Management Team

Michael is our Founder and Executive Chair of the Board of Trustees. Prior to entering the real estate business in 1988, he was a partner at the law firm of Aird & Berlis LLP, specializing in corporate and real estate finance. He is also a Director of EQB Inc. and Equitable Bank.

Cecilia is Allied’s President and Chief Executive Officer. She joined Allied in 2015 as Chief Financial Officer assuming increasing responsibilities until becoming CEO in 2023. She began her career at Arthur Andersen, where she obtained her Chartered Accountant designation in 2001 while working in the assurance and valuation practices. Cecilia continued her career development through progressively more senior roles at Magna International, Canwest Broadcasting/Shaw Media and Dream Unlimited. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto.

Nanthini joined Allied in 2016 and is our Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Throughout her career, Nanthini has held progressive positions in the real estate industry with Skyline Commercial and Retail REIT, SmartCentres REIT and Oxford Properties Group. Nanthini holds her CPA, CMA designation and is a graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University.

Jean-François is our Senior Vice President, Montréal and Ottawa and is responsible for portfolio performance and user satisfaction in Ottawa and Montréal. Prior to joining Allied in 2007, he was at BLJC and SNC Lavalin. Over the course of his real estate career, JF has held numerous positions in property and project management, as well as construction and building expertise for government interest, privately owned and publicly traded companies.

David is our Senior Vice President, People and Brand and is responsible for leading and executing our People, Brand, Communication and ESG strategies. Prior to joining Allied in 2019, David held progressive executive and human resources roles with The Canadian Accountability Board, Dream Unlimited, DundeeWealth Inc. and Husky Injection Molding Systems. A graduate of the University of Guelph, David blended his passion for helping people and human performance with post-graduate studies at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College as well as Rotman’s Advanced Program in Human Resources Management.

Hersha is our Senior Vice President, Technical Services and Construction, and is responsible for establishing and leading our national facilities management and preventative maintenance programs with continued focus on training and development of building operations teams. She began her career at H.H.Angus Consulting Engineers, where she focused on data centre design and commissioning, ultimately becoming a partner. Hersha joined Royal Bank of Canada to lead its Critical Environment Engineering & Operations, overseeing its global data centre portfolio. Hersha is an Electrical Engineer with the professional engineer designation and is a graduate of McMaster University.

John is our Senior Vice President, Development. He is responsible for overseeing intensifications, ground-up developments, and redevelopments. Prior to joining Allied, John worked for a large construction management firm in Vancouver. He holds an engineering degree and MBA from the University of Western Ontario.

J.P. is our Senior Vice President, National Operations, responsible for the Portfolio Operations, Asset and Environmental Sustainability, and Life Safety and Security teams supporting Allied's national portfolio. Prior to joining Allied, J.P. held roles at Timbercreek Asset Management and RioCan REIT. He has extensive experience in acquisitions, asset management and operations. J.P. is a graduate of the University of British Columbia and the University of Western Ontario.

Anne is our Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. She is responsible for leading and executing Allied’s legal strategy and advising the senior executive team and the Board of Trustees. As General Counsel, Anne oversees Allied’s legal, acquisitions and lease documentation teams and provides support to multiple teams across the organization. She brings a humanistic approach to the role, working closely with other members of the executive team to develop and implement strategies that align with the company's vision, mission and environmental, social and governance priorities. Prior to joining Allied, she was a partner at Aird & Berlis LLP, where her practice focused on corporate, commercial and securities law. Anne holds an LL.B. from the University of Western Ontario and was admitted to the Ontario Bar in 2007.

Travis is our Senior Vice President, Technology and Innovation and is responsible for leading and executing our technology and innovation strategies. Prior to joining Allied in 2020, he worked in a variety of industries for companies including Dream Unlimited, BlackBerry, Dynacare, Carpedia International, and the Canadian Forces. He is a graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada and the University of Manitoba.

Nicolyn is our Vice President, Portfolio Operations, Toronto. She oversees the portfolio operations team and is a dedicated leader with a passion for developing talent. Prior to joining Allied in 2016, Nicolyn previously held positions in property management at Bentall Kennedy and RioCan REIT. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto.

Scott is our Vice President, Associate General Counsel. Prior to joining Allied, he was a lawyer in the Real Estate Group at Stikeman Elliott LLP, where he had a broad commercial real estate practice. Scott holds an honours Bachelor of Arts from Wilfrid Laurier University, a Juris Doctor from the University of Alberta, Faculty of Law and was admitted to the Ontario Bar in 2014.

