Board of Directors

Christopher Hodgson , , , Lead Director, Chair of the Governance, Compensation and Nominating Committee
Markham, Ontario, Canada

Mr. Hodgson is the President of the Ontario Mining Association, President of Chris Hodgson Enterprises and a board member for Canadian Orebodies Inc. He previously served as Lead Director for The Brick Ltd. He entered provincial politics in 1994 as the MPP for Haliburton-Victoria-Brock and, following the 1995 general election, was appointed as Ontario’s Minister of Natural Resources and Minister of Northern Development and Mines. During his time as Minister, Mr. Hodgson was recognized for creating new opportunities and growth within Ontario’s mining industry. Between 1995 and 2003, he also served as Deputy House Leader, Chairman of the Management Board of Cabinet, Commissioner of the Board of Internal Economy, and Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Previously he enjoyed a career in municipal government and real-estate development and is an Honours Bachelor of Arts graduate from Trent University.

Sharmila Karve , , , Independent Director
Mumbai, India

Ms. Karve spent most of her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in India and was admitted to the partnership in 1997. During her time at PwC, Ms. Karve was appointed as the Ethics and Business Conduct Leader for PwC India, Head of Audit and the Diversity and Inclusion Leader for PwC’s Global Network. In 2017, Ms. Karve became the first person from India to be appointed to the Global Leadership Team and the Global Human Capital Team. Ms. Karve serves on a number of public and private boards in India, including CSB Bank Limited (a portfolio company of Fairfax India) and Thomas Cook (India) Limited (a subsidiary of Fairfax India’s parent company, Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited). Ms. Karve received a Bachelor of Commerce degree from R.A. Podar College of Commerce and Economics in Mumbai and holds a Chartered Accountant degree from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in India.

Sumit Maheshwari , , , Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer - Fairbridge Capital Private Limited
Mumbai, India

Mr. Maheshwari is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Fairbridge Capital Private Limited and has been an integral part of the Fairbridge team since 2011. Prior to joining Fairbridge, Mr. Maheshwari was at KPMG in India in their audit and accounting advisory practices. Mr. Maheshwari is a recognized accounting expert, with particular strength in translating between Indian GAAP, U.S. GAAP and IFRS accounting standards. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant, holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, and Bachelor of Commerce & Master of Commerce degrees from the University of Mumbai. Mr. Maheshwari serves on the board of directors of National Collateral Management Services Limited, NCML Finance Private Limited and Fairchem Specialty Limited, they are investees of Fairfax India.

R. William McFarland , , , Independent Director
Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada

R. William McFarland serves on the board of directors of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited and is lead director and chair of its audit committee. He is also a director and chairman of AGT Food and Ingredients Inc. and Fairfax’s publicly traded subsidiaries, Dexterra Group Inc. and Farmers Edge Inc. Mr. McFarland previously served as Chair of the Board of Directors of The Conference Board of Canada. Mr. McFarland was the Chief Executive Officer and Senior Partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers (Canada) from 2011 to 2018. Prior to that, Mr. McFarland was a member of the executive team at PricewaterhouseCoopers (Canada) from 2005 to 2011, having been admitted to the partnership in 1992 and having led the Greater Toronto Area audit practice from 2002 to 2005. Mr. McFarland is a Chartered Professional Accountant and a fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario.

Deepak Parekh , , , Independent Director
Mumbai, India

Mr. Parekh serves as the Chairman of Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited, a housing finance company in India which he joined in 1978. Mr. Parekh is the non-executive Chairman of GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and Siemens Ltd and serves as a director of several Indian public companies, including Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, the Indian Hotels Co Ltd and Network 18 Media & Investments Limited. Mr. Parekh also serves as a director of DP World Limited, a company listed on NASDAQ Dubai, and Vedanta Resources PLC, a company listed on the London Stock Exchange. Mr. Parekh received a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the Bombay University and holds a Chartered Accountant degree from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales.

