Sevaun Palvetzian

Before her appointment at UNICEF Canada effective June 1, 2023, she was a Senior Fellow at the Munk Centre of Global Affairs and Public Policy and executive advisor to leading companies in Canada and the U.S. on ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) and its related impact on organizational strategy.

A strategist and values-driven executive, Sevaun is known for bringing clarity and creative solutions to complex, multi-stakeholder environments.  She was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal for her contributions to Canada, and has been recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by WXN.  Sevaun is also a Senior Fellow at the Munk Centre for Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto.

She previously served on the executive team at Rogers Communications as Chief Communications Officer, where she led communications and corporate responsibility across the company’s diverse business portfolio. Prior to that, she was CEO of CivicAction, a leading Canadian non-profit advancing civic engagement and addressing critical urban issues through cross-sector collaboration. Additionally, she held a series of leadership roles over a decade of service within the Government of Ontario, including launching initiatives to engage and support the next generation of leaders.

Sevaun is an active community leader and has served as an advisor to multiple orders of government and as a board director for organizations including Waterfront Toronto, NEXT Canada, NPower Canada and the Ivey Business School Leadership Council. She holds a Master of Arts in History from Western University and has completed executive programs at the Ivey School of Business and Harvard Business School.