About Us

Since 2016, Michelle Capobianco has led the critical growth of Pancreatic Cancer Canada (PCC) to become a charity with national scope, international influence, and fundraising power dedicated to demanding survival, not sympathy, for Canadians facing this devastating disease. Under her visionary leadership, PCNA has doubled its lifetime investment in pancreatic cancer research and overseen the creation of a first-of-its-kind collaborative network connecting top researchers across North America. While the charitable sector grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic, Michelle kept her eyes on the future, spearheading the development of Pancreatic Cancer North America, a sister organization to PCC based in the United States that takes a bold approach to improving pancreatic cancer treatment options and care through unexpected partnerships and collaborations. Prior to being with PCC, Michelle was a senior staff member of the MS Society of Canada, preceded by a long-term tenure with the Easter Seals Research Institute. At these organizations, she provided leadership on numerous national new business development ventures, resulting in revenues in excess of $1M per year and a clear increase in brand recognition, employee engagement and a positive charity affiliation for corporate partners.

Amanda joined the dream team at Pancreatic Cancer Canada in December 2017. Having spent 20+ years in the not-for-profit sector with incredible organizations like the MS Society of Canada and Three to Be, she brings knowledge, experience and insights that will help PCC elevate our outreach efforts and the achievement of our mission. Amanda is particularly committed to changing the outcomes for people affected by pancreatic cancer because she does not accept that this deadly disease receives a mere 2% of funding while 90% of people die within 5 years of being diagnosed. She is motivated by the PCC team and the people we serve who have been touched by pancreatic cancer to educate, advocate and raise much-needed funding for vital research.

Christina joined Pancreatic Cancer Canada in May 2024. With over 20 years in the not-for-profit sector, and 10 years in leadership roles in community-based health services, she brings knowledge and vast experience to the role. Christina is passionate about creating and developing innovative programs and services that meet the needs of the client population. Her goal is to ensure that the programs and supports are efficient and innovative, changing and evolving with the times and the populations we serve. Christina has a deep-rooted and personal passion for improving the cancer care experience for both patients and caregivers.

Leigh joined Pancreatic Cancer Canada in March 2024. Over the course of her 20+ year career, Leigh has held leadership roles across the healthcare and social service sectors. Raising funds and awareness at the community and national levels has taught Leigh that real change comes when people are inspired to work together toward a shared vision. Driven to build relevant, financially sustainable, and impactful organizations, Leigh is excited to be a part of the leadership team at PCC – an organization whose goal is to boldly change the outcome for the world’s toughest cancer while ensuring that those affected by this disease are supported to live with agency and dignity.

Maureen joined Pancreatic Cancer Canada in June 2024 bringing professional experience and knowledge gained through her 10+ years in the non-for-profit and community health sectors. She is passionate about program development and creating accessible, sustainable and adaptable services that put the individual first, bridge gaps in support, and hold space for those reaching out. Having lost two uncles to this deadly disease, Maureen feels a strong personal connection to the mission of PCC and is motivated to find new and innovative ways to support patients and caregivers through our programs.

Anne LeMesurier is a digital fundraising strategist with over a decade of experience in the non-profit sector. She’s passionate about connecting donors with the causes they care deeply about and building the systems that make those connections seamless and long lasting. After years of consulting with social change organizations at the Fundraising Lab, Anne joined Pancreatic Cancer Canada in 2025, driven by a personal connection: she lost her grandfather to the disease.Anne brings a unique blend of strategic insight and technical expertise and is excited to be working with PCC to bring much needed change to pancreatic cancer outcomes. When she’s not optimizing donor journeys or digging into donor data, you can find Anne chasing her toddler around the playground, hunting for vintage treasures or finding a moment of calm on her yoga mat.

After 22 years of working for Toronto’s NOW magazine as Office Manager, Executive Assistant and occasional contributor, Scott wanted to explore a meaningful opportunity in a new industry. Scott comes to Pancreatic Cancer Canada having witnessed the disease firsthand, when a close friend was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Scott’s personal experience is one of the many reasons he is proud to be part of an amazing team that is driven to make a difference for pancreatic cancer patients and their loved ones. Fun time for Scott usually involves family, friends, movies, wine and napping (often in that order) or working on his next piece for the horror film interest website he shares with a friend.

Michelle joined Pancreatic Cancer Canada in June 2024. With over 15 years of retail management and sales experience, Michelle is transitioning into the not-for-profit sector, fundraising for a mission she believes in and hopes to make a difference! She is excited to channel her skills and expertise for initiatives that uplift communities and address vital health issues by fulfilling both her professional aspirations and personal values. As an experienced Diversity, Equality, Equity, and Inclusion ally, she is deeply committed to fostering environments where every individual feels valued, respected, and empowered to thrive. Michelle is passionate about raising much needed funds for pancreatic cancer research, while building PCC’s community of donors and volunteers.

