Board of Directors

Directors

Mr. Philip Bates

C-suite executive, board member and management consultant with 40 years of experience in the telecommunications services industry in Canada and the United States, Phil has led organizations through growth and transformations in areas of customer service and technology and operations.

Phil has provided advisory and management consulting services to organizations since 2019, following his retirement from TELUS Communications. During his 15 years at TELUS, he held several executive leadership roles, including Executive Vice-president of Business Transformation and Operations, Senior Vice President of Consumer Customer Experience, and Senior Vice President of Enterprise and Government Customer Experience, supporting teams of thousands of team members responsible for supporting our external and internal customers. Prior to TELUS, Phil held operational leadership roles with Sprint Canada, as well as with MCI and Rochester Telephone in the United States.

Phil holds a Master’s of Systems Engineering and Architecture from the University of Southern California, a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Rochester, and a Bachelor of Technology in Electrical Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Phil served as a member of the Board of Directors for S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Society from 2017 to 2023, as Vice-Chair from 2018 through 2023, and served on the Risk Management Committee as Chair during 2023 and as an Advisor during 2024.  In addition, Phil served on the TELUS Community Board in Vancouver between 2012 and 2015. He also served on the Board of BC Tech Association between 2016 and 2019.

Mr. Pall Beesla

Born and raised in Vancouver, Pall is a community advocate who calls South Vancouver home with his wife and two small children. In his spare time, Pall assists his dad and uncle in their family gravel truck business, Beesla Trucking (since 1985).

During his day job as a city-bus driving instructor, Pall gets to see and connect with Vancouverites every day. Instructing in the city affords Pall the opportunity to not only meet with people, but to also see the changes in the city’s landscape first-hand. Through his previous job as a city bus driver, Pall assisted co-workers through his previous union activism with Unifor 111 as a Job Steward and, as a result, understands what it takes to represent a peer group.

While trying to maintain a work-life balance, Pall volunteers his time as the Director of Community Partnerships on the Board of the Punjabi Market Collective. He has previously served as an elected board member at the faith-based Khalsa Diwan Society (Est. 1906). Serving previously as Senior Assistant Treasurer, Pall had the responsibilities of helping raise funds, maintaining financial transparency, project management, and still coordinates the annual Vancouver Vaisakhi Parade. Through his outreach work, Pall has also built bridges with fellow religious and community-based groups to show a united front against hate and intolerance and to collaborate on common interests of community building. Pall looks to his faith for guiding principles on how to stay grounded and lead a good life while serving others.

Ms. Ilda Brazinha

Ilda is a Regional Vice President at (BMO) Bank of Montreal, where she has leveraged her extensive financial expertise to drive regional growth and strategic initiatives.  Born and raised in Vancouver, Ilda has a deep-rooted connection to the community.  She is currently Chair of BMO Mosaic, an Employee Resource Group focussed on multi-culturalism.  Previously, Ilda served on the Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation Board of Directors, Chair of Eagle Ridge Hospital Evening of Caring Gala and Chair of BC Children’s Hospital Jeans Day, reflecting her commitment to philanthropic efforts and community engagement.  With a blend of leadership acumen and a passion for giving back, Ilda continues to make a significant impact both in the financial sector and within her local community.

Mr. Jonathan Do

Jonathan is currently Vice-President, Commercial Financial Services at RBC. He leads a team that supports diversified mid-market corporate banking customers. Jonathan is an experienced banker with 20 years of experience in financial services. He has held increasingly senior positions in personal banking, branch management, advisor support and commercial banking. Jonathan was one of the founding cabinet members and co-chair of the NextGen Employee Resource Group at RBC. His previous board experience includes the Fraser Valley Chapter of the Risk Management Association.

Jonathan holds a Master of Business Administration from Royal Roads University and has previously held the Personal Financial Planning designation. Jonathan is a second-generation Vietnamese Canadian with an affinity to organizations that support refugees and new immigrants to Canada.

