Consumer Protection Advisory Committee report 2025 to 2026

As Commissioner of the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC), I am honoured to chair FCAC's Consumer Protection Advisory Committee (CPAC).

FCAC was established in 2001 and is mandated to protect the rights and interests of consumers of financial products and services in Canada. Protecting financial consumers is a shared responsibility, and CPAC members play an important role in helping us understand emerging issues and consumer experiences across the financial marketplace. Their insights help inform FCAC's priorities and support the implementation of our 2026–2029 Strategic Plan, ensuring our work remains responsive to the evolving needs of Canadians.

This year, we worked closely with Committee members to examine trends affecting consumers and identify opportunities to strengthen protections. Discussions focused on improving access to banking services, supporting consumers facing financial stress, and assessing progress under the National Financial Literacy Strategy as it approaches its final year. Members also provided their perspectives on key initiatives, including FCAC's bank fees study, efforts to prevent economic abuse, and the advancement of the National Anti-Fraud Strategy in collaboration with federal partners.

Matthew Brady – Former Vice President, Office of the Investor, Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO)

• Appointed: January 1, 2023
• Reappointed: July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025
• Expiration of term: July 1, 2026

Matt is a former Vice President of the Office of the Investor at the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO). Matt led the team at CIRO responsible for investor research, investor education and for bringing the investor perspective to CIRO’s regulatory activities.

Matt has worked in regulation, compliance and consumer protection at multiple regulators for more than 20 years including roles at CIRO, the Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada and the Ontario Securities Commission. During his career, Matt has participated in numerous initiatives to enhance investor protection including leading projects on topics such as investor risk profiling and identifying and protecting vulnerable investors.

Matt holds the professional designation of CPA, CA.

Andrew Clarke – Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants (FCPA)

• Appointed: August 1, 2025
• Expiration of term: July 1, 2027

Andrew is a retired financial services executive. He began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, where he rose to the position of Partner in the Assurance Group. Following 20 years at PwC, he joined TD Bank, serving for 15 years in various senior roles, including nine years as Global Chief Compliance Officer. During this time, he developed expertise in the global regulatory landscape and gained a strong appreciation for the critical role that consumer regulators—such as the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC)—play in safeguarding the rights and interests of financial services consumers.

Micheline Gleixner – Professor, Faculty of Law, Université de Moncton

• Appointed: August 1, 2025
• Expiration of term: July 1, 2026

Micheline Gleixner is a Professor at the Université de Moncton’s Faculty of Law. Her teaching and research focus on consumer credit, insolvency and bankruptcy law, judgment enforcement, and commercial law. She recently completed her Ph.D. dissertation, Strengthening Financial Consumer Protection in Canada: The Evolutionary Path Towards a National Consumer Credit Code, which critically examines Canada’s fragmented consumer credit regulatory framework and advances proposals for a unified national legal regime.

Her ongoing research explores the legislative and regulatory dimensions of consumer credit law, with particular attention to legal reforms aimed at enhancing financial consumer protection and addressing over-indebtedness. Professor Gleixner has published widely in leading Canadian law journals and frequently presents at national and international conferences on consumer credit regulation and insolvency law. She has been a member of the Law Society of New Brunswick since 2002.

Michael Jenkin – Vice President, Consumer's Council of Canada

• Appointed: August 1, 2025
• Expiration of term: July 1, 2027

A retired federal public servant with over 35 years of experience in policy management and policy development, Michael Jenkin was for 15 years Director General of Consumer Affairs at Industry Canada and served as the chair of the OECD Committee on Consumer Policy for eight years from 2006-2014.

Since retiring in 2014 he has served on the Boards of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (2016-2019), and the Consumer’s Council of Canada (2022 - present), currently as Vice President.

Michael holds a BA (Hons.) in history and politics from Trent University and an MA (Econ.) and Ph.D. in government from the University of Manchester.

In 2002 he was awarded the City of Ottawa's Whitton Award for community service, in 2012 the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for public and community service, and in 2014 the Public Service Award of Excellence for Outstanding Career which was presented by the Governor General. He lives in Ottawa.

Julie Kuzmic – Senior Compliance Officer, Consumer Advocacy, Equifax Canada

• Appointed: July 1, 2022
• Reappointed: July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025
• Expiration of term: July 1, 2027

Julie Kuzmic is Senior Compliance Officer, Consumer Advocacy at Equifax Canada and an established authority on consumer credit. Julie joined Equifax in 2016 and is focused on the fair treatment of Canadian consumers in compliance with applicable legislation. Julie represents the consumer perspective both inside Equifax as well as in discussion with clients, consumers, government, regulators and media. Prior to joining Equifax, Julie worked at Accenture and Symcor, leading complex IT, sales and product launch initiatives across the banking, insurance and wealth management industries. Julie participates in a number of panels and committees including the National Taskforce for Women’s Economic Justice through the Canadian Center for Women’s Empowerment and the Consumer Advisory Panel of Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA).

Marc Lemieux – Legal Advisor, Mediator and Arbitrator

• Appointed: August 1, 2025
• Expiration of term: July 1, 2026

Marc Lemieux is a member of the Bar of Quebec and the Law Society of Ontario.

His clients include payment service providers, money service businesses, providers of consumer credit and fintechs. He also acts for commercial businesses and individuals who use payment or credit services.

He advises and acts for clients in connection with litigation, commercial contract and regulatory compliance matters.

