Our Board of Directors

Bev Mehmel joined the Responsible Gambling Council Board in 2019, served as Vice Chair from June 2022 to June 2025, and is now the Chair of the Board.

Bev Mehmel has a history of leadership and impact in the Canadian gaming and liquor social responsibility field. She led Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries’ Corporate Responsibility strategy and social responsibility direction, along with community sponsorships, volunteerism and environmental initiatives.

Bev is a past chair and co-founder of the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation’s Canadian Responsible Gambling Association and co-created the onsite casino information center concept in 2006 and created the foundation for casino, VLT and lottery staff training across Canada.

Bev attended the University of Winnipeg, University of Manitoba and the Schulich School of Business at York University. She runs a small consultancy focused on common sense strategy and advice for businesses and associations. She has a passion for Board involvement beyond being Chair of RGC. She is also on the Board of Safety Services Manitoba and the Chronic Disease Innovation Centre at Seven Oaks Hospital.

Executive Director, Tribunals Ontario

Harry joined the Responsible Gambling Council Board in 2020 and has been the Vice Chair of the Board and Chair of the HR Committee since 2025. Harry is a provincial civil servant with in-depth knowledge of government and 20+ years of legal, policy and program development experience. Before his role at Tribunals Ontario, he was the Director of Corporate Affairs and Governance at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, where he was responsible for government relations, issues management, supporting Board governance and overseeing the day-to-day administration of an adjudicative tribunal, among other responsibilities.

Harry is a lawyer by training, and prior to joining the Ontario government, he practiced corporate law with Torys LLP and within the legal aid department of the United Nations/International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

Wan-Peng Sun has been on the Board of Directors since 2019 and has been the Board Secretary of the Board since 2025.

Wan-Peng is an experienced IT/Digital executive and Governance Professional. He has led engineering teams in various countries across many continents delivering innovative solutions that solve complicated problems. He has deep experience in Digital Transformation, Digital Adoption, Digital Delivery and Artificial Intelligence. Wan-Peng is passionate about Governance and has brought his governance experience to Youth, Healthcare and Sports Non-Profit Organizations.

Wan-Peng has a bachelor’s degree from Western University in Computer Science, Biology and Accounting. Wan-Peng is a CPA, CMA.

Christine Rhodes has been on the RGC Board of Directors since 2020. In 2026 she became the Treasurer and Chair of the Finance & Audit Committee.

Christine is a Canadian leader on sustainability and corporate responsibility issues, having worked in the field for nearly 15 years in both a consulting and corporate capacity. Christine currently holds the position of Associate Vice President, ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) Reporting and Measurement at TD Bank. Prior to that, she was an Associate Partner and Central Canada Leader of EY’s Climate Change and Sustainability Services practice, where she worked for over a decade.

She has significant experience designing, implementing and auditing social and environmental strategies across sectors including financial services, hospitality, transportation and logistics and various industrial industries. Her past non-profit board experience includes serving as an inaugural director for the Global Cannabis Partnership, where she helped to design a corporate responsibility framework for the newly legalized cannabis industry and oversaw the development of the member certification and assurance process.

Based in Toronto, Christine holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) from McGill University and the Canadian Enterprise Risk Management (CRMe) designation.

Salim Adatia has been on the RGC Board of Directors since 2020. Salim is Managing Director, Canada, at www.gaminglabs.com (GLI).

As one of the world’s leading experts in testing and certification, Salim works with government regulators, gaming operators and suppliers, all of whom benefit from his more than 25 years of experience in multilingual projects spanning land-based gaming, iGaming and sports betting around the world. Globally recognized as a pioneer in digital gaming assessments, he is a sought-after thought leader who helps GLI’s customers navigate gaming integrity through adherence to technical and regulatory requirements, supplier specifications and global industry standards.

Salim continues to be an important force for GLI, ensuring industry stakeholders receive world-class service through a dedicated customer service team. Prior to his current role, he served as GLI’s VP of Client Services for North America and VP of iGaming and Canadian Services, helping stakeholders navigate the rapidly growing gaming sector. He was also instrumental in establishing GLI’s professional services practice.

Prior to its acquisition by GLI, Salim was CEO of the Technical Systems Testing (TST) group of companies and was responsible for the company’s global testing facilities in Vancouver, London, Macau, Manila, Sydney and Melbourne.

