Leadership

Dr. Ulsifer graduated from the University of Waterloo as an optometrist in 1990, where he was acknowledged for several awards in clinical achievement, including the Ontario Association of Optometrists Award for Excellence in Patient Management.

After graduating, Dr. Ulsifer became one of the founders and the managing partner of Northern Vision Centre, which developed into one of Canada’s largest independent optometric practices. Dr. Ulsifer has also been involved at the executive level with various not for profit Boards including Alberta Optometric Association, Rotary, Optometry Giving Sight, the Alberta Freestyle Ski Association, and the Grande Prairie Chamber of Commerce.

In 2008, Dr. Ulsifer oversaw the creation of FYidoctors, which still stands as the largest business merger in Canadian history in terms of the number of companies involved. He was awarded the Ernst and Young Emerging Entrepreneur Award for Western Canada in 2008 and the Top Canadian Entrepreneur Award in 2012. Dr. Alan Ulsifer has served on many Boards over the years and has an ICD.D designation. He currently serves as CEO & Chair of the FYihealth group.

Dr. Karen Hayward was born and raised in Port-au-Port, Newfoundland. She moved to Nova Scotia and completed her Bachelor of Science in 1998 at Saint Mary’s University before continuing her studies at the University of Missouri St. Louis, where she earned her Doctor of Optometry in 2002.

She also completed and Oral Therapeutics, Glaucoma and Advanced Diagnostic course from the Northeastern State, University College of Optometry in 2014. Dr. Hayward practices at the FYidoctors – St. Albert Centre location, where she passionately works to provide excellent patient care and always ensures her patients and eye care needs are met above and beyond expectation.

Now a Board of Directors member, Dr. Hayward was a past Chair of the FYidoctors Advisory Committee and was also Chair of the Enhancing Life Foundation from 2014-2020 and thoroughly enjoyed her role in leading the charitable arm of FYidoctors.

Dr. Craig Meckelborg graduated as an optometrist from the University of Waterloo in 1993 and later completed a certificate in ocular therapeutics at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. He went on to practice in Edmonton and Calgary before acquiring his first practice in Airdrie.

Dr. Meckelborg was later elected onto the Alberta Association of Optometrists as a Council Member. He then started a practice in McKenzie Towne, Calgary, which was one of the first clinics to join FYidoctors as a bannered location.

Dr. Meckelborg continues to be active in the Alberta Association of Optometry Political Action Committee. Over his last 9 years on the FYidoctors Board of Directors, he has sat on both the Audit and Governance and Compensation Committees. He continues his educational pursuits through the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Mr. Michael Ross is a University of Alberta graduate, Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants (FCPA), Fellow of the Certified Management Accountants (FCMA), Certified Management Consultant (CMC), Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR – retired) and Institute of Corporate Directors certified (ICD.D).

Mr. Ross retired as CEO of Conroy Ross Partners in 2012. As an Ernst & Young partner he held many roles including National Managing Partner (Canada) of middle market and entrepreneurial consulting. In addition to sitting on the FYidoctors Board of Directors, Mr. Ross also sits on Boards for Fountain Tire Ltd., Energera Inc., JEH Enterprises Inc., Hokanson Capital Inc., HCI Filtration and Norseman Group Ltd.

Mr. Andrew Taub graduated from the University of Michigan with a BA in Finance and Accounting before going on to obtain an MBA from Columbia Business School. He currently is a Managing Partner at L Catterton, focused on the Buyout fund, and serves on the Board of Directors of several L Catterton portfolio companies.

Having joined L Catterton in 1996, Mr. Taub has nearly 25 years of experience in private equity and has led more than a dozen investments at L Catterton. Mr. Taub’s investment and operating expertise spans the consumer landscape through investments in the healthcare, restaurant, food, pet and marketing services industries. Mr. Taub previously spent three years as a Vice President at Nantucket Holding Company, a merchant bank. Mr. Taub also served in the corporate finance group of Coopers & Lybrand. He started his career at Dean Witter Reynolds in mergers & acquisitions.

Mr. Rajan Shah holds a Bachelor of Accounting and Finance and a Master of Accounting from the University of Waterloo. He is a Vice President at L Catterton, a CPA and CBV in Canada and currently serves on the Board of Directors of several L Catterton portfolio companies.

