive expertise to build a versatile career driving impactful, transformative change on a global scale.

Through progressively senior roles in the legal, government and financial sectors in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Tanzania—from Principal Legal Counsel with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to an advisor with the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda—Paterson has been recognized as a noted expert on insolvency, debt resolution, corporate restructuring and governance. With the World Bank Group in Washington, D.C., Paterson has assisted more than 30 countries with their insolvency frameworks while leading research on emerging insolvency-related topics such as mobile money, cryptocurrency and climate change.

With a future-focused outlook, Paterson has also demonstrated a passion for education, giving back to ignite interest in economics among future generations by establishing a $25,000 student award at Glendon Campus in honour of beloved Professor J. Ian McDonald. Paterson continues to share his knowledge with the world through his work and several insightful publications on his areas of expertise, paving the way for others to participate in and contribute to the global conversation on economics and finance.