Welcome to Your QES Alumni Community

Simran Singh is the Chief Impact Officer at the Rideau Hall Foundation, where she leads the organization’s program portfolio team. She has over 19 years of experience in international development.

She previously held senior roles with the United Nations Population Fund in Zambia and CARE Canada, and has also worked with the Canadian International Development Agency, the UN Refugee Agency, and the UK’s Department for International Development.

Simran specializes in gender equality and social justice. She holds a B.A. from Simon Fraser University and a Master’s degree in Gender and Development from the University of Sussex.

Ivan Okello began his career in the post-secondary sector, working as an academic advisor for five years after completing his graduate studies.

He later joined a non-profit in the immigration sector before launching a consulting business focused on human rights and social inclusion. His current goal is to build a long-term career addressing barriers to economic and social participation for immigrants and refugees in Canada.

As a Queen Elizabeth Scholar in 2014, Ivan travelled from Dalhousie University to Uganda for the project, Gender dynamics between intimate partner business owners.

Megan Leslie is the President and CEO of World Wildlife Fund Canada. She served two terms as a Member of Parliament representing Halifax, where she was the environment critic for the Official Opposition and vice-chair of the government committee on environment and sustainable development.

Megan holds a B.A. in Social and Political Thought and History, a certificate in Refugee and Migration Studies from York University, and an LL.B. from Dalhousie University.

She is known for her leadership in environmental advocacy and public service.

Michele Monroy-Valle recently completed a Ph.D. in Epidemiology from the University of Saskatchewan’s School of Public Health. She has 19 years of experience in research, teaching, and global collaboration in nutrition and health.

Her work has received 15 awards at international, national and institutional levels. She is dedicated to training future nutrition and dietetics professionals.

As a Queen Elizabeth Scholar, Michele travelled to Guatemala for the project, Improving food security and nutritional status of women and children in Guatemala and Tanzania.

At the Mental Health Commission of Canada, Lili-Anna applies her 30 years of global, national, and local experience to one of society’s most urgent priorities: reducing barriers to quality mental health care through evidence-informed policy change and collaborative system transformation.
Lili-Anna’s life-long commitment to community service has taken her from classrooms in Malawi to finding transportation solutions to improve access to rural health facilities in Burkina Faso to the humanitarian frontlines in Bosnia and Herzegovina. These experiences shaped her understanding of the critical importance of human rights, which she later championed as Executive Director of Amnesty International France.
Returning to Canada, she combined her international experience with home-grown approaches – guiding community agencies like the YWCA Montréal – before expanding her impact during an eight-year tenure at Centraide/United Way of Greater Montreal. It was through these years in particular where her engagement and interest in removing barriers to mental health services deepened. Most recently, as President and CEO of the McConnell Foundation, she directed philanthropic resources toward innovative, community-led solutions for Canada’s most pressing societal concerns.
As a lifelong learner, Lili-Anna’s work with equity-seeking groups enriched her conviction that effective strategies arise from the lived experience of those closest to the context.
Inspired by Indigenous teachings, Lili-Anna works to build relationships based on trust and advance sustainable change. Her contributions have been recognized with knighthood in the National Order of Quebec, an honorary doctorate from the University of Montreal, and as a Fellow of Engineers Canada, among other notable distinctions.
Lili-Anna also earned an engineering degree from École Polytechnique de Montréal, before completing graduate studies in management at McGill University and political science at the Sorbonne University in Paris.
Her belief in building community through volunteerism remains a driving force for Lili-Anna and she continues to serve on several boards and committees, including the board of the Roncalli International Foundation, and as a member of the National Executive Committee for The Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference. Her past appointments include the board of Polytechnique Montréal, the Advisory Board of the Future Skills Centre of Canada, and the Independent Advisory Board for Supreme Court of Canada Judicial Appointments.

Aishat Abdu is a postdoctoral research fellow at McGill University’s School of Human Nutrition. Her research focuses on gender, nutrition, and health outcomes in rural communities of low- and middle-income countries.

She supports an evaluation of a World Vision Canada project promoting gender-equitable practices in nutrition and health. Aishat has also collaborated with NGOs on gender-focused research and policy development.

As a Queen Elizabeth Scholar, Aishat travelled to Ghana for the project, Rural women farmers in Eastern Ghana.

Marc Landry

Marc Robert Landry is the Director of Regional Projects at the Southeast Regional Service Commission, overseeing tourism, transport, and recreation infrastructure across 13 communities in Southeast New Brunswick.

