About OPTrust
Our Leadership
The Executive Team
Each member of OPTrust's Executive Team has been delegated the authority to perform their day-to-day responsibilities, working together to achieve our mission: paying pensions today, preserving pensions for tomorrow.
"The people at OPTrust are engaged in purposeful work. A sustainable pension, fully funded for 15 consecutive years, is representative of OPTrust delivering pensions and peace of mind for our members."
Peter Lindley President and Chief Executive Officer
Peter Lindley
President and Chief Executive Officer
Peter Lindley joined OPTrust as President and Chief Executive Officer in 2019 to lead one of Canada’s largest defined benefit pension plans with offices in Toronto, London and Sydney.
Jesusa Chow
Senior Vice-President, Member Experience and Pension Operations
Jesusa was appointed to the Executive Team in 2023 and leads the organization’s Member Experience and Pension Operations function, serving over 111,000 members.
Karen Danylak
Vice-President, Strategy, Communications and Stakeholder Relations
Karen was appointed to the Executive Team in August 2016. She is a senior strategic adviser to the CEO, responsible for overseeing the development of OPTrust’s annual business plans and longer-term strategic plans. She also leads the Communications and Stakeholder Relations team.
James Davis
Chief Investment Officer
James joined OPTrust in 2015 and is the Chief Investment Officer. He leads the organization’s global investment strategy and oversees its implementation.
Dani Goraichy
Chief Risk Officer and Senior Vice-President, Actuarial Services and Plan Policy
Dani joined OPTrust in 2010 and leads the Actuarial Services and Plan Policy, Investment Risk, Enterprise Risk and Compliance teams.
Tracy Hoskins
Senior Vice-President, People
Tracy joined OPTrust’s Executive Team in 2021. She has been instrumental in shaping OPTrust’s talent strategy, learning and development programs, and ongoing inclusion, diversity and equity focus.
Upton Jeans
Chief Financial Officer
Upton joined OPTrust as Chief Financial Officer and a member of the Executive Team in May 2021. He is an experienced financial executive and is responsible for corporate finance, investment finance, tax and budgeting. He also oversees the investment data team and technologies along with facilities to ensure operational efficiency.
Satwant Pannu
Senior Vice-President, Information Technology Operations and Security
Satwant joined OPTrust in 1999 and was appointed to the Executive Team in 2023. She is responsible for delivering, supporting and securing information technology solutions for OPTrust.
Stephen Solursh
Senior Vice-President and General Counsel
Stephen joined OPTrust in 2018 and became a member of the Executive Team in February 2020. As General Counsel, he leads the Legal Services team which provides legal and regulatory counsel to the organization, with a focus on investments and member experience.
The Board of Trustees
OPTrust was established to give plan members and the Government of Ontario an equal voice in the administration of the OPSEU Pension Plan and the management of the assets through joint trusteeship. As sponsors, the Government of Ontario and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO) each appoint five Trustees to OPTrust’s 10-member Board. One Government of Ontario appointee and one OPSEU/SEFPO appointee fill the positions of Chair and Vice-Chair, with the roles alternating between Government of Ontario and OPSEU/SEFPO appointees every two years.
Role and oversight
As the legal plan administrator, the Board of Trustees has overall responsibility for the administration of the Plan and the management of the assets. The Plan’s governing documents define the roles and responsibilities of the Board of Trustees and provide the Board with the authority required to ensure OPTrust can deliver retirement security to its over 111,000 members.
In accordance with the Plan’s governing documents, established trust principles and the governance practices of jointly sponsored pension plans, the Board has delegated responsibility for managing the affairs of OPTrust to the president and CEO, subject to certain matters for which the Board has retained responsibility. The effect of the Board’s delegation is to vest strategic and monitoring responsibilities in the Board of Trustees and management responsibilities in the CEO.
The Board retains its own advisors to assist it in carrying out its oversight and monitoring responsibilities.
Our Board members
Richard Nesbitt, Chair
Richard was first appointed to the Board in September 2019 by the Government of Ontario and is now Chair of the Board and Governance and Administration Committee. Richard recently served as Vice-Chair of the Board and Chair of the Investment Committee.
Ram Selvarajah, Vice-Chair
OPSEU/SEFPO named Ram to the Board of Trustees in April 2021. Ram became Vice-Chair of the Board and Chair of the Investment Committee, effective Nov. 1, 2024. He recently served as Chair of the Human Resources and Compensation Committee.
