Wellington Holbrook is the President and CEO of Vancity Group – which includes Vancity, Canada’s largest community credit union, and Vancity Community Investment Bank (VCIB), Vancity’s federally chartered bank. With a 30-year career in Canada’s financial services industry, Wellington has focused his career on cooperatives and banking institutions with missions that extend beyond profits.

Prior to becoming CEO of Vancity Group, Wellington held progressively senior roles at financial institutions across Canada. At connectFirst Credit Union, Wellington served as Chief Operating Officer before taking on the role of CEO, leading the credit union through mergers and the integration of several credit unions under a new brand. At ATB Financial, he led their retail, business and agriculture banking lines of business and, as Chief Transformation and Technology Officer, he led an ambitious digital, business and cultural transformation at the largest Alberta-based financial institution. Serving as the Senior Vice-President of Operations at the Business Development Bank of Canada, Wellington played a pivotal role in leading and shaping the bank’s business across Western Canada.

Fluent in French and English, Wellington holds a B. Comm from the University of Manitoba and an MBA with distinction from the University of Oxford. In 2008, he was invited by the Clerk to the Privy Council of Canada to partake in a year-long program focused on foreign diplomacy and where he honed his leadership skills.

Wellington has served on several boards, and currently is Chair of the Calgary Telus Convention Centre. He is an avid music fan and amateur musician. He and his wife have two adult children.

As the Vice President of VCIB, Jennifer leads the development and implementation of the bank’s growth strategy in the areas of commercial and business banking, social purpose real estate, and climate finance.

Jennifer has over 23 years of extensive banking and financial leadership experience and prior to joining VCIB, she was the Vice President, Loan Operations and Customer Relations at Infrastructure Ontario where she oversaw the loan administration, business development, and grant management activities associated with the Infrastructure Ontario loan program.

Jennifer has honed her loan portfolio management and commercial-lending expertise through the years in previous roles at Equitable Bank, Lawyers’ Professional Indemnity Company, and Northern Birch Credit Union.

Leading the team at VCIB, Jennifer is driven by the belief that what you finance has a huge impact on our planet and communities.

Frances Yip is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of VCIB, as well as CFO of Vancity, Canada’s largest community credit union. At VCIB, Frances focuses on building a solid and trusted financial institution and creating long-term value. Frances leads financial strategy, providing insight and discipline in service to the sustainable growth that supports our business, our people and our planet.

Frances is an authentic and influential leader with a focus on strategic planning and operational effectiveness, and she has a record of building and leading engaged, high performing teams that deliver value through financial insight and continuous improvement. A Chartered Professional Accountant and CFA charterholder with over 18 years of experience in the financial sector, she served as VP Finance and VP Financial Planning and Analysis at Coast Capital Savings, one of Canada’s largest credit unions, for more than seven years prior to joining Vancity Group.

Frances was recognized as one of BC’s Most Influential Women in Finance in 2019. With a passion for the transformative power that education and mentorship play in social mobility and equity, Frances has acted as a devoted mentor to students and young professionals for more than 13 years. She is also an active leader in her local community, serving as volunteer director and treasurer of both ArtStarts in Schools and the Little Mountain Neighbourhood House Society.

Frances fills her free time exploring the beauty of the Vancouver region with her two energetic young boys.

Angela leads all legal activities for the Vancity Group, to protect its reputation and business interests and help ensure the organization complies with all relevant laws and regulations.

This involves managing the legal landscape for Vancity Community Investment Bank, its parent credit union and all other subsidiaries, tackling legal challenges, offering legal advice, leading the legal team, and overseeing vendor relationships, procurement, and real estate. Angela plays a pivotal role in modernizing the group’s operations and establishing Vancity as a financial services leader.

Angela is a dynamic litigation and regulatory enforcement counsel with over 20 years of experience, including more than 17 years as in-house counsel in the financial services sector. From 2007 and until its 2024 acquisition by RBC, Angela worked for HSBC Bank Canada, first as Senior Legal Counsel and then as Associate General Counsel. Following the acquisition, she served as Managing Counsel and Director at RBC. Angela joined Vancity’s Executive Leadership Team in 2024, and it was a bit of a homecoming, after working as a branch FSR during her undergraduate degree.

Angela has built a stellar legal career, earning recognition for her leadership and commitment to diversity. In 2023, she was awarded the Women in Law Leadership Stronger Together Award for British Columbia. In 2024, she was an Excellence Awardee in the Female Trailblazer of the Year category of the Canadian Law Awards, and a finalist for the Blakes Judy L. Wilson Diversity Award at the ZSA Canadian General Counsel Awards. In 2023, she was a finalist for the CCCA/Mondaq Action in Diversity & Inclusion Award at the Canadian In-House Counsel Celebration. She is also a past finalist of the Lexpert Rising Stars award, recognizing leading lawyers under 40.