With over two decades of leadership experience, he has served as City Manager of Moncton and Chief Administrative Officer in both Beaumont, AB, and Bouctouche, NB.

Marc holds a MBA from Université de Moncton and is recognized for expertise in strategic planning, stakeholder collaboration, and municipal governance. He is an alumnus of the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference.

Emma Adams is a third-year veterinary student focused on mixed animal practice, with a special interest in theriogenology and herd health. She has leadership, clinical, and agricultural experience, along with global exposure contributing to a One Health perspective.
Emma is committed to working with diverse socioeconomic and cultural communities, emphasizing client communication and exceptional patient care.

As a Queen Elizabeth Scholar in 2017, Emma travelled from the University of Prince Edward Island to Kenya for the project, Integrating Innovative Research and Training for Improved Sustainable Livelihoods of Smallholder Dairy Farms.

Ikem Opara is the Director of National Learning Partnerships at the Rideau Hall Foundation, leading efforts to advance access to learning opportunities across Canada.
He has 20 years of experience engaging partners in Canada, Tanzania, Kenya, and Cuba to build cross-cultural connections and strengthen collaborations.

Ikem has held roles at Pathways to Education, Canada World Youth, Canadian Jesuits International, and led Ontario Trillium Foundation’s inclusion-focused strategy and grant-making to improve outcomes for Black and Indigenous youth.

Isha Brar is a Legal Administrative Assistant at Legal Aid BC, where she leads refugee cases and developed online application processes. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice with a Sociology minor from the University of the Fraser Valley.

She brings experience in legal assistance, youth advocacy, and community outreach, combined with a passion for entrepreneurship and impactful initiatives.

As a Queen Elizabeth Scholar in 2017, Isha travelled to Kenya for the project, Capacity Building for Policy Planning in Kenua, Tanzania and India: A Focus on Food Systems and Urban Growth Management.

Shaheen Rehmat is the Senior Manager of the Critical Infrastructure Protection Program Office at BC Hydro. She brings 20 years of leadership in cybersecurity, strategic planning, and risk management in the technology and energy sectors.

She is passionate about advancing diversity in STEM and has served on boards including the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade’s Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Council and ISACA Vancouver.

Shaheen is an alumna of the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference.

Joan is a Middleware Developer with the Digital Research Alliance of Canada. She has experience in software development, IT support, and cybersecurity through roles at the University of Calgary, Elections Alberta, and Manpower.

Joan holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Calgary.

As a Queen Elizabeth Scholar in 2018/2019, Joan travelled from Kenya to the University of Calgary through the University of Calgary/Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee International Development Internships.

Philip Quinlan

Philip Quinlan is Director General of the Chief Service Officer Directorate at the Canada Revenue Agency, where he leads strategic service initiatives focused on client experience, service design, accessibility, and change management.

He has held executive roles across the federal public service in research, innovation, digital services, and governance. He is also a 2012 alumnus of the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference.

Philip holds a BA from Université de Montréal and an MA in History from Université du Québec à Montréal.

Veronica is an Occupational Health Nurse Practitioner at Health Canada and a Ph.D. candidate. She has extensive experience in clinical practices, research and education.

Veronica has provided patient-centered care in inner city hospitals, remote communities in Canda and internationally. She is passionate about teaching and mentoring the next generation of nurses and health professionals.

As a Queen Elizabeth Scholar, she travelled from the University of Alberta to Ghana to focus on maternal and child health.

Louis Seabrooke began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers in financial audit and tax before moving to the public sector with roles at Public Services and Procurement Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency, and the Office of the Comptroller General.

He has held V since 2015 and became Director General at the Canada Revenue Agency in 2019. In 2022, he was appointed Director of the Eastern Ontario TSO and serves as Director Champion for Ontario Region committees.

Louis holds a BComm and a Graduate Diploma in Accountancy from Concordia University, along with CPA, CA, and CIA designations. He is an alumnus of the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference.

Ahmad Firas Khalid is a medical doctor and a Senior Policy Advisor at the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Office of the Chief Science Officer. He is also an adjunct professor at McGill and McMaster Universities.

Firas has expertise in health policy, system research, lecturing and knowledge translation. He holds a medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine and a PhD in Health Policy from McMaster University.

As a Queen Elizabeth Scholar in 2014 and 2017, Firas travelled from McMaster University to the UK and Lebanon for the project, Queen Elizabeth Scholars in Strengthening Health Systems.