Committee Members

Mary Carman (Co-Chair) *

Ms. Mary Carman is Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM), Science and Innovation (SIS), at Industry Canada, responsible for industrial policy, science and technology policy, and small business policy. Prior to joining SIS, Ms. Carman served as Industry Canada's Chief Information Officer and Associate ADM of Spectrum, Information Technologies and Telecommunications. Ms. Carman's career in the Public Service of Canada extends over 26 years, having held senior positions within the Privy Council Office and Environment Canada and having spent several years within Health Canada. Ms. Carman graduated from the University of Iowa, and is registered with the Pharmaceutical Examining Board of Canada and licensed with the Ontario College of Pharmacists.

Garth Whyte (Co-Chair)

Mr. Whyte is Executive Vice-President of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), responsible for the National Affairs Agenda and all aspects of CFIB's legislative and research functions. Since joining CFIB in 1986, Mr. Whyte has participated on numerous provincial and federal advisory committees covering a variety of issues important to small business, such as e-commerce, small business financing, employment insurance, education and training, tax policy, labour policy and economic development. Prior to joining CFIB, Mr. Whyte held a number of senior positions within the Government of Saskatchewan. Mr. Whyte graduated from Carleton University.

Robert Armstrong

Mr. Robert (Bob) Armstrong has overmore than 35 years of experience in the fields of cross-border logistics, international trade and customs compliance. He was Senior Vice-President, Government Affairs of the Peace Bridge Brokers (PBB) and was involved in advocating the international trade issues that impact PBB's clients to the highest levels of government and industry. Prior to joining PBB, Mr. Armstrong was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters Inc. (I.E. Canada). He was President of the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers of Canada (AIAMC), the Canadian Council of the Americas (CCA) and the Brazil–Canada Chamber of Commerce (BCCC).

Jean-Claude Cloutier

Mr. Cloutier is Director for Strategic Mandates and Paper Burden Reduction for the Ministère du Conseil exécutif in Quebec. Since 2003, he has been responsible for the development and implementation of the governmental action plan on the reduction of paper burden and regulations. As Senior Advisor to the Executive Advisory Committee from 1997 to 2000, Mr. Cloutier participated in the preparation of the Advisory Committee's reports on paper burden reduction (rapports Lemaire). Mr. Cloutier graduated from the University of Montréal.

Patrick Culhane, CMA

Mr. Culhane is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Payroll Association (CPA), a position he has held since January 2000. Prior to joining the CPA, Mr. Culhane was with Carswell Thompson, one of Canada's major professional publishers, where he was Director of the company's Finance/Accounting Strategic Market Group. Before that, Mr. Culhane spent 13 years with the Certified Management Accountants of Canada, at both provincial and national levels. Mr. Culhane graduated from Carleton University.

Robert Dunlop

Mr. Dunlop is currently General Director of the Economic Development and Corporate Finance Branch of the federal Department of Finance. Prior to joining the Department of Finance, he was Director General of the Small Business Policy Branch of Industry Canada for almost five years. Mr. Dunlop graduated from McGill University.

Lois Fraser

Ms. Fraser is Assistant Deputy Minister, Ministry of Management Services, responsible for Service BC. Service BC provides integrated services to citizens and businesses, and within the broader public sector. Ms. Fraser is also currently leading a government-wide Service Delivery Initiative to develop and implement a Client-Centred Service Delivery Framework for improving the development and delivery of services to citizens and businesses in British Columbia. She brings 30 years of experience in the information, communications and technology industry.

Glen Gryzko, CA

Mr. Gryzko is a chartered accountant and partner in the firm Gryzko Harper Chartered Accountants in Cochrane, Alberta. In practice since 1989, Mr. Gryzko has extensive experience in accounting, and audit and income tax preparation, assisting a widely diversified clientele of small businesses to find solutions to improve business results. Mr. Gryzko graduated from the University of Manitoba.

Helen McDonald

Ms. McDonald is currently Acting Chief Information Officer for the Government of Canada and Assistant-Secretary of Policy and Service Transformation at the Treasury Board of Canada. Prior to that assignment, she worked as Assistant-Secretary, Government On-Line at Treasury Board and as Director General for Government On-Line, and as Director General of Electronic Commerce Policy at Industry Canada.

Jayson Myers

Dr. Myers is the Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME) and is in charge of CME's national policy office in Ottawa. Dr. Myers is a director on the Board of Materials and Manufacturing Ontario, the Canadian European Roundtable for Business and the Innovation Management Association of Canada, and chairs the Business Coalition of Cost Recovery and the Canadian Services Coalition. Dr. Myers graduated from Queen's University, the University of British Columbia, the London School of Economics and Oxford University.

William (Bill) Robblee

Mr. Robblee is President of Greystone Energy Systems Incorporated, with offices in Moncton, New Brunswick, and Shen Zhen and Beijing China. Mr. Robblee chaired the New Brunswick Red Tape Reduction Committee.

Greg Simpson

Mr. Simpson is President of Simpson Seeds Incorporated in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, a Select Seed grower for Pedigree Seed since 1979 with 55 employees, exporting lentils, peas and chickpeas to more than 40 countries. Prior to starting Simpson Seeds Inc., Mr. Simpson worked for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Agriculture Canada, with responsibility for the Seeds Act, Fertilizers Act, Pest Control Products Act and Feeds Act of Canada. Mr. Simpson graduated from the University of Saskatchewan.

Barbara J. Slater

Ms. Slater has been the Assistant Commissioner, Assessment and Benefit Services Branch of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) since July 2004. Immediately before that, she held the position of Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Assessment and Benefit Services Branch, CRA. From September 2001 to January 2004, Ms. Slater was the Assistant Deputy Minister of the Modernizing Service for Canadians Branch and of Business Transformation and Information Management at Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC). In this capacity, she was responsible for establishing a new function within HRDC, which supported and furthered the Government On Line (GOL) initiative, promoted rethinking business processes and developed a multi-channel service vision. In May 1999, Ms. Slater was appointed Director General, Information Management and Technologies Branch at Citizenship and Immigration Canada. In this capacity, Ms. Slater was the senior officer responsible for the provision of a full range of information management and technology services to all areas of the Department. Her previous experience includes: Director General, Informatics Branch, Statistics Canada; Director General, Industry, Trade and Prices Branch, Statistics Canada; Director, Prices Division, Statistics Canada and Director, Transportation and Communications Division, Statistics Canada. Ms. Slater holds a Bachelor of Arts, Economics (Honours) from Queen's University and a Master of Arts, Economics from Carleton University.

* Ms. Mary Carman assumed the position of co-chair of the ACPBR and ADM, Science and Innovation Sector, Industry Canada, replacing Mr. David Fransen in February 2006.