Meet our leadership team

Sheila joined Central 1 in 2018, bringing over 25 years of experience in business, risk management, and financial leadership within the finance industry. In 2022, Sheila became Central 1’s President and CEO after serving as Chief Financial Officer and Interim President and CEO. 

Having held significant roles, including chief financial officer positions at various organizations and leadership positions at Payments Canada and the Bank of Canada, Sheila has amassed a wealth of experience in the domains of finance and financial leadership. As a key leader in the Canadian financial industry, Sheila was appointed to the Interac Corp. board of directors in 2023. 

Sheila is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University. Sheila also holds an ICD designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors and a Masters Certificate in Enterprise Risk Management from York University.

Sheila is an active and socially conscious community member, generously volunteering her time with the Board of Directors at Interac Corp. 

Emma is the Chief Financial Officer of Central 1 and responsible for leading Central 1’s finance department. Emma is a seasoned CFO having over 20 years working in the financial services sector overseeing financial activities such as accounting, tax, regulatory reporting, stress testing, strategic planning, budgeting and forecasting.

Since joining Central 1 in 2016, Julie has held progressively senior roles in client experience and member relations before moving into Central 1’s Chief Client Experience Officer role in early 2023. 

Prior to joining Central 1, Julie held key positions with the Canadian Co-operative Association and Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada. There, she built relationships with credit union leaders across Canada, contributing to the global development and strengthening of credit unions and co-operatives.  

Julie is a graduate of the University of Guelph and holds a postgraduate certificate in leadership from the Sprott School of business at Carleton University.  

Julie’s passion for the cooperative system extends beyond her role at Central 1. She also Serves as an elected member of the Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada’s Board of Directors. 

Brent joined Central 1 in 2015 as Chief Investment Officer, bringing with him a wealth of experience in financial leadership from his experience in senior treasury positions at Manulife Financial and a variety of other roles with CIBC in both Toronto and New York.  

In this role at Central 1, Brent not only manages a significant $10 billion investment portfolio but also guides businesses that offer funding and financial services to member and client credit unions across Canada. 

Brent holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from McMaster University and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder.  

Brent sits on the board of Aviso Wealth Inc., where he serves on the Risk Committee and chairs the Audit Committee. His impact on the credit union system extends through his roles on the boards of CU CUMIS Wealth Holdings Inc., Co-operators Insurance Company, and the Central 1 Trust Company. 

As Central 1’s Chief Legal Officer, Marilyn is responsible for our legal, corporate secretary and facilities functions. Marilyn has a proven track record of delivering high-impact results and long-term value for multi-stakeholder organizations with more than two decades of experience as a senior executive. Prior to joining Central 1, Marilyn served as Principal of Altapeak Law Corporation, advising companies on strategy, legal and governance to scale and expand their businesses. Her former roles include Chief Organizational Development Officer at Atlas Corp., interim CEO and Chief Transformation & Legal Officer at Central 1, and General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Interfor Corporation.

Marilyn serves as a director on the boards of Powerex Corp., Innovate BC and YWCA Canada, and she has previously served on the Board of Governors of BCIT. Marilyn holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Calgary, a Bachelor of Arts degree from McMaster University, and is a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors, ICD.D.

Carol Ann’s deep experience in risk management in the finance industry brought her to Central 1 in early 2023. Having held chief risk officer roles for both the Bank of Canada and Payments Canada, Carol Ann not only has extensive experience in finance and payments, but she has also played key roles in leading risk teams through transformation. Carol Ann holds an honours bachelor of science degree and a masters in Economics from the University of Toronto. In her spare time, she is active in her community volunteering with two fabulous youth-centered organizations, the Ottawa Children’s Choir and Kids Kicking Cancer Ottawa.

Dave has proven leadership skills and an excellent track record in a diverse set of domains including IT strategy and transformation, application development and management, data centre/infrastructure operations consulting, and technology outsourcing.

Erick has more than 25 years of experience in platform-based digital product innovation, shaping vision, strategy and roadmaps. He’s a proven leader with extensive experience nurturing and growing technology product management teams. His global business experience in financial services, product and technology will enhance the conversations we have, decisions we make and approaches we take. Erick has a great passion for his work.