About Commonwealth Leaders Dialogue Canada

Agnes Di Leonardi, CM

Founder & President

Agnes is President of Commonwealth Leaders Dialogue Canada and an alumna of the 1998 Canadian Duke of Edinburgh Commonwealth Study Conferences. A distinguished General Counsel and senior executive, she brings over 25 years of experience advising multinational corporations, financial institutions, and public companies on legal strategy, governance, and business growth. Known for her strategic insight and ability to translate complex regulatory issues into practical solutions, she has held senior leadership roles at Sym‑Tech Dealer Services, Mazda Canada, Coventree, and Ford Motor Company of Canada.

Her governance experience includes board roles with Global Automakers of Canada, the International Women’s Forum of Canada, YWCA Toronto, and the Sunnybrook Hospital Foundation. Agnes’ contributions have earned national recognition, including appointment as a Member of the Order of Canada, an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Windsor, and honours such as Canadian Black Book Automotive Icon and Automotive News Canada Champion of Diversity.

She holds a business degree from the Schulich School of Business and a law degree from Windsor Law.

Robert Taylor, LVO

Founder & Treasurer

Robert enjoyed a 30-year career with Shell Canada Limited. In 1990 he became a Director of the Company and Executive Vice President Shell Canada Resources and later President Shell Canada Products Ltd. He was Area Manager for Shell International Petroleum Company in London for three years where he was responsible for Shell operating companies in East and West Africa.

He was a Governor of the Glenbow Museum in Calgary and a Director of Alberta Theatre Projects located in the Calgary Centre for the Performing Arts.

Bob served as a Director of Pembina Pipeline Corporation for 15 years, was a Director of Turbodyne Technologies Inc. and continues as a Director of McTAY Holdings Ltd.

He was a member in 1980 of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Commonwealth Study Conference. In 1983 he participated in founding the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conferences and in 2009 he co-founded The Duke of Edinburgh’s Emerging Leaders’ Dialogues Canada, now known as Commonwealth Leaders Dialogue, where he continues to serve as a Director and Treasurer.

In 1999, Bob was recognized by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with the award of a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO).

Lisa Bell, MBA

Secretary

Lisa is a senior executive with more than thirty years of experience in financial services, export development, and public‑sector leadership. She has held key management roles across Jamaica’s financial sector and served as Managing Director of the National Export‑Import Bank of Jamaica, where she advanced national competitiveness and SME export growth.

Before joining EXIM Bank, Lisa was Deputy President of Jamaica Trade and Invest (JAMPRO), contributing eight years to strengthening Jamaica’s investment and export promotion agenda. Her career also includes leadership roles at Alpha Financial Services Limited, Victoria Mutual Investments Limited, and Citizensbank, along with international experience at Andersen Consulting and the City of Miami’s Department of Management & Budget.

An experienced board director, Lisa is known for her strategic insight, strong stakeholder relationships, and commitment to national development. She holds an MBA in Finance and a BBA from the University of Miami and is a 2011 alumna of the Caribbean‑Canada Emerging Leaders Dialogue (CCELD).

Sir Trevor Carmichael KA, LVO

Director

Trevor is a member of the International Bar Association, the InterAmerican Bar Association, the International Tax Planning Association, the International Fiscal Association, a former Deputy Secretary General of the International Bar Association, a Life Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Legal Studies in the United Kingdom, and a Life Member of the commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association.

He serves as a Panel Member of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes of the World Bank in Washington, the Founder Chairman of the Barbados Youth Business Trust and the Chairman of the United World Colleges Selection Committee for Barbados. A former Visiting Professor of Caribbean Foreign Investment Law to the Florida State University Summer Programme at the University of the West Indies, he is a Trustee of Europhil in the United Kingdom, and sits on the Legal Affairs and Properties Committee of the International Council of Museums in Paris, France and is a Trustee of the Duke of Edinburgh International Award Association.

Spencer Dane, MBA, CPA, FRSA

Director

Spencer is a senior academic leader with more than three decades of cross‑sector experience spanning post‑secondary education, aviation, financial services, and entrepreneurship. He currently serves as Division Chair for Langara College’s Creative Arts & Industries Division in Vancouver, where he is recognized for advancing inclusive leadership, strategic innovation, and academic excellence. His earlier tenure as Chair of the Langara School of Management was marked by significant program expansion, strengthened international engagement, and transformative institutional growth.

Before entering academia, Spencer held senior leadership roles with Air Canada and Canadian Airlines, specializing in strategic planning, financial management, and operational integration across complex national systems. His work in the aviation sector established a strong foundation in organizational strategy and large‑scale operational leadership.

Spencer has been actively involved with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Commonwealth Study Conference community since 1998 and has contributed to the organizing committees for multiple Caribbean–Canada Leaders Dialogues, supporting leadership development and cross‑cultural exchange across the Commonwealth.

Nickolas Steele

Director

Nickolas is a former Grenadian Cabinet Minister and a 2013 alumnus of the Commonwealth Study Conference Caribbean cohort. A two‑time Island Scholar, he studied International Business and Political Science at Northeastern University before returning to Grenada to lead several private‑sector ventures, including Steele’s Auto.

He entered politics in 2011 under the New National Party and was elected Parliamentary Representative for the Town of St. George in 2013, serving as Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Business. In 2014, he assumed the portfolio of Minister for Health, Social Security and International Business, a role he continued after winning the South St. George seat in 2018. Steele guided Grenada’s health response throughout the COVID‑19 pandemic and strengthened the country’s presence in global health governance, including election to the WHO Executive Council in 2019 and two terms on the Board of the Global Fund.

After leaving elected office in 2022, Steele returned to the private sector, leading ventures in import, export, tourism, and regional investment. Through his consultancy firm, Alegria Inc., he supports government‑to‑government initiatives and business‑to‑business investments across the Caribbean, including participation in the 2024 joint acquisition of Juice Box, Enel X Way North America holdings.