Ombudsman and Staff
The Ombudsman is appointed by the Board of Directors, and must be independent of both industry and government. The appointment of the Ombudsman is made on a renewable term of up to five years. The Ombudsman cannot have worked for a self-regulatory organization or been closely associated with a participating firm for five years prior to appointment.
Senior Management Team
Sarah P. Bradley, Ombudsman and CEO
Sarah Bradley has been the Ombudsman and CEO of the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI) since 2015. Prior to this, Ms. Bradley was Chair and CEO of the Nova Scotia Securities Commission and served as Vice Chair of the Canadian Securities Administrators. Ms. Bradley is a lawyer by profession and spent several years as a member of the faculty of the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University, teaching and writing in the corporate and securities law field. She received her Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Toronto, her Bachelor of Laws degree from Queen's University and her Master of Laws degree from Harvard Law School. She has been called to the bar in Ontario, Nova Scotia and New York and practiced law in Toronto and Halifax.
Robert Paddick, Deputy Ombudsman
Mr. Paddick is a Deputy Ombudsman, overseeing investments and banking complaints. He is a member of the Ontario bar, and holds a B.Sc (Hons) from the University of Western Ontario and a law degree from Queen's University. Mr. Paddick joined OBSI as a Senior Investigator in 2003 and was promoted to Deputy Ombudsman in 2006. Prior to joining OBSI, Mr. Paddick was Director, Mutual Fund Compliance and in-house counsel at a large national mutual fund dealer. Before entering the financial services industry he practiced law in Ottawa.
Grace McSorley, Deputy Ombudsman
Grace McSorley is a Deputy Ombudsman, overseeing teams who investigate investment and banking complaints. She is a member of the Ontario and New York bar and holds a B.A. from the University of Toronto, St. Michael's College, and a law degree from the University of Ottawa, through which she spent a term as a visiting student at the University of Hong Kong Law School. After being called to the Bar, Ms. McSorley practiced law at firms in Toronto and New York and then joined a major Canadian financial institution as in house counsel, and then as Executive Director in Wealth Management.
Mark Wright, Director, Communications and Stakeholder Relations
Mr. Wright is the Director, Communications and Stakeholder Relations. He is responsible for stakeholder relations, communications, strategic planning and policy development. Mr. Wright has more than 20-years of experience in progressively senior communications roles within the Canadian financial services sector. He has a B.A. in English from York University and Certificate in Public Relations from Ryerson University.
Cheryl Shkurhan, Director, Policy & IT
Ms. Shkurhan is Director, Policy & IT. She is responsible for the development and implementation of OBSI's information technology platform and operational policies, as well as providing strategic direction on operational plans and project management for key initiatives. She also acts as OBSI's Privacy Officer and Chief Compliance Officer. Ms. Shkurhan joined OBSI in 2004 as a Senior Investigator and was promoted to Manager, Investigations to lead an investigations team soon after. She has extensive experience in the financial services sector, having held positions in both banking and investment sectors, including several years as Chief Compliance Officer at a mutual fund dealer before joining OBSI. She has a B.A. in economics from Wilfrid Laurier University, previously practiced as a Certified Financial Planner, and held the Chartered Investment Manager designation through the Canadian Securities Institute.
Joelle Harfouche, Director, Finance & Administration
Ms. Harfouche is the Director, Finance and Administration. She is responsible for the planning, implementation and management of OBSI's day-to-day financial operations. Her 20+ years of experience in progressively senior finance roles spans across multiple industries and sectors. Ms. Harfouche is fluent in French and Arabic and received a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and a master's degree in Business Management from the Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth. She is also a CPA, CMA.