In her free time, Angela has a keen interest in photography and is an avid hockey fan. She is a Founding Member and President of the New Westminster Minor Ball Hockey Association, and she served as a Division Lead and governance volunteer with the Metro Minor Ball Hockey Association. A life-long vegetarian and passionate believer in animal welfare, Angela has served on the Board of Directors of the Vancouver Humane Society since 2017.

As VCIB’s Managing Director of Climate Finance and Commercial Real Estate, Eric leads the growth of the bank’s lending portfolio, which is designed to support organizations and projects driving positive change across Canada.  

With over a decade of experience in commercial real estate, Eric has held numerous leadership roles at VCIB, including as Director of Commercial Real Estate, where he led a team of impact real estate experts to arrange debt financing for projects driving positive social and environmental change.  

In his current role, Eric is a driving force behind VCIB’s impact real estate and climate finance strategies — facilitating financing for cleantech projects and emerging climate solutions, while also supporting community and impact-focused real estate projects like affordable housing, green buildings, housing co-operatives, and spaces for arts and culture. 

Edward Straw is the Chief Risk Officer at Vancity Community Investment Bank (VCIB), where he is responsible for the bank’s enterprise risk management strategy across all core risk categories—including strategic, credit, market, liquidity, operational, and people risk. With over 25 years of experience across Canada’s financial services sector, he brings seasoned leadership and a deep understanding of risk to help advance the bank’s strategic growth.

Prior to joining VCIB, Edward served as Executive Vice President of Business and Commercial Banking at connectFirst Credit Union. Before that, he held several senior leadership roles at the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), including Vice President of Enterprise Risk Management, where he was responsible for developing and executing board-level risk policy frameworks, top risk assessments, and mitigation strategies. He also served as Vice President of Corporate Financing, leading a national team responsible for originating, structuring, and managing a portfolio of complex and syndicated loans.

Earlier in his career at ATB Financial, Edward launched a $100 million private equity fund, created the organization’s trade finance team, and facilitated more than $4 billion in loan authorizations over a seven-year period.

Edward holds an MBA in Enterprise Development from the University of Calgary and a BA in Economics from the University of Manitoba. Outside of work, he is a lifelong learner and mentor who is passionate about collaboration, diverse thinking, and supporting organizational growth.

Wellington Holbrook is the President and CEO of Vancity Group – which includes Vancity, Canada’s largest community credit union, and Vancity Community Investment Bank (VCIB), Vancity’s federally chartered bank. With a 30-year career in Canada’s financial services industry, Wellington has focused his career on cooperatives and banking institutions with missions that extend beyond profits.

Prior to becoming CEO of Vancity Group, Wellington held progressively senior roles at financial institutions across Canada. At connectFirst Credit Union, Wellington served as Chief Operating Officer before taking on the role of CEO, leading the credit union through mergers and the integration of several credit unions under a new brand. At ATB Financial, he led their retail, business and agriculture banking lines of business and, as Chief Transformation and Technology Officer, he led an ambitious digital, business and cultural transformation at the largest Alberta-based financial institution. Serving as the Senior Vice-President of Operations at the Business Development Bank of Canada, Wellington played a pivotal role in leading and shaping the bank’s business across Western Canada.

Fluent in French and English, Wellington holds a B. Comm from the University of Manitoba and an MBA with distinction from the University of Oxford. In 2008, he was invited by the Clerk to the Privy Council of Canada to partake in a year-long program focused on foreign diplomacy and where he honed his leadership skills.

Wellington has served on several boards, and currently is Chair of the Calgary Telus Convention Centre. He is an avid music fan and amateur musician. He and his wife have two adult children.

Bill joined Vancity Credit Union’s Board of Directors in 2018 and the VCIB Board of Directors in 2026. He has extensive executive management experience bringing together financial sustainability, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility. He also has significant board leadership experience and has been an active Vancity Credit Union member for over 40 years.

Bill has over 25 years of executive management experience with Encorp Pacific / Return-It depots in BC and was their Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. His career path has focused on building successful programs that bring together financial sustainability while being environmentally and socially responsible.

Bill also sits on the Board of BC Provincial Health Services Authority that provides specialized health services (i.e., BC Women’s Hospital, BC Children’s Hospital, BC Cancer, BC Transplant, BC Centre for Disease Control). He is the Chair of the Finance and Operations Committee and a member of the Audit Committee.

