Vancouver Opera Association

Stanis Smith
Chair

Stanis is an architect and a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. Prior to creating his current consulting practice he was the global leader of Stantec's Buildings Group, and before that he was CEO of Architectura, one of Canada’s pre-eminent design firms. He has led many award-winning airports and other projects around the world in various capacities. In his non-professional life, he is a clarinettist and has performed as both a soloist and in chamber and orchestral ensembles. He is also a confirmed opera-holic and music-holic, traveling the world in pursuit of operatic and musical experiences. He is on the Board of the Rick Hansen Foundation, and has previously been on the Boards of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and Friends of Chamber Music. He is married, has two daughters, and enjoys hiking, tandem-cycling, and skate-skiing.


Allie Meeres
Vice Chair

Allie Meeres is Executive Vice President & Partner at Sedgwick Strategies, a consultancy that specializes in major projects, helping clients navigate complex challenges and mitigate their most significant risks. Allie advises some of the country’s largest energy companies on Indigenous engagement, government relations, and communications. Most recently, Allie played a key role in securing a $400 million federal loan guarantee for the Stonalsec8 First Nations Alliance, enabling them to acquire a 12.5% equity stake in Enbridge’s Westcoast pipeline system—a landmark investment in Indigenous economic ownership and participation in Canada’s energy infrastructure. Her early career included managing stakeholder relations for Woodfibre LNG, where she led engagement efforts that enabled Canada’s first Indigenous-led environmental assessment, an achievement that helped drive changes to federal and provincial legislation. Rooted in empathy, and collaboration, her leadership has been deepened through her work with Indigenous nations and rural communities across Canada, supporting First Nations leaders at global forums like COP27 and leading high-stakes mediations to advance projects. She also serves as a board director of Vancouver Opera, is a recipient of the Ellis Island Honors Society Beacon Award, and Co-Host the Primary Risk podcast, where she explores the human side of building major projects with voices from Indigenous leaders, CEOs, and public officials.


Joshua Hutchinson
Treasurer

Josh practises corporate and commercial litigation and has appeared as lead counsel at all levels of court in British Columbia and at the Federal Court. He has also appeared at the Supreme Court of Canada.

He is an experienced class action defence lawyer, particularly in the competition/antitrust, consumer protection, privacy, securities and product liability contexts, and has successfully secured the early dismissal of proposed class action claims prior to certification. Josh also acts in domestic and international arbitrations, including disputes related to commercial transactions, infrastructure projects, and mining projects. He represents companies and individuals in a wide range of industries, including technology, financial services, mining, construction, infrastructure, manufacturing and health services.


Jennifer Choi
Secretary

Jenn is an experienced disputes lawyer who helps clients navigate legal and regulatory risk in a practical and business-focused manner. She maintains a broad disputes practice that includes all aspects of commercial litigation and arbitration, including contract disputes, intellectual property disputes, construction disputes, consumer class actions and environmental prosecutions. She regularly assists clients with complex commercial and regulatory issues associated with large projects and developments and understands the importance of balancing business pragmatism and legal options.

Prior to joining Bennett Jones, Jenn acted as Senior Legal Counsel to a large North American development company. She obtained a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of British Columbia and a JD from the Peter A. Allard School of Law (UBC). She enjoys working with expert witnesses, delving into technical evidence and translating scientific and technical issues into persuasive legal argument. After law school, she clerked for the Honourable Justice Manson of the Federal Court of Canada.


Krista Johanson
Past Chair

Krista practises civil litigation and arbitration, with a particular focus on construction, engineering and surety disputes, including large-scale infrastructure disputes. Krista is the past chair of the BC CBA Construction Section and the current secretary of the national CBA Construction and Infrastructure Section. Krista is recognized in The Best Lawyers in Canada (Construction Law) and Benchmark Canada – The Definitive Guide to Canada’s Leading Litigation Firms & Attorneys (Future Star) and was listed in the 2020 edition of Benchmark 40 & Under Hot List. Krista is a frequent presenter on legal topics and was recognized as a CLE BC “Rising Star” in 2018 for her contributions to the Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia. Prior to joining BLG, Krista clerked for two justices of the Court of Appeal of British Columbia. Krista has a B.A. in History (Trinity College, University of Toronto). While obtaining her JD at the University of British Columbia (2009) she received the Carswell Prize for highest standing in first year law.