Leslie is our Vice President and Corporate Controller. She is responsible for internal and external financial reporting, procurement and corporate taxes. Prior to joining Allied, Leslie held progressive positions at Sienna Senior Living, CIBC, and Deloitte & Touche. She is a graduate of the University of Waterloo and obtained her Chartered Accountant designation in 2006.

Andrew is our Vice President, Finance and Accounting, overseeing our Treasury, Valuation, Tax and Lease Reporting functions. He works closely with the property accounting and corporate teams to provide value-added analysis to support reporting and decision making. He joined Allied in 2013 where he has held progressive accounting roles. Andrew is a graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University and holds the CPA designation after achieving honour roll placement on the 2018 professional examinations.

Jo Flatt is our Vice President, Corporate Sustainability & Brand, and is responsible for Allied’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) and brand strategies. Prior to joining Allied, Jo worked at Evergreen where she led programs with communities from across Canada to address important local issues, including Toronto’s laneway housing policy. Jo is a Board member of STEPS Public Art, a 2019 Action Canada fellow, and a former instructor at the Munk School of Public Policy at the University of Toronto. She is a graduate of McGill University and the University of Toronto.

Thileepan is our Vice President, Property Accounting and is responsible for leading the national property accounting team. Prior to joining Allied, Thileepan held progressive positions at Avison Young and Fengate Properties. Thileepan is a CPA, CGA designee and is a graduate of McMaster University.

Ana is our Vice President, Lease Documentation and is responsible for overseeing lease transactions nationally. Prior to joining Allied Properties in 2010, Ana held positions at Colliers International and SNC-Lavalin. She is a graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University and holds her CLO designation with the Real Estate Institute of Canada.

Assmae is our Vice President, Portfolio Operations, for Montréal and Ottawa. She is responsible for overseeing portfolio operation activities in the cities. Prior to joining Allied, Assmae held various positions in property and project management with Crofton Moore and Sandalwood, in addition to her experience in immigration and web communication abroad. Assmae graduated university with a degree in Commercial Management.

Gord is our Vice President, Leasing, Central and Western Canada. He is responsible for overseeing leasing activities across Allied’s Central and Western office and retail portfolios. Prior to joining Allied in 2015, Gord spent eight years in brokerage with Avison Young. He is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario.

Christopher is our Vice President, Leasing and is responsible for overseeing leasing activities across Allied’s office and retail portfolios in Montréal and Ottawa. Prior to joining Allied in 2016, Christopher represented institutional property owners in industrial and office transactions while at a leading real estate advisory company. He is a graduate of the faculty of law at the Université de Montréal, and prior to that, obtained a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences, major Psychology from Concordia University.

Christian is our Senior Director, Technical Services, responsible for overseeing the facilities management, capital planning and building performance for Allied’s assets in Montréal and Ottawa. He has been instrumental in optimizing the portfolio’s physical attributes while focusing on client satisfaction. Prior to joining Allied in 2009, Christian was with SNC-Lavalin Profac, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, O&Y Enterprise, and CN Real Estate. Christian is a real estate graduate of the Université of Québec in Montréal.

Powell is our Senior Director, Technical Services and Construction, and is responsible for overseeing the facilities management, capital planning, and building performance for Allied’s assets in Toronto and Kitchener, and execution of construction projects in Vancouver. Prior to joining Allied in 2010, Powell was with Cadillac Fairview in Toronto, and Serve U LLC in Dubai and led highly disciplined technical operations teams for various class A commercial & retail portfolios. Powell is a Mechanical Engineering graduate of Azad University in Tehran and holds a variety of professional designations.

Tony is our National Controller, Property Accounting and is responsible for overseeing the national property accounting team. Prior to joining Allied in 2016, Tony held progressive positions in the real estate industry at Timbercreek Asset Management, Skyline Commercial REIT, Epic Realty and First Capital Realty. Tony is a graduate from York University and holds CPA, CGA and FCCA designations.

Tony Tong is our Controller, Property Accounting and is responsible for managing the property accounting teams in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Montreal. Prior to joining Allied in 2021, Tony held progressive positions in Northwest Healthcare Properties REIT and Brookfield Asset Management. Tony holds an MBA from Schulich School of Business and CPA, CGA designation.

