Board of Directors
Dr. Robert Francis, President and Director
Dr. Robert W. Francis, MD, CM, is founder and former Chairman Emeritus of Medcan Health Management Inc. and most recently the founder and CEO of ReGen Scientific Inc., both successful medical services clinics focused on preventative medicine, a healthcare discipline he pioneered.
Dr. Francis was born in 1945 in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia and is the eldest of seven children. He came from modest beginnings and his heart is deeply rooted in Stellarton, the town where he grew up and remained until he went to university in Antigonish.
Graduating from St. Francis Xavier University with a Bachelor of Science degree at nineteen, he then completed McGill University’s medical school, receiving his MD, CM in 1968. His career began with a posting as Surgeon Lieutenant with the Canadian Armed Forces in Cornwallis, Nova Scotia. After working as military doctor for three years, he then transferred to a hospital affiliated with Dalhousie Medical School. He did post-graduate training in Internal Medicine at University of Toronto and is currently on staff at St Michael’s and Mount Sinai Hospitals.
At 76, Dr. Francis continues to take care of his patients as he has done throughout the years. He loves medicine and takes the time to acquaint himself with his patients and those close to them. He places great importance on the collection of family history, and he is still treating patients who came to him in the mid-seventies.
His biggest passions have been his beloved wife Sharon, their children, his family, and the field of medicine.
Arlene Willis, Director
Arlene co–founded Grapes for Humanity (GFH) Canada in 2001, an organization which raises funds to benefit humanitarian causes around the world, with the assistance of the international wine community. Today she is Chairman Emeritus of GFH Canada and Chairman and Founder of GFH Global Foundation in the US.
She also currently sits on the Board of Directors for Equipment Sales and Service Ltd. (ESS), a family-owned company that has been keeping Canada’s heavy equipment up and running for over 70 years.
Arlene was Chairman of The Toronto Foundation for Student Success, a division of the Toronto School Board. She has sat on the Board for The Canadian Stage Company, The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) and The Bishop Strachan School
Arlene has worked for various organizations and corporations in the United States. In 1968, she travelled throughout the US working on the 1968 Presidential Campaign for Richard Nixon, with advance men, Bob Erlichman and Bob Haldeman; and organized and helped produce the half-time shows for the New Orleans Saints football team, under the direction of Tommy Walker Productions.
Arlene was born and educated in the United States. She moved to Toronto in 1977 after marrying Canadian businessman, Michael Willis and they have two daughters and three grandchildren. Arlene and Michael are very involved with the international wine community and are passionate about their love of wine and many philanthropic causes.
Linda Goldsack, Director
Linda was born and educated in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Her career started in labour relations in Newfoundland and led her to serve as a board member of the Canada Labour Relations Board adjudicating federal jurisdiction labour disputes.
Her fundraising background began when she married and moved to Toronto where she served as a board member of the Toronto General and Western Hospital Foundation (TGWHF) from 1995 to 2004. While raising funds for the cardiac program, Linda also raised support for the Neurosciences Spark of Life campaign at Toronto Western Hospital. In 2004 Linda took on the full-time position to continue fundraising for the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre (PMCC -TGWHF) for an additional 12 years before her retirement in 2017. In her role as Chair of the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre campaign, she successfully completed two $100-million campaigns, several events of a million dollars each and established many independent donor relationships.
Linda enjoys spending time with her daughter, son-in-law and grandson who give great meaning to her life. She continues to take on contract work while enjoying travel and golf.
Arkadi Kuhlmann
Arkadi Kuhlmann is founder and General Partner at Deak Companies LLC., an investment company. He currently serves as Chairman of the Dumont Aviation Group Inc. and board positions with Finxact, Investx and Savana Inc. Founder & CEO at Zenbanx Holding Ltd before its acquisition by SOFI.
Mr. Kuhlmann first introduced the world to direct banking with a simplified customer focus when he founded ING DIRECT Canada in 1996 and U.S. in 2000. As Chairman, President & CEO, Mr. Kuhlmann executed his vision and created the largest savings bank and #1direct bank in USA, with more than $88 billion in deposits and 8 million customers. Prior to this, Mr. Kuhlmann served as President of North American Trust, and CEO of Deak International Inc. New York as well as an executive at Royal Bank of Canada in Toronto, Canada.
Mr. Kuhlmann has served on the ING Group Management Committee in the Netherlands, the ING DIRECT Board of Directors Canada and the USA, the Ivey Business School Advisory Board, and the Federal Reserve’s Thrift Institutions Advisory Council (TIAC). He received an Honors BA and MBA degree from the Ivey Business School at Western University Ontario Canada, and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D) degree from the Western University.
Arkadi resides in Menlo Park California, USA.