Salim has been recognized as one of the gaming industry’s “Top 25 People to Watch” by Global Gaming Business magazine and has spoken at industry conferences throughout Canada, the United States, Asia, Europe, Latin America and Australia.

Dan Shimski has been on the RGC Board of Directors since 2020 and the Chair of the Governance & Nominations Committee since 2025.

Dan is the Principal of Shimski & Associates, a boutique consulting firm focused on technology solutions in the area of road safety. Dan’s career path has led him to a number of roles in the private and public sector. In the public sector, these roles have included being a Senior Advisor to an Ontario Cabinet Minister, Chief of Staff to a Toronto Councillor and senior roles within the City of Toronto administration.

In the private sector, Dan held a series of Operational, Sales and Customer Support roles with Conduent Inc. (formerly Xerox Services), as well as working as a lobbyist supporting both causes and commerce for a variety of organizations and corporate interests.

Through personal experience, Dan knows the challenges created by problem gambling – not just for the gambler, but oftentimes for those who care about them.

Dan has the firmly held belief that through education and the elimination of the stigma associated with problem gambling, we can start having the important conversations about gambling risk factors and mitigation strategies to reduce problem gambling.

Stacy Shaw has been on the RGC Board of Directors since 2022 and the Vice Chair of the Governance & Nominations Committee since 2025.

Stacy currently leads Product Marketing for the Oregon Lottery. In this role, she provides executive leadership and go to market strategic direction for Lottery’s games and services and mission critical brand programs such as responsible gaming and customer experience. Throughout her career she has been guided by the belief that people and profits can go together and that doing the right thing is just good business. For the last ten years she has focused on developing an industry leading RG program for Oregon Lottery, collaborating across diverse stakeholder groups including gambling operators, treatment, prevention and recovery professionals, researchers and legislators. Most recently, Stacy has worked with Oregon Council on Problem Gambling to stand up a Research Center designed to promote research and learning that will inform lasting solutions to gambling related issues facing the State of Oregon and the nation. Stacy is currently the Chair of the NCPG Advisory board and is active on the National Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL) RG committee. Previous to joining Oregon Lottery, Stacy held senior marketing and business development roles with Hyatt Hotels, Preferred Hotels and Related Companies. She also founded and managed m-k-t-g, a marketing agency focused on real estate, entertainment and travel.

Peter Slater has been on the RGC Board of Directors since 2024.  

Peter has over 15 years of experience across various capacities in the finance, gaming and technology sectors. Peter currently holds the position of Vice President, Finance at Splash Sports, a leading provider of peer-to-peer sports contests through its platforms. Prior to his role at Splash Sports, Peter spent more than a decade of his career in the investment banking industry covering diversified Canadian industries including technology, gaming and healthcare. In this role, Peter played an instrumental role in advising and facilitating IPOs, M&A and financings. He also previously served as CFO for a compliance software company, ultimately managing its strategic sale to a NASDAQ listed competitor.

Peter holds an Honours Business Administration degree (with distinction) from the Richard Ivey School of Business and is a CFA Charter holder.

Rhea Loney has been on the RGC Board of Directors since 2025.

Rhea is the Chief Compliance Officer of BetMGM, a gambling and entertainment company currently live in 30 markets across U.S. and Canada with online sports betting, online casino, and retail sports betting. In her role, she oversees compliance in the areas of licensing, regulatory compliance, anti-money laundering, and responsible gambling. Rhea joined BetMGM in fall of 2022.

Before joining BetMGM, Rhea served as Vice President of Compliance for Penn Interactive building the first compliance function. Rhea built from the ground up a team of compliance professionals to support launching in multiple jurisdictions over a very short period. In her role she also oversaw fraud operations.

Prior to moving into the private sector, Rhea held position of public service for almost a decade as an Assistant Attorney General with the State of Louisiana, Division of Gaming focusing on horse racing, regulatory, and all aspects of administrative law. Rhea administratively prosecuted the first ever Dermorphin cases in the U.S. against racehorse trainers violating anti-doping regulations.

Rhea holds a J.D. from Tulane Law School in New Orleans, Louisiana, speciaizing in Environmental Law. She’s remained focused on aspects of sustainability of an industry throughout her career.

Al Watson has been on the RGC Board of Directors since 2025.

