The Institute on Governance (IOG) has announced the addition of three new members to its board of directors. The new appointees are Cassidy Caron, Janice Fischer, and Salman Azam.
Cassidy Caron is known for her leadership within the Métis community as the first woman elected President of the Métis National Council. Caron's background is deeply rooted in the Métis traditions of Batoche and St. Louis, Saskatchewan, which has shaped her approach to leadership and community engagement.
Caron’s career spans various roles where she has utilized her knowledge and experience in community development, policy advisory, and implementing initiatives to support Indigenous peoples and communities across Canada.
Janice Fischer brings over 20 years of global leadership experience in the technology sector. She spent a significant part of her career at IBM, where she held roles across consulting, operations, technology services, software, cloud, and sales.
Fischer's academic background includes a Bachelor of Science and a post-graduate Diploma in Business. She has a track record of driving substantial improvements in revenue, profit, and customer benefits in large-scale business units. Moreover, she has expertise in cyber-security, risk, and compliance and is experienced in board renewal and governance.
Salman Azam's extensive experience in senior leadership roles within the public sector and his current role as the Chief Operating Officer at Legal Aid BC highlight his expertise in business planning, technology, finance, corporate services, human resources, and labour relations. Azam has held several assistant deputy minister positions in the provincial government, where he was known for his creative problem-solving skills, sound fiscal management, and ability to build and lead effective teams.
Azam’s experience is complemented by his tenure as the chief operating officer for the Independent Investigations Office of BC, where he oversaw finance, human resources, information technology, public engagement, policy, training, and project management.
Their collective expertise in Indigenous community development, technology and business transformation, and public sector management are expected to contribute to the IOG’s strategic planning and governance practices.