Board of Directors

Jeff Ruby is a health innovator with an extensive entrepreneurial track record in preventive health. Prior to founding Newtopia, Ruby was co-founder and chief operating officer of Cleveland Clinic Canada, a collaboration between the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Canyon Ranch, and Canada’s leading destination for preventive health and lifestyle management. Before that, he served as co-founder and chief operating officer of Life Screening Centers, a cancer screening and prevention company. Prior to Life Screening, Ruby was a co-founder and head of operations of Genetic Diagnostics Inc., an early stage biotechnology company commercializing a new genetic diagnostic testing platform. Ruby has a joint Juris Doctorate and Master of Business Administration (JD/MBA) from Osgoode Hall Law School and the Schulich School of Business in Toronto and a bachelor’s degree from Western University in London, Ontario.

Karen Basian is a proven, international board director, strategist and advisor, with over 25 years’ in the consumer products and services, financial services, travel and technology sectors.  Karen is President of KB Capital Management Inc. and a Partner with 3NP Realty Inc. Karen serves on the Board of Directors of goeasy (TSE:GSY) where she chairs the HR and Compensation Committee, The Flowr Corporation as Board and Audit Committee Chair, BookJane where she Chairs the Audit Committee, Kognitiv and was a Managing Director of Newtopia. Previously, Karen was Chief Global Strategy and Business Development Officer for McCain Foods Ltd. In 2000, Karen was recognized as one of Canada’s ‘Top 40 Under 40’ for her work as the CFO & SVP, Corporate Services for 724 Solutions (NASDAQ/TSX). Prior roles include SVP Strategy for Frito-Lay North America, Manager with Bain and Company, and International Tax Specialist with Deloitte’s. Karen is a CPA, CA, an MBA from IMEDE, Lausanne, Switzerland and Honors Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario.

Carleen Hawn is an experienced founder with a demonstrated history of working in the media, consulting, and networking industries. Hawn is the CEO and Co-Founder of Healthspottr. Previously, she was an associate editor with Forbes and later senior writer and West Coast Bureau Chief for Fast Company magazine. She also served on the Editorial Advisory Board of TEDMED. Hawn currently sits on the board of directors of CureSearch, a national non-profit foundation that accelerates the search for cures for children’s cancers. Hawn earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Barnard College, a master’s degree from Columbia Journalism School and she was a Knight-Bagehot Fellow at Columbia Business School in New York.

Michael Palmer is a lifelong healthcare and technology enthusiast and the founding CEO of Exhale Advisors, focused on healthcare strategy, M&A, digital transformation and innovation commercialization.  Prior to that he served as Aetna’s chief innovation and digital officer where he launched the Aetna Innovation Labs – driving clinical, technology, and digital innovations to improve the healthcare ecosystem. Palmer played key roles in envisioning the strategy and launching Aetna’s new $1B Consumer Business and reinvented Aetna’s digital landscape to make healthcare simpler and easier for consumers to navigate. Prior to Aetna, Palmer was a Partner at Accenture, where for nearly 20 years he served health clients in information technology strategy, post-merger integration, and global transformation programs. He also ran Accenture’s global medical technology practice P&L.  Palmer earned a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Maryland, College Park in Maryland.

Roger Poirier is an advisor and strategist with extensive capital markets experience, primarily with small and mid-market companies. As Founder of Whiteshell Group Inc, a merchant bank and advisory firm, Roger invests in and advises companies on the implementation of their growth initiatives, preparation for public markets, as well as on various monetization strategies. Roger has also held operational roles with a focus on optimizing and driving value enhancing initiatives. Prior to founding Whiteshell Group Inc, Roger was a Co- Founder and Director of Cormark Securities, a Toronto based mid-market institutional equities boutique. Throughout his 18 years at Cormark, Roger held various roles including Managing Director, Investment Banking and Deputy Chair, Risk Committee. He was directly responsible for the completion of numerous equity and debt offerings and several successful merger & acquisition transactions. Roger is currently the Chair of TFS – Canada’s International School, and he holds a Chartered Financial Analyst designation.