Dr. Mark Fok

Dr. Fok is a Clinical Assistant Professor from the University of British Columbia (UBC), Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine. He graduated from the UBC Internal Medicine Program and subsequently completed two years of fellowship at the UBC Geriatric Medicine program, where he served as chief resident of both programs. He completed his Masters in Patient Safety and Quality Care at Johns Hopkins University in 2022. He is a specialist consultant in Internal Medicine and Geriatrics at Vancouver General, Mount St. Joseph and St. Paul’s Hospitals. He does home geriatric visits for the frail seniors in the South Community Health Unit area.

Directors

Mr. James Hsu

James is an employment and human rights lawyer at PortaLaw, where he represents organizations and workers. His practice is focused on helping employers and employees create meaningful employment relationships and resolving conflict where those relationships break down. He also co-manages the firm’s OpenPorta Employment Law Clinic, a monthly pro bono initiative that provides free legal support through Access Pro Bono’s summary advice program.  Prior to PortaLaw, James worked at a large national firm, a boutique business firm and as in-house counsel to an ecommerce technology company.

Outside of S.U.C.C.E.S.S., James volunteers with Jewish Family Services, is a partner with SVP Vancouver, and an annual fundraiser for the Movember Foundation.

Dr. Janet Kow

Dr. Kow is a Geriatric specialist at Providence Health Care working out of St. Paul’s and Mount Saint Joseph Hospital, as well as the Vice President of Quality and Safety.  She has been an educator with UBC and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada as an undergraduate and postgraduate director and past UBC Division Head of Geriatric Medicine. Dr. Kow has been a member of the S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Board of Directors in 2012-2018 and has previously served on the Community Real Estate Committee and Seniors Task Force.

Dr. Tanya Petraszko

Dr. Petraszko is a hematologist with expertise in transfusion medicine. She has held several medical leadership positions at Canadian Blood Services over 25 years and currently serves a senior medical director at Canadian Blood Services where she is accountable for medical and laboratory services and the stem cell program. She has also served as medical director for the BC Provincial Blood Coordinating Office and program director for the UBC Royal College Area of Focused Competency in Transfusion Medicine. She is an associate clinical professor at UBC in the division of hematology in the department of medicine and has recently completed a two-year term as Western Director on the board of the Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine.

Mr. Gary Pooni

In his role as president, Gary drives Pooni Group’s growth and guides major client projects as strategic lead. With over twenty years of planning-related experience, he has spearheaded some of the country’s most significant projects throughout Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island, the Sea to Sky corridor, Alberta and Ontario. His expertise includes strategic guidance, policy planning, public consultation and entitlement negotiation. Often recognized as the man behind the Lower Mainland’s most complex projects, Gary was listed as a “change-maker and power player shaping our world” in Vancouver Magazine’s 2022 and 2023 Power 50 List.

Gary sits on the board of the Urban Development Institute Membership Committee, both in Vancouver and the Capital Regional District, and is an annual instructor for the UDI School of Development. He is also passionate about his community, and has been part of several charitable boards including the Vancouver Canucks Alumni Foundation, Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation, LiveBIG Society, and PacWest Academy Soccer. Gary also has a family non-profit group that works on several community initiatives annually.

Gary holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Design (Planning) from the University of Calgary and a B.A. in Geography from Simon Fraser University, and is a member of the Canadian Institute of Planners.

Dr. Sandra Song

Dr. Song is an experienced Public Policy Specialist with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry and government sector. She has over 10 years’ experience in working in the federal government, enhancing her skills as a Policy Expert, and a vibrant Public Speaker. As a strong public service professional Dr. Song currently resides as inaugural Dean of the School of Arts, Science and Technology at University Canada West in Vancouver.

Dr. Song serves on the S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Society Board of Directors since 2022.

Mr. Bryan Yu

Bryan is AVP and Chief Economist at Central 1 Credit Union and leads macro- and regional- economic analysis and its IFRS9 platform business. With 20 years of experience, Bryan advises credit union and business executives across Canada on the state of the economy, and often speaks at industry conferences and events. He is frequently contacted by local and national media to provide economic and housing market commentary.

Bryan has previously worked for the BC Real Estate Association and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, and also spent time as an immigration researcher. He also volunteers his time as a committee chair with the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, and serves on Invest Vancouver’s Management Board.