Lauren Templeton , , , Independent Director
Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, U.S.A

Lauren C. Templeton is the founder and president of Templeton & Phillips Capital Management, LLC, a value investing boutique located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Ms. Templeton received a B.A. in Economics from the University of the South. She is the founder and former president of the Southeastern Hedge Fund Association, Inc. based in Atlanta, Georgia. Ms. Templeton currently serves on the Board of Trustees at the Baylor School, The Board of Trustees at the Bright School, the Atlas Economic Research Foundation Board of Overseers and the Board of Directors at Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited.

Satish Rai , , , Independent Director
Pickering, Ontario, Canada

Mr. Rai is OMERS’ Chief Investment Officer. His mandate includes the overall global investment strategy, portfolio construction activities, and P&L accountability across all asset classes and geographies where OMERS invests. Prior to joining OMERS in January 2015, he served as Chief Investment Officer at TD Asset Management, overseeing $250 billion in assets under management. Mr. Rai was also Chair of the Committee of the Advancement of Visible Minorities in Leadership Roles and a Diversity Leadership Council member. Mr. Rai holds both a Bachelor of Mathematics (University of Waterloo) and a CFA. In 2002, he was recognized as one of Canada’s Top 40 Industry Leaders Under 40, and in 2006 he received the Alumni Achievement Medal from Waterloo’s Faculty of Mathematics. Mr. Rai serves on the Second Harvest Board and is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization/World Presidents’ Organization. He is a past member of the respective Boards of the University of Waterloo, Michael Garron Hospital Foundation (formerly Toronto East General Hospital Foundation), Toronto Global and Women in Capital Markets.

Chandran Ratnaswami , , , Chief Executive Officer
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Mr. Ratnaswami is the Senior Managing Director of Hamblin Watsa Investment Counsel Ltd. At Hamblin Watsa, Mr. Ratnaswami is responsible for portfolio investments in Asia. Mr. Ratnaswami joined Hamblin Watsa in 1993 as director of International Investments. Mr. Ratnaswami has been a non-executive director of Thomas Cook India since August 22, 2012, and a director of India Infoline Limited since May 15, 2012. He serves as a director of First Capital Insurance Limited, a director of Fairbridge Capital Private Limited, and has been a director of ZoomerMedia Ltd. since November 4, 2010. He serves as a non-executive director of ICICI Lombard and has been a director of Thai Reinsurance Public Company Limited since February 2012.

Gopalakrishnan Soundarajan , , , Chief Operating Officer
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Mr. Soundarajan is a Managing Director at Hamblin Watsa Investment Counsel Ltd. Prior to this, Mr. Soundarajan was the Chief Investment Officer of ICICI Lombard, the largest private sector property and casualty insurance company in India. He held the position of head of investments at ICICI Lombard from 2001 to 2018 and was a member of the investment committee. Mr. Soundarajan serves on the board of directors of FIH Mauritius Investments Ltd, FIH Private Investments Ltd and Primary Real Estate Investment Fund. Mr. Soundarajan holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Madras, is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and is a Qualified Chartered Financial Analyst and Member of the CFA Institute in the United States.

Benjamin Watsa , , , Non-Independent Director
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Benjamin P. Watsa is President and Founder of Marval Capital Ltd. ("Marval"). Mr. Watsa has over two decades of experience in the investment industry. Prior to Marval, Mr. Watsa was a Partner and Portfolio Manager at Lissom Investment Management Inc., spent five years in New York as an investment banker in the Financial Institutions Group at Banc of America Securities and at Cochran Caronia Waller. Mr. Watsa also serves as a director of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, the advisory board of Impression Ventures, and holds the position of director emeritus for his work and contributions as a director and Vice Chair of the Investment Committee for the Rideau Hall Foundation. Mr. Watsa is the son of Prem Watsa.

V. Prem Watsa , , , Founder & Chairman
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Mr. Watsa has been the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited since 1985. He has served as Vice President of Hamblin Watsa Investment Counsel Ltd. since 1985. Mr. Watsa formerly served as Vice President of GW Asset Management from 1983 to 1984 and in various positions, ultimately as a Vice President, with Confederation Life Investment Counsel from 1974 to 1983. Mr. Watsa is also a director of BlackBerry Limited.

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