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Welcome to exeQutive!

exeQutive is a forum for Toronto/GTA-based lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer (LGBTQ) leaders — current and aspiring professionals, executives and entrepreneurs.   We are a member-driven organization.  Our members include business owners and leaders of some of Canada's largest and most well-known corporations, financial institutions, law and accounting firms, government agencies and charities.

We invite you to explore this website to learn more about what we do to support and strengthen the businesses and careers of Toronto's LGBTQ leaders and to contribute to our community.

We welcome new members.  If you are an LGBTQ professional, executive or entrepreneur and have a leadership role within your organization, we invite you apply for membership.  A membership form is available here.

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Meet Some of Our Members

Daniel Holland's picture
Daniel Holland | Vice President, Business Development

Daniel is an experienced business development and marketing professional with specialization in local/location-based traffic/lead generation for retailers and service-based businesses, CRM and large-scale loyalty programs, as well as professional services marketing (law, medical specialists). 

Troy Ungerman's picture
Troy Ungerman | Partner, Norton Rose Canada LLP

Troy is a partner in the Toronto office of Norton Rose Canada LLP.  His practice focuses on domestic and cross-border private M&A, private equity, venture capital investments,
strategic alliances, corporate reorganizations and financings.

Troy is the Chair of Norton Rose Canada's LGBTA Network and a member of the firm's Canadian Diversity Committee.  He is also Co-Chair of the firm's Canadian mergers and acquisitions team.

Adam Black's picture
Adam Black | Family Law Lawyer at Torkin Manes LLP

Adam Black is a lawyer in the Family Law Group at Torkin Manes, a full-service law firm, where he practises all aspects of family law with particular emphasis on the financial implications of divorce and separation and alternative dispute resolution.

Adam has appeared in Courts throughout the Greater Toronto Area, including the Ontario Court of Justice, Superior Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal for Ontario.

Adam has authored and contributed to several papers and articles which have been published in several publications.

Adam is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian and Ontario Bar Associations, and the Toronto Lawyers’ Association. Adam is a member of the Ontario Bar Association's Family Law Executive and Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Committee (SOGIC).  Adam is a member of the Canadian Opera Company's Ensemble Circle.

Adam and his husband, Steven, live in Toronto.

Greg Johns's picture
Greg Johns | Senior Negotiations Executive, IBM North America

Greg is Senior Negotiations Executive for IBM Global Technology Services.  In this role, he leads the structuring and negotiation of IBM’s largest and most complex technology outsourcing transactions including infrastructure, application and business process outsourcing.   As IBM Canada's first out executive, Greg is a member of IBM's GLBT Executive Task Force.  He has actively supported initiatives of Blue Q - IBM's network group for its lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

Greg is a graduate of the Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario and the Faculty of Law at Queen’s University. Greg is also a Trustee of the Bill 7 Award Trust, which provides scholarships to support LGBT youth in financial need who are pursuing a  post-secondary education in Ontario, and was a founding member of exeQutive.

Connie Bonello's picture
Connie Bonello | Financial Services Analytics Leader

Connie is the Global Business Development Executive, IBM Global Business Services.

John Rider's picture
John Rider | Chief Innovator - Cognition LLP

John is a business, planning and innovation consultant working with clients to assist them in strategy, planning, process, product development and sales.He has a legal and business background of almost 25 years and has worked with a number of clients and employers to build their business, design and launch new products and to help them grow to the next level more profitably.  He loves to help groups rethink and change for the better. 

John F Clifford's picture
John F Clifford | Partner, Business Law Group of McMillan LLP (Toronto, Ontario).

John is a senior partner in the Business Law Group of McMillan LLP. His practice is focused on private company mergers & acquisitions transactions and complex commercial matters and reorganizations. He has extensive experience advising a diverse range of clients on domestic and cross-border matters across many industries. Recognized internationally for his expertise and experience, Who's Who Legal identifies John as one of the top M&A lawyers in Canada and states that John is "top notch by all accounts", "very client focused" and "always delivers". 

In 2017, John was named to the prestigious global list of OUTstanding Leading LGBT+ Executives, as presented by the Financial Times, in recognition of his business achievements and impact on LGBT inclusion within McMillan and externally. Previously he received a Lexpert Zenith Award and an Out On Bay Street “Leaders To Be Proud Of” Award.

John founded exeQutive in 2007 with a group of friends and colleagues.

Christopher Walker's picture
Christopher Walker

Christopher began working in the financial sector more than 26 years ago at the Toronto Stock Exchange. During the past 25 years at Manulife Financial, some of the positions held have included Chief Operational Risk Officer (Investment Division), Vice President and CCO of John Hancock Distributors and President and CCO of Manulife Financial Securities LLC.

Christopher has chaired and presented at many conferences with respected to Canadian and US Securities and Insurance regulations. He is also published by the CLU.

Christopher is currently a Board Member and Finance Director of Casey House.

Brad Berg's picture
Brad Berg

Brad was one of the founding members of exeQutive. He is very involved in the community, in addition to having a busy litigation practice at Blakes. Brad lives in Toronto with his spouse Brian Rolfes, partner and global director of recruiting for McKinsey & Company. Brad's full bio and more information can be found at www.blakes.com.

Shawn Sheridan's picture
Shawn Sheridan | Vice President, Information Technology, Numeris

Shawn is a senior executive with over 25 years experience in information technology.  Now Vice President of Information Technology for Numeris, Canada's radio and television ratings experts, he has held VP and SVP positions at companies like AGF Management, Unisen, and Citigroup.  Shawn specialises in helping businesses best use their technology, focusing on both business-aligned strategy and overall management of technology in roles such as CIO, and other 'Head of IT' roles.

Shawn is also chair of OutSport Toronto, a not-for-profit umbrella organisation serving and supporting LGBT sports organisations in the GTA.

Resource File

Businesses perform better with LGBTI leaders, says study
Aug 22, 2018

Businesses with LGBTI people in managerial positions have higher overall performances and better business outcomes, according to a new report.

Read more...
LGBT Inclusion in the Workplace
Aug 21, 2016

In partnership with Pride@Work, the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusiion surveyed and reported on the perspectives of members of LGBT+ communities across Canada about workplace inclusion.

Read more...
5 Insights About Being Out And A Leader At Work
May 3, 2016

Read about 5 important learnings of Manulife Asset Management's Chief Compliance Officer related to being out and a leader at work.

Read more...
Stanford Announces ‘Boot Camp’ for Gay Business Leaders
Jan 17, 2016

In this report, read about the leadership program being offered by Stanford University’s business school that is intended to help more gay leaders ascend to the C-suite.

Read more...
More...