2026 ADVISORY BOARD

Melissa is a global business leader with extensive experience in the financial sector. As the Executive Vice-President and Chief Legal and Public Policy Officer at Sun Life, she leads the company’s worldwide legal, compliance, public affairs and geopolitical functions and is a member of the company’s International Executive Team.

Sun Life is a global asset management and insurance company with the Purpose of helping their 85+ million Clients achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives. The company operates in 28 markets and has been in business in Canada for over 160 years with a presence in Asia and the United States for more than 130 years.  With over CAD$1.6 trillion in assets under management, Sun Life ranks among the top 30 global asset managers and is Canada’s second largest asset manager.

Melissa brings extensive experience in complex, interconnected risk management, governance, sustainability, international mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, high-profile litigation, reputational risk and crisis management.

Melissa joined Sun Life in 2014 with a breadth of experience spanning private practice, regulatory and in-house roles. Prior to Sun Life, she served as Senior Vice-President, General Counsel and Corporate Affairs for Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, one of Canada’s largest pension funds. Her earlier career includes senior leadership roles at CIBC as Vice-President of Litigation and Regulatory matters, as well as serving as head of the prosecution team at the Ontario Securities Commission.

A passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, Melissa is a founding member of Legal Leaders for Diversity, an association of General Counsel influencing change in the profession. She currently serves on the boards of SickKids Foundation, the world’s top publicly funded children’s hospital; Soulpepper Theatre Company, Canada’s leading artist theatre company; and the Asia Pacific Foundation, a policy think tank promoting Canadian-Asian relations and understanding. 

Her leadership and impact have been widely recognized, including being named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women and Canada’s General Counsel of the Year in 2012; Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Toronto and has received other awards recognizing her contributions. 

Melissa lives in Toronto. She is a proud Mom and Grandmother. Outside of work, she enjoys travelling, theatre and tennis.