Lindsey Burzese
OPSEU/SEFPO named Lindsey to the Board of Trustees in January 2018. Lindsey recently served as Chair and Vice-Chair of the Board, and she previously chaired the Human Resources and Compensation Committee.
Aisha Jahangir
OPSEU/SEFPO named Aisha to the Board of Trustees in May 2023. Aisha was appointed Chair of the Audit, Finance and Risk Committee, effective Nov. 1, 2024. Aisha is a Mental Health Nurse at the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre with over 25 years of experience.
Jason Mushynski
OPSEU/SEFPO named Jason to the Board of Trustees in January 2024. Jason has over 25 years’ experience as a correctional officer at the Ministry of the Solicitor General including 20 years as a member of the Institutional Crisis Intervention Team and five years as a team lead.
Sharon Pel
Sharon was appointed to OPTrust’s Board of Trustees in February 2017 by the Government of Ontario. Sharon recently served as Chair and Vice-Chair.
Janel Perron
OPSEU/SEFPO named Janel Perron to the Board of Trustees in January 2025. Janel has served for over 35 years as a paramedic and is currently employed with the County of Simcoe Paramedic Services as an advanced care paramedic.
Don Wilkinson
The Government of Ontario appointed Don to OPTrust’s Board of Trustees in July 2017. Don brings over 30 years of public accounting experience providing assurance and advisory services to Canada’s largest pension funds, institutional investors, telecommunications, and real estate companies.
Standing committees of the Board
Governance and Administration Committee
The Governance and Administration Committee (GAC) monitors plan administration and major pension initiatives and oversees the preparation of actuarial valuations. The GAC also oversees various governance-related activities, recommends and oversees governance reviews, monitors Trustee education and development and oversees the preparation of the Funded Status Report.
Audit, Finance and Risk Committee
The Audit, Finance and Risk Committee (AFRC) monitors the budget and provides oversight in the areas of financial reporting, tax compliance, audits, internal controls, corporate insurance, information technology, data management, regulatory compliance and enterprise risk management.
Investment Committee
The Investment Committee (IC) oversees the investment activities of OPTrust and monitors the progress of strategic investment initiatives. The IC also makes recommendations to the Board for approval of key investment metrics and investment policies.
Human Resources and Compensation Committee
The Human Resources and Compensation Committee (HRCC) monitors OPTrust’s People strategy, monitors the management compensation strategy, including incentive plans, reviews and approves CEO compensation and reviews the compensation of the Executive Team and other top earners.
Adjudication and Concern Assessment Panels
Two additional committees have been established which operate on an as-needed basis: the Adjudication Panel, which gives Plan members access to a review process in the event of certain types of disputes, and the Concern Assessment Panel, which provides a forum for addressing complaints under OPTrust’s Whistle-Blowing Policy. From time to time, the Board also establishes ad hoc working groups or committees to undertake specific projects.
Governance and Administration Committee
The Governance and Administration Committee (GAC) monitors plan administration and major pension initiatives and oversees the preparation of actuarial valuations. The GAC also oversees various governance-related activities, recommends and oversees governance reviews, monitors Trustee education and development and oversees the preparation of the Funded Status Report.
Audit, Finance and Risk Committee
The Audit, Finance and Risk Committee (AFRC) monitors the budget and provides oversight in the areas of financial reporting, tax compliance, audits, internal controls, corporate insurance, information technology, data management, regulatory compliance and enterprise risk management.
Investment Committee
The Investment Committee (IC) oversees the investment activities of OPTrust and monitors the progress of strategic investment initiatives. The IC also makes recommendations to the Board for approval of key investment metrics and investment policies.
Human Resources and Compensation Committee
The Human Resources and Compensation Committee (HRCC) monitors OPTrust’s People strategy, monitors the management compensation strategy, including incentive plans, reviews and approves CEO compensation and reviews the compensation of the Executive Team and other top earners.
Adjudication and Concern Assessment Panels
Two additional committees have been established which operate on an as-needed basis: the Adjudication Panel, which gives Plan members access to a review process in the event of certain types of disputes, and the Concern Assessment Panel, which provides a forum for addressing complaints under OPTrust’s Whistle-Blowing Policy. From time to time, the Board also establishes ad hoc working groups or committees to undertake specific projects.