Victoria joined PCC in 2022, bringing a combined background of customer service and online content creation. She is dedicated to raising the voices of those affected by pancreatic cancer, and boldly educating others.Having spent nearly 8 years at Sun Life Financial as a Customer Care Representative & Digital Services Specialist, Victoria developed a passion for relationship building and empathetic communication. Her diploma in Journalism from Conestoga College also assisted her in the creation of her own lifestyle blog, which she uses to connect with and support her community in Ottawa.Victoria is a pop culture trivia buff, avid thrift shopper, and donut connoisseur. She loves to make memories with her husband, son, and two cats; Penny, and Parmesan.

Naheed comes to PCC with eight years of experience in gift processing, managing donor records, database maintenance and analytics, financial reporting, and reconciliation. Before joining PCC, Naheed worked at Special Olympic Ontario, LOFT Community Services, Wellspring Cancer Support Foundation, and Children Cancer Foundation. She has a Diploma in Accounting and Payroll from CDI College, a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Karachi, and a Blackbaud Certification in Raiser’s Edge (bCRE). Naheed joined PCC in early 2021 as our Finance and Database Specialist and is responsible for processing donations, tax receipting, Raiser’s Edge NXT administration, reconciliation, and reporting.

Melissa joined Pancreatic Cancer Canada in March 2024. They recently graduated with a degree in Human Rights and Equity Studies from York University. During their time at York, Melissa worked in the university’s fundraising department and became passionate about raising funds for people in need. They are excited to join PCC and work towards the shared vision of raising the survival rates of pancreatic cancer. Melissa enjoys spending time with their partner, playing video games, and cuddling with their four cats: Joker, Masa, Miko and Lexa.

Sandra joined Pancreatic Cancer Canada in May 2025. She brings over 15 years of executive administrative experience from the acute care, rehab, and government agency sectors, supporting C-suite Executives and Board Directors. Seeing firsthand the positive impacts fundraising has within the healthcare system, her goal is to nurture PCC’s initiatives to support patients and their families through their healthcare journey. Sandra enjoys figure skating and traveling with her family.

Laurie co-founded the Pancreatic Cancer Canada Foundation in 2006. A decade earlier her mother had tragically passed away from pancreatic cancer only four shorts weeks after being diagnosed. Laurie currently works as a volunteer on special projects for PCC. She is passionate about and inspired by meeting pancreatic cancer patients and their families. She is particularly excited about our PancOne™ research project and the hope it holds for the future.

One of the leaders of Ascendant Wealth Partners, Jonathan is a financial expert with nearly two decades of experience. Priding himself on a thorough, organized, and highly responsive approach, he is a trusted advisor on the finances of affluent families and foundations.

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As an auditor for an international professional services firm, Jonathan developed an expert understanding of tax as well as his signature “no stone unturned” approach to client service, one he built upon as he gained further experience in investments and wealth management. Most recently, Jonathan served as a Vice-President of a leading Canadian wealth management boutique. Jonathan is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and a Chartered Investment Manager (CIM). He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree (with distinction) from Ivey Business School at Western University.

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Jonathan enjoys seeing the value he provides to people, a passion that extends beyond his work: Jonathan has been a member of Toronto Hebrew Memorial Parks investment committee for the past 10 years; as well, he has been involved with Pancreatic Cancer Canada since 2019, and currently chairs the non-profit’s board.

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In his down time, Jonathan and his wife, Romy, get plenty of entertainment from their young daughters, Ava and Addison. Jonathan also likes to stay active, be it getting out on the golf course or playing men’s league hockey with the same group of guys he started out skating alongside as a child.

Michael is a Partner at Ernst & Young LLP, Canada with responsibility for leading the management and technology consulting businesses in Central Canada. He has over 25 years of experience managing, designing, implementing, and supporting complex process and technology solutions, providing senior executive oversight on some the largest transformation projects in North America.

Elfreda joined Google in 2008 after graduating from her MBA at the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania. She started at Google Canada as the Head of Sales Strategy & Operations for the Canadian market and has held several Strategy, Operations, Go-to-Market and Product Commercialization leadership roles at Google since then. She is now the Director of Global Strategic Programs and Operations for ChromeOS. Prior to Google and her MBA, Elfreda spent several years in the management consulting and financial services industries in Toronto, Canada after completing her Bachelor of Applied Science Industrial Engineering degree at the University of Toronto in 2000. In her spare time, she enjoys golf, yoga and chasing after her 9 year old son.

Lauren Israel is Executive Director, Business Management at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) in New York City. Her current responsibilities include coordinating employee giving, sponsorships and donations for the US Capital Markets team. Prior to her role with CIBC, Lauren held several positions at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch where she served as Director in several Technology departments over her 12 year tenure, including Global Markets and Risk Technologies, Legal and Compliance Technology and Finance Technology in New York and London. She obtained her Masters of Business Administration and Bachelor of Science at the University at Buffalo, with concentrations in finance and international business. Lauren has also been a dedicated volunteer on the United Way of New York City Campaign Council since 2017.

