Zahir Dharsee
Mr. Dharsee was a Manager in the Supervision and Regulation Group with the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) Canada.
He has over 30 years of extensive knowledge and experience in the Supervision and conducting Risk based Examinations of various Financial Institutions regulated by OSFI.
As part of executing the OSFI Supervision and Examination Frameworks and Processes, he was also responsible for reviewing and ensuring Compliance with various regulatory requirements for the Consumers of Life and Property and Casualty Insurance companies and the Banking, Trust and Loan and Credit Union Deposit Taking Institutions.
He started his career in the Federal Public Service with the Office of the Auditor General of Canada. He has a BA (Economics and History) from York University, Bachelor of Commerce Accounting and Finance from the University of Windsor. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in history at York University.
Dino DiMarco
Dino DiMarco is a seasoned financial services professional, educator, and community advisor with over 35 years of experience in the Canadian financial services industry. Throughout his career, he has held senior leadership roles, developing extensive frontline expertise in consumer banking, leading, investments, and financial decision-making.
A Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and graduate of York University’s Banking and Financial Services program, Dino brings both technical knowledge and a deep understanding of the changes consumers face when navigating increasingly complex financial products and services.
In addition to this industry experience, Dino is an active college professor teaching financial planning, personal taxation, investment , and economics at server post-secondary institutions Trough his work in the classroom, he engages with diverse student population – including newcomers to Canada – helping to build financial literacy, confidence, and informed decision-making skills.
Dino is also actively involved in community and nonprofit initiatives focused on financial education, consumer awareness and improving access to financial service. Through his consulting work, he supports organizations in developing funding strategies and programs that enhance financial capability, particularly for underserved and Indigenous communities.
As a member of FSRA’s Consumer Advisory Panel, Dino brings a practical, consumer-focused perspective shaped by decades of frontline experience, education, and community engagements. He is committed to supporting FSRA’s mandate by providing thoughtful, balanced input that strengthens consumer protection, promotes transparency, and enhances public confidence in Ontario’s financial services sector.
Meseret Haileyesus
Meseret Haileyesus is an economic security futurist and the CEO of the Canadian Centre for Women’s Empowerment (CCFWE). She is also the co-founder of the International Coalition Against Economic Abuse and the first Canadian to bring economic abuse into public policy discourse, calling for national and international policy responses in Parliament.
With over 24 years of experience, Meseret works at the intersection of financial systems, regulation, and consumer protection, advancing financial inclusion through policy influencing, systems change, research, tools, and financial literacy. She collaborates with governments, regulators, and financial institutions to address coerced debt, ethical banking, fraud, and financial harm, shaping national dialogue on financial safety and systemic reform.
She has testified before Parliament, the Senate, and provincial legislatures, contributing to key policy and legislative discussions, including Bill 41. Over the past year, she was lending voice and advocated for a Code of Conduct for financial institutions to prevent economic abuse. In 2025, she was invited by the Minister of Finance to deliver keynote remarks in Parliament on the development of Canada’s first national Code of Conduct addressing economic abuse and anti-fraud agencies. She currently serves on several global, national policy and advisory boards. Her leadership has been recognized with more than 25 awards, including the 2025 Governor General’s Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case, with her work featured in Forbes. She has presented her work to the United Nations, the European Union, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund.
Ninette Ibanez
Ms Ibañez is a senior Information Technology/Management professional providing consulting, advisory and delivery services across multiple industries (financial services, software development, food distribution, mining, real estate) and diverse organizations, deeply specialized in the broad spectrum of data. She developed in recent years strong advocacy for consumer protection.
Terri Williams Kinghorn
Ms Williams Kinghorn is a financial literacy specialist with more than 30 years of experience in financial services. She held a variety of executive positions including President of the Ontario Securities Commission's Investor Education Fund and Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility at Scotiabank. She also served on the Board of Directors of Credit Canada for more than 20 years and the Canadian Foundation for Economic Education for over a decade.