Krista is an avid opera-goer who loves introducing friends to the art form and reading about operatic history. A signed poster from Vancouver Opera’s production of Nixon in China occupies a place of honour on her office wall. In her spare time, Krista also enjoys cooking and growing hard-to-find vegetables in her community garden plot.


Reda Akladios

Reda Akladios, CPA, CMA is a senior finance executive with more than 30 years of experience in infrastructure, mining, construction, and public companies. He has held CFO, Vice President Finance, Director of Finance, and Corporate Controller roles, leading financial strategy, treasury, risk management, project financing, and governance for multi-billion-dollar organizations.

Most recently, he served as CFO of the $4.09 billion Site C Clean Energy project. Reda brings extensive expertise in financial oversight, strategic planning, and stakeholder relations, providing strong governance and business leadership at the board level.


Krysta Chapman


Ally Dick

Ally Dick, CA is a senior finance and governance leader with extensive experience in financial reporting, risk management, corporate governance, and board oversight. As Vice President, Corporate Controller at lululemon athletica inc., he leads global controllership functions, oversees enterprise financial reporting, ESG reporting, and Audit Committee engagement.

Previously, Ally held progressive leadership roles at lululemon and Ernst & Young, specializing in audit, public company reporting, governance, and complex accounting matters. He also served as Chair and Director of the Vancouver Farmers Markets Board, where he helped strengthen governance and guide the organization to long-term financial stability. Ally is a Chartered Accountant and holds a degree in Economics and French from the University of Warwick.

He grew up in Edinburgh, Scotland, with opera attendance being part of his childhood, and is excited to be engaged with the Opera community in Vancouver.


Shaun Dolman

Shaun Dolman is a lawyer by profession and works for the Provincial Ministry of Attorney General. Her area of practice is Indigenous Law.

Prior to her law career Shaun obtained a degree in education specializing in French.

Shaun is passionate about opera and believes strongly in music education. Shaun has passed on her love of music to her three children each of whom are accomplished musicians.

Shaun is of Gitxsan and Scottish heritage.


Kevin Kelly

Kevin Kelly spent a majority of his career working for the Chevron Corporation, based in the San Francisco Bay Area. During his time there, he worked in various departments including Finance, Major Project management, Commodity Trading and Supply, Treasury Operations, Global Line Management of Fuels and Lubricants businesses, and his last 7 years was as the Vice President of Global Lubricants Sales, Technology, and Marketing.

Kevin was introduced to opera by his father, and has carried on his father’s tradition of annotating “The Complete Opera Book” (1919) by Kobbe with details of every performance attended.

He holds a BA in Economics from Haverford College in Pennsylvania, and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.


Pierre Lebel

Pierre Lebel is a Director and past Chair of Imperial Metals Corporation.

Has served as a director of a wide range of public companies Associations and Foundations.

Honorary Director of the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation.

Recipient of the E.A. Scholz Award for excellence in mine development in British Columbia.

Named Mining Person of the Year in 2012 by the British Columbia Mining Association.

Recipient of the King Charles Coronation Medal.


Ivor Luk

Ivor is a Senior Partner responsible for the some of Deloitte’s most important clients acting as a broker to deliver the best of the firm’s resources whether local, national or global. He previously served on the Board of Directors for Deloitte Canada and Chile and chairing the Finance & Investment Committee and having also sat on the Clients and Market Committee, People and Culture Committee of the Board.

Ivor has a finance background with experience in M&A, capital raising and IPOs. He is a qualified UK Chartered Accountant starting his global experience in Deloitte’s UK London practice (from 1997 to 2005). Since 2005, Ivor has resided in Canada, specialising in supporting Canadian companies with growth capital or M&A.

Ivor is based out of Vancouver and is currently a senior relationship partner in addition to his Board duties.


Emily MacKinnon

Emily MacKinnon is a skilled litigator with over a decade of experience in high-stakes litigation and arbitration. She is a trusted advisor and a veteran strategist. A sophisticated legal thinker and an exceptional oral advocate, Emily has argued at the Supreme Court of Canada and at all levels of court in British Columbia, Manitoba, Alberta, and Ontario.

Adept at identifying the crux of an issue, Emily provides practical advice to help her clients navigate thorny commercial disputes. She excels in matters involving complex statutory and contractual schemes. Her wide experience includes successfully defending class actions, construction disputes, and contract and tort cases. She has argued a wide variety of appeals with issues ranging from defamation to shareholder disputes, constitutional law, and trusts.