Prior to joining the company in 2018, Mr. Shah was a Principal at the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board (OTPP), where he focused on global opportunities in the consumer and healthcare services sectors. He spent time in both OTPP’s Toronto and Hong Kong offices. Prior to joining OTPP in 2014, he spent time at Imperial Capital and the corporate finance group at PwC.

Mr. Tim Gillespie is a graduate of the Haskayne School of Business and holds a Chartered Financial Analysts designation. He started his career as an International Equities Trader in Odense, Denmark and has spent over 35 years in the finance industry, holding numerous corporate lending and capital markets positions. During his long career, he has specialized in technology, real estate, transportation, retail and energy. He was most recently Executive Vice President and Head of ATB Financial’s Corporate Financial Services Division.

In addition to sitting on the FYidoctors Board of Directors, Mr. Gillespie serves on the Board of the HomeSpace Society and Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. He is also Vice Chair for Meals on Wheels.

Dr. Ulsifer graduated from the University of Waterloo as an optometrist in 1990, where he was acknowledged for several awards in clinical achievement, including the Ontario Association of Optometrists Award for Excellence in Patient Management.

After graduating, Dr. Ulsifer became one of the founders and the managing partner of Northern Vision Centre, which developed into one of Canada’s largest independent optometric practices. Dr. Ulsifer has also been involved at the executive level with various not for profit Boards including Alberta Optometric Association, Rotary, Optometry Giving Sight, the Alberta Freestyle Ski Association, and the Grande Prairie Chamber of Commerce.

In 2008, Dr. Ulsifer oversaw the creation of FYidoctors, which still stands as the largest business merger in Canadian history in terms of the number of companies involved. He was awarded the Ernst and Young Emerging Entrepreneur Award for Western Canada in 2008 and the Top Canadian Entrepreneur Award in 2012. Dr. Alan Ulsifer has served on many Boards over the years and has an ICD.D designation. He currently serves as CEO & Chair of the FYihealth group.

Trevor is an accomplished retail professional with over 35 years’ experience at Sobeys, Rexall Drugstores and Giant Tiger. His retail background includes leading complex, multi-banner businesses and franchise banner operations. Trevor has extensive experience leading large teams and cross-functional projects within category management, merchandising, marketing, supply chain and store operations as well as deep general management experience which he has gained while building his career across Canada. Trevor is a clinics/store first leader who exemplifies our FYihealth group values and operates as a team player and coach to many. 

Trevor grew up in Calgary and Edmonton; most recently he lived in Ottawa. As Trevor resettles in Calgary, he looks forward to seeing the occasional Flames game, in person, and re-exploring the Rocky Mountains. As an avid history buff, he loves to travel and stop at every museum, art gallery and any spot that professes to have a place in our history.   

Damian obtained his Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta and articled at Deloitte, where he obtained his Chartered Accountant designation. He later achieved a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Alberta, a designation as a Certified Internal Auditor from the Institute of Internal Auditors, as well as has received the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.  

Damian joined FYihealth group in March 2024, bringing his skill sets in financial management, strategy, acquisitions, governance, budgeting, forecasting, and treasury, as well as his past experiences in CEO, COO, and CFO roles. His experience includes retail, construction, oil & gas, and manufacturing. He is currently a board member of CPA Canada and Habitat for Humanity Red Deer. He previously served on the Board of CPA Alberta for seven years, including two years as Board Chair.  

In 2024, Damian was awarded the honour of Fellowship by CPA Alberta. Damian is an avid reader and loves skiing and hiking with his wife and two teenage daughters.

Mr. Imran Gulam obtained his Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary and articled at PwC, where he obtained his Chartered Accountant designation. He later achieved a Masters in U.S. Taxation from Golden Gate University in San Francisco.

Mr. Gulam joined FYidoctors in 2014, bringing his financial skill sets in budgeting, forecasting, tax and treasury proficiency, as well as his past experience as the CFO of a publicly listed company. He is also a director at the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing settlement and integration services to refugees and immigrants living in Southern Alberta.

In 2023, Imran was named one of Canada’s Top Executives by the Globe and Mail Report on Business magazine.