Now retired and living in Lakefield, Ontario, Terri continues to provide personal financial education to Canadians and volunteers to advocate for seniors. She is on the OSC’s Seniors Expert Advisory Committee as well as the volunteer Board of Directors for the Alzheimer Society of Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland and Haliburton and the Abbeyfield House Society of Lakefield.
Julie Kuzmic (Co-Chair)
Ms. Kuzmic started her career in consulting at Accenture, then migrated to the financial services arena where she has spent the past 15+ years leading complex IT, sales and product launch initiatives across the banking, insurance and wealth management industries.
Since joining Equifax Canada in 2016, Ms. Kuzmic has become a recognized authority in consumer credit. She has served as an expert witness on credit scores in provincial court, and she often speaks to industry groups, government, clients and consumers to shed light on Canada’s credit ecosystem. In her role as senior compliance officer, consumer advocacy with Equifax Canada, she helps Canadians build credit confidence. She is additionally responsible for working across business units and corporate functions to ensure fair treatment of consumers in compliance with applicable legislation.
Samuel Lichtman
Mr. Lichtman holds the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation, specializing in financial planning for millennial business owners and technology professionals. As an independent financial planner, Sam focuses on evidence-based investment and planning practices for his clients.
In addition to his advisory work, Sam is involved in public policy and financial education. He is an advocate for financial literacy and regulatory improvements in Canada’s advisory landscape. Sam also serves on the Regulatory Advocacy Committee of the Financial Planning Association of Canada (FPAC) as the Government Liaison, advocating for high standards in the Canadian financial advice industry.
Sam hosts a podcast on financial literacy for millennials, and through a strong social media presence of close to 100,000 followers, Sam is able to hear the concerns of the public on a large scale, and use this platform to inform change through his advocacy work.
Harvey Naglie (Co- Chair)
Mr. Naglie is a consumer advocate. He has been involved in Ontario's financial services sector for over 40 years, working in both the public and private sector, including as a Senior Policy Advisor for the Ontario Ministry of Finance’s Financial Services Policy Division.
Karina Souza
Ms. Souza is a versatile professional with expertise in information technology, digital marketing, and finance. With over 15 years of experience in the banking sector, including a decade in IT field, and a strong academic background, she has expanded her portfolio to financial consulting, helping immigrants establish themselves securely in Canada.
As an immigrant mother, she understands the challenges faced by newcomers to Canada and is committed to providing accessible financial knowledge and effective strategies tailored to their needs. Now, as a member of the Consumer Advisory Panel at FSRA, she actively represents the Portuguese-speaking community, advocating for a more accessible and transparent financial system for all.
Edwin Weinstein
Dr. Weinstein is President of The Brondesbury Group. Ed holds a PhD in Measurement & Evaluation (Applied Statistics) and is also a licensed Industrial Psychologist. Over the past 40 years, Ed developed and managed more than 600 research studies related to financial services in Canada and around the globe. Ed’s current work focuses on financial consumer behaviour and attitudes, as well as credentialing and licensure of financial services professionals.
Ed’s domestic clients have included every major bank and life insurer, several mutual funds, most major financial industry associations, two stock exchanges and several government agencies/regulators. His projects have focused on investor issues including risk-taking, financial literacy, understanding of disclosure, how investors track performance, investor-advisor relationships, and underlying investor needs at different life stages. Ed has also maintained an advisory relationship with a federal agency focused on consumer protection for more than 20 years.
Liisa Woolley
Ms. Woolley is a Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Northern Credit Union, brings three decades of Credit Union experience specializing in leadership, strategy execution, and organizational transformation. She has successfully led mergers, technology implementations, and change management strategies that align with member and employee needs. Liisa is a graduate of degree and leadership programs from the University of Windsor, Athabasca University, Royal Roads University, and York University and holds a Credit Union Leadership and Coaching Designation and a Chartered Marketing Designation, among other credentials.