Board of Directors

Don Mercer is a long-time member of the Council’s board of directors. He has served twice in the past as Council President and Vice President of Outreach in 2015-17. Don retired in April 2007 after a long career in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver with Competition Bureau Canada, which administers the Competition Act, the Consumer Packaging and Labeling Act, the Textiles Act and the Precious Metals Marking Act.

Don and his spouse Susan are ardent boaters, hikers, walkers and global travellers. They reside in Ladysmith BC. Don is past Commander, Vancouver Squadron, a Unit of Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons. He subsequently held district and national positions therein. He is past President, Ladysmith Rotary club, their current Director, International Service, and Chair, Vancouver Island International Service Committee – 23 Rotary Clubs engaged in sustainable development projects in 23 countries.

Michael Jenkin is a retired federal public servant with more than 36 years’ experience in managing public policy research and implementation and has served on a number of not-for-profit Boards. He last served as Director General of the Office of Consumer Affairs (OCA) at Industry Canada, a position he held for 15 years. During his time at OCA he also served as the Chair of the OECD Committee on Consumer Policy for eight years. Michael holds a PhD in government from the Manchester University (UK) and has written a number of articles and books on federal-provincial relations and on industrial, technology and consumer policy.

The City of Ottawa awarded Michael its Whitton Award for community service in 2002, and in 2012 he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for community and public service. In 2014 the Governor General presented him with the Public Service Award of Excellence for Outstanding Career.

Ashish Sharma is a community organizer and U.S‑ and Ontario‑licensed lawyer with experience in information governance, consumer protection, and electronic discovery. A Toronto native, he has lived and worked across Windsor, Detroit, Seattle, and Los Angeles, organizing campaigns from city council races to national efforts. His legal background includes financial regulation, data breach response, and international law. He has also supported the ABA’s American Immigration Council, providing pro bono defence for individuals in ICE detention. Ashish holds a BA from the University of Windsor and a JD from the University Of Detroit Mercy School Of Law.

Bruce Farquhar is a consumer advocate and globally recognized expert in product safety, standards, regulation and market surveillance. He established and was the first secretary-general of ANEC, the European Consumer Association, and led the development of the Joint Action market surveillance model for PROSAFE. He has 30 years of experience managing multinational teams in Europe and North America, and 17 years of leading teams working remotely. He is an experienced project manager (around $36 million worth of projects since 2006), facilitator, public speaker, trainer, lecturer and conference organizer, and has extensive coaching experience through business leadership, playing elite field hockey, and coaching in the NCAA. Bruce is also a former UK Local Government Trading Standards Officer.

Currently a Product Manager with CMiC, a construction management software company, Max Goodman-Coop was previously Product and Business Development Manager at EnviroApps Inc, Senior Quality Associate at Thornhill Medical, and Product/System Management and Regulatory Coordinator for Veresen Inc. He has a Master’s Degree in sustainability management from the University of Toronto, and a Product Management Certificate from the Product School, San Francisco, California. He graduated from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology with a BSc in physics with an energy and environment specialization.

Neil Hartung is a regulatory and administrative lawyer called to the Ontario Bar in 2000. He advises businesses, professionals, regulators, and public interest organizations on complex regulatory, governance, and administrative law matters. His career began with the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General, where he worked on legislative development, Cabinet processes, and government operations before moving into private practice. Neil’s practice focuses on consumer protection, competition and marketplace regulation, professional regulation, public safety, privacy, and judicial review. He is known for translating complex legal and regulatory issues into practical, strategic advice. Neil is actively involved in advancing consumer policy and public interest advocacy, including interventions before the Supreme Court of Canada and proceedings before the Competition Tribunal. He is recognized for combining deep government insight with practical, results-oriented advocacy.

Agni Shah is a former professor of Package Development, Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance, and Quality Fundamentals at Seneca and Sheridan Colleges. He spent 23 years in systems administration and regulatory affairs in the pharmaceutical and food industries in Africa and the UK. Agni has been a chair or member of consumer advisory councils, working groups, and review/mirror panels at the Standards Council of Canada and the Travel Industry Council of Ontario, and has held board positions with the Pharmaceutical Advertising Advisory Board, Halton-Peel District Health Council, Community Care Access Centre, Trillium Health Centre, Leadership Peel, and the Peel Newcomer Strategy Group. He has mentored and hosted students and those starting a new life in Canada, and is currently providing patient/caregiver/family/citizen input on a volunteer basis to various organizations.

Julie Caissie is a Professor of Family Studies at the Université de Moncton, Canada. She holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Family Studies and a Ph.D. in Education from the Université de Moncton. She has been teaching for more than 20 years in the areas of family relationships, human development and community intervention. Her research focuses on family caregivers, aging, parent-child relationships, Francophone families living in minority-language communities, consumer issues, and the well-being of individuals, families, and communities. She manages several community-based projects for the Association francophone des aînés du Nouveau-Brunswick (AFANB), leading initiatives that support older adults, family caregivers, and healthy aging.

Dr. Caissie is President of the New Brunswick Home Economics Association (NBHEA) and serves on the Board of Directors of the Consumers Council of Canada. Through her teaching, research, and community leadership, she advances the home economics profession and promotes policies and programs that enhance family and community well-being.

Cori Ferguson is an award-winning communications and outreach professional with leadership experience in the private and not-for-profit sectors. Principal of her own nationally-recognized communications firm for more than two decades, Cori has held senior leadership roles with The Awesome Music Project, the Hospitality Workers Training Centre, the Purchasing Management Association of Canada, and the Canadian Independent Record Production Association. She previously served as the Council’s Director, Membership, Stakeholder and Capacity Development.