Board of Trustees


Jason P. Shannon

Mark Holly

Paul Beesley

Jane Craighead

James M. Dickson

Heather Grey-Wolf

Doug Nathanson
Doug is Executive Vice President, Chief Development Officer and General Counsel of Empire and Sobeys Inc., a role he has held since December 2022. Prior to this, Doug was the Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Empire and Sobeys Inc. starting in April 2018. In addition to leading the company’s legal function, he has leadership accountability for Real Estate, Corporate Strategy & Development, Strategic Sourcing, Communications & Corporate Affairs, Government Relations, and Sustainability. Prior to joining Empire, Doug has held various senior roles at Canadian Tire Corporation from 2011 to 2018 and MI Developments from 2005 to 2009. Doug holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Carleton University (High Distinction) and a Juris Doctor from the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law. He is a member of the Bar in both Ontario and New York State.
Doug currently sits on the boards of Sinai Health Foundation, Kids Help Phone, and the Retail Council of Canada. In 2024, Doug was recognized as one of The Globe on Mail’s Report on Business magazine’s top executives for his strategic and collaborative leadership.

Vivek Sood

Deborah Starkman
Deborah Starkman is a corporate director with over 30 years of experience across various industries, including real estate, capital markets, and asset management. Most recently, Deborah served as the Chief Financial Officer of Dream Unlimited Corp., a TSX-listed real estate development and asset management company with operations in Canada and the United States. Previously, she was the Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary of GMP Capital Inc. (GMP), a TSX-listed independent financial services firm in Canada. Before joining GMP, Deborah was a Managing Director, Product Finance at the brokerage arm of a major Canadian bank.
Deborah was born in Canada and has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Western Ontario and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Windsor. She is a Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant (FCPA, FCA) Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), and has completed the Institute of Corporate Directors’ Director Education Program (ICD.D).

Michael Vels

Michael Waters
