CHOP CHAT - Meet the Speakers

Andre Sherman

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Ariel Thomas, BFA, JD, is a lawyer practising copyright, communications, contract, entertainment and trademark law. In her work as a copyright lawyer, she is particularly interested in the way Canada’s Copyright Act will continue to evolve with technological change. 

Ms. Thomas has appeared before Canadian courts at all levels, as well as the Copyright Board of Canada and the CRTC. As part of a team, she recently represented a group of copyright users in the K-12 education sector in complex litigation against Access Copyright.

Basima Rochan, CPA, MBA, is a seasoned financial and operational leader with deep expertise in finance transformation, shared services, and talent management. In addition to her work as a management consultant, Basima serves in fractional CFO and COO roles, with a specialized focus on the AEC industry.

Basima contributes meaningfully to the non-profit sector as a member of the Finance and Audit Committee for United Way GTA and as Treasurer and Board Member at Aboriginal Legal Services Inc.

She is also a frequent lecturer for the OAA and the RAIC, where she teaches financial management for architects.

Basima holds an MBA and CPA. Her credentials and experience underpin her ability to drive strategic financial leadership and operational excellence across both creative and technical environments.

Bill Chomik, Architect AAA, FRAIC, HON. AIA, has practiced architecture for over four decades. Throughout his career, he has steadfastly focused on enhancing people’s lives through powerful design which blends, with equal weight, form and function. Bill has consistently striven to create impactful built environments that are at once utilitarian and beautiful. His work, which includes the design of over 750 buildings, spans the globe. He is considered the world’s leading architect in the design of planetariums and observatories, and is currently working on them in Finland, Panama, USA, France, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, and Canada. Bill’s Canadian accomplishments include the Calgary Courts Centre, EPCOR Tower, Edmonton Federal Building, National Music Centre, Calgary Humane Society, Alberta Children’s Hospital, Galt Museum, Taylor Family Digital Library, and Simon Fraser University Observatory and Science Park, to name a few.  Bill is committed to engagement in professional and community organizations having served as the president of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, chair of the Alberta Association of Architects (AAA) Banff Sessions, chair of the Calgary Urban Design Review Panel, chair of the Calgary Downtown Business Revitalization Zone, chair of the Calgary Science Centre, and chair of the Calgary Subdivision and Development Appeal Board, to name only a few. He is a frequent speaker at architectural and industry-specific conferences, has mentored and continues to mentor aspiring architects, and teaches on-line courses in various subjects related to the profession. Bill has been the recipient of many prestigious awards throughout his career, including, among others, the AAA Tom Sutherland Award for Lifetime Achievement in Architecture, U of C President’s International Achievement Award, five AAA Awards of Excellence, and a Governor Generals Medal for Architecture. 

Cameron Gillies, Architect, AAA, FRAIC, SAPL, is an Architect with The City of Calgary. He is also a sessional instructor with The University of Calgary’s School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape, where he teaches professional practice. In over 20 years of his career, Cameron has worked with some of Canada's best-recognized Architects, and he has contributed to over $3B worth of design, construction, and conservation projects. Cameron is a Subject Matter Expert and contributing author of the RAIC's Canadian Handbook of Practice, 3rd Ed. You can interest Cameron with anything that has two wheels, six strings, or is single malted.

Geza Banfai, is a Counsel with McMillan LLP, practicing infrastructure – construction law and mediation. He is the recipient of the 2016 Award of Excellence in Construction and Infrastructure Law from the Ontario Bar Association, and was named the 2017 Toronto Construction Law Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers in Canada. He is a Fellow of the Canadian College of Construction Lawyers, and is listed in Chambers Global, Construction – Canada (Senior Statesman), the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada (Lexpert/American Lawyer), Best Lawyers in Canada (Woodward/White), International Who’s Who of Professionals, Who’s Who Legal, Canada and International Who’s Who of Public Procurement Lawyers. In his extensive construction law practice, he has represented participants at every level of the construction pyramid, from negotiating and drafting construction and related contracts (including alliancing and joint venture agreements, and P3 and similar lender-driven arrangements) to claims and disputes of many kinds. His past directorships include the Canadian Construction Association, Consulting Engineers of Ontario and Toronto Construction Association. In addition, he is a member of the Construction Law and ADR Sections of the Ontario Bar Association, the Forum on the Construction Industry of the American Bar Association and the Society of Construction Law. He sits as the ex-officio legal representative on the Canadian Construction Documents Committee, and was chair of CCDC’s IPD Task Force which created the CCDC 30 standard form Canadian IPD contract. He served as a member of the Advisory Group assisting the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General in the finalization and implementation of the new Construction Act. He continues to write and lecture extensively on various issues involving the industry. 

Graeme Bristol, AIBC (Ret.), MRAIC, BA(Hon.), BArch, MASA, LLM, a Canadian architect, is the founder and executive director of the Centre for Architecture and Human Rights, an international foundation advancing a rights-based approach to development in the practice of architecture through ongoing demonstration projects, research and education programmes.  He holds a Masters in architecture from the University of British Columbia and a Masters in human rights law from Queen’s University Belfast. 

Graeme is also a member of the  RAIC Promoting Equity and Justice Working Group. 

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Kris Tierney is a champion of people-first business success, dedicated to helping small and mid-size businesses unlock the full potential of their teams. As Vice-President of People & Culture Strategy at Ontario’s Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA), Kris led initiatives that strengthened workplace culture and guided HRPA’s programs, supporting over 25,000 members and students in building strong, people-centric workplaces.

