Board of Trustees
Jason P. Shannon
Mark Holly
Paul Beesley
Jane Craighead
James M. Dickson
Heather Grey-Wolf
Michael Vels
Michael Vels is the Chief Development Officer of Empire Limited and Sobeys Inc., where he is responsible for leading Empire's real estate, technology, strategic sourcing, enterprise project management and mergers, and acquisitions activities. Michael was previously Chief Financial Officer of Empire from 2017-2021. Prior to Sobeys, Michael was Chief Financial Officer of Hydro One, where he led that organization's Initial Public Offering in 2015. From 2004-2014, Michael served as Chief Financial Officer for Maple Leaf Foods, leading the company's finance, mergers and acquisitions, information technology and communications functions. In 2014, he was named Chief Transition Officer, leading the restructuring of senior management and back-office functions. Michael serves as Treasurer of Canada's National Ballet School. He was educated and earned his Chartered Accountant designation in South Africa and prior to joining Maple Leaf Foods, worked in public accounting and mergers and acquisitions in South Africa and the United Kingdom. He has also earned his ICD.D designation.
Michael Waters
Michael Waters has been working with Minto Apartment REIT (“Minto”) since 2007. In 2013, he was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer.). Michael has over 25 years’ experience in real estate finance, investment and development, and financial advisory services. Prior to joining Minto, he served in a variety of roles at Intrawest Corporation, a large resort developer and operator with a presence across North America. Earlier in his career, Michael worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and KPMG LLP. Michael completed his Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of British Columbia and has an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He was elected a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia (FCPA, FCA) and is a CFA® charter holder.