Meet our
Founders & Board
Founders

Louie-Anne Gauthier
Founding Member
Louie-Anne Gauthier recently joined Oculis in August 2018 as Strategic Marketing and BD&L VP at their Headquarters in Switzerland. Prior to joining Oculis, her resumé includes three years with Pharmascience were she served as Marketing Director for Pharmascience Canada, Commercial Director for Gastroenterology and lately as Commercial Group Head at Pendopharm, and 12 years with Novartis Canada.

Sara LeClerc
Founding Member
Sara believes we can rid the world of HIV/AIDS. Until that happens her goal is to enable her team to support those affected by HIV in Canada and to leave no person living with HIV behind.
She was part of the Canadian team that created ViiV Healthcare in Canada and brings over 15 years of experience leading senior teams in primary care, hospital care and specialty care environments where she spearheaded the most successful HIV product launch in Canada.
Board of Directors

Thea Discepola
Board Member
Thea brings a high level of adaptability, curiosity, knowledge, drive, and empathy along with an overall understating of the Canadian pharma landscape.
Her career spans almost 20 years at Novartis where she began as Legal Counsel. She has taken on positions of increasing responsibilities within her field and was eventually promoted to Vice-President of Legal, Compliance & Country General Counsel.
Over and above her Legal duties, she took on the responsibilities of Ad Interim President in Canada for 4 months. Thea joined the Market Access team as Vice President Health Policy and Patient Access in March of 2020 and successfully leads a team of almost 40 people across the Country. Thea has a Law degree from the University of Montreal. She is trilingual and speaks English, French and Italian.

Angelina Habimana
Board Vice President - Board Member
Angelina is a senior professional with over 25 years’ experience in regulatory affairs who is currently with Teva Canada, as a Senior Director in Regulatory Affairs for the Innovative Medicines franchise.
Angelina has held various positions in regulatory affairs and was exposed to regulatory strategy, product development and business development at Sanofi for 13 years.
She is focused, result-oriented, and reaches self-accomplishment through the development of her team.

Angelina Brathwaite
Board Member
Angelina is the Senior Client Partner and Equity/ Inclusion Leader for Brunel Canada Ltd. Since joining Brunel in 2006, she has
been instrumental in leading teams, client acquisitions and recruitment programs across North America while supporting Strategic partnerships globally.

