Our leadership and board members

Executive leadership team

Zahid Salman
President & Chief Executive Officer

Zahid Salman is the President and Chief Executive Officer of GreenShield. Zahid has over 30 years of experience, including executive positions at various international firms. His position at GreenShield, for which he has been recognized as one of Canada’s Most Admired CEOs, combines his extensive background in business management with his passion for people and social impact. Combining purpose and performance, GreenShield has consistently been recognized as one of Canada’s Most Admired Cultures under Zahid’s leadership.

Zahid is an actuary who has earned Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries (FCIA) and Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) designations. He is also a graduate of the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School and has obtained his ICD.D designation through the Institute of Corporate Directors. He currently serves on the boards of Green Shield Canada and Green Shield Association, and the Product Standing Committee of the Canadian Life & Health Insurance Association (CLHIA). He has served in leadership roles on several not-for-profit boards including the Alzheimer Society of York Region, the York Region Children’s Aid Society, and the Saint Elizabeth Foundation.

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Brent Allen
Executive Vice President, Transformation

Brent has spent his career in the Group Benefits arena in Consulting, Sales, Sales Leadership, and Operations Leadership roles. In 2011, Brent left his native Nova Scotia to move to Ontario to join GreenShield Canada, as he was excited to work for a social enterprise that worked in the employee benefits space. Within GreenShield, Brent has served as the Director of Sales and Service for Southwestern Ontario, VP - Service Operations, EVP - Group, and most recently as EVP - Insurance Operations.

Within Insurance, Brent is responsible for a team of approximately 500 members in Claims, Call Centres, and Administration. Brent has degrees in HR and Commerce, a Master of Business Administration, and the Certified Employee Benefits Specialist designation.

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Joe Blomeley
Executive Vice President, Head of GreenShield Health & Enterprise Growth

With 20 years of experience spanning public policy, government relations, insurance, healthcare and mental health, Joe’s position at GreenShield combines his expertise in enterprise growth with his passion for improving the health of Canadians. His leadership style is defined by his desire to roll up his sleeves and turn vision into action.

Joe is a proud Carleton and Western University graduate and serves as Chair and board member for the Ontario Shores Foundation for Mental Health Sciences. He has also held board and advisory positions with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian Mental Health Association, York Region & South Simcoe.

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JP Girard
Executive Vice President, Head of GreenShield Insurance

With 25 years of experience in the Canadian benefits industry and accreditation from Harvard Business School, JP’s leadership style is defined by three guiding principles: be humble, be kind, and get your hands dirty. Since joining GreenShield to lead the Insurance line of business, JP has built a robust leadership team and helped establish a new customer value proposition built on access, convenience, integration, and health outcomes. During his tenure at Morneau Shepell, JP expanded their Global EAP and the Responsible Gaming line of business, led the divestiture of the Morneau Shepell Group Benefits practice to HUB International, and achieved significant improvements in employee engagement. JP holds a CEBS designation, is a proud Atlantic Canadian, and currently serves as a board member of the Mount Saint Vincent Alumni Association.

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Scot Hopkins
Executive Vice President, Head of Finance & Strategy

Since joining GreenShield in 2015, Scot has played a pivotal role in shaping the organization's financial direction and strategic initiatives. As Executive Vice President, he leads the Finance and Strategy division with precision and foresight. Scot is renowned for his meticulous approach to financial planning, risk management, and strategic decision-making, ensuring the company's long-term growth and sustainability.

Scot brings over 30 years of experience and expertise. His journey in the insurance sector began with notable positions, including Vice President of Planning, Operations and Claims at Intact Financial Corporation and Chief Operating Officer at Jevco Insurance Company.

Scot graduated with Honours in Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University and is a Certified Professional Accountant.

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Nadim Kara
Executive Vice President, Head of People & Culture

With over 20 years of experience in human resources across both the private and public sectors, Nadim has a proven track record of designing and implementing people strategies that drive organizational transformation and performance.  He is known for aligning and advancing human resources priorities and functions in the context of changing market realities, and creating synergies with both leadership and operations to achieve strategic transformation.

As the Executive Vice President, Head of People and Culture, Nadim is focused on advancing GreenShield’s People & Culture function to foster a high-impact and highly engaged workforce where Purpose meets Passion and Performance.

Nadim holds a Masters in Industrial Relations from the University of Toronto and is designated as a Certified Human Resources Executive (CHRE) and Certified Compensation Professional.

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Mandy Mail
Executive Vice President, Head of Marketing, Communications & GreenShield Cares

Mandy is not your typical marketer. Both ‘calculator and crayon’, she seamlessly integrates management consulting fundamentals, people leadership, a customer-obsessed attitude, and innovative creativity. She has a proven ability to build and motivate teams, mobilize organizations, and lead world-renowned brands to new levels of achievement. Refusing to be squeezed into any single category or sector, Mandy has held consequential roles across fast-paced industries for companies such as Deloitte, Recipe, Yum!, and Target. She joined GreenShield in 2022 because, as a non-profit social enterprise, the company combines her passions for business, people, and social impact results.   Mandy holds a BBA and an MBA from York University’s Schulich School of Business and several Harvard University certifications.

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Anela Nikic
Executive Vice President, Head of Digital & Technology

Anela is responsible for shaping GreenShield’s enterprise technology vision and strategy for the future — enabling GreenShield’s integrated payer-provider business model.

She is recognized as a change agent, driving impactful customer and business outcomes across various industries (including retail, grocery, health and wellness, and logistics).
Her experience and previous leadership roles in business/technology transformations across B2C and B2B, unlocking growth and efficiency, digital enablement, and data-driven decision-making, have been instrumental in evolving GreenShield’s digital and technology capabilities.

As GreenShield reimagines the heath service and benefits experience for Canadians, Anela thinks big, bringing innovation, AI, and new approaches to leveraging technology.

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Mark Rolnick
Executive Vice President, Head of GreenShield Administration

Mark is highly skilled at identifying emerging clinical and business challenges and turning them into opportunities to develop unique solutions that promote the health and well-being of plan members and Canadians.

Mark’s strategic and operational leadership ensures GreenShield customers and partners benefit from proactive and fully integrated claims adjudication, benefits administration and pharmacy benefit management strategies that are only possible through GreenShield’s payer-provider business model. As a seasoned innovator, Mark’s diverse background spans clinical services, the pharmaceutical industry, and insurance and administration roles.

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Board members

for Green Shield Canada and Green Shield Holdings Inc.

Alan Torrie
Chair
Zahid Salman
President & Chief Executive Officer
Jennifer Barber
Director
Bertrand Bolduc
Director
Aliya Kassamali
Director
Alice Keung
Technology & Risk Management Committee Chair
Pierre Laurin
Nomination Committee Chair
Ken Lewenza
Director
Sharon Ludlow
Audit & Investment Management Committee Chair
Edward Odumodu
Director
Darrell Pasloski
Human Resources & Social Impact Committee Chair
Monique Richer
Corporate Governance, Conduct Review & Ethics Committee Chair
A booklet displaying the 2023 social impact report

Social impact report

Read the detailed breakdown of our initiatives, achievements, and the lives we're transforming in our pursuit of Better Health for All.

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Recent updates

Helping Canadians live their healthiest lives has always been our guiding principle.

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