Leadership
Amir Karim
President & CEO
Following a decade of senior investment banking experience at Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs in New York and Montreal, Amir joined the family business in 2001. He directed Polykar's national and strategic growth until July 2018 when he became President and CEO. A passionate leader and advocate of sustainable plastics, Amir sits on several not-for-profit boards and associations and is currently Canada Director on the ISSA.
He is also the President of La Fondation Polykar.
Allan Wood
Chief Operating Officer
Allan came to Polykar in 2016 as our Chief Financial Officer and brought with him a decade of senior accounting experience alongside his CPA and CA designations. Originally from Australia via India, Allan is now Chief Operating Officer has developed a love for all things machines, plastic recycling and operational efficiency! Allan believes that successes come every day at Polykar thanks to several mugs of coffee, great desserts and awesome socks!
Mélissa Benoit
Chief Financial Officer
Our Finance guru Mélissa loves her numbers so much, that both her Bachelors and Higher Diploma are in Accountancy! In 2016, Polykar’s CFO obtained her CPA, CA designation and in 2018, after a stint auditing in London, UK she joined the ranks at Polykar. Mélissa loves the great outdoors, is an avid hiker and is passionate about well-being!
Mirella Ighnatios
Director, Human Capital & Corporate Culture
Mirella leads Polykar's human resources and corporate culture initiatives. A member of the Ordre des ressources humaines agrees, she is a specialist in organizational development and employee engagement. Her passion is for people and growing their potential in a results-driven and safe organization. Mirella loves travelling and discovering new foods!
Randy Shermet
Vice President, Sales & Business Development
Randy brought a wealth of plastic industry experience to the Polykar family in early 2015 and spearheaded our move into the polyethylene converter film market. Randy loves golf tournaments, watching live jazz and would do (almost!) anything for a great steak!
Natalie Mountain
Marketing Director
Natalie came to Polykar in 2019 with marketing accolades from across the technology industry. Her two decades of experience managing Marketing and Public Relations departments include directing strategic marketing plans for the North American and Asian markets. Natalie has a passion for soccer coaching and travel. Coupled with being a real foodie, she is a perfect fit to the team!
Board of Advisors
Suzanne Gouin
Chair, Board of Management, Canada Revenue Agency
Suzanne is a seasoned Board Director with significant experience in Business transformation, Digital implementation, Governance, and Human Capital issues. She is Chair of the Board of Management of the Canada Revenue Agency, member of the Board of Directors of the Foundation of Greater Montreal, Hydro-Québec and l’Esplanade, and sits on various advisory committees.
An experienced media executive who has been CEO of TV5 Québec Canada for more than 13 years, Suzanne also held various management positions in both the private and public sectors. She is a recipient of the National Order of Merit of the French Republic.
Jean-François Marcoux
Managing Partner, White Star Capital
With a background in finance, Jean-François has 25 years of experience in managing start-ups and investment projects. He is co-founder and managing partner at White Star Capital, an investment firm that supports global founders building industry-defining businesses. A former co-founder of Ludia, he contributed to its growth and profitability, resulting in the Mobile Game Publisher being acquired by FremantleMedia. He has held senior positions in M&A, financing and venture capital in the media and technology sectors—notably for a large publicly-traded media group, a leading Canadian Investment Bank, and one of the largest institutional fund managers in Canada.
Stewart Roth
Former President, Guardian Chemicals Inc.
Based in Edmonton, Alberta, Stewart was President and CEO of Guardian Chemicals Inc., a leading Canadian researcher, developer, and manufacturer of industrial process specialty chemicals with six major divisions. He has extensive leadership experience across the North American health and chemical sectors and has held numerous senior executive and influential board positions. More recently, Stewart serves as Director of Glyconet - National Center of Excellence for Glycomics Research and Business Development.
Robert Waite
Managing Director, Waite + Co.
Robert serves as Managing Director of Waite + Co., a strategic communications and marketing firm with offices in Boston, Ottawa and Toronto. He has over 30 years of experience leading communications, marketing, corporate social responsibility and government relations functions for some of Canada’s largest enterprises, including Ford of Canada, IBM Canada, CAE, CIBC and Canada Post. Throughout his career, he has been actively involved as Chair on several major committees. Robert began his career as a journalist, and he is currently a HuffPost Signature Contributor and a professor at Seneca College in Toronto.