Jean-François has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2016. President of Gestion dextor ltée, he provides management consulting services to companies for the management of human resources, pension, and benefits programs.
He has an extensive management experience, having held several executive positions in various companies.
He participated as a host family and has been a counsellor on two occasions for AFS Canada.
A geographer by training, Marie is passionate about history, culture and adventure. She participated in the year program in Panama in 2003-2004 with AFS. Upon her return, she became involved as a volunteer in the organization. Her personal, academic and professional career then led her to experience other international experiences, notably in Europe and Chile.
In 2014, Marie completed her master’s degree in business administration (M.B.A.). She became involved in her community and served on the board of directors of the “Centre de Solidarité Internationale – of Saguenay- Lac-Saint-Jean” for a few years. She is currently a coordinator at the Farmers’ Union
A dynamic and bilingual professional manager and accountant, François Le May has nearly 30 years of diversified experience in administration, finance and accounting in the areas of charity management, training and professional services. He currently works for an architectural firm in Montreal as Director of Administration and Human Resources. Prior to that, he worked for more than 10 years in charitable organizations as Director of Administration where he was responsible for reporting to regulatory bodies.
Lawyer and former participant of a year program in Australia, Stéphanie is actively involved in the AFS organization. Her experience has been her gateway to the international arena, which has led her to participate in numerous international projects, study abroad sessions and to work for several years on a project to support training in natural resource management in the Congo Basin led by Université Laval.
Laurence is an attorney, accredited mediator and holder of a master’s degree in public administration management. She is a former AFS participant who participated in the program in Argentina in 2009-2010.
Since her return, she has been actively involved as a volunteer with AFS Interculture Canada. She manages the Intercultural Certification program, presides the Scholarship Committee and is a member of the Board of Directors of the AFS Foundation.
Passionate about intercultural relations and the protection of the most vulnerable, Laurence practices in the fields of municipal and human rights law and has previously worked in the field of immigration and refugee law.
Sofia Akande has acquired valuable cultural intelligence with professional experience extended across three continents (Africa, Europe and North America), an essential asset for leaders operating in environments characterized by diversity and inclusion. She holds a Master’s degree in Organization Management and Development, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Relations, and is a Certified Human Resources Consultant.
Sofia began her career with the International Labour Office. In 2020, Sofia founded Perle de Leader, an internationally recognized strategic talent management consultancy. At her firm, she and her team develop tailor-made diversity and inclusion strategies for numerous organizations around the world. Sofia and her team support organizations in implementing inclusive and high-performance practices, therefore contributing to the creation of more equitable organizational cultures.
Nicolas holds a master’s degree in environment from the University of Sherbrooke, as well as a master’s degree in engineering and management of the environment and sustainable development from l’Université de Technologies de Troyes. He has over 10 years of experience in planning, management, and monitoring of international programs, including nearly five years in West Africa. His work has led him to develop tools for systemic analysis of sustainability and the circular economy, with a keen understanding of environmental, social, economic and cultural fields. He has actively contributed to the organization and facilitation of numerous international conferences, and organized various training and webinars.
Kim holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and has professional experience in the plastic manufacturing business. She supports various social causes through her active volunteer work. Currently, she is a support volunteer at a cancer hospice and a director on the Barrett Family Foundation board.
Kim is deeply committed to the mission of AFS. Her father learned of AFS through a student in his high school in the 1950’s. Kim’s research led to her exchange in France as well as her daughter’s in Austria. Her family has also hosted several students.
Kim believes in the virtues of intercultural learning and wishes to be involved in teaching intercultural understanding across Canada. She has held several roles within the organization, including Chapter President of Southern Ontario, and is presently helping with interviews of students applying to go abroad and also organizing pre- and post- exchange orientations.
