Mark Gravett, President
Raised in Hanover, Ontario by parents dedicated to the education and benefits of sport for youth, Gravett was fortunate to experience many summer and winter sports. Introduced to competitive sports at a young age, this instilled strong values and a framework and life-long passion to provide guidance to others. Gravett held the positon as athletic program director at a high performance co-ed sports camp for 9 years.
A graduate of Université de Tours, France, Mark’s initial professional venture was in the travel industry. After extensive travelling worldwide, another door opened and Mark was recruited by THF, a global hotelier and a career in hotel management in Toronto and abroad. Committed to delivering exceptional service and hospitality experiences, guests included Prime Ministers, Presidents, External Affairs, professional and amateur athletes, actors and leaders in the cultural world. Unexpected opportunities and changing dynamics of hotel services, Gravett was introduced to the world of technology and digital evolution.
A new career in telecommunications began almost 25 years ago, launching a successful tenure in operations and high performance sales with such firms as TTS Meridian, Williams, TELUS and Black Box Network Services. Gravett managed enterprise and global fortune 500 accounts helping align clients’ new media to create positive business outcomes.
As President of the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, Gravett’s responsibilities include, managing the day to day activities of the organization, team lead for the board of directors, ongoing business development and executive producer for the annual induction ceremony and awards gala.
Mark resides in Toronto and has a daughter and son, both accomplished high performance athletes.
Dan Giantsopoulos LL.M., Vice President
Dan attended his undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto receiving his Bachelor of Arts in 1992. He obtained his Bachelor of Laws from the University of Ottawa in 1995. After being called to the bar in 1997 he obtained his Master of Laws in Tax from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2001.
Dan has a thriving corporate law practice at the law firm of Blaney McMurtry LLP where he advises corporations of all sizes. Dan is the editor-in-chief of the Guide to Doing Business in Canada and has helped many US corporations to set up and flourish in Canada.
Dan is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Ontario Bar Association and the Canadian Bar Association, as well as the Golf Historical Society of Canada. Dan is an active member of his local community, sitting on the Board of Directors for each of the York Simcoe Baseball Association, Fundraising Advisory Committee for the Markham Stouffville Hospital Foundation and the President’s Parents Council for Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA).
Dan is a VP on the Board and has been a Board member for 15 years.
Kamleh Nicola, Vice President
Kamleh is a partner at the international law firm Marks & Clerk in its Toronto office where she focuses on intellectual property disputes, especially patent disputes, and health regulatory matters. She is Co-Head of the firm’s Litigation practice in Canada and is actively involved in the firm’s Healthcare and Life Science group. Kamleh has also held several Executive Committee roles with the Canadian Bar Association including the National IP Section, Federal Courts Bench & Bar Liaison Committee, the Court Practice Committee, and the Professional Development Committee.
Peter Conacher
Pete started his hockey career in the Toronto Hockey League, became Chicago Blackhawks property at the age of 16. He played for 3 years with their OHA Jr. A farm team in Galt before turning professional with Chicago at age 20. A 13 year hockey career followed with stops with the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and several AHL teams. His professional career was interrupted in 1959 when he joined the Belleville McFarlands and helped win the World Championship in Prague. After retiring from professional hockey in 1966 he joined the N.H.L. Oldtimers Hockey club and for the next 13 years played charity hockey games across Canada.
A past president of Ontario Special Olympics and a board member of the Charlie Conacher Throat Cancer Research Fund, Pete received the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal from Senator Frank Mahovlich in recognition of his athletics and community services in Canada.
Peter and his wife Ann have been summer residents of the Township of the Archipelago since the 1950’s and his contributions to community building in Sans Souci and Copperhead Associations as well as many local charities have been legendary.
Paula Frederick
Paula is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), a Fellow Chartered Business Valuator (FCBV), and has a Bachelor of Commerce from Queen’s University. She is a Principal of Cohen Hamilton Steger, where she specializes in business valuation, damages quantification, and forensic accounting for litigation purposes. Paula has practiced in these areas for over 30 years.
Sports have played a pivotal role throughout Paula’s life, having been involved in a number of sports including competitive swimming, baseball, and tennis, cross-country running, field hockey, volleyball, lacrosse, and downhill and cross-country skiing. She was awarded female athlete of the year in three of her five years of high school. Paula is a firm believer of the benefit of sport both physically and mentally. She is excited to be part of an organization that honours those that have excelled in their chosen sport or sport related career and have led by example.