Dr. Frédéric Marchand graduated from the Laval University in 1996 with a BAA in Marketing and Finance. He later graduated from the University of Montreal in 2001 as an optometrist before joining the Marchand Optometry family business as it became the only third-generation optometric practice in Québec.

Under his leadership, the Marchand Group grew from 30 to 70 locations operating under multiple banners before he joined FYidoctors in 2015. These clinics, and many other partners, have been unifying under Québec’s well-established Visique brand since 2017.

In 2012, Dr. Marchand received the honour of “Bâtisseur” from the University of Montreal for his overall contribution to the profession in the business development category. One such contribution was his role in 2008 as a founding partner of “Centre Oculaire de Quebec,” a new and innovative collaboration model between optometry and ophthalmology. He has held different positions over the last 20 years on the provincial and national optometrist associations board and executive comity. He is an active board member of ABCIOQ, Québec’s optical owner’s association and an advocate and contributor to Montreal’s school of optometry financing and development comity.

Dr. Marchand lives in Blainville, Québec with his wife Anouk, who is also an optometrist, and their two children, Julia and Cédric.

Dr. Michael Naugle acquired his Bachelor of Science with honours from the University of New Brunswick. He then received his Doctor of Optometry with honours from the University of Waterloo in 1992. Since 1996, Dr. Naugle has served on the Council of New Brunswick Association of Optometrists, including two years as President from 2000-2002. Since 2010, he has also served as Chair on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Coalition of Eye Care Professionals.

In his current role as VP, Optometric Partnerships, Dr. Naugle oversees the growth and development of the FYidoctors banner in Canada and is a key figure in recruiting new optometrists. From the company’s inception up until 2015, he served as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and Vice Chairman of the Advisory Committee.

Dr. Naugle was part of a large group practice in Moncton, New Brunswick, that was one of one founding groups of FYidoctors. In 2017 he transitioned full time to the FYidoctors leadership team and is the executive sponsor for the Future Vision Leaders Program supporting the next generation of Canadian optometrists.

David M. Redman, O.D. is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, School of Optometry. In 2005, he was recognized as Santa Clara County “Optometrist of the Year.” He is a Past-President of the California Optometric Association and currently serves as COA’s Advocacy Chair. He was named the California Optometric Association Optometrist of the Year in 2017 and the American Optometric Association Optometrist of the Year in 2018.

Dr. Redman’s public service has included organizing and participating in vision care clinics, serving on the board of Salud Para La Gente clinics and on the First 5 San Benito Children’s and Family Commission. His public service also includes numerous appearances on the San Francisco Bay Area NBC affiliate channel KNTV, educating viewers on dry eye and children’s vision issues.

Dr. Redman has worked in private practice for over 20 years, and in 2021 he became the Vice President, FYidoctors Business Unit California. Currently residing in California, he enjoys hiking, motorcycle riding and woodworking.

Jim Black is a senior technology and digital business executive with over 20 years of experience at the leadership level. Working in three different industries at the Chief Information Officer level, Jim is recognized as a strategic partner to the CEO, Executive Team, and Board of Directors in translating business needs into process and technology solutions that move businesses forward during times of rapid technological change. 

Jim is also known for his digital business strategy skills having set up and led a digital innovation lab focused on the grocery customer experience and initiated robotics work with the University of Toronto’s Robotics and Mechatronics Institute focusing on robotics use cases for the retail selling floor. He has also supported academia, spending five years as an Executive-in-Residence at the Ivey Business School. Jim has a BSc. in Honours Chemistry from the University of Alberta where he graduated as Gold Medalist and an MBA from the Ivey Business School at Western University. 

Jim is married with two daughters, is an avid outdoor enthusiast who enjoys summer and winter sports and has a passion for restoring old muscle cars. 

Co-founder and chief operating officer at BonLook, Louis-Félix leads various departments that work in cooperation to provide the best customer experience in the eyewear industry. He oversees a range of divisions including Information Technology, Operations, Fulfilment, and Retail.