Bill also volunteers his time with the CPABC (Chartered Professional Accountants of BC) board.

His formal education includes a Chartered Professional Accountant designation (CPA, CGA), a MBA from Asia Pacific University and the Institute of Corporate Directors designation. (ICD.D).

Bill’s roots are in the diverse working-class neighborhood of Vancouver’s east end where he grew up and raised his family. His two grown up sons, both of whom have degrees in the environmental sciences, are also committed to volunteering and getting involved in areas of social justice and the environment. Bill also volunteers his time with the CPABC (Chartered Professional Accountants of BC) Board.

Bill approaches his role as a director on the Vancity Board of Directors with a focus on community, environmental sustainability, and financial stability for Vancity members.

Christie joined Vancity Credit Union’s Board of Directors in 2020 and the VCIB Board of Directors in 2026. She brings to Vancity and VCIB a long history with credit unions and the financial services sector, as well as deep expertise in values-driven business and governance.

Since 2016, Christie has been the Executive Director of UBC Sauder Business School’s Peter P. Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics, which has repeatedly been recognized by the BC Business Magazine’s Business of Good Awards, and for which she received the Clean50 award for outstanding contributions to clean capitalism in Canada. Prior to joining UBC Sauder, she spent 15 years at highly respected values-driven investment firms Jantzi Research Associates (Sustainalytics), NEI Investments (Ethical Funds), and Rally Assets (Purpose Capital).

Christie also has more than two decades of diverse director experience, serving on the boards of organizations from early-stage companies to large mature entities, in a range of industries, and with both business-to-consumer and business-to-business operating models. This has included private companies, reporting issuers, cooperatives, non-profit organizations, university governance bodies, and a multi-employer pension plan. She has served on numerous audit and governance committees, as well as risk, technology, human resources, nominations, special purpose and other board committees.

Christie is a frequent media commentator on business, governance and investing topics whose views are covered regularly by major TV, print and radio media. She is also a member of the Climate Governance Experts Network of the Canadian Climate Law Initiative, the Metro Vancouver Zero Emissions Innovation Centre’s investment committee, the Watershed Security Fund of BC’s investment working group, the BC Securities Commission’s Corporate Finance Stakeholder Forum and the International Sustainable Finance Faculty Consortium, as well as being a fellow of the Independent Director Initiative and an advisor with Rally Assets. She has served as a judge for Governance Professionals of Canada’s Excellence in Governance Awards, the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada’s Corporate Reporting Awards and the Canadian Investment Review’s Pension Leadership Awards.

Christie has delivered governance training through Governance Professionals of Canada, the Canadian Credit Union Association, UBC Sauder Executive Education and Directors College; taught environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing at UBC Sauder Business School and Robert H. Lee Graduate School; and educated a variety of professionals through their industry associations including accountants, lawyers and investment managers. She is a frequent guest lecturer at law and business schools, and has spoken at over 100 conferences and events hosted by organizations such as the Institute of Corporate Directors, International Corporate Governance Network, Director Forum, the CFA Institute and Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada, among many others.

Throughout her career, Christie has maintained her roots in the credit union movement, which has included serving on committees of Metro Credit Union and Alterna Savings and the board of the Ottawa Women’s Credit Union in Ontario; the Governance and Conduct Review Committee of BlueShore Financial in BC; and Credit Union Central of Canada’s Cooperative Social Responsibility Committee nationally.

Christie holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from the University of Victoria, a Masters of Education in Administration and Policy Studies from McGill University, has the Institute of Corporate Directors ICD.D designation and was awarded an Advanced Trust Management Standards Certificate of Achievement by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.

She lives on Coast Salish territory in Vancouver and speaks both Canada’s official languages

Juvarya joined Vancity Credit Union’s Board of Directors in 2021 and the VCIB Board of Directors in 2026. Juvarya brings more than two decades of experience at the intersection of climate, capital, and economic transformation to the Board, with a focus on turning climate ambition into investable, real-world outcomes. She is a board director and senior advisor with a strong grounding in governance, risk oversight, and the integration of climate considerations into strategy and decision-making.

In her executive work, Juvarya focuses on connecting climate strategy with implementation and investment. She is Senior Advisor at C40 Cities, where she leads the Green Ports Forum, supporting cities and port authorities to strengthen investment readiness and advance low-carbon infrastructure. Previously, she was Chief of Strategy and Operations at InBC Investment Corp., a $500 million provincial investment fund, where she supported strategy development and organizational effectiveness. She also served as Director of the Canada Climate Law Initiative at the University of British Columbia, advancing guidance for boards and institutional investors on climate risk and fiduciary responsibility.

