UNICEF Canada’s Executive Team

Leadership Team

Sevaun Palvetzian

President and CEO, UNICEF Canada

Sevaun Palvetzian is President and CEO of UNICEF Canada, the world’s leading humanitarian organization dedicated to helping children survive, thrive and reach their full potential. She is a widely respected Canadian leader who has built and led high-performing teams across the public, non-profit, corporate, and humanitarian sectors.

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 the Canadian Club Toronto, Waterfront Toronto, NEXT 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.

Rebecca Davidson

Chief Programs Officer, UNICEF Canada

Rebecca Davidson is the Chief Programs Officer with UNICEF Canada. Rebecca provides leadership with respect to securing high quality program funding, high level engagement with the Government of Canada to support international and domestic policy wins for children, and ensuring meaningful youth engagement opportunities for young people across Canada.

Rebecca Davidson has almost 20 years’ experience working in international development, with a passion for improving access to quality health care in low resource settings. She has designed and managed high-impact, donor-compliant portfolios exceeding $100M, and brings deep expertise in rights-based, gender-equal development programming.

Prior to joining UNICEF, Rebecca held various roles with CARE, most recently as CARE USA’s Director of Programs, Innovation & Impact where she managed a large global health portfolio and led strategic initiatives focused on climate-health intersections, frontline health care worker advocacy, and localization. She also held a number of positions with CARE Canada including Chief of Party based in Zambia, and as Head of Global Health based in Ottawa.

Rebecca is a natural collaborator and bridge-builder, with strong relationship-building skills across government, civil society, and the private sector. She currently serves on the RESULTS Canada Board and is a member of the Global Programs Advisory Council with the Canadian Association of Midwives. Rebecca has an M.A. in International Development with a specialization in Human Rights.

Jodie Rawn

Chief of People, Culture and Supporter Experience

Jodie Rawn is a strategic executive known for building high-performing cultures and translating strategy into measurable impact. She brings deep expertise in change leadership, governance, communications, and talent strategy – with a strong focus on culture, development, and user experience.

Jodie serves as Chief of People, Culture and Supporter Experience at UNICEF Canada, where she is responsible for driving a cohesive, people-centred strategy that both shapes a thriving organizational culture and ensures exceptional supporter experience across all service channels.

Prior to UNICEF, Jodie was Vice President of Activation at CivicAction, one of Canada’s leading civic engagement organizations. In this role, she oversaw program development and advancement, multi-year strategic planning, outcome analytics, and participant experience. She also led the launch of the CivicAction Leadership Foundation in 2016, focused on identifying and preparing next-generation leaders, and was frequently called upon to lead and facilitate cross-sector consultations. Her work bridged policy and practice, advancing practical, inclusive solutions to complex urban challenges.

Earlier in her career, Jodie held progressively senior roles with the Government of Ontario across several functions including marketing and communications, issues management, strategy, organizational transformation, and leadership development. She was also a core team member in establishing ServiceOntario – the province’s one-window for high-volume public services, both online and in person.

Jodie is a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University and has completed certificate programs at the Rotman and Schulich Schools of Business. She is a graduate of the Ontario government’s Leadership Development Program and a recipient of the Star Metroland Media Urban Hero Award (Social Issues). In 2020, she co-founded the Hayden’s Hope Foundation to raise awareness of childhood cancer and support pediatric oncology families in southwestern Ontario.

Bernadine Yee

Chief Operating Officer, UNICEF Canada

Bernadine Yee is the Chief Operating Officer for UNICEF Canada, providing critical guidance and oversight to the organization, ensuring it delivers on its mandate to help vulnerable children in the most efficient, effective and timely manner.

A caring, trusted leader and problem solver, Bernadine joined UNICEF Canada in 2017. Prior to that, Bernadine held senior finance leadership roles at Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Diabetes Canada, World Vision Canada and Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from McGill University and has earned her Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CMA) designation.

Originally from Vancouver, Bernadine currently lives in Toronto with her husband and daughter. She is a former critical care nurse and a non-practising member of the College of Nurses of Ontario. She has previously served as the Board Treasurer of Peel Senior Link and Board Member of WellFort Community Health Centre.

Sara Zerehi

Chief Strategic Engagement Officer, UNICEF Canada

Sara Zerehi is the Chief Strategic Engagement Officer at UNICEF Canada, leading the organization’s brand, marketing and fundraising efforts to inspire and engage Canadians to improve the lives of children worldwide.

Sara is a seasoned marketing and fundraising executive with extensive leadership experience across both the non-profit and corporate sectors. Prior to joining UNICEF, she was the VP, Partnerships at ROM, Canada's largest museum, where she led the community, corporate and foundation giving programs. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, Sara played a pivotal role in setting the ROM Foundation's strategic vision to achieve and surpass organizational goals and aggressive fundraising targets.

Previously, Sara held senior leadership roles at Public Inc. and Manifest Communications, where she led pioneering marketing, branding, and public engagement initiatives that drove meaningful social change and generated significant funds. Her diverse portfolio included clients such as WWF, Winners, RBC, Shoppers Drug Mart and Engineers Without Borders.

Sara is an active member of the community and previously held a Board position at Mixed Company Theatre and served as a mentor for the Business for the Arts Mentorship Program. She has a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.