Jill Zelmanovits, President & CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada
(Toronto, ON – August 9, 2023) – The National Board of Directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada is delighted to announce that Jill Zelmanovits (she/her) will join Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada as President and CEO, effective August 21, 2023.
Jill brings over twenty years of not-for-profit leadership experience and a keen passion for supporting youth. Most recently, Jill was the CEO of Girl Guides of Canada for 7 years where she led a bold transformation through developing collaborative, trusting relationships, and translating vision into action within a federation of over 75,000 members. She has demonstrated strong alignment with our BBBS values and unwavering commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
“Jill is a relationship-based, purpose-driven, and action-oriented leader and her expertise will play a pivotal role in driving our vision forward. Jill is ideally positioned to lead the national team that serves the 96 BBBS member agencies whose staff and volunteers across Canada collectively support 26,435 young people to realize their full potential,” says Liz Falco, Chair, National Board of Directors, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada.
Jill started her career as a lawyer and worked at Legal Aid Ontario, representing clients and leading advocacy coalitions for critical policy changes. She currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of Save the Children, Canada. Previously Jill was a Trustee on the World Board of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.
In accepting the position of CEO, Jill said, “I am honoured to be chosen for this role and am already inspired by what I’ve learned of the passionate commitment of the BBBS membership across Canada. I strongly believe in the mission of igniting the potential of young people through mentorship and look forward to engaging first-hand with colleagues and the dedicated corporate, government and community partners that support our mission. I arrive full of optimism in the strength of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada to enable uplifting mentoring relationships for youth across Canada.”