Taxpayer representatives on the MPAC Board of Directors

 Paul Bernards

Mr. Bernards is a finance professional who has held various management roles in both the private and public sector over the past 30 years.

His extensive experience includes managing worldwide finance, tax and IT functions, including the development of reporting and control processes, due diligence and post-acquisition integration. A Canadian Chartered Accountant and U.S. Certified Public Accountant, Mr. Bernards began in public practice with KPMG in Toronto before leaving to continue his career in the private sector.

He has since served as Chief Financial Officer for Discovery Air, Masonite International Corporation, Shepell FGI and Premier Salons, as well as Vice-President of Finance and Operations for JELD-WEN. Since 2017, Mr. Bernards has served as Director and Chair of the Audit Committee for the Canadian Opera Company and TO Live.

Mr. Bernards holds a Masters in Business Administration from York (now Schulich) School of Business as well as a Director designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D).

 Niels Christensen

Mr. Christensen is the Managing Director and Broker of the Christensen Real Estate Group; a real estate brokerage located in Toronto and has over 35 years of experience in Law Enforcement, Securities Regulation and Real Estate.

He is a licensed Broker, Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist, International Real Estate Specialist, and Certified Negotiation Expert. He has served on the Arbitration Committee at the Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) and as past Vice-Chair of the Discipline Committee at the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO).

A graduate of the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management - Directors Education Program and a recipient of the ICD.D designation; Niels currently serves as Chair of the Governance & Human Resources Committee.

A former police officer with the Toronto Police Services, he is a former Certified Fraud Examiner and also previously held the position of Senior Manager of Investigations - Enforcement Branch at the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC), where he served as the OSC liaison to the Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario Task Force responsible for investigating organized criminal activity in the Capital Markets.

An active volunteer in his community, Mr. Christensen was the Chairperson of the Toronto Police 22 Division Community Police Liaison Committee, President of the Humber Valley Village Residents Association, and a member of The Hospital for Sick Children’s Circle of Care.

 Andrew Gassmann

Mr. Gassmann brings more than 25 years of experience in the financial sector, combined with extensive background in community leadership and municipal government. He is the President and Chief Executive Officer of ABG Analytika Consulting Inc., a project management and consulting firm that serves institutional clients in the financial sector. Mr. Gassmann is also a recent graduate of the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management - Directors Education Program and a recipient of the ICD.D designation.

Throughout his career, Mr. Gassmann has held a variety of senior roles at many of Canada’s top financial institutions, including TD Securities, CIBC World Markets, RBC and more. Since 2002, he has served as President of the Cooksville/Munden Park Homeowners’ Association, where he advocates for over 2,500 Mississauga residents on issues such as local development plans, budgetary concerns, and safety issues. Through this role, he has gained a broad understanding of municipal operations, and continues to be a community leader by working closely with residents and participating on several city committees. Mr. Gassmann holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Ryerson University and a Master of Science degree from Niagara University.

 Ray Kindiak

Ray Kindiak is a lawyer and corporate finance professional with over 30 years of capital markets, operational and legal experience in corporate restructuring, financings, mergers and acquisitions. He has executed financing mandates in numerous industry sectors including technology, real estate, manufacturing, resources, pharmaceutical and hospitality.

Mr. Kindiak has worked at leading Canadian brokerage firms as an analyst and investment banker. He has also carried out mandates as chief financial officer and other senior executive roles including operations, corporate development and legal counsel. Most recently, Mr. Kindiak served as a commissioner and board member of the Ontario Securities Commission.

Mr. Kindiak holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Windsor and is a member of the Law Society of Ontario.

In community service, Mr. Kindiak has done extensive immigration outreach work and is actively involved in not-for-profit organizations helping disadvantaged groups.