Emily is a leader in the community. She sits on the board of directors of Vancouver Opera, the National Self-Represented Litigants’ Project, and the UBC Allard School of Law Alumni Association. Emily maintains an active pro bono practice, and she is an adjunct professor at UBC. She also works as a legal officer for the Canadian Forces Reserves.

Emily received her JD from the University of British Columbia in 2012, where she graduated as the gold medalist and as a Wesbrook Scholar. Following her graduation from law school, she clerked at the Supreme Court of Canada for Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin.


Richard Rees

In 2017, Richard joined the VOA Board having stepped down after 27 years in CEO roles for the Chartered Professional Accountants of BC and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of BC and Yukon. Richard’s leadership has been recognized through a Lifetime Achievement Award from the accounting profession, a Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal and a Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 Award from the Financial Post.

He became VOA Treasurer, Vice Chair and then Chair, serving as Chair through the challenging pandemic years 2020-2022. Concurrently, he served on the VOF Board and became Chair in 2024. In this role he works to ensure the fiscal viability of the company.

Richard currently also serves as Secretary of Health Research BC. Richard has also served several academic, health research and other charitable organizations as Board Chair and in various other roles. An avid music fan with an interest in many diverse types of music, Richard’s vacations usually include concerts or opera. He was also a member of the Vancouver Welsh Men’s Choir for 10 years (1988-1998).


Andrew Robb

Andy has successfully purchased, merged, and exited businesses, and currently owns operating companies across Western Canada.

Currently, Andy is Managing Partner at Solinsky Consulting, where the company runs hospital home lottery programs across Western Canada, raising over $35 million annually in unrestricted funds for hospital foundations. Andy is also a Co-Owner of Peerless Engineering and advises organizations on growth strategy, operations, and stakeholder engagement.

Andy has been world‑ranked amateur golfer and former member of Canada’s National Development Golf Team, and has competed in many of the world’s top amateur golf events, representing Canada as an amateur, junior, and collegiate golfer in the United States, Europe, South Africa, and Asia. He currently sits on Golf Canada's Sport and Selection Committee. Andy is also a bone marrow transplant recipient for lymphoma and has a deep personal connection to the Canadian health‑care system. Outside of his professional and athletic pursuits, he has a lifelong passion for music, which continues to be an important creative outlet.


Chloe Sauder

Chloe (she/her) fell in love with opera at an early age when her family played Carmen in the car during road trips. She has been a lifelong Vancouver Opera attendee. Chloe minored in theatre as part of her undergraduate degree at the University of McGill and now works as a lawyer. In her spare time, when not in the VO audience, Chloe enjoys surfing in Tofino, BC.


Stephen Schachter
Stephen R. Schachter, K.C., is one of British Columbia’s leading appellate and trial lawyers, with more than four decades of experience litigating complex corporate and commercial disputes. A partner at NST LLP, he regularly appears before the British Columbia Supreme Court, the British Columbia Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court of Canada, and other regulatory and administrative tribunals.

Stephen’s practice focuses on corporate commercial litigation, including shareholder disputes, class actions, securities matters, professional negligence claims, pension litigation, and derivative actions. He has been consistently recognized as a leading litigator by Chambers and Partners, Lexpert, Benchmark Canada, Best Lawyers Canada, and The Legal 500. Appointed King’s Counsel in 2001, he has also been named among Canada’s top trial lawyers and has received numerous distinctions for excellence in commercial litigation.

Beyond his legal practice, Stephen is an active contributor to legal education and professional development Stephen has a passion for music and was as former board member of the Vancouver Recital Society and served as its Chair for many years.


Isabelle Spothelfer

Born near Frankfurt, I grew up in Germany and was exposed to classical music very early on. My first opera experience was at 10 years old when I saw Siegfried in Bayreuth and was absolutely mesmerized by the beautiful music and the striking Jean-Pierre Ponnelle set.

Following high school at the Frankfurt International School, I studied in French at the Ecole Hotelière in Lausanne for a bachelor in hotel management. After graduating I worked in the Kempinski Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten in Munich and was then part of the executive team that planned and opened the Kempinski Airport in Munich in 1994.

Pascal and I have been happily married for 32 years and after living in Munich for four years, we moved to Calgary in 1994 and soon after our son Cedric was born (1995) followed by our son Dominic (1996). In 1998 we relocated to Vancouver and have been here ever since. In 2000 we welcomed our daughter Celine. I consider my three children and our family unit as my biggest achievements. We are avid skiers, golfers and sailors.