Paula is on the Board of Directors and is a Past President of the Ontario Expropriation Association, and was on the Board of Directors of the CBV Institute for six years.
She is married with two grown sons and three cats. When not at home or work in the GTA, you can find her up north kayaking and hiking in the beautiful Kawarthas.
Scott Morrison
Scott Morrison is a 40-year veteran hockey journalist and recipient of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s 2006 Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award. He was Executive Producer, Hockey with Sportsnet and was an analyst and commentator on the network’s Hockeycentral and news shows. He also was a features reporter for Sportsnet hockey and Hockey Night in Canada.
A highly respected hockey journalist, the Toronto native began his career at the Toronto Sun in 1979. After spending more than 11 years as a hockey writer and columnist at the paper, he became Sports Editor in 1991 and led the section to being named one of North America’s top-ten sports sections in 1999 – the first sports section in Canada to receive the AP Sports Editors North American Award. In 2001, he joined Rogers Sportsnet as Managing Editor, Hockey, later becoming Executive Producer News and Hockey.
Scott worked as a commentator at Hockey Night in Canada for six years before returning to Sportsnet.
Scott has authored several best-selling hockey books and served two terms as President of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association.
Scott has chaired the Conn Smythe Sports Celebrities Dinner and Auction in support of Easter Seals since 1995 and also is on the board of the Dr. Jay Charitable Foundation/Children’s Grief Program. He resides in Don Mills with his son, Mark.
Ted Papadatos
Theodore (Ted) Papadatos has over eighteen years of experience in the financial services sector, including postings in Retail Banking, Small Business Banking, and Commercial Banking Real Estate (Construction Financing) and most recently he is a senior leader in the Capital Markets Space.
Born and raised in Toronto, Ted holds an undergraduate Degree from the city’s York University in sociology. Ted currently resides in Richmond Hill, Ontario, where he was the Director of Finance for the Richmond Hill Philharmonic Orchestra. Ted previously served for six years as a Director for the Canadian National Exhibition and is currently on the CNEA finance committee.
Ted is currently a Director and Chair of the Audit Committee of Canada’s European Union Chamber of Commerce, an organization intending to become a key facilitator for European businesses within Canada and seeking to enter the Canadian market. Ted is also a director of Business Development for the Hellenic Canadian Board of Trade, a business organization connecting members across the Greater Toronto Area and abroad.
Additionally, Ted was on the ticket sales committee for Mackenzie Health Foundation (formerly known as the York Central Hospital Foundation). As Canada’s largest fundraising drive steered by a community hospital, the Mackenzie Health Foundation aims to enhance care and resources at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital and Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital.
Ted also serves as an executive of the Toronto Police CPLC.
Suzanne Primeau
Suzanne Primeau loves sports…all sports. Born in Etobicoke, Ontario, As her grandfather is “Gentleman Joe Primeau” of the Toronto Maple Leafs, two-time Stanley Cup Champion and Hockey Hall of Fame honouree, sports have always been prominent in Suzanne’s life. This led to her love of ice hockey. She was a forerunner in the 1970’s, playing women’s ice hockey for the Mississauga Indians. She travelled both locally and internationally, winning several competitions.
Suzanne attended high school in the Port Credit area. She was an athlete on the volleyball, basketball, and track and field teams. She was president of the Girls Athletic Association, chosen student representative for the Ontario Athletic Leadership Camp, and Athlete of the Year upon her high school graduation.
Suzanne graduated from McMaster University with her Bachelor of Honours Physical Education Degree. During her four years at McMaster University, she was a member of two McMaster University Varsity Athletic Teams: Ontario University Champions synchronized swimming team, and squash. After completing her degree at McMaster, she attended the University of Toronto for her Bachelor of Education Degree. Suzanne has taught for the Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board and the Peel District Board in the areas of Physical and Health Education, Science, Department Head for Dramatic Arts, Cooperative Education and the Peel District Board OYAP Resource Co-ordinator.
Suzanne currently is on the Board of Directors and a committee member for Maddie’s Everlasting Wish Foundation that assisted in building the Baraka Health Clinic in Kenya in association with ME to WE. Their fundraising efforts continue to provide supplies and financial assistance for qualified health care individuals in an effort to ensure newborns are born HIV free.
She has recently been involved with the Original Six NHL Alumni Meetings and represents the Primeau family at these monthly luncheons.
