Executive Team
Chad Gaffield, President
Carmen Charette, Executive Vice-President
Brent Herbert-Copley, Vice-President, Grants and Fellowships
Jaime Pitfield, Vice-President, Common Administrative Services Directorate
Gisèle Yasmeen, Vice-President, Partnerships
Carmen Charette, Executive Vice-President
Carmen has been involved in supporting research, research training and innovation in Canada for more than 20 years. She joined the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) when it was first created in 1997, building on her experience at NSERC, where she had managed various research funding programs between 1983 and 1997. Before 1983, she worked as a researcher, at the Canadian Conservation Institute.
As the CFI’s senior vice-president until September 2006, Carmen designed and implemented strategies, policies and programs for a $3.65-billion investment in research infrastructure in institutions across the country. Carmen also did a brief stint as executive director of external relations and innovation for the Science and Innovation Sector at Industry Canada before coming to SSHRC.
Carmen holds degrees in biochemistry and business administration from the University of Ottawa.
Brent Herbert-Copley, Vice-President, Grants and Fellowships
Brent comes to SSHRC from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), where he held a variety of positions, including, most recently, that of director for social and economic policy programs. Before joining IDRC, Brent worked at the North-South Institute, a leading Canadian think-tank on development issues.
Brent’s own research has focused on understanding the process of innovation, and the way that government polices—including environmental regulation—affect that process. He has also focused on the links between research and public policy, and the role of scholarly research in helping to inform public debate on policy options. Brent brings to SSHRC a range of contacts, internationally and within Canada, as well as experience working with government agencies, foundations and the university community to build support for research and scholarship.
Brent holds a PhD in political science and a master’s degree in international affairs from Carleton University, as well as a bachelor’s degree in political science from The University of Western Ontario.
Jaime Pitfield, Vice-President, Common Administrative Services Directorate
Jaime comes to SSHRC with a wide range of senior management experience in the federal public service, beginning in 1984 when he joined the Department of Regional Industrial Expansion. Most recently, he served as assistant deputy minister of corporate and technology services at Citizenship and Immigration Canada from 2006-2010.
From 1985 to 1990, he left the public service to own and manage two successful companies in residential development and construction.
Since returning to the public service in 1990, Jaime has served in increasingly senior positions at the Department of Supply and Services; Energy, Mines and Resources; Natural Resources Canada (NRCan); the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat; Industry Canada; Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada(DFAIT), and Public Works and Government Services Canada. He has been director general of human resources at NRCan, of Communications and Marketing at International Trade Canada (now DFAIT), of Government On-Line at Industry Canada, and of the Government of Canada Marketplace at Public Works and Government Services Canada. He has also served as executive director of the Office of Petroleum Price Information at NRCan.
Jaime holds a bachelor’s degree in Commerce (accounting) from Saint Mary's University in Nova Scotia.
Gisèle Yasmeen, Vice-President, Partnerships
Gisèle's career has spanned everything from research, teaching and international development to journalism and communications. It has taken her from Montreal to Vancouver, from Ottawa to Bangkok.
As a consultant, she worked for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the Canadian International Development Agency and the International Development Research Centre. From 2000 to 2003 she was a radio columnist for Radio-Canada and CBC in Vancouver. She was also the founding regional director of the Canadian Unity Council’s Centre for Research and Information on Canada for British Columbia and the Yukon.
Before coming to SSHRC in 2007, Gisèle worked for Elections Canada as senior director for outreach, communications and research.
Gisèle has a PhD from UBC, an MA from McGill and a B.A. Honours from the University of Ottawa.