Sebio is our Director, Special Projects and holds leadership responsibilities identifying capital projects and fully supporting end-to-end project related activities. Prior to joining Allied, Sebio worked for prominent Canadian financial institutions maintaining critical infrastructure for mechanical and electrical systems, while also managing construction projects for newly acquired properties.

Phillip is our Director, Development and is responsible for development and construction activities in Alberta and British Columbia with a focus on redevelopment and adaptive re-use. Prior to joining Allied, Phillip held progressively senior roles at Dream Unlimited and with commercial general contractors in Alberta. Phillip is a graduate of Queen’s University.

Giulia is our Director, Lease Documentation and leads the team responsible for the drafting, negotiation and interpretation of Allied’s lease agreements and ancillary documents for Montreal and Ottawa. Giulia gained extensive real estate experience through her career providing legal counsel to both landlords and tenants in the telecommunications industry. She completed her Law degree at the University of Ottawa and is an active member of the Quebec Bar.

Ian is our Director, Safety and Security and is responsible for overseeing and leading Allied’s national strategy to ensure and enhance the safety and security of our employees, tenants and visitors. Prior to joining Allied in 2021, he held several progressive roles in safety, security and facilities management including the construction and commissioning of data centres and manufacturing facilities with Sanofi Pasteur, CBRE Limited and Smiths Detection. Ian holds a Master of Business Administration specializing in Health & Safety Leadership from the University of Fredericton, a Master of Science in Environmental Management from the University of London and a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from Wilfrid Laurier University.

Payman is our Director, Acquisitions, and is responsible for the execution of all acquisition activities in the portfolio. In the ten years prior to joining Allied, he was responsible for advising on and leading the transaction and development of complex real estate assets. Payman’s responsibilities include sourcing, underwriting, and onboarding investments. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science and a Master of Applied Science from the University of Toronto and is a licensed Professional Engineer.

Jayson is our Director, Technical Services and is responsible for the facilities management, capital planning & building performance for Allied’s assets in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. Prior to joining Allied in 2017, Jayson held roles with SNC Lavalin & BGIS overseeing large facility management portfolios. Jayson holds his FMA & RPA designations from BOMI International and is a graduate of the University of Calgary & SAIT.

Sean is our Director, Vancouver and is part of the leadership team responsible for Allied’s Vancouver portfolio. Prior to joining Allied in 2022, Sean spent almost decade at a growing real estate brokerage, where he honed his skills and established a solid foundation in both office and retail leasing.

Frédéric is our Director, Technical Services and is responsible for overseeing the facilities management, capital planning and building performance for Allied’s assets in Montréal and Ottawa. Prior to joining Allied in 2021, he worked in industrial process consulting, project management, asset and corporate real estate management. Frédéric has managed large and complex portfolios of assets for both public and private organizations. Frédéric is a licensed chemical engineer in Quebec and a MBA graduate at HEC Montréal Business School.

Ken is our Director, Vancouver and is part of the leadership team responsible for Allied’s Vancouver portfolio. Prior to joining Allied in 2023, Ken spent over a decade working in various roles leading construction, development, and program management across North America’s retail industry.

Aaron Pratt is our Director, Portfolio Operations, Calgary and is responsible for overseeing the operational activities in Calgary. Over his extensive real estate career, Aaron worked in diverse settings and roles including Building Operations, Property Administration and Portfolio Management. He has also led teams in obtaining certifications such as BOMA BEST and various industry awards.

Andrew is our Director, Leasing and is responsible for executing and managing lease transactions within Allied’s office and retail portfolios in Ottawa and Montreal. Andrew joined Allied in 2013 and throughout his progressive leasing roles, has built exceptional relationships within the communities he works. He holds a Bachelor degree from Concordia University with a specialization in Urban Planning.

Mario is our Director, Project Management Office where he has the responsibility to oversee both project execution as well as project management strategy. Mario has significant experience with a broad range of projects, from ERP implementations to process transformation, and everything in between. His extensive background in the real estate industry, covering residential, commercial, office, and senior housing, allows for a multifaceted approach to project management within the tech space. Mario holds a PMP and CSM certification and is a graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University.

Orel is our Director, Construction and is responsible for overseeing major construction projects in Toronto and Kitchener. Since joining Allied in 2018, Orel has led major ground up developments in Toronto such as The Well, one of Canada’s largest mixed-use developments. Prior to joining Allied, Orel held key roles at renowned large-scale construction management firms, focused on commercial and mixed-use developments.