Sonia Riverin
Board Member
Sonia has been part of the pharmaceutical and medical recruitment team at St-Amour for close to eighteen years. Her knowledge of the industry, her vast network of contacts, and her professional reputation make her extremely qualified in helping pharmaceutical, medical, diagnostic, dental, ophthalmic and animal health companies hire top employees, whether for executive positions or in the field.
Executive Team
Julie-Noelle Joannette
President & Awards Lead
Julie-Noëlle combines her strategic expertise and global project management skills to consistently differentiate brands and maximize their performance. She has built a reputation and expertise in the industry leveraging her scientific knowledge, business acumen, continuous learning such as “Executive Women in leadership” from Cornell University, and over 20 years of pharma experience working for most major pharmaceutical companies.
Julie-Noëlle supports her clients with brand strategy, launch plans, executive presentation preparation and coaching, workshop facilitation and advisory boards; and will apply these skills to the leadership for WLP. She consistently empowers others to reach their full potential.
Brianne Ligori
Coaching Lead
Brianne Ligori is a former pharma leader, ICF Master Certified Coach, entrepreneur, and author. She is the CEO & Co-Founder of the Leader Coach Intensive (LCI), the Founder of TGIToday™ and a Leadership Coach at the Women’s Leadership Intensive. Through her work at LCI she has helped develop countless leaders into the coach they have always wanted to be. Her work at TGIToday™ is focused on using her revolutionary method, the TGIToday™ formula, to help people worldwide find more joy and fulfilment in their lives. Brianne spent over 15 years in the pharmaceutical industry in various roles such as sales, training, marketing, and leadership development. She is thrilled to continue supporting women in pharma through her work at WLP.
Amy Da Rocha
Events Lead
With a decade of invaluable experience in the medical education industry, Amy is a seasoned problem-solver known for her creative, outside-the-box thinking; she now serves as the Executive Director at Xfacto Communications. In her role, she pioneers innovative approaches to medical education in the digital realm. Amy is known for her efficiency, reliability, and proactive attitude, embodying a positive mindset that fuels her commitment to advancing the field of medical education in an ever-evolving landscape. A dedicated member of the WLP organization since its inception, she is currently the National Events Lead and believes in the importance of fostering an environment where women can thrive and contribute meaningfully.
Christie Simpson
Membership & Volunteer Engagement Lead
Christie is a strategic biopharmaceutical executive with over 20 years of experience developing marketing strategies, delivering sales growth, and demonstrating patient support program leadership. Through successfully launching innovative treatments, she has coached and developed strong-performing cross-functional teams. Christie thrives on developing win-win partnerships and creating strategic plans with a visionary, entrepreneurial mindset. She is also passionate about empowering others and truly embraces the limitless opportunities provided by Women Leaders in Pharma to fulfil this mission.
Karen Aflalo
Sponsorships/Partnerships Lead
Karen has been with Reckitt (Mead Johnson Division) for nearly 15 years, holding specialist representative positions and acting as interim regional leader for over 3 years.
She is a graduate of the Wexner Heritage Program, a prestigious North American leadership development program.
Karen is an outstanding collaborator, not hesitating to get involved and collaborate on multiple projects.
She is also an exceptional and dedicated volunteer, currently serving as President of the CSUQ, and for four years as President of JNF Future, the young adult chapter of JNF Montreal, where she has distinguished herself through her visionary leadership and numerous initiatives.
She has received several honours from Federation CJA: the Jon Roskies New Leadership Award, the YAD Leadership Award, the Gertrude and Henry Plotnick Young Leadership Award in recognition of her outstanding commitment to the Jewish people.
Daniele Thibodeau
Vice President & Mentorship Lead
Daniele has enjoyed a 30-year career in the pharmaceutical industry, starting as a research chemist. She has always nurtured thriving communities of practice within her organizations, serving as incubators for the personal and professional development of its members. Mentoring is a great source of pride for her, helping women to develop their leadership skills and self-confidence. As head of the WLP Mentoring Committee, she aims to use her knowledge and experience in outreach to make a significant and lasting contribution. Daniele is enthusiastic to take on the role of WLP Vice President and help shape the future of this dynamic community.
Diana Veronica Ferraez
Communications & Digital Lead
Diana is an energetic, proactive, and driven professional with more than 20 years of experience in strategy, marketing, and sales management. She has experience in the healthcare and technology industries in Canada, USA, and Latin America. Diana has been a member of Women Leaders in Pharma for many years, has worked on the Real Time with WLP Podcast since its launch, and is currently the Co-Lead for WLP’s USA expansion. Diana is passionate for continuous learning and growth, and she is recognized for strong interpersonal skills, ethics, and corporate commitment. She always takes a positive approach when solving challenging situations and leading her teams. Diana is fluent in English, French and Spanish.
Cheryl Hue
Finance
Cheryl is a bold Finance Professional at GSK in Canada with 13 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry holding various roles in Finance and Commercial. More than an analytical powerhouse, Cheryl is a trusted and respected leader. Her transparent and straight talk personality is highly sought after to support and create a company culture that is engaged and agile. She has a passion for people, their wellbeing, and their development.
Andie Yi
Operations & Insights Lead
Andie is an innovative IT leader dedicated to driving strategic digital transformations across diverse business environments. Passionate about continuous improvement, she actively seeks opportunities to expand her knowledge and refine processes. Fearless in challenging the status quo, Andie leads by example, empowering women to embrace STEM and leadership roles.