Juvarya is also Board Chair of the Vancouver Maritime Centre for Climate and a member of the Sector Advisory Committee at Realize Capital. She holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors and the GCB.D ESG designation from Global Competent Boards.

She holds an MBA from the University of British Columbia and a BA (Hons) in Economics and Sustainable Development from the University of London. Originally from the U.K. with Pakistani heritage and raised in Saudi Arabia, she now lives in Squamish on the unceded territories of the Squamish Nation and Coast Salish peoples.

Tiyaltelut Kristen Rivers is a proud Indigenous woman of Squamish and Kwakwaka’wakw descent with extensive governance experience and a deep lived commitment to reconciliation and advancing social and economic justice. Kristen is presently in her second consecutive term on the Squamish Nation Council while also pursuing her Master of Business Administration at Simon Fraser University.

In addition to over a decade of experience serving on numerous governance boards and appointments, Kristen has most recently honed her skills in the areas of strategic leadership and ethical decision-making through serving three years as elected Co-Chair of the Squamish Nation Council (a position equivalent to an elected Chief in other Nations), as well as Deputy Chair of the Nation’s Finance and Audit Committee and an active member of numerous other Council Committees.

Kristen is proud to have driven the Squamish Nation’s work in creating a rental assistance program—the first of its kind in BC—to alleviate some of the pressure felt by Nation members paying market rent off-reserve amidst a housing crisis. Kristen also played an instrumental role in pursuing and implementing the Living Wage for Families certification to improve the lives and economy of her community through her work as Chair of the Squamish Nation’s Equity and People Committee.

Kristen first became a member of Vancity in 2012 while working as a Senior Strategic Advisor with Reconciliation Canada, where she was deeply moved by witnessing Vancity’s early commitment to reconciliation and social justice causes in action.

She presently holds positions on the governance boards of the New Relationship Trust and Justice Institute of BC, is an appointed member of the City of Vancouver’s UNDRIP Task Force, and serves the Squamish Nation’s over 4,000 members through her work on Council’s Finance and Audit, Governance, and Equity and People Committees, as well as the Squamish Nation Climate Action Task Force.

Kristen grew up on the North Shore and now lives in Vancouver with her beautiful teen daughter and their lovable Goldendoodle Teddy.

Lynn joined Vancity Credit Union’s Board of Directors in 2025 and the VCIB Board of Directors in 2026. She brings to the Board strong expertise in leading social benefit organizations as well as a deep commitment to community building with the belief that a regenerative economy is pivotal in shaping a healthy and sustainable future. Lynn also brings a long-held dedication to growing people power and growing assets in service of justice and equity.

Currently, Lynn is a senior consultant focused on organizational and policy development, helping organizations within and outside Canada structure their work most effectively towards their goals. Previously, she served as the Executive Director of the Cowichan Intercultural Society, a vital newcomer service organization supporting social and economic integration. Her leadership of the Canadian Refugee Sponsorship Association, a national member-based entity, amplified advocacy for refugee rights. She was a board director with Social Planning Cowichan, focused on critical issues of poverty reduction and reconciliation. Her commitment to community service has been recognized with the Lieutenant Governor Award.

Continuing her lifelong learning, Lynn is now pursuing doctoral studies in human rights law. She approaches her work with a reflective awareness of her own privileges as a result of intersecting identity factors, seeking to advance social justice.

Lynn and her family reside on unceded Hul’q’umi’num Mustimuhw territory, a context that deeply informs her understanding of community and belonging.

Opreet joined Vancity Credit Union’s Board of Directors in 2023 and the VCIB Board of Directors in 2026. With more than 25 years of professional and community experience, including senior leadership roles in large, complex organizations, she brings strong governance, financial, and strategic expertise. A Vancity member for over 30 years, Opreet has a deep appreciation for the credit union’s role in delivering meaningful, community-driven impact.

Opreet currently serves as a Director at BC Hydro. She previously served as Board Chair of the Fraser Health Authority, supporting one of the province’s largest and most complex public service organizations. Across her governance roles, she is known for principled leadership, rigorous oversight, and advancing mission-driven organizations to deliver measurable outcomes.

Her professional work has focused on scaling innovative solutions that strengthen infrastructure, advance equitable economic systems, and improve access to essential services, including health care. She brings an intersectional perspective to her work, grounded in the belief that social justice, climate action, and economic inclusion must be advanced together through practical, people-centred solutions. A consistent thread across her leadership is a commitment to co-operative and values-based approaches that create long-term benefits for people, communities, and the environment.