With nearly 20 years’ of experience leading HR and talent strategies for high-growth tech companies, and in the non-profit space, Kris has a proven record of helping businesses and owners develop strategic, scalable people practices. Through her consultancy, Kris Tierney Consulting Inc., she advises CEOs and entrepreneurs on practical, human-centered strategies to foster growth and boost retention. Working with top executives, she crafts tailored solutions that align with the company's vision, values, and objectives, ensuring that people and culture initiatives are integrated seamlessly into overall business strategy.

In addition to her business and consulting work, Kris is an engaging speaker and educator. Kris holds both the Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) and Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) designations from HRPA and remains dedicated to helping businesses of all sizes create environments where people and profits grow together. 

Léïc Godbout, architect OAQ. As an architect with PWGSC for 15 years, Léïc has developed a deep understanding of policies/challenges related to heritage conservation, and a solid experience in the field (inspection/worksite). He has rehabilitated numerous buildings on Grosse-Île, and prestigious buildings of the Québec Citadel, and has prepared major masonry projects of key federal buildings. He then spent 3 years with CIRCUM assessing, in a technical-legal context, flaws in buildings of all eras. Since 2020, Léïc contributes to conservation projects with STGM, while focusing on façade inspections, including on ropes, and forensic expertise of building envelopes, often in a technical-legal context, with Partie 5.

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Luke Andritsos, Architect OAA, AIA, RA (CA), NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, MRAIC is a dynamic, collaborative architect licensed in Ontario and California. He specializes in designing culturally-significant projects, including hotels, museums, performing arts centres, and transit hubs.

Luke has co-instructed the Ontario Association of Architects’ Admissions Course and taught Architectural Technology courses at Centennial College while mentoring many students. He has served as a Director with the Canadian Architectural Certification Board and was a founding Director of the AIA Canada Society.

Currently, Luke is a member of the RAIC’s Professional Practice Working Group and serves on Accessibility Standards Canada’s Built Environment Committee and Emergency Egress Technical Committee.

Megan Beange, M.Arch, is an alumni of the Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism, with a specialization in Heritage Conservation and Macro BIM Adoption & Standardization (national level). She has been applying her wealth of knowledge and expertise for Public Services and Procurement Canada for over a decade, working at both a national and a regional level for major multi-million-, and multi-billion-dollar Capital Projects. She is known for balancing her high-level strategic understanding and thinking with the extensive experience and knowledge of major project processes and capital asset operational needs.

Megan is also known within the BIM community to have played an instrumental role in the adoption of BIM in Canadian Federal Real Property portfolio, program, and project management. She comes to us as a subject matter expert in the evolution of federal government policy, standardization, and procurement, as well as in international standards development through both buildingSMART Canada and the International Standards Organization (ISO).

Michael Chomik, B.Comm., is the Director of Marketing at GEC Architecture, providing leadership and creative direction for the firm since 2016. Based in Calgary, he has been working in the AEC industry for almost two decades, leading/participating in 1,500+ proposals and pursuits across Canada and the world during that time. Previously, Michael has held roles as Marketing Manager at PCL Construction (2014–2016) and Marketing Specialist at Kasian Architecture and Interior Design (2009–2014). He is passionate about mentoring emerging marketing professionals and advocates for community volunteerism. Michael's leadership, creativity, and dedication have made him a valued contributor to both his profession and the broader AEC industry.

Ramzi Kawar, M.Arch, cmc, LEED AP, CNU, a licensed architect with over 40 years sustainability experience teaching International Sustainable Development at Dalhousie Architecture since 2009 and recently delivered an online Sustainable Net-Zero Housing Design course for Cape Breton University. Currently directs Knowledge and Development Associates, Ltd. consultants. Previously as Director, Greening and Sustainable Business Practices at Housing Nova Scotia developed an Energy Management Strategy to transform the housing portfolio to Net-Zero by 2030. As Manager of Building Design at HNS completed three Passive House Pilots winning the Premiere’s Award of Excellence and published in Sustainable Real Estate Multidisciplinary Approaches to an Evolving System, Palgrave Macmillan, 2019.

Raymond Chung, B.Sc.,B.Arch.,M.Arch ,OAA,PMP FMP,SFP, is a registered Architect in Ontario, Professional Project Manager and Professional Facility Manager. He specializes in Construction Project Management and with 40 years of experience in design supervision, project management of various industrial, commercial , municipal and post-secondary  institution projects. He taught Project Management , Leadership , Building Economics and PMP Exam Preparation courses. Raymond also delivered project management seminars to train Toronto Transit Commission, CB Richard Ellis, City of Toronto project Managers, OAA continuing education Starting an Architectural Practice and RAIC Risk Management Presenter, RAIC Canadian Handbook of Practice 3rd edition Communication Chapter update author.

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Rowley Mossop helps Innovia's clients solve their most challenging problems; focusing on developing strategy, managing change, shaping succession and improving business performance. He founded Innovia in 2004 to help creative and professional services businesses succeed and now the firm's clients include leading architectural and engineering firms across Canada and in the UK. Prior to earning his MBA from the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, Rowley was an editorial leader at the CBC TV News program The National. He has an Associate Diploma from OCADU and a B.E.S. (Architecture) from the University of Waterloo.  

Terrence Smith-Lamothe, B.Sc., M.Arch., NSAA, MRAIC, LEED a.p., before his “pseudo-retirement” in 2020, Smith-Lamothe was Senior Architect at Nova Scotia’s Department of Public Works and Build NS for 17 years, specializing in heritage, healthcare and educational projects as Design Team Leader. This job involved engaging and overseeing the design activities of external consultant teams. This gives him a multi-faceted understanding of the design process. His architectural firm, Architech, Ltd. in Halifax, still undertakes projects, too, which naturally gives insights into the design process from the Prime Consultant’s side.