Leadership Team

Day-to-day management of OMVIC is provided by the chief executive officer and registrar and senior management team.

"Ontarians need a regulator that not only accepts but embraces the challenge of change."

- Maureen Harquail, CEO and Registrar

Leadership profiles

Maureen is the chief executive officer and registrar of the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC). She has served as a leading strategic and legal adviser in regulated environments for over 20 years.

She is admitted to practice law in Ontario, Alberta, England and Wales. Before joining OMVIC, she was the director, AML/ATF (anti-money laundering/anti-terrorist financing) Policy with CIBC. Maureen spent 10 years as general counsel and chief administrative officer with the Ontario Racing Commission and has also served as a federal environmental and regulatory prosecutor with the federal Department of Justice. Maureen completed military training at HMCS York and served a number of years in the Naval Reserve at HMCS York & HMCS Carleton.

Maureen also volunteers on several boards, including the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and the University of Toronto Governing Council.

She is a graduate of the University of Toronto (Honours Bachelor of Arts, Political Science), the University of Wales, Cardiff Law School in the United Kingdom (Honours Bachelor of Laws) and Queen’s University (Master of Public Administration). Maureen recently completed her ICD.D. designation through the Institute of Corporate Directors and the Rotman School of Management. In 2023, she received the King’s Counsel designation.

Joanne Beaton has served as the chief administrative officer of the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC) since 2018. Joanne is responsible for overseeing the administration, finance, human resources and information technology areas. She also provides oversight to the activities of the discipline committee and the Motor Vehicle Dealers Compensation Fund. She is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and accomplished leader in both the not-for-profit and private sectors.

Joanne is a member of the Human Resource Professionals’ Association, the Institute of Corporate Directors, the Canadian Institute of Management, the Canadian College of Health Leaders and the Risk and Insurance Management Society. She was recognized for her leadership, competency and stewardship when she received the CPA Ontario Fellow (FCPA) designation in 2021.

Born and raised in Halifax, Joanne is a graduate of Saint Mary’s University (Bachelor of Commerce) with a double major in accounting and management, and she obtained her risk management designation (CRM) at the University of Toronto.

Joanne has also served as an active volunteer with a variety of charities, and judges university case competitions each year with DECA Ontario. In 2014, Joanne received an Ontario Volunteer Service Award through the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration further to her volunteer work with children and new Canadians. Joanne joined the board of Belmont House in 2018 and is currently serving as past chair of the audit committee.

Jeff is the chief consumer protection officer of the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC). Jeff is responsible for overseeing all aspects of consumer protection, enforcement, and communications.

Jeff has over 20 years of experience and a distinguished career in professional regulation, along with progressive leadership in the areas of consumer protection and regulatory oversight. Jeff’s experience in policing, enforcement, inspections, and handling consumer complaints will support OMVIC as we enhance our efforts to protect consumers and increase industry professionalism.

Jeff has been appointed to several regulatory committees throughout his career, including the Registration Appeals Committee of the Ontario College of Teachers, and the Discipline and Capacity Committee for the Human Resources Professional Association, OMVIC’s discipline committee, and is the former Chair of discipline committee for the Home Construction Regulatory Authority and the Condominium Management Regulatory Authority.

Jeff has volunteered with several other organizations in the past, including as public appointee to Council of the College of Dental Technologist and more recently he has been appointed to the Board of Directors for the West Toronto Community Legal Services.

Jeff is a licensed member of the Law Society of Ontario and holds an LL.M from Osgoode Hall Law School specializing in administrative law, as well as a post graduate certificate in Dispute Resolution from York University, and certificate in Adjudication for Administrative Agencies, Boards and Tribunals from York University Osgoode Hall Law School.

Paul has spent over 28 years as a successful IT professional with a solid record of delivering results, streamlining processes, and reducing costs. He is a highly motivated, result oriented individual with a proven ability to perform efficiently in a multi-project, time-sensitive environment. Paul has excellent analytical skills in troubleshooting and resolving complex technical issues, and he is a proactive communicator with strong interpersonal skills and high personal standards for performance.

Paul holds a solid background in contract negotiations, project management, network design, network security, systems design and implementation, strategic planning, budgeting, and cost reductions.

Sam joined OMVIC after serving the City of Toronto for 35 years as a police officer with the Toronto Police Service. He has spent most of his career working in an investigative capacity which included Organized Crime Enforcement and Professional Standards. His time in organized crime enforcement was dedicated to investigating motor vehicle crimes including the illegal importing/exporting and re-VINning (cloning) of vehicles. His passions and pastimes include cars and aviation.

David joined OMVIC in 2008. Since then, he has held various roles throughout the organization, including with the consumer support and enforcement teams. Since 2017, David has been working with the Compensation Fund team, who are responsible for the administration of the claims process for the compensation fund. David also holds the position of Manager of the Discipline and Appeals Committees, where he provides support to the Committees, as well as overseeing the Hearings function. David is committed to consumer protection and strives to assist OMVIC in ensuring it meets its mandate.

Thaya started her professional journey with OMVIC in 2001 and currently holds the position of director of registration and deputy registrar. In her role as director of registration, she oversees the daily operations of the registration department and ensures that all registration transactions are processed in accordance with the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act and meet reasonable service standards.

Tim is an industry leader and professional with 30 years of experience in and around the automotive industry. Tim began his career with OMVIC in 2001, and he has worked with OMVIC’s enforcement team and served as the administrator of the Motor Vehicle Dealers Compensation Fund. Most of his time has been spent with the consumer support team; he was named director of the team in 2018. Tim’s dedication and passion for consumer protection combined with his education and experience in the regulatory field, have helped OMVIC achieve many successes in 20+ years of service.

Andrew Khuu, CPA, CA is the chief financial officer at OMVIC and he has been with OMVIC since 2018.

Andrew graduated from the Schulich School of Business at York University with a bachelor’s in business administration and later obtaining his Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation. At OMVIC, he is responsible for accounting and finance for both OMVIC and the Motor Vehicle Dealers Compensation Fund. He has led the finance team through various changes including digitalization and re-engineering processes. Andrew also plays a role in reporting and presenting to the OMVIC and MVCDF Committees and Boards. Before OMVIC, Andrew led teams with Mercedes-Benz Canada and audit firms in accounting, controlling, auditing and tax.

Mitsa is currently the director of human resources at OMVIC. Mitsa attained her Bachelor of Arts degree from York University and went on to specialize in human resources at Toronto Metropolitan University. She earned her professional designation as a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) and is a member of the Human Resources Professional Association. She brings with her many years of HR experience in professional service environments with a focus on employee relations, performance management, talent acquisition, training and development, group benefits and compensation.