Pascal and I share a passion for opera, classical music and the arts in general. Pascal was active with Vancouver Opera since 2000 as a board member and later as chair and I have been involved in many galas over the years including co-chairing last years Habanera as well as Ouverture in 2018 with my good friend Bruce Wright. I have a passion for Vancouver Opera and its place in our community. Among my favorite productions were the indigenous Magic Flute (2007) with its magical set as well as The Dialogue of the Caramelites (2006) which music is so profoundly moving as well as many others like Carmen with Gene Stillwell, Faust, Nixon in China, Madame Butterfly and many others.

We have been part of the Young Presidents Organization for over 20 years and besides organizing several events (including one with Vancouver Opera), I was a member of the executive for 4 years from 2016 to 2020 chairing the spousal program. I am also currently volunteering for the North Shore Community Services.


Carol Tsuyuki

Despite working as a general dentist for over 38 years, the beginning of my career was circuitous. My first year at UBC was in general Music with a Voice Concentration, after which I switched to the Sciences, obtaining a degree in Marine Biology before attending Dental School.

My interest in music has remained steadfast. The common interest in music and art led me to meeting my husband, Craig Tomlinson, who builds wonderful harpsichords and other early keyboard instruments. Together we have raised our three sons surrounded by music.

Acting upon my passion for opera, I have been a VOA season’s subscriber for over 35 years and an ORT member since 2000. For a period during Jim Wright’s tenure I was on two committees in a non-director capacity. Since I retired in 2016, I feel I am now ready to support the VOA in a more formal manner. I believe deeply that opera is food for the soul.


Susan Van der Flier

Susan is a partner in her law firm, specializing in Family Law. Her past volunteer work includes service to the BC Cancer Foundation, the Canadian Bar Association and The Advocates’ Society. She is a past Governor of Crofton House School and a past Director of the BC College of Psychologists.

Susan is fluent in American Sign Language and French and taught French Immersion in the public school system before becoming a lawyer. She has been an enthusiastic supporter of Vancouver Opera and its fundraising events for many years. She previously served on the Vancouver Opera Association Board of Directors from 2009 to 2018.


Wilson Williams

Sxwíxwtn Wilson Williams has dedicated his life to furthering the cultural, economic, and geographical interests of the Squamish Nation. A proud Nation Member who was born and raised on the Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw homelands, Sxwíxwtn is passionate about giving back to his community.

Currently serving his third term on Squamish Nation Council, Sxwíxwtn also acts as one of two appointed Spokespersons for the Squamish Nation.

An elected official with a background in communications, Sxwíxwtn carries a full portfolio. He is committed to protecting Squamish lands and waters through the assertion of historical rights & titles, while ensuring a bright and sustainable economic future for all Members. A passionate ambassador and knowledge keeper of the Nation’s rich history, culture, and language, Sxwíxwtn believes deeply that respecting and understanding the Nation’s past is an essential component in informing decisions that will carry the Nation forward.

Committed to furthering “True Reconciliation”, Sxwíxwtn believes walking with the Squamish People on all decisions is integral as he continues to build meaningful external relationships, both close to home and around the world.

A true believer in the power of sport as a catalyst for growth, Sxwíxwtn is a devoted volunteer with the Community’s sports development programs. He also believes in the medicine of music and creativity and loves to play rhythm guitar. A loving husband and father to three young girls, Sxwíxwtn is now passing down the sacred teachings he holds to ensure a bright and positive future for the next generation, and for generations to come.


Yang Wang

Yang Wang specializes in real estate finance, development, and asset management across British Columbia and Ontario. He holds a Master’s degree in Business Management from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Southern California.

Yang currently serves as Chair of Impact North Shore (formerly the North Shore Multicultural Society), Treasurer of the British Columbia Association of Police Boards, and a Board Director for the West Vancouver Police Board, Vancouver Opera, and Enhance West Van (formerly the West Vancouver Community Centres Services Society). He is also the longtime organizer of West Vancouver’s Lunar New Year celebrations. Previously, he served as a Board Director for the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation and the West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce and held various roles with the West Vancouver Foundation.

Yang has received several honours, including the King Charles III Coronation Medal, the District of West Vancouver’s Community Award, and the West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce’s Young Entrepreneur Award. In his free time, he is an active USPA polo player and has been named Grand Champion of the Masters Cup West Coast Classic.