Board of Directors

Before joining the banking industry 13 years ago, Yanik was in IT, Telecom and Call center management, sales & consulting for 14 years for various Fortune 500 companies and government agencies at the municipal, provincial & federal level. With RBC, Yanik has had roles as an Account Manager, Regional Sales Coach, Branch Manager & Community Manager which currently includes the Yellowknife & Hay River branches. Yanik has recently served on various boards such as Vice President for 3 years for the Chamber of Commerce in High Prairie AB, 2 years as a Director for the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce. Yanik is currently the Treasurer for the NWT Chamber of Commerce, Technical Chair for the Skills Canada public speaking competition, and is also incoming President for the Yellowknife Rotary club. Yanik recently completed his MBA in Innovation Leadership with the University of Fredericton in March 2016, holds a Personal Financial Planning (PFP) designation, and is fully bilingual in French and English. Yanik, his spouse Tammy, and his 4 children have now made Yellowknife home for the past 6 years and love every moment of being in the North.

Lee is the Vice President of the Aurora Group of Companies.  These consist of Aurora Ford Hay River, Aurora Ford Yellowknife, Aurora Dodge & Aurora Manufacturing. 

Lee has been involved in the automotive industry for over 20 years serving in several capacities along the way. He was working for Go Auto in 2015 when the opportunity came to move up North.  Go Auto had purchased the Kingland Group and Lee came up North to run that alongside the already existing Yellowknife Chrysler.  The last 4 years have seen these stores evolve into the Aurora Group of Companies. 

Lee has been involved with the Hay River chapter of the Rotary Club, service as its Treasurer for the last 3 years.  He has also been a key member of the committee that organizes the local musician and artisan event, Hay Days, held every summer.  Lee is looking forward to be able to work with the NWT Chamber.

Sean holds the position of General Manager and has been an employee of Canarctic Graphics for over 16 years. With a degree in Graphic Design and over 30 years’ experience in the print industry, he is able to provide his clientele with various and inventive solutions to all their printing needs.

He currently holds the position of Vice President of the NWT Manufacturing Association and Secretary of the Somba K’e Paddling Club. When he’s not working Sean spends as much time as he can in his kayak, exploring as many lakes as possible in the Northwest Territories.

Dan is a Project Scientist with SLR Consulting in Yellowknife who performs air quality data management and sampling for various sizes of particulate matter including asbestos, arsenic, and total inorganic trace metals at Giant Mine in Yellowknife. He is also part of the working group for the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Assessment guideline review in Yellowknife. Dan has served on committees for Boreal Strategy, Climate Change Strategy, a Manitoba Federal, Provincial, First Nations Drinking Water Committee, and the Council of the Federation Drinking Water Committee, among others.

Trevor has been with Air Tindi Ltd. & Group of Companies for over 6 years and has a professional aviation career of 23 years; all of which has been in the NWT.  He has worked as a Line Captain, Training Captain, apprentice Engineer, Chief Pilot, Director of Flight Operations and General Manager and various Executive positions for regional, air taxi, fire suppression and executive flight departments with domestic and international service.  Trevor was a partner of a medium sized air taxi operation for several years with over 13 aircraft at bases in the NWT and Northern Quebec.  He serves at the executive level on various Boards of Directors for the Northern Air Transport Association and the NWT Chamber of Commerce and has been invited by various Government departments and Industry to participate on several special focus groups.

Trevor’s current business activities span all 3 northern territories, western provinces and Ontario.  He is passionate about Aboriginal business and holds Board positions on several Aboriginal and Inuit owned enterprises.

Trevor’s participation in ongoing education consists of industry related courses in operations, economics, Business Development, Quality Assurance, Safety Management Systems, Board Governance and Conflict Resolution as well as management training through Royal Roads University and Cornel University

Mark Brajer is Chief Executive Officer for the Tlicho Investment Corporation and has been with the organization since December 2017. The group of companies consists of many wholly-owned companies in construction, retail operations, property management, engineering & environmental services, equipment leasing, site services & labour management. TIC also has several joint ventures with companies ranging from electrical services, blasting, underground mining support, air transport, and road construction.

Mark's career has been largely in the operations, supply chain, and engineering areas over a 25+ year career.  He has worked with E.D. Smith in Winona Ontario and Byhalia Mississipi; Alberto Culver in Toronto and Melrose Park, Illinois; Unilever in Toronto and Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey; before making his way to Epicure in Victoria, BC and then to TIC. He has undergraduate degrees in Chemistry (B.SC) and Chemical Engineering (B.Eng) from McMaster University, and MBA from Heriot-Watt University in Scotland. He is currently working toward a Doctorate in Management (Organizational Development) at the University of Phoenix.  He is a licensed engineer in Ontario, British Columbia, Norwest Territories, and Nunavut

During a career that has spanned over 25 years, John has provided his expertise and leadership to a variety of small businesses, large enterprises and government organizations.  Over the course of his career, John has worked in cross functional settings providing him exposure to all aspects of business operations.  John joined Det'on Cho in Augugst 2016 and is focus don developing a program of operational excellence while also continuing to drive profitability.  John is focused on creating and maximizing opportunities for the companies currently under the Det'on Cho umbrella and developing new business ventures in the form of parternships, acquisitions or new start ups