He is the Chief Executive Officer of Dataworks Group Ltd., a technology company specializing in responsible gambling solutions. With more than 20 years of executive experience in regulated industries across Australia, North America and Asia, Al has led initiatives at the intersection of technology, compliance and social responsibility. He is currently responsible for delivery of BetStop, Australia’s National Self-Exclusion Register, and is overseeing implementation of a centralized self-exclusion platform in Ontario.

Prior to his role at Dataworks, Al held senior leadership positions at Global Payments, Telstra, and ING, with a focus on growth strategy, M&A, and commercial execution. He has deep expertise in regulated markets and a career-long commitment to leveraging innovation to reduce harm and promote sustainability in regulated and high duty of care industry verticals.

Al holds a Master of Laws and a Graduate Certificate in Technology Law from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from Macquarie University.

Betina G. Airoldi has been on the RGC Board of Directors since 2024.

Betina is an accomplished bilingual executive professional in the enterprise risk management, internal audit, regulatory compliance, and governance fields renowned for expertise in navigating global business landscapes across different industries and the largest professional accounting firms.

Fluent in both English and Spanish, she has leveraged her linguistic and cultural acumen to lead global initiatives and cross-functional reviews. She has demonstrated critical thinking, proactive problem-solving, and decision-making skills, serving as a trusted advisor to senior executives. Currently Betina is the Managing Director at BGA Valued Consulting Inc., a boutique consulting firm focused on elevating their clients’ internal audit, enterprise risk management, governance, and compliance programs, transforming them into strategic assets for organizations.

Betina holds designations as Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Risk Management Assurance (CRMA), Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS).

Derek Ramm has been on the RGC Board of Directors since 2025.

Derek is the Global Head of Advisory Services at Kinectify, an anti-money laundering risk management technology and advisory company that supports the gaming industry. He has extensive experience in the regulatory compliance and financial intelligence fields and has brought his expertise to both the public and private sectors, providing him with a unique and well-rounded perspective on business challenges. Prior to joining Kinectify, Derek served as the Director of Anti-Money Laundering at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, where he led the agency’s AML regulatory oversight initiatives in the gaming, horse racing, liquor, and cannabis industries.

Derek was previously the Managing Principal at MT>Play, an advisory venture of McCarthy Tétrault that provided strategic advice to gaming organizations and governments around the world. He was appointed by the Government of Bermuda to serve as a commissioner on the Bermuda Casino Gaming Commission and has also held senior roles at Canada’s federal financial intelligence unit (FINTRAC), the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, and was the chief anti-money laundering officer at one of North America’s largest independent investment management firms.

Nav Sandhawalia, CPA, CAMS, has been on the RGC Board of Directors since 2025 and became the Vice Chair of the Finance & Audit Committee in 2026.

Nav is the Chief Compliance & Risk Officer and Corporate Secretary for Niagara Casinos, which includes two casinos located in Niagara Falls, Ontario. In his role, Nav oversees security, surveillance, compliance and legal functions, in addition to responsible gambling and anti-money laundering programs. Since joining the gaming industry, he has gained experience across land-based casinos, online gaming, social gaming and lottery sectors.

Over the course of his career, Nav has supported public and private sector organizations throughout Canada and internationally through a wide range of consulting services. Nav began his professional career with PwC and has also worked in mining, retail, telecommunications and finance.

Nav holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS).

Sarah McCarthy has been CEO of the Responsible Gambling Council since 2025.

Sarah has 20 years of experience in leading teams to build and deliver social impact through the development of innovative solutions to complex challenges.

In her previous role as Vice President, Strategic Initiatives at the Rick Hansen Foundation (RHF), she led strategic and operational planning, program implementation, and business development. Sarah’s leadership was instrumental in launching the RHF Accessibility Certification, which rated nearly 2,000 buildings and trained over 2,600 professionals, promoting inclusivity across various sectors. She also expanded the RHF School Program, reaching over 270,000 children since 2016, educating young people about diversity and accessibility.

Before joining the Rick Hansen Foundation, Sarah worked for an association management firm and served as Executive Director for various medical organizations, including the International Society for Nurses in Cancer Care, influencing policy development and setting global standards. Sarah has an MBA in Strategic Management and an MSc in Pharmacology and Therapeutics.