On the strength of his background as an electrical engineer, Louis-Félix brought on a unique and comprehensive vision to the company’s technological stack. This has allowed for the rapid implementation of innovative solutions and technological advances such as AI and machine learning. He is also the architect behind BonLook’s data-driven approach to operations and information technology, which has allowed the company to optimize and scale its supply chain infrastructure.

Prior to his current mandate, Louis-Félix assumed the position of CEO of BonLook. With a focus on scaling and improving retail, operations, information technology and customer service, he took the company from web-only prescription glasses retailer to budding omni-channel retailer. As COO, he is tasked with developing technology products with a clear potential to disrupt the entire retail optical industry in the near future.

Louis-Félix holds an Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Ottawa and has previously worked in leadership roles at Boeing, IBM and Coveo. Before establishing himself in Quebec, past professional experiences gave him the opportunity to reside in France and the United States.

Meriya’s impact has been recognized with several industry awards. She has been asked to share her strategies at Deloitte University, the University of Calgary, as well as many conferences and industry events. She is also very proud that ATB was named the #1 place to work in Canada while she was leading Leadership, Learning Performance and Change for the organization.

Meriya has a Master’s Degree in Education, an Executive MBA, is a certified Project Manager, and a certified Change Practitioner. She is an avid learner and enjoys pulling in best practice and thought leadership from other industries and professions into her People & Culture practice.

At home Meriya has 2 teenagers, 2 dogs, 2 cats, but only 1 husband! 🙂 She enjoys spending time at their cabin in BC skiing, downhill, cross country or water, depending on the season! She is also on the board of Big Brothers, Big Sisters Calgary and a mentor for young women in business through the Network of Empowered Women.

Monika Galecki is a commercial real estate professional with over 10 years of experience in the field.  After several successful years at a large international brokerage, Monika joined one of the largest private property owners in Canada, where she created and executed strategies for numerous Canadian real estate assets.  

Prior to joining FYidoctors, Monika was the Vice President of Leasing for Orange Group Commercial Real Estate, where she provided high level real estate advisory for regional, national, and international tenants. During this time, she managed and oversaw real estate operations for numerous high-profile brands.

Since officially joining the company in early 2022, Monika led the formation of the real estate department and has established internal systems and processes to manage occupancy for FYi’s current network of over 400 locations.  As the VP of Real Estate,  Monika has been instrumental in developing strategies to lower risk and increase the company’s profitability through real estate.  Monika is also a director with the Grey Dog Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing resources for those who support family, friends and colleagues who are impacted by depression.

Braden brings over 20 years of experience in digital marketing, brand management, and ecommerce. He’s contributed to several iconic Canadian brands as part of the senior leadership teams at Herschel, SAXX, Kit and Ace and Clearly. Earlier in his career, he supported the digital transformation at AutoTrader/Yellow Pages and led web analytics at TELUS. He was named as one of Canada’s Top 40 online marketers in 2009. 

He lives in the Vancouver area with his wife and two cats and is an avid collector of PEZ, fountain pens and generative art. He has a personal goal of visiting each continent (just Australia/Oceana and Antarctica to go!). 

Shenif joins us in the position of Vice President, FYidoctors Business Unit as of August 15, 2022. Prior to joining FYidoctors, Shenif was the Chief Operating Officer at Eye Recommend where he led the vendor partnerships, Coaching, Training, Events and Marketing teams.

In addition, Shenif brings over 15 years of experience from the Consumer Packaged Goods industry in various marketing, sales and senior leadership roles with companies such as Unilever, PepsiCo and Keurig. In these roles, he developed strong partnerships with some of Canada’s largest retail organizations including Wal-Mart, Costco, Loblaws, Sobeys, London Drugs and Canadian Tire. He holds a degree in Business and Economics from Simon Fraser University.

Shenif lives in Calgary with his wife Shelina and his daughters, Alyssa and Rayanna. In his spare time, he works as an exclusive Uber driver for his daughters, enjoys tinkering with automobiles in his garage (to keep his favourite mechanic employed) and recently received his motorcycle license.  

Scott has over 20 years of professional legal experience and has been with FYidoctors since February 2021. Prior to joining the FYidoctors team, he was a Partner at Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP, a full-service law firm headquartered in Calgary, Alberta.

