The Board of the AGCO (the Board) is created and assigned functions and responsibilities by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario Act, 2019. Appointments to the Board are the prerogative of the Premier and are administered through the Public Appointments Secretariat.
The Board is currently composed of a Chair and two Members, all of whom are part-time appointees. The Chair provides leadership and guidance to the members of the Board. The Board is responsible for the overall stewardship and governance of the AGCO, which includes:
- Setting goals and developing policy and strategic direction for the AGCO to fulfill its mandate
- Overseeing the management of the AGCO’s financial affairs
- Approving the AGCO’s annual report and business plan, in accordance with the Agencies and Appointments Directive, 2020
- Overseeing the AGCO’s audit plan and reports
- Establishing fees and a schedule of monetary penalties, subject to Minister approval, in accordance with section 13 and 14 of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario Act, 2019.
- Overseeing and appointing members of the Horse Racing Appeal Panel, in accordance with section 7 of the Horse Racing Licence Act, 2015
As a whole, the Board brings a broad range of experience, skills and qualifications related to business, finance, corporate governance, regulation, adjudication and law, which allow it to effectively oversee the Agency.
Dave Forestell — Toronto, ON (Chair)
Dave Forestell was appointed as Chair of the AGCO Board of Directors in July 2023. He has served on the AGCO Board since 2018, and also served and the Chair of iGaming Ontario from its inception to July 2023. Dave is currently the Vice President, External Relations (Canada) for TC Energy and he has held senior positions in the government and private sector. Previously, he held roles of Vice President, International Corporate and Commercial Banking, and Vice President, Office of the President and CEO at Scotiabank. He worked overseas in Chile and Venezuela and speaks fluent Spanish. While in Chile, Dave led corporate affairs and corporate social responsibility for several mining projects and served as Chair of a Joint Venture Board of Directors. Dave is currently serving on the Board of Governors for the Ontario College of Art and Design University and obtained his B.A. and LLB from Western University.
Doug McLarty — Ottawa, ON
Doug McLarty was appointed to the AGCO Board of Directors in February 2020. Doug is a Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant (FCPA, FCA) and Certified Financial Planner. Doug holds an ICD.D designation (Institute of Corporate Directors, Director) which represents a lifelong commitment to excellence in the boardroom. He is a Partner at MNP LLP, Canada’s 5th largest public accounting and advisory services firm. Doug is currently the regional leader of the succession planning practice, counselling business families on succession planning and generational transfers. From 2012 to 2018, Doug was a Board Member at Hydro Ottawa, Chair of the Audit Committee and a member of the Strategic Initiatives Oversight Committee. From 2015 to 2017, he served as the Secretary-Treasurer at the Innovation Centre at Bayview Yards. Doug was also a Board Member and Chair of the Independent Accountants Financial Group Inc. from 2009 to 2014. Doug is currently the Chair of the Capital 2020 Task Force which strives to be the voice of community and business leaders, supporting the revitalization of the Nation’s Capital.
Alan Gertner
Alan Gertner is the Executive Chairman and founder of Arcana and a Director at the Mabin School in Toronto. Previously, he was the co-founder and CEO of Tokyo Smoke, a publicly traded cannabis company that was purchased by Canopy Growth Corporation. He is a graduate of the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University and has held positions at Canopy Growth Corporation, Google, and Oliver Wyman in New York. He joins the AGCO from his previous role as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors at iGaming Ontario.
Arlene O’Neill
Arlene O’Neill is a Partner at Gardiner Roberts LLP. She is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and Co-chair of their Corporate law advisory practice. She holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors and has completed the Directors Education Program at the Rotman School of Management. Arlene has more than 20 years of experience advising international and local clients on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and technology law. Arlene has served as a key advisor to not-for-profit and charitable boards and has worked extensively with technology-based businesses.
Arlene is actively engaged in the legal community as a frequent speaker and organizer of corporate law programs for the Ontario Bar Association, Canadian Bar Association and Toronto Metropolitan University’s Law Practice Program. She is committed to supporting innovative businesses and community organizations through governance leadership and strategic advice.
Carolyn Stamegna
Carolyn Stamegna is a partner in the business law group at Goodmans LLP, where her practice focuses on domestic and international transactions in the film, television, media, and technology sectors. Carolyn represents financial institutions, investors, media companies, content creators, and service providers, and advises on outsourcing transactions in the media and financial services industries. Her expertise includes structuring entertainment ventures, acquisitions of content, and intellectual property rights protection. Carolyn has been recognized as a leading entertainment and media lawyer by Chambers Canada, Lexpert, The Legal 500 Canada, and Best Lawyers in Canada, among others. She holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors and has completed the Directors Education Program at the Rotman School of Management.
Carolyn is a frequent speaker at national and international entertainment law, technology and finance conferences as well as the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and Osgoode Hall Law School.