Our team

RECO’s management team and staff are led by a Chief Executive Officer and organized into three divisions: regulatory, operations, and administrative. They support the delivery of programs and services for consumers and registrants. The day-to-day management is in accordance with policies and budget established by the Board of Directors. The powers and duties imposed under the Trust in Real Estate Services Act, 2002 (TRESA) are carried out by the Registrar.

Senior Management Group

Michael Beard
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Michael Beard was chosen to lead the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in the fall of 2017. He has a solid history of business leadership and management, both in Canada and the United States, with organizations such as Bell and United Technologies. Most recently, Michael served as President and CEO of the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA).

A natural problem-solver and strategic thinker, Michael has a strong regulatory background, familiarity with the Delegated Administrative Authority model, and knowledge of how to lead an organization with a wide array of stakeholders.

Michael holds a Bachelor of Science (Electrical Engineering) and Master of Business Administration. In 2019, Michael completed the ICD-Rotman Directors Education Program to earn an ICD.D designation.

Joseph Richer
Registrar

Joseph Richer is RECO’s Registrar and a member of its senior management group. He oversees the enforcement and administration of the Trust in Real Estate Services Act, 2002 (TRESA), which governs agents (salespersons and brokers) and brokerages in Ontario. 

Joseph’s areas of direct responsibility include education (both pre-registration and continuing education), enforcement (complaints, audits, inspections, investigations), and regulatory policy. 

In fulfilling his role, Joseph leverages more than 25 years of extensive consumer protection and regulatory leadership, including his 12 years as RECO’s Registrar, where he focuses on the education and enforcement of the law with RECO’s more than 112,000 registrants.

Prior to joining RECO in 2012, Joseph spent 20 years with the Board of Funeral Services, including 14 as its Registrar. In that role, he successfully advocated for the introduction of service standards for complaints and supported substantive legislative reforms for the funeral and cemetery sectors.

Joseph holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Wilfrid Laurier University.

Brenda Buchanan
Chief Operations Officer (COO)

Brenda Buchanan joined the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) as Chief Operations Officer (COO) in 2019. A member of RECO’s senior management group, Brenda oversees Stakeholder Relations, Finance and Accounting, Information Technology, Human Resources, Client Services, and Discipline and Appeals Hearings.

Before joining RECO, Brenda served nearly 13 years with the Technical Standards and Safety Authority, another Ontario-based industry regulator. Prior to this, she was Vice President of Administration and Chief Governance Officer with the Canada Lands Company, as well as other progressively senior positions in both public and private sector organizations spanning the consulting and construction management sectors. Brenda has overseen multiple functional areas beyond her current portfolio, including Licensing and Registration, Facilities, Enterprise Risk and Corporate Secretariat. She has also demonstrated her governance and human resources expertise on Boards for charitable and not-for-profit organizations including college advisory councils.

Management Group

George Drametu, Director, Litigation
Adam Freyseng, Director, Client Services
Ruth Garrett, Director, Insurance
Lisa Key, Deputy Registrar, Compliance
Sylvia Mauti, Director, Human Resources
Gail McGuire, Deputy Registrar, Education
Kym Robertson, Director, Stakeholder Relations
Glen Thomas, Director, Complaints
Angela Volpe, Director, Registration
Bill Whyte, Director, Information Technology (Interim)
Greg Zimnicki, Director, Finance and Accounting (Interim)

Glen Furlong, Manager, Investigations
Sandra Gibney, Manager, Regulatory Policy
Paul Lush, Manager, Education Programs
Heather MacDonald-Santiago, Manager, Stakeholder Relations
Vasko Markovski, Manager, Application Development, Information Technology
Martin McKenzie, Manager, Finance and Accounting
Rosary Perez, Manager, Education Vision
Michelle Plucas, Manager, Audit and Inspection
Raquel Smith, Manager, Discipline and Appeals Hearings
Lisa Wall, Manager, Education Operations