Board of Directors

Meet the dedicated leaders guiding the Canada-Israel Chamber of Commerce

Leadership

Executive Leadership

The leadership team responsible for the strategic direction of the CICC

A.J. Silber

President and Chair

A.J. Silber is a Managing Director in Brookfield’s Private Equity Group. In this role, he is responsible for various legal, regulatory and corporate governance functions. A.J. holds a joint Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McGill University. A.J. is called to the Bar of Ontario and New York.

Meir Klein

Executive Vice President and Interim Executive Director

For over 35 years, Meir J. Klein has had a versatile background incorporating over 30 years across the non-profit, real estate, governmental, financial and entrepreneurial sectors. Meir spent over 30 years at UJA Federation of greater Toronto as Director of Research & Development and Director of Economic Development, working closely with the Jewish Community and all levels of government. Having worked closely with Israel Economic Mission to Canada he was instrumental in bringing about the free trade agreement between Canada and Israel and leading several business missions to Israel. Meir is also the Co-founder, Director and the Executive Vice President of the Canada-Israel Chamber of Commerce. Professionally, Meir is the Co-Founder and CEO of RealCan Group Inc.

Brent Arnold

Vice President & Secretary

Brent J. Arnold is a partner at INQ Law and the founder of Capstan Legal, with over 20 years of experience specializing in cybersecurity, privacy, and commercial litigation. He has appeared before all levels of court in Ontario, including the Supreme Court of Canada, and has been recognized in Best Lawyers™ in Canada and the Lexpert Directory. Brent is a respected thought leader and speaker, serving as Chair of the Canadian Internet Society and holding leadership roles in multiple legal and technology organizations. His expertise lies at the intersection of law and technology, where he provides practical guidance on managing complex litigation, cyber risk and data breach response. Brent is a sought-after public speaker and has been quoted in leading national newspapers, appeared several times on CBC television and radio, and hosts the Net Positive podcast. Brent has held leadership positions in the Canadian Bar Association, the Ontario Bar Association, the Advocates’ Society, the International Association of Defense Counsel, and the Defense Research Institute. He currently serves as the Chair of the Canadian Internet Society, a thinktank that advocates for open, accessible, affordable and secure internet access for Canadians.

Jacques Shore

National Vice President

Jacques Shore is a partner in Gowling WLG's Ottawa office, is a member of the firm's Advocacy Group, and past leader of the firm's National Government Affairs Group. Mr. Shore was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2022 "for his numerous professional and volunteer contributions as a distinguished lawyer and negotiator." With extensive experience in both the private and public sectors, Mr. Shore is an adviser to numerous Canadian and international companies and governments, on legal, regulatory, public policy, and strategic issues. Mr. Shore has also acted as lead negotiator on many business and government-related initiatives and has addressed issues on behalf of the government of Canada and provincial governments on a variety of legal and public policy matters, including federal commissions of inquires. Active in the community, Mr. Shore currently serves as President of the Ottawa Titans Field of Dreams Foundation. Mr. Shore is the Past Chair of the Library and Archives of Canada Foundation, and currently serves on the Board as a Founding Director. He is the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, for dedicated service to Canada, and the Ontario Volunteer Service Award. Mr. Shore has held positions on many not-for-profit corporations, including as Chair of the Board of Governors of Carleton University, where he served as a Board Governor for thirteen years, and also as Chair of the Distinguished Council of Advisors of the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs. Mr. Shore is a published author and artist. His published works include articles on the law and public policy, op-eds, as well as three children’s books, and an illustrated book of short stories. A strong advocate of the importance of strong bilateral ties between Canada and Israel and shared values, Mr. Shore is proud to serve on the Board of the CICC.

Paul Budovitch

Senior Vice President

Paul Budovitch is Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Fiera Private Markets, where he is responsible for the development and oversight of the legal function for the Fiera Private Markets business worldwide. Paul holds an MBA from the University of Toronto, Joseph L. Rotman School of Business, a JD from the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law, and a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University.

Robert Preisz

Treasurer

Robert Preisz, CPA, CA, is a Partner and Business Advisor at MNP LLP in the private enterprise niche, delivering accounting, taxation and advisory services to owner-managed businesses and corporations in various industries. Israeli born, and raised in Canada, Robert has extensive experience in providing tax and advisory services for non residents with business and property interest in Canada. Robert has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from York University’s Schulich School of Business, and he holds the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation, qualifying as a Chartered Accountant (CA) in 1988. He is a member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants and the Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario.

Stefania Szabo

Vice President

Stefania is a mother of two adult children, a lawyer by profession, graduated from the University of Szeged, Hungary and earned a LL.M degree in European Law at Stockholm University, Sweden. She started her career international law dealing with free trade and offset agreements, she then moved on to EU law and worked on Hungary’s accession to the European Union. While working on international trade relations, she transitioned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Hungary. Her first diplomatic posting was to Tel Aviv, Israel, where she served as economic attaché between 2001 and 2005. After returning the Budapest, she continued working on global affairs until 2011, when she was appointed the first female Director of Human Resources of the MFA. She was posted as Consul General of Hungary in Toronto between 2013-2018, and while her passion was her diplomatic career, she decided to stay in Canada for the benefit of her children. She restarted her career in Canada from scratch, established her own consulting firm and found a new home in the private sector at Pace Law Firm, as Vice President. She is also the CEO of Continest Canada, the Canadian branch of the Hungarian innovative company manufacturing sustainable foldable containers that can be used in multiple disciplines where temporary infrastructure is needed. She is in the Board of Directors of FEMTO, a public company listed on NASDAQ and the Canada-Israel Chamber of Commerce. When not working, she loves riding her bike, listening to music, reaching out to friends and going on road trips.

Governance