Suzanne resides in Dundas, Ontario, with her husband. They have two children, Luke and Alexa. Suzanne’s enduring belief is Live Life with Gratitude!
Stephanie Vaccari
Stephanie Vaccari is a soccer and basketball enthusiast, and proud of her eldest daughter’s budding soccer career.
Stephanie has been practicing law for over 18 years and is a partner at the global law firm, Baker McKenzie, where she assists clients in protecting their global brands. She has extensive trade mark-related experience, has experience in transactional Intellectual Property and has also participated in a variety of complex lawsuits dealing with, among others, trade mark and copyright infringement, patent infringement and validity, Internet and domain name issues, licensing, unfair competition and passing off.
Stephanie is a proponent of diversity and inclusion and co-founded Baker & McKenzie’s Women’s Networking Group. She also serves as co-chair of Baker McKenzie’s Toronto Consumer Goods and Retail Group.
She is thrilled to have recently joined the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors and support the outstanding achievements of the Ontario sports scene and its athletes.
Kevin Yearwood
Born in Manchester, England my family moved to Toronto when I was very young. I grew up in Toronto playing every sport available to me: hockey, soccer, softball and baseball. I also rooted for every Toronto-based team.
I attended St. Andrew’s College in Aurora, Ontario. It was an ideal place for high school for someone who loved sports. I went on to study at McMaster University, Ryerson University and Centennial College.
For the past twenty years, I have worked in Toronto’s media industry, predominately in sports media, as a producer, researcher, writer, and web producer. I have worked on productions such as the Olympics, NHL, CFL, NBA, MLB and Special Olympics at TSN, CBC Sports, Sportsnet, and Leafs TV.
Aside from work done behind the camera; I have over 25 on-camera credits as a non-union actor. I have appeared in TV and online commercials television series and print ad campaigns.
I have a passion for people, sports, the history of sports, the history of music and the history of my home city Toronto.
Andrew Weinhardt
Andrew has a passion for both sports and finance. Born and raised in Kitchener-Waterloo, he has been involved in sports from an early age, playing hockey, rugby and volleyball at a varsity level. He has played for various varsity teams including the city of Waterloo and the University of Barcelona.
Professionally, Andrew holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the Lazaridis School of Business at Wilfrid Laurier University. With a specialty in finance, he has worked in various industries. He has worked as an equity analyst, as a US tax specialist and has worked in management consulting developing organizational strategy for some of the largest companies in Canada.
Currently he works as a controller for a mid-sized automotive manufacturing firm and is the co-founder of an accounting firm servicing clients in the E-commerce industry. Andrew is a strong supporter of the role sports plays in personal development and in the community. He is an avid supporter of Canadian athletics and the role our athletes play in our communities.
Olivier Junod
Born in Switzerland, Olivier hold a Master in Law and worked many years in a law firm in Geneva, Switzerland, where he assisted clients in civil and criminal matters. He worked then 2 years at the Supreme Administrative Court as a Law Clerk in Asylum Law in Bern, Switzerland. In 2010, he joined a company active in corporate services. In October 2016, he moved to Chicago to open their offices and to cover the Canadian market. In March 2019, Olivier moved to Toronto. He is still active in the same industry, being now Head of Corporate Product and Sales at Apex Group, a company which provides funds and corporate services globally, with more than 12,000 employees across more than 40 countries.
From a young age, sport has held an important place in Olivier’s life. At the age of 10, he started to learn horseback riding in his village in Switzerland. Two years later, he began competitive show jumping, which he did for 25 years. Given this is a very expensive sport, he worked every day at the barn of his village to be able to realize his dream and passion. From the age of 16 years old to the age of 20, he was secretary of the committee of an equestrian society and organized various competitions (show jumping, dressage, and combined driving). He then joined the Swiss Army. During this period, he of course had to follow military training. He also founded an equestrian society at the age of 28 and remained its president for 2 years.
When he stopped competitive show jumping, he began to train in acrobatic rock n’roll and in ballroom Latin dancing which he performed competitively for 2 and 3 years respectively. In parallel to his ballroom training, he started to prepare for triathlons (swimming, biking, running), which he did for 7 years, including a half IronMan in 2016. Olivier is also a passionate of Figure Skating.
All his sports helped him, not only to become an athlete, but also to go through very challenging times of his life, to grow both personally and professionally.
