Women of Action Honourees
Bonnie Brooks
Bonnie Brooks is the President and CEO of the Bay, the country's oldest department store, operating 94 stores across Canada. Ms. Brooks brings with her over two decades of extensive prestige brand and department store experience to this role. Ms. Brooks has spent more than 25 years building prestige retail formats around the world, like Holt Renfrew, Lane Crawford, Harvey Nichols, and leading designer brand stand-alone stores in Asia.
Most recently, Ms. Brooks was the President of the Lane Crawford Joyce Group based in Hong Kong. In this role, she oversaw all aspects of the company which represents many of the world's leading brands in over 500 locations in nine Asian countries; including the 158 year old Lane Crawford department stores, Joyce Boutiques, Pedder Group, and the LCJG Distribution Company, and more specifically, the expansion of these formats in Greater China and South East Asia.
In Canada, Ms. Brooks is best known for her roles at Holt Renfrew where she was Executive Vice President/General Merchandise Manager and Senior Vice President of Marketing. In these executive positions, she had complete responsibility for strategic planning, all marketing functions, all merchandise buying, designer brand acquisition, and more. She has also served as Editor-in-Chief of FLARE, Canada's largest fashion and lifestyle magazine and has an MBA from the University of Western Ontario.
Wendy Eisen
Wendy Eisen (née Herman) was born in Toronto and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from McGill University in Montreal, where she lived until 1981.
Throughout her adult life, Wendy has exhibited a passionate commitment to the welfare of the Jewish people. She has raised funds for Israel through the United Israel Appeal and the State of Israel Bonds. She played a prominent role in the global campaign to liberate Jews from the Soviet Union, culminating in the publication of her book, Count Us In - the Struggle to Free Soviet Jews.
Wendy's leadership positions include: Co-Chair, Toronto's 1995 UJA/Federation campaign; Chair, Montreal 35s - Women's Campaign for Soviet Jewry; Chair, Toronto 35s - Women's Campaign for Soviet Jewry; Co-chair, Canadian Committee for Soviet Jewry, Canadian Jewish Congress; Founding Chair, Holy Blossom Temple Foundation.
At present, she is National Co-Chair, Canadian Friends of the Israel Museum.
Wendy has led UIA Missions to Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union, Argentina and Israel and has served on the Speaker's Bureau for UJA/USA, UIA Canada, Israel Bonds and Keren Hayesod.
Among Wendy's honours are: Shem Tov award: UJA Federation; Women of Achievement award: Hadassah-Wizo: Jerusalem 3000 award: State of Israel Bonds; Golda Meir award: State of Israel Bonds; Volunteer recognition award: Province of Ontario; Commemorative medal for the 125th anniversary of the Confederation of Canada; Honourary Fellowship: Israel Museum; Ben Sadowski Award: UJA Federation.
Wendy is married to Elliott Eisen. They have four married daughters and nine grandchildren.
Dr. Daniela Rotin
Dr.
Daniela Rotin holds a Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Biochemistry
and Signal Transduction and is a Professor of Biochemistry at the
University of Toronto. She is an expert in the areas of protein
degradation and signal transduction and their role in human
disease, including cancer. She has filed several patents over the
years related to her work.
Dr. Rotin obtained her BSc at the University of Toronto and her PhD at the Ontario Cancer Institute, Department of Medical Biophysics (University of Toronto) in 2008. She has then trained at the Hospital for Sick Children and at NYU Medical Center as a Postdoctoral Fellow, and subsequently recruited to the Research Institute, the Hospital for Sick children, in 1992. She has received numerous scholarships and awards over the years, including NCIC Studentship, MRC Fellowship, MRC/CIHR Scholarship, CIHR Investigator award, PREA Award, the Solvay Kingswood and Zeller's awards from the Canadian CF Foundation, and CRC chair. She has published over 160 papers (many in high impact journals), abstracts and patents and has given over 130 lectures worldwide.
Dr. Rotin has served on the ICRF scientific grant review panel for several years.
Dr. Marla Shapiro
Dr. Marla completed medical school at McGill University. She completed her post graduate training at both McGill and University of Toronto. She holds a Fellowship in Community Medicine from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and a Fellowship in Family Medicine. She is a credentialed menopause expert.
In 2000, Dr. Shapiro became the Health and Medical Contributor for CTV's Canada AM and is seen as the medical consultant on CTV's National News with Lloyd Robertson. In 2003, she hosted Balance: Television for Living Well, a refreshing daily health and lifestyle show that is still seen in syndication. Dr. Shapiro wrote a regular column for the Globe and Mail and currently writes a health column for Canadian Health and Living as well as her weekly blog on the CTV website. She is Editor of ParentsCanada, Me and Mom as well as Health Essentials. She writes a regular Ask Dr. Marla column for both ParentsCanada and Me and Mom. She is a member of several committees and advisory boards including Cancer Care Ontario, the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, Baycrest Hospital, Research Canada and SIGMA Canadian Menopause Society.
Dr. Shapiro is the recipient of the 2005 Media Award from the North American Menopause Society for her work in expanding the understanding of menopause, and won the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada/Canadian Foundation for Women's Health Award for Excellence in Women's Health Journalism in 2006 for her documentary Run Your Own Race which has won her numerous industry awards including the New York Film Festival and the Columbus International Film and Video award. Dr. Shapiro has received an Award of Excellence from the Canadian College of Family Physicians. In 2010 she won the May Cohen Award from the Federation of Medical Women of Canada and the Peter R Newman Humanitarian Award.
She is known for her advocacy, expertise, humanitarianism, and commitment to the professional, social and personal advancement of women physicians and to the promotion of the well-being of all women. Her book Life in the Balance: My Journey with Breast Cancer, was released in Fall 2006 and is a National Bestseller.
ICRF Lifetime Achievement Award Winner
Sharon London Liss
Renowned art dealer Sharon London Liss has been
involved with Israel Cancer Research Fund for more than 25 years.
Beginning first as a donor, Sharon went on to co-chair Le Bal
Masque for three years as well as several Galas. She joined the
Toronto Board in 1992, the Executive Committee in 1999,
followed in 2002 with a position on the International Board
in New York.
Sharon served as Co-President of the Toronto chapter of ICRF 2003 - 2007 continues to sit on the Executive Committee, as well as the International Board.
Sharon, her husband Mark (ICRF president 1996- 2001) and her sons, David and Andrew, have participated throughout the years in all aspects of Israel Cancer Research Fund activities.
In addition to her dedication to ICRF, Sharon served on the board of Jewish National Fund 2005- 2010. She has sat on the board of Mount Sinai Hospital since 1997, serving as the Chair of the Art Committee. Sharon has sat on the Joint Management Committee of the Koffler Centre and is currently a member of the Group of 51. In 2004, Sharon was a Charles Bronfman Prize nominee. In 2007, Sharon produced the book Jack Culiner: Collected Works at the request of both Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care and Mount Sinai Hospital. The focus of this was the positive value of art in a health care setting. Professionally, Sharon is a director of the Art Dealers Association of Canada.
The ICRF Lifetime Achievement Award was created in 2007 to recognize outstanding volunteers who have dedicated exceptional service to raising the profile of the organization. Sharon London Liss is an individual who has made significant fundamental contributions to ICRF through her leadership, mentorship, and passionate commitment to its cause.