Scott completed his Bachelor of Arts degree with a focus on Political Science, and shortly after attended the Peter A. Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia. With over two decades of practicing in the legal field, Scott’s experience includes corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate and commercial law.

In Scott’s spare time he enjoys mountain biking, water skiing, and spending time with family and friends. 

Don is a senior finance professional with over 20 years of financial experience from a variety of industries. After completing his Bachelor of Commerce degree in Accounting, his CMA designation soon followed to put him on a path towards leading financial teams.

Graduating from the University of Manitoba, Don has spent his career in the energy sector along with environmental services where he spent over eight years at Tervita. Don’s professional and leadership experience includes process and system improvements along with change management, integrations, and payroll system changes at various organizations.

After growing up and studying in Manitoba, Don has now been in Calgary for 18 years, is an avid reader, movie watcher, and loves to spend time with his wife and two daughters.

Gord leads the Corporate Development team across the entire FYihealth group. Gord is responsible for execution of the growth platform through our unique partnership approach and through the full merger life cycle.

Gord spent 30 years with one of Canada’s largest professional services firms where he held senior leadership roles as the regional managing partner for Western Canada as well at the national managing partner of advisory services. He also spent several years on the firm’s partnership board. He has been involved in hundreds of mergers, business valuation and transaction advisory engagements focused on the small and mid market privately owned companies.

Gord is a FCA, FCPA and a Chartered Business Valuator (CBV).  Gord was previously a member of the boards of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Business Valuators and the International Institute of Business Valuers. He currently is the treasurer and member of the board on the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada.

Ms. Nancy Morison graduated from the University of British Columbia in the field of Human Kinetics with a specialization in leadership and coaching. She was also a finalist in the 2013 YWCA Women of Distinction Awards in the Business and Professions category. In 2017 she joined FYidoctors after filling senior roles in numerous industries, including online optical with Clearly.ca, online home food delivery with SPUD.ca, IT product management with i2 Technologies and small pack supply chain and logistics with Loomis Express.

As the VP of the FYidoctors Ophthalmic Lab located in Delta, BC, Ms. Morison delivers on the FYidoctors DNA of Enhancing Life with a team focused on the daily manufacturing and shipping of over 3,200 lenses and glasses. A native Vancouverite, Ms. Morison is proud to work in Delta, the community she has always called home.

Jonathan See began his financial career at the University of Calgary back in 2001. Post completion of his Bachelor of Commerce degree with a Major in Finance, Jonathan continued studying to receive his Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification. He then pursued higher education at the Canadian Securities Institute in Toronto, Ontario, and started his career in the banking industry.

Since joining FYidoctors in 2014, Jonathan has held a variety of roles specializing in niche organizational needs. Starting as a Senior Analyst in Corporate Development, over the past nine year, he has earned new opportunities and responsibilities, and is now a Managing Director for the organization. Jonathan has demonstrated exceptional team leadership though his roles, and has become an expert advisor in business intelligence, data analytics, mergers & acquisitions, and investment strategy.

In his spare time, Jonathan enjoys spending time with his family and getting a round of golf in when he can.

Scott Shaw is an experienced professional with the optometric industry. Prior to joining FYidoctors, he spent eight years with CIBA Vision Canada, starting as a sales rep before being promoted to National Account Manager; a role which involved working with large Canadian optometric groups, including DEN, Iris and FYidoctors. During his time at CIBA, Scott also managed the Lens Care business, working with retailers such as London Drugs, Pharmasave, Overwaitea Foods and Safeway.

Scott officially joined FYidoctors in October of 2008. In his current role he communicates and coordinates with FYidoctors employees, suppliers and partners, in addition to advising on acquisitions and new clinic rollouts.

Mr. Amit Varshney obtained his Honors in Business Administration (HBA) from the Richard Ivey School of Business and his Bachelor of Engineering Science (BESc) in Electrical Engineering from the University of Western Ontario.

Shortly after, he then articled at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he obtained his Chartered Accountant (CA) designation and then held various leadership roles within accounting and finance at WestJet Airlines and Rockpoint Gas Storage (formerly Niska Gas Storage).

Amit joined FYidoctors in 2015 bringing significant experience in leading large teams, implementing process improvements, working with business partners, and managing financial reporting/compliance requirements.