Dr. Pawan Chugh was the Chief Executive Officer of the Northwest Territories Business Development and Investment Corporation (BDIC), from 2005 to 2019. During this period, Dr. Chugh served on Boards of eight subsidiaries held by BDIC and has extensive experience in leadership, innovation, marketing, strategic planning, problem-solving, preparation of business, operational and marketing plans, economic development models, designs and proposals. Prior to joining the BDIC, Dr. Chugh worked in management positions for the GNWT in the Department of Health and Social Services and the Department of Finance, for the Canadian Ports Corporation (a federal Crown Corporation) and as an independent entrepreneur in the private sector. He has over 35 years of combined experience in both the public and private sectors.

In addition to Ph.D., Dr. Chugh holds Master of Law (LL.M), Master in Business Administration (MBA) degrees, several bachelor degrees, and is a Certified Public Accountant (FCPA) and a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA). His research projects were on Economic Development in Northern Canada and Business Plan for Town of Churchill. He enjoys teaching and coaching and has taught several Business Administration degree and certificate courses for Athabasca University and Aurora College including Business Policy, Marketing, Consumer Behavior, Industrial Relations, Economics, The Changing Global Economy, Financial Accounting, and Small Business Management. He has also served on several community boards and committees, including the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority, the Yellowknife Housing Authority, the NWT Tennis Association, the NWT Badminton Association, and the City of Yellowknife Audit Committee. He is presently serving on boards of NAPEG, Kidsport, and Certified Professional Accountants NWT/Nunavut member Awards Committee.

Mike Scott is a life long Northerner who is passionate about entrepreneurship. Mike was born in Hay River, lived in Yellowknife for many years and has owned successful businesses that operate throughout the North.

Mike worked in the printing and publishing industry for 40 plus years in sales and management with newspaper publishing companies in Alberta and the Northwest Territories. He was co-owner, Vice President and General Manager of Northern News Services and Canarctic Graphics for 36 years where he collaborated with many Northerners, helping to develop their businesses with advertising and marketing services.

Currently, he is President of 6143 NWT and continues to invest, mentor and develop business in the North. He has always been an entrepreneur; from when he sold News of the North newspapers as a paper carrier on the streets of Yellowknife in 1967 to when he sold his interest in that publishing company 50 years later.

He is a past and present board member of the NWT Chamber of Commerce and serves on the board of the Great Slave Sailing Club as Race Coordinator.

Myrna Pokiak, was born & raised in Tuktoyaktuk, and currently lives in Yellowknife with her husband, Eddie Paul, and three daughters, Mya, Launa, and Kara. Myrna was raised in a family business and from a young age she was given the hands-on experience for what it takes to be successful; dedication, 24/7 commitment, and the most challenging of all, self-confidence.

Since 2013, Myrna has worked as the Business Manager for Paul Bros NEXTreme Inc., a manufacturing and construction company, which was a 180° turn from what she went to University for and was experienced in. Some of Myrna’s biggest accomplishments have been during the growth and expansion of Paul Bros NEXTreme Inc., from a small-sized business to a mid-sized business in a field dominated by men. Her success in the industry leads back to her childhood. Girl or boy, man or woman, she was given many opportunities girls had yet to experience. The message from her father, James, was clear, “you can do whatever you put your mind to”, while guided by the example of her mother, Maureen, who did just that.

Myrna currently works full time with Paul Bros NEXTreme Inc, and also owns and operates a Cultural Manufacturing and Education business, Alappaa Inc. Since 2003 she has achieved major accomplishments for the positive recognition of Indigenous people, particularly the Inuvialuit of the Western Canadian Arctic. In 2020, her art was chosen to symbolize 150 years of the Northwest Territories joining confederation, by the Royal Canadian Mint, minted on a $30 Silver Coin.

Bill is the President at Kellett Communications, a consultancy with offices in Yellowknife and Whitehorse (established in 1998). KC provides clients with strategic marketing communications and focuses on helping northern businesses thrive. The team of writers, designers, developers and planners bring experience gained from all around the world to the North, resulting in a truly unique team of creative explorers.

Bill is also the chief strategist responsible for the top-level marketing direction and providing clients with general consultation on topics ranging from branding to corporate philosophy. William has built a network of partners and clients across Canada that work with and for each other. He’s had first hand experience guiding contracts for northern businesses, governments and organizations of all sizes.

As agency president, Bill is involved with every client, including the North’s leading NGOs, regulatory boards, crown corporations, private businesses and governments at all levels. William’s project experience is extremely diverse, with strategic planning, branding, marketing campaigns and building websites representing the tip of the iceberg.  This immense experience affords him the ability to listen to a client’s challenges and help steer them toward the best solution efficiently and effectively.

Bill has a BA with a Major in Economics from the University of Western Ontario.  As well as Master Advertising Practitioner – Trans-Canada Advertising Agency Network.  In addition to being on the NWT Chamber of Commerce Bill is a director with the Stanton Territorial Foundation and is a Director for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce