Leadership Team

Jeff Guthrie joined the Canadian Credit Union Association (CCUA) as President and CEO on July 1, 2022. He is an accomplished financial services executive with a wide range of experience in financial services and leading organization-wide transformations.

Jeff began his career in retail banking at the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) as a teller. During his tenure with RBC, he held various roles with a progression of responsibilities, eventually becoming a member of the executive team as Vice-President, Card Services.

Inspired to take on a new challenge, Jeff left RBC in late 2000 and became one of the founding executives of Moneris Solutions (Moneris). Today Moneris is Canada’s number one payment processor and one of the largest in North America. Over his 19-year tenure at Moneris, he held multiple senior roles, including Senior Vice-President Operations and Integrations, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Sales and Marketing Officer.

During his time with Moneris, Jeff served on the MasterCard Canada, Visa International, and Discover North American Advisory Boards. He also served as an advisor to the Canadian Professional Sales Association (CPSA) in developing competencies and curricula related to establishing a graduate degree program for sales.

Most recently, Jeff served as President and COO of Hank Payments, a Canadian start-up focused on providing tools to help consumers improve their financial well-being. He is currently an advisor to Payment Source Inc.; a payments company focused on financial inclusion in Canada. Jeff also represents Canada’s credit unions on the World Council of Credit Union Board (WOCCU).

Jeff holds a Master of Management from McGill University, specializing in international business. An avid traveler, he has visited over 40 countries and plans to continue to explore the world with the lifting of restrictions. Over the past two years, he has filled the travel void by publishing over 20 essays on various subjects, including economic recovery, mental health, and cryptocurrencies.

Jeff is an accomplished ultra-marathon runner, never shy of a challenge, having completed races in the most extreme conditions, including the Egyptian Sahara, Amazon Basin, Northern Iceland, and Fijian mountains. When not indulging his passion for travel and adventure, Jeff resides in Toronto, Canada.

Brenda M. O’Connor is Vice President, Governance & Strategy at the Canadian Credit Union Association (CCUA). As a member of CCUA’s Executive Team, she is responsible for all legal, compliance, governance and strategy matters.  A member of the Ontario bar, a graduate of the University of Ottawa Law School and Carleton University, Brenda brings over 30 years of experience in financial services regulation, compliance and legislative policy to her role as a strategic legal advisor and advocate for Canada’s credit unions.

Brenda has served on the Board of Directors of Interac Corp. and is currently a Governor on the Carleton University Board of Governors and Vice-Chair of Carleton’s Governance Committee.  She has completed the Queen’s Strategy Program and the Rotman ICD Directors Education Program.  Earlier in her career, Brenda spent some time in private practice and held senior legal positions at CIBC and ING Canada.

Michael Hatch is CCUA’s Vice President of Government Relations. Michael manages the team that runs CCUA’s advocacy and policy work at the federal and provincial levels on behalf of credit unions. Prior to joining CCUA in 2018, Michael spent a decade at a government relations consulting firm working primarily for national associations. During that time he also served as chief economist to a large retail trade association, and was their national media spokesperson as well, conducting well over 2,000 media interviews in all formats over ten years. Michael also worked on Parliament Hill for three years as an economic policy advisor. Originally from Newfoundland, Michael has a degree in Economics from the University of Toronto.

Dimah Khalili is a seasoned communication and digital marketing leader, with extensive national and global experience, helping organizations to bring their missions and brands to life through compelling stories, strategic thought leadership, and robust strategies that leverage creativity, design thinking, and project management skills.

In previous roles, Dimah worked for world leaders in the public and non-profit sectors, including the late King Hussein of Jordan, King Abdullah II of Jordan, and The Crown Prince of Wales. Additionally, she worked in the private sector for a global multi-billion-dollar private equity firm, Saraya Holdings.

Dimah was awarded the Jordanian Medal (Decoration) for Achievements at the World Economic Forum, Dead Sea by Jordan King Abdullah II in 2003. Also, she is a recipient of two academic scholarships: the Carol Dickson Memorial Scholarship by Rotman School of Management from the University of Toronto in 2012, and the British Chevening Scholarship by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 2000.

Dimah holds an Executive MBA in General Management from the University of Toronto, a master’s degree in International Communications and Development from the City University of London, UK, and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication with a specialization in PR and Advertising, and a Minor in Economics from the American University.

Dimah has lived in five countries and travelled to over 60 countries across the globe. She is also an aspiring public speaker, having participated in conferences and panel discussions on topics related to strategic planning, communications and innovation. Dimah enjoys yoga, hiking, sailing and food. And she is passionate about volunteering, ESG (environment, social and governance) and serving her community.

Mirren Harris is Vice President of Education & Professional Development at the Canadian Credit Union Association (CCUA). She is responsible for the education programs and accreditations offered to our member credit unions. A trusted, high-energy leader, Mirren is dedicated to lifelong learning and has helped thousands of learners in their career development, ensuring they have the tools, opportunities, and support needed to succeed.

Mirren brings close to twenty years of experience in the cooperative financial services sector to CCUA and is well-known for her extensive work with the CCUA’s National Young Leader and Lending Committees. Mirren has a Master of Education in Adult Learning, a Bachelor of Commerce, and is a Fellow of the Credit Union Institute of Canada.

Lana Morgan, VP, Finance and Corporate Services, is a designated professional and manages accounting, financial reporting, financial analysis, IT and Risks for CCUA. She has over 20 years of finance and accounting management experience with Toronto-based companies and large publicly traded international corporations. She has been involved in complex mergers and acquisitions, extensive process improvements, large systems implementations, and much more. She brings with her experience in a broad range of industries, including tech, manufacturing, auto, and wholesale trade. Lana is experienced in various aspects of finance and accounting management, including financial reporting, budgeting, financial modeling and analysis, business planning, and process improvement. Lana holds Chartered Professional Accountant, Certified Management Accountant, and International Mergers and Acquisitions Experts designations from CPA (Ontario), CMA (Ontario), and Institute for Mergers, Acquisitions and Alliances (Vienna, Austria).

Jennifer King, Director, Human Resources, has over 25 years of people and culture management expertise, with extensive knowledge leading organizational transformation, growth through people, leadership, employee engagement, succession planning, and proven recruitment strategies. Prior to joining the Canadian Credit Union Association, Jennifer spent five years as Director of Human Resources at FORREC Ltd, a mid-sized, award-winning international design company with offices in the US and China. She brings an entrepreneurial spirit to every role, having been a successful consultant for more than six years for companies across a wide range of industries, where she showcased her solid human resources expertise and people management advice. Before starting her consulting business, she was a leader and partner to senior management in companies such as Fuller Landau LLP, Mondelez International, and AstraZeneca Canada.

Jennifer obtained her Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) designation in 1998. When she’s not leading HR at CCUA, Jennifer continues to showcase her dedication and commitment to the HR profession through her volunteer work with the Human Resources Professionals Association as a member of the CHRL Knowledge Exam and Employment Law Exam Validation Committee. At her very core, she is passionate about problem-solving that benefits both the business and the employees. Jennifer is an avid long-distance cyclist and has also competed in several triathlons of various distances, including completing Ironman Canada in 2010.