politics, law & Government
Eric Bremermann
Artsci’90 (Psychology)
Partner, stikeman elliot
Eric Bremermann is a partner in the Toronto office of Stikeman Elliott LLP, one of Canada’s leading business law firms. Eric is a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions and Project Development & Finance Groups, as well as Co-Chair of the Energy Group in the Toronto office. Eric leads the firm’s initiatives in respect of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. He is also a member of the firm’s Diversity Committee.
Eric’s practice focuses on corporate and commercial law, with an emphasis on Canadian-European cross-border issues, including advising on mergers, acquisitions, disposition and financing, corporate governance matters, business and family succession, project development, and the establishment of subsidiaries in the NAFTA marketplace.
Eric has specific expertise in renewable energy and independent power production. He has advised a variety of clients in the sector in connection with their entry into Canada, acquisition, development and financing of power projects, including wind and solar, and associated regulatory requirements. Eric is fluent in German and assists a variety of clients headquartered in Europe. He is a member of the board of directors of the Canadian German Chamber of Industry and Commerce and also serves as a director for several Canadian subsidiaries of major European companies.
Brian P. Dominique
Artsci’83 (politics)
Partner, cassels brock llp
Brian practises corporate commercial law and has broad experience in commercial real property law, both focused on the mining and electricity sectors and related private and public infrastructure and related Indigenous law matters. Brian has negotiated a broad spectrum of complex forms of commercial and operational contracts particular to the mining and electricity sectors (including all forms of contractual and corporate joint ventures) as well as infrastructure, access, electricity supply, services, metals off-take and ore supply agreements and impact agreements with and for affected Indigenous groups. Brian has acted on major projects all over Canada and throughout the world.
Brian has acted for governments and government agencies at all levels and public institutions (universities, hospitals, government corporations) on major commercial transactions and on constitutional, policy and legislative and regulatory matters across the country.
Brian is also an adjunct professor at the Western University Law School (Western Law) and has taught its Mining and Sustainability Law course for the past twelve years. Brian has also written on, and has been a lecturer and seminar participant at various seminars and public conferences on, mining law, electricity law and Indigenous law matters, including the Osgoode Hall Law School Certificate in Mining Law Program (where he also was on the Board of Advisors).
Smaro Skoulikidis
Artsci’80 (history)
director, integrated office, united nations
Smaro has over 25 years working experience in formulating and managing large-scale humanitarian, post-conflict, recovery and development programs in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. She has a unique combination of expertise with Peacekeeping Missions and UN Agencies (UNDP, UNOPS, WFP, OCHA), both at headquarters and in the field. She has held senior positions, the most recent as Head of the Integrated Office of the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General (DSRSG) with MONUSCO in the DRC and as Head of the Resident Coordinator's Office with UNMIL in Liberia. Responsibilities included policy development in recovery and reform, as well as supervision of the DSRSG’s Office and Departments, including Civil Affairs, Stabilization, Elections, Disarmament, Demobilization, Reintegration (DDR), and Security Sector Reform.
Her technical skills include extensive expertise in conflict analysis, the conduct of post-conflict needs assessments, conflict resolution and conflict-sensitive programming. She is also a specialist in strategic planning, community-based recovery, capacity-building and disaster management, and is proficient in all aspects of project formulation, management and evaluation.
Smaro is a qualified trainer and facilitator, as well as a certified negotiator. She has trained hundreds of Government officials, United Nations system staff and NGOs worldwide in all aspects of the relief to development continuum. She is fluent in English, French and Arabic, and possesses very good knowledge of Italian.
Farah Mohamed
Artsci’93 (politics)
Senior vice president, strategic initiatives, policy & public affairs, toronto region board of trade
Farah Mohamed is the Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, Policy, Public Affairs and Economic Blueprint Institute at the Toronto Region Board of Trade. Prior to this, Farah was the CEO of Malala Fund, where she led an international team to deliver on Malala’s mission to see every girl in school.
Farah is the founder and past CEO, G(irls)20, a global organization that provides advice on female labor force participation to the G20 and Business20 while investing in the entrepreneurial passion and leadership skills of girls in 20+ countries. To increase the voice of young women across Canada, Farah created Girls on Boards and secured funding from corporate Canada and the Government of Canada. For 10 years, Farah worked closely with some of Canada’s most senior politicians, beginning her political career in 1995 with The Honourable Paddy Torsney. From 1999 to 2004, Farah served as the Director of Communications for The Honourable Anne McLellan in her role as Minister of Justice, Minister of Health and Deputy Prime Minister of Canada.
Recognized for her service to Canada, she was awarded a Meritorious Service Medal from Canada’s Governor General and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. She has also been recognized by the Public Policy Forum (2019), London’s Top 1000 Most Influential People (2018), BBC (Top 100 Women), Women of Influence (Top 25 Most Influential Women in Canada), SALT (100 Most Inspiring Women in the World), EY (Nominee for Social Entrepreneur of the Year) and Diversity 50. Farah holds a Bachelor of Arts from Queen’s University, a Master of Arts from Western University, and an Honorary Doctors of Laws from Western University. Of Indian heritage, Farah was born and raised in Uganda until 1972 when Idi Amin ordered the expulsion of Indian Ugandans, giving them 90 days to leave Uganda. Her father, mother and sister sought refuge in Canada.