Aru is our Director, Data Integrity and Lease Administration and is responsible for ensuring the accuracy, governance and accessibility of our master data and business systems. He has extensive experience with business systems and system implementation. Prior to joining Allied, Aru held various progressive roles at CBRE over his 13-year career. He holds a degree in Computer Engineering and Management from McMaster University and obtained his CPA, CMA designation in 2010.

Wingar is our Director, Vancouver and is part of the leadership team responsible for Allied’s Vancouver portfolio. Prior to joining Allied, Wingar held progressive roles in asset management where she was responsible for managing portfolios of complex assets exceeding $1 billion in value across North America. She has experience across both private and public sectors, overseeing income-producing properties in office, seniors housing, retail, and industrial markets. Wingar is a graduate of the University of British Columbia.

Sydney is our Director, Leasing and is responsible for overseeing the leasing activities in Allied’s office and retail portfolio in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. Prior to joining Allied in 2017, Sydney spent several years in office leasing at Colliers International. Sydney is a graduate of the University of Victoria.

Yvette is our Director, Business Applications. She is responsible for overseeing the overall direction of all business applications at Allied. She comes with extensive experience in Real Estate and Software Implementation. Prior to joining Allied, Yvette worked at Morguard Investment Ltd. and Yardi Canada Ltd. Yvette is a graduate of York University where she studied Business Administration.

Edmund is our Director, Asset and Environmental Sustainability, and is responsible for managing the operational energy, water, carbon and waste diversion performance of Allied’s national portfolio. Prior to joining Allied in 2021, he worked as an energy and sustainability consultant in Los Angeles and in Toronto with Arup. Edmund has a track record of devising, evaluating, and implementing a diverse range of energy efficiency and sustainability initiatives, building certifications and master plans for the built environment. He is an active member of ASHRAE and holds various professional designations including Certified Energy Manager and LEED AP. Edmund is a graduate from the University of Waterloo (BASc) and Toronto Metropolitan University (MASc).

Matthew is the Chief Operating Officer of Richmond Equity Management, a Calgary-based investment management firm. Prior to that, he was the Managing Director, Public Investments at Werklund Family Office, the Chief Investment Officer at Canadian Family Futures Inc., Director, Investment Analysis at Kinnear Financial Ltd. and Vice President, Mergers & Acquisitions at Ernst & Young Orenda Corporate Finance. Mr. Andrade previously served as a director and the Chair of the Governance and Compensation Committee of Stampede Drilling Inc. He also previously served as President of the CFA Society Calgary and as Chair of the CFA Institute Disciplinary Review Committee. Mr. Andrade holds a B.Comm (Honours) degree from Mount Allison University and received his Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 2004.

Ms. Brekken is a Corporate Director with over 25 years of North American financial leadership experience in a broad range of industries including real estate, retail, healthcare and financial services. Until her retirement, she was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of First Capital Real Estate Investment Trust (2014 to 2021). Prior to that she was the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Indigo Books & Music, Inc. Ms. Brekken serves on the boards of RATESDOTCA Group Ltd. and the Rotman School of Management CFO Leadership Program. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Minnesota, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Washington and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Hazel Claxton is a corporate director. She served as Executive Vice-President and Chief Human Resources Officer with Morneau Shepell Inc. (now part of TELUS Health) from 2013 to 2018. Prior to that, Hazel spent 29 years at PwC Canada, where she held several leadership roles, including Canadian Leadership Group member, Human Capital leader, and Partner within the Corporate Advisory and Restructuring Group, an area she practiced in for 20 years. Hazel currently serves on the boards of TELUS Corporation, BMO Financial Group, the University Pension Plan Ontario and Unity Health Toronto. Previously, she served on the boards of Queen’s University, St. Michael’s Hospital and the Shaw Festival Theatre. Hazel holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from Queen’s University and the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors. She is a Chartered Professional Accountant and Chartered Accountant.