Russell Browne is a Managing Director Sales and Structuring, Metals Trading FICC, providing metals risk management solutions and structures to clients in the Mining, Energy, Chemical and Institutional Investor sectors. Russell recently joined BMO in November 2018, having previously worked at Scotiabank (ScotiaMocatta) for 10 years, as a Director in Precious Metals Sales and Trading. Prior to working in metals, Russell worked 7 years in Currency Sales and Structuring. Russell began his career in Montreal, working as an open-outcry Pit Trader at the Montreal Exchange, trading futures on 5 and 10 year Canadian Bonds and 3 month Bankers Acceptances. Russell has a B.A. in Economics from Concordia University (Canada).

Hilen leads the TELUS Stores and Koodo Shops teams. In this role, he supports over 2,700 team members across Canada delivering technology solutions backed by an exceptional customer experience. Hilen and his team also proudly support TELUS’ commitment to Give Where We Live by actively volunteering and fundraising in the local community.  The TELUS team is proud to support PCC with an annual fundraising drive in memory of a beloved colleague who lost his battle with pancreatic cancer.  Hilen was a member of the Pancreatic Cancer Canada Board of Directors from 2019 through 2023, before shifting to its Advisory Committee in 2024.

In over 15 years at TELUS, Hilen has held various leadership roles at TELUS including positions in Business Intelligence, Product Development, Pricing and National Retail. Trained as an electrical engineer, Hilen worked as a management consultant supporting clients primarily in the communications sector prior to joining TELUS.

Hilen and his wife Karen have two wonderful children. In his spare time, Hilen enjoys spending time with his family.

Jason is a commercial litigation lawyer with McEwan Partners in Vancouver, where his practice focuses on securities law matters. He holds a law degree from the University of Manitoba and has completed all of the requirements for his Master of Laws in securities law from Osgoode Hall Law School (York University), from which he will formally graduate in June, 2024. In 2012 and 2013, Jason lived in Ottawa while working as a Law Clerk for the Honourable Justice Louis LeBel of the Supreme Court of Canada. Jason joined the Pancreatic Cancer Canada Board of Directors in 2019 (a position he held through 2023 before shifting to the Advisory Committee in 2024) shortly after he lost his mother to pancreatic cancer. In his spare time, Jason enjoys spending time with his young family and is also an avid amateur golfer.

Marc St-Onge is currently consulting with Element Fleet Management in their finance area.  Prior to joining Element in 2023, he was employed by CIBC for nearly 25 years and held various progressively senior positions within CIBC Capital Markets, including most recently as Managing Director and Global Head of DCM where he was responsible for the origination and syndication of investment grade, high yield and government fixed income products globally.

Prior to this, Mr. St-Onge was Managing Director and Head of Corporate Banking Canada, where he was responsible for the bank’s Canadian corporate loan portfolio and oversaw the bank’s lending activities with corporate, government and financial sponsor clients across all major industries.

Mr. St-Onge holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (Finance) from l’Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales and was awarded the Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 1998. Mr. St-Onge chairs the Shaw Festival Boxing Evening, a fundraising event for The Shaw Festival Theatre in Niagara-on-the-lake.

Ricky Ray Butler is a 15 year digital veteran who has been at the forefront of reimagining the advertising landscape in a world of ever growing digital content. He found Plaid Social Labs in 2009 which was later acquired by BEN. Today BEN is leading the way in connecting brands to the right audiences in non-ad supported media across social, streaming and traditional platforms, and with the recent acquisition of TubeBuddy, has expanded that mission to help the 6M+ creators on the platform.

Butler serves as an advisor and investor for entrepreneurs and charities who share his relentless quest for disruption and deep learning, including applications of natural language generation in gaming with AI Dungeon and powering automated machine learning using unstructured data with Zeff (acquired by DataRobot). As one of AdAge’s 40 Under 40, and a member of Forbes Agency Council, Butler is serving as the catalyst for the next generation of data driven entertainment and advertising. Like any true digital nerd, Ricky spends his free time creating art no one should see and reading about the myriad of ways data has and can improve the 21st century.

Dr. Kirpalani is a radiologist, medical educator, and healthcare business advisor with over 15 years of broad practice experience in both academic and private/community settings in Canada and the USA. He has been a staff radiologist at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto since 2009, and he is Associate Professor in the Department of Medical Imaging at the University of Toronto. In addition to maintaining a busy clinical practice, Anish has authored over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and has given over 50 invited lectures in radiology, focused mostly in MRI. Anish has a background in both engineering and medicine. He lives in Toronto with his wife and two young children.

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