Opreet’s commitment to community is reflected in her extensive volunteer work and board service with the Broadbent Institute, The McCreary Centre Society, Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration Society, and Diwali Celebration Society. These experiences have reinforced her belief in inclusive, community-led approaches as essential to building a more just and sustainable future.

Raised in Burnaby, Opreet lives with her family in North Delta, on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Nlaka’pamux Nations. She enjoys spending time outdoors and supporting local businesses in her community.

Rita Parikh is the Chair of the Board of VCIB and Vancity Credit Union. She brings more than two decades of governance, fiscal management and social justice work to the organizations and is committed to tackling systemic challenges, creating positive change for people and the environment, and fostering inclusive and sustainable communities.

In the past, Rita has served as the chair and/or director of large cooperatives like Mountain Equipment Co-op and several non-profit organizations including Oxfam Canada, the Vancity Community Foundation, the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre, and Canadian Parents for French. She has also chaired or sat as a member of several governmental administrative justice tribunals including the British Columbia Employment and Assistance Appeal Tribunal, and the Property Assessment Review Panel.

Rita is a recognized leader in the Canadian healthcare regulatory sector and is the Executive Director of the Nursing Community Assessment Service within BC’s largest health regulator, the BC College of Nurses and Midwives. Through her leadership roles, Rita has moved organizations through significant cultural and strategic transformations and provided oversight to organizations with billions in assets. Rita earned a Master of Arts in International Affairs from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs in Ottawa, and a Bachelor of Journalism from Carleton University. Her writing has appeared in the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, the London Free Press, among other media outlets. Rita is grateful to the Lək̓ʷəŋən peoples for their careful stewardship of the traditional territories upon which she lives.

Joel is Vice Chair of the VCIB Board of Directors as well as a Board Member of Vancity Credit Union. He brings broad experience in technology and entrepreneurship and a deep understanding of what it takes to keep up with the rapid pace of technological growth. He has been a Vancity member for nearly 30 years.

Joel earned a master’s degree in computer science at the University of British Columbia. He entered the software business immediately after graduating, eventually leading large teams on major software projects at several companies. In 2006, he co-founded Hothead Games, BC’s largest independent video game publisher. During Hothead’s first fourteen years, Joel grew the organization to two hundred employees while leading all of Hothead’s core technology work.

He is currently the VP of Software Development at Spare Labs, a Vancouver startup whose technology platform enhances public transit systems around the world. Growing up in Manitoba, Joel credits his prairie childhood for instilling a commitment to the co-operative business model. From 2011 to 2018, he served on the board of Modo the Car Co-op, during a time of great growth for the carshare. He was the chair of that board from 2012 to 2015. He holds an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Throughout his career, Joel has built his leadership style on the principles of collaboration, trust and empowerment. His personal values have always guided him into professional work that creates positive impact on both employees and the larger community. He is proud of Vancity’s leadership role among co-ops in BC, and how it uses values-based banking to create healthy, vibrant communities.

Heather brings over 15 years of leadership experience in nonprofit, social enterprise and social innovation to her role as Executive Director at BC Farmers’ Markets, representing 145+ member farmers’ markets and 6,000+ small business vendors across all corners of BC. A creative thinker and doer, Heather is passionate about all things farm and food, entrepreneurship, community economic development and empowering all people and communities to prosper. Heather also believes in reconciling relationships with our food systems, land, water, sky and its diverse inhabitants, embracing Indigenous ways of knowing and leveraging the untapped potential of regenerative agriculture as solutions to the impacts of climate change.

Heather is an innovative leader and elevator who brings organizations and initiatives to the next level. Prior to joining BC Association of Farmers’ Markets, Heather served as Executive Director with the award winning social enterprise Potluck Café & Catering, which creates jobs and provides healthy, fresh food for people living in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. In addition, Heather was the founding Board Chair of the Hastings Crossing BIA and for a brief period served as Executive Producer at CityStudio. Along the way, Heather has mentored and supported dozens of social entrepreneurs, non-profits and social enterprises.

After completing the KPU Tsawwassen First Nation Farm School program, Heather founded Filly Farm, an organic, small scale farm demonstration project, horse powered by manure compost and growing epic vegetables. An avid horse lover and owner, Heather is
privileged to live, work and play in Delta on the traditional territory of the Tsawwassen and Musqueam people. A transplanted prairie girl from Treaty 1 territory in Manitoba, Heather acquired her MBA, along with Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Environmental Studies, all from the University of Manitoba.