Outside his law practice, Mr. Lemieux is an adjunct professor at McGill University’s Faculty of Law, where he teaches banking law. He regularly publishes academic articles and participates in conferences on topics related to his expertise.

As well, Mr. Lemieux acts as mediator or arbitrator, to facilitate the settlement or disposition of disputes arising in the area of payments.

Karen Pflanzner – Legal Counsel, Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan

• Appointed: July 1, 2024
• Reappointed: July 1, 2025
• Expiration of term: July 1, 2027

Karen Pflanzner is a lawyer with the Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan (FCAA). In her current role, she has responsibility for the Innovation and Economic Growth initiatives within the organization and is responsible for leading the development of FCAA’s legislative policy work across all financial service and consumer industries regulated by the FCAA. Since joining FCAA in 2013, Karen has provided legal services to the Pensions Division and the Consumer Protection Division and has held the positions of General Counsel, Corporate Secretary, Director of the Legal Branch, and Senior Strategic Counsel.

Prior to joining FCAA, Karen had over 15 years of public sector experience in the areas of legislative development and regulatory policy and program design with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice. While with the Ministry of Justice, she was responsible for providing legal and policy advice with respect to consumer protection and the regulation of financial institutions. She served as a member of Saskatchewan’s delegation to the Uniform Law Conference of Canada and was a member of the Consumer Measures Committee from 2001 to 2008. Before joining the Saskatchewan Public Service, she practiced law in private practice. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Regina and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Saskatchewan.

Brenda Spotton Visano – Professor of economics and public policy, York University

• Appointed: July 1, 2022
• Reappointed: July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025
• Expiration of term: July 1, 2027

Brenda Spotton Visano is a distinguished University Professor of economics and public policy at York University. Brenda has over 2 decades of experience with community-engaged research advancing access to financial services and policy-based research analyzing funding frameworks. Community capacity building efforts include advising First Nations on options for funding social and education programs, development and assessment of financial literacy education programs for networks of community agencies, and analyses of policy issues associated with alternative high-cost lending options (e.g., payday loans). In addition to publishing numerous scholarly books and articles in academic journals, she has contributed to several reports for various Canadian government agencies, First Nations organizations, UNESCO, and NGOs.  She has been a member of the national Financial Literacy Research Committee of the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada and President of the Canadian Women Economists Network. Her research, teaching, and university community service have been honoured with national, provincial and university level awards recognizing her contributions.

John Stapleton – Principal, Open Policy Ontario

• Appointed: July 1, 2022
• Reappointed: July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025
• Expiration of term: July 1, 2027

John Stapleton is a writer, instructor and former Innovation Fellow with the Metcalf Foundation.

He worked for the Ontario Government for 28 years in the areas of social assistance policy and operations and was Research Director for the Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working-Age Adults in Toronto. John teaches public policy for community advocates and is extensively published in local and national media.

John is a senior research associate with the Neighbourhood Change Research Partnership at the University of Toronto. He is a former Chair of the Ontario Soldiers’ Aid. He is a member of the Board of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. He sat on federal Minister Duclos’ advisory committee on poverty reduction, the Ontario Minister of Community and Social Services advisory group on social assistance reform and Toronto’s advisory group on poverty reduction.

John conducts popular seminars on low-income retirement planning and has delivered his presentation to libraries, community organizations and schools over 110 times since 2012.

Anne Wettlaufer – President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Professionals (CAIRP)

• Appointed: July 1, 2023
• Reappointed: July 1, 2025
• Expiration of term: July 1, 2026

Anne Wettlaufer is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Professionals (CAIRP), a national association representing close to 1400 members and associates. CAIRP provides education programs, including the CIRP qualification program which is the education pathway to become a Licensed Insolvency Trustee. CAIRP ensures adherence to standards of professional practice, undertakes financial literacy and consumer protection initiatives for the public and advocates for a fair, transparent and effective insolvency and restructuring system throughout Canada.

Anne joined CAIRP in 2020, after a 30-year public affairs, communications and professional education career in the private and non-profit sectors, including a decade in the innovation space as Vice President, Marketing, Communications and Public Affairs at Ontario Centre of Innovation and 9 years at the Canadian Bankers Association where she was brought in to develop and deliver a national, multi-faceted financial literacy and consumer protection program. Anne is a graduate of Queen’s University and received her Fellow of the Institute of Canadian Bankers (FICB).

Tayt Winnitoy – Chief Operating Officer, Consumer Protection BC

• Appointed: July 1, 2023
• Reappointed: July 1, 2025
• Expiration of term: July 1, 2027

Tayt Winnitoy is the Chief Operating Officer for Consumer Protection BC, a provincial regulator that is responsible for the licensing and oversight over seven business sectors as well as the overall enforcement of BC’s trade practice laws and consumer transactions. Tayt has been with the organization since its inception in 2004.

Tayt is the senior leadership team member responsible for supporting and advising on all aspects of Consumer Protection BC’s mandate. He currently leads the Compliance, Enforcement, Licensing, Consumer Information Services, Motion Picture Classification, Data Analytics and Business Systems and Solutions teams.

Tayt holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Victoria, completed the Leadership Development Program at the Niagara Institute in Banff, Alberta, a Certificate in Advanced Strategy from the UBC Sauder School of Business and the Mini MBA Program with McGill University in Montreal.