Lois has been a Trustee since May 2018 and is a member of our Audit Committee and the Governance, Compensation and Nomination Committee. She is a C-Suite Executive and Corporate Director with 30 years of executive leadership, management and consulting expertise in the senior living, real estate, hospitality and health care services sectors. Lois is the CEO of Spring Living Retirement Communities and is the President of Bonterre Inc., an advisory services company in the senior living, real estate, hospitality and health care services sector. Before founding Bonterre, Ms. Cormack was the President & CEO of Sienna Senior Living (TSX: SIA) from 2013 to 2020, growing the company to become one of Canada’s largest senior living providers with over 13,000 employees, serving more than 10,000 residents. During her tenure, Sienna was named one of Canada’s fastest growing companies by Canadian Business/PROFIT 500 in 2016 and was recognized by Waterstone Human Capital as One of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures in 2017. Prior to joining Sienna, Ms. Cormack was President of Specialty Care, a high-quality senior living provider, which more than doubled in size under Lois’ leadership. Her background also includes leading a management consulting practice and senior executive roles in the health care and senior living sectors. She is a member of the advisory board of Kyto Technology & Life Sciences, Inc., and previously served on the Board of Governors of Seneca College, as a director of Medical Facilities Corporation (TSX: DR), and as Chair of the Board of the Ontario Long Term Care Association. Ms. Cormack holds a Masters of Health Administration from the University of Toronto and is a graduate of the Ivey Executive Program at the University of Western Ontario and the ICD-Rotman Directors Education Program.

Michael is our Founder and Executive Chair of the Board of Trustees. Prior to entering the real estate business in 1988, he was a partner at the law firm of Aird & Berlis LLP, specializing in corporate and real estate finance. He is also a Director of EQB Inc. and Equitable Bank.

Toni is the Chief ESG Officer of Infrastructure Ontario where she is responsible for the development of the agency’s corporate Environment, Social and Governance strategy. Toni previously led Infrastructure Ontario’s Real Estate Business Line and served as Infrastructure Ontario’s Interim President and Chief Executive Officer. She was also President of Infrastructure Ontario’s Lending Division and a key member of the Executive Team merging the Ontario Realty Corp and Infrastructure Ontario in 2012. Prior to joining Infrastructure Ontario, Ms. Rossi was with Oxford Properties and Cadillac Fairview and has more than 30 years of experience as a real estate professional. Ms. Rossi is currently serving on the Board of North York General Hospital and Dexterra. Previously, she was the Chair of REALPAC and a long-standing director of Habitat for Humanity Canada. Ms. Rossi holds a BPHE from the University of Toronto, ESG Designation from Competent Boards and the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Stephen Sender serves as a Trustee and as Chair of our Audit Committee. He served as an investment banker for over 30 years in Canada and abroad and was Industry Head – Real Estate in Scotiabank’s Global Banking and Markets Division, representing the bank’s capital market activities in the Canadian real estate industry. Since the early 1990’s, Mr. Sender provided investment banking advice to numerous public entities involved with raising capital and providing advice in numerous large transactions including mergers, takeovers, and related party transactions. He has been a frequent moderator/speaker at conferences in Canada and is a part-time instructor at York University, Schulich School of Business. Mr. Sender holds a B.Comm. (Honors) degree from the university of Cape Town and qualified as a C.A. (S.A) in 1984. He is a director and Chair of the Audit Committee of Sienna Senior Living Inc.

Jennifer Tory serves as Allied’s Lead Trustee and as Chair of the Governance, Compensation and Nomination Committee. She retired in December 2019 as RBC’s Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), reporting to the CEO, where she held responsibility for Brand, Marketing, Citizenship, Communications, Procurement and Real Estate functions globally. Additionally, she provided leadership and oversight of transformational initiatives, with a particular focus on driving cross-enterprise efficiency and effectiveness. Prior to her CAO role, she was Group Head, Personal & Commercial Banking leading RBC’s banking businesses in Canada and the Caribbean, including personal and financial services, credit cards and payments, digital solutions, as well as RBC’s sales and branch distribution, operations and advice centres. Jennifer has extensive experience in leading large businesses and teams, driving results, leading change, and developing diverse talent. She currently sits on the boards of BCE Inc., FH Health Inc., Rosedale Golf Club and the Sunnybrook Hospital Foundation. A champion of diversity, Ms. Tory is the recipient of numerous awards recognizing her work related to the advancement of women and advocacy for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities. In December of 2019, Jennifer was appointed as a member of the Order of Canada. Ms. Tory completed her ICD.D designation through the Institute of Corporate Directors at the Rotman School of Management and holds the GCB.D ESG Designation from Competent Boards.

Cecilia is Allied’s President and Chief Executive Officer. She joined Allied in 2015 as Chief Financial Officer assuming increasing responsibilities until becoming CEO in 2023. She began her career at Arthur Andersen, where she obtained her Chartered Accountant designation in 2001 while working in the assurance and valuation practices. Cecilia continued her career development through progressively more senior roles at Magna International, Canwest Broadcasting/Shaw Media and Dream Unlimited. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto.