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

Niels Christensen is a real estate professional with additional, extensive experience in Law Enforcement, Securities Regulation and Regulatory matters. He is the Managing Director and Broker of the Christensen Real Estate Group and brings over 35 years of experience to the Board in Law Enforcement, Securities Regulation and Real Estate.

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

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

Niels is a graduate of the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management - Directors Education Program and a recipient of the ICD.D Director designation.

In addition to his Board responsibilities, he currently serves as Chair of MPAC’s Governance & Human Resources Committee.

 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.

 Derek Vanstone

Derek is a licensed lawyer who serves as a trusted advisor to clients and specializes in cases which have associated regulatory, public policy issues or communications challenges. He has appeared before all levels of Ontario courts. In addition to his legal practice, Derek has served in senior roles in the Canadian federal government, serving as Chief of Staff to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and Deputy Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He has also held senior positions with iconic Canadian firms including Air Canada and Hatch Engineering.

Derek resides in Toronto and he holds a B.A. and LL.B. from the University of Saskatchewan.