Lacrosse Canada
Board Members
Lacrosse Canada Board Of Directors
Lacrosse Canada’s Board of Directors provides leadership and strategic direction to grow and develop the sport across the country. Comprised of dedicated volunteers with diverse expertise, the Board works closely with provincial associations, athletes, coaches, and stakeholders to advance the game at all levels.
Meet the individuals guiding the future of lacrosse in Canada.
Matthew Shearer
President
Matt Shearer is an accomplished executive leader with more than 25 years of experience building teams, scaling organizations, and driving results across global markets. A proven operator and general manager, he brings deep expertise in brand building, organizational leadership, and growth strategy, including launching market start-ups and transforming complex, multi-market businesses. His leadership style is culture-driven and collaborative, with a strong emphasis on accountability, alignment, and operational discipline.
Matt spent over two decades at Under Armour, where he played a key role in the company’s global expansion. He founded and scaled Under Armour’s Canadian business from start-up to more than $400 million in revenue, led regional growth across the Americas and EMEA, and ultimately oversaw North America operations for a $3.5 billion region. Since transitioning from corporate leadership, he has worked closely with CEOs and executive teams as a coach and advisor, supporting strategic clarity, strong operating rhythms, and accountable execution.
A lifelong athlete, Matt brings an athlete-centred lens to governance. He was an NCAA student-athlete at Loyola College, competed professionally for over a decade in the NLL and MLL, and represented Canada on the National Team for ten years. He is deeply committed to advancing lacrosse through disciplined governance, inclusive participation, and high-performance excellence to support the sport’s continued growth across Canada.
Barbara Lockhart
Director – At – Large
Barbara Lockhart joined Lacrosse Canada after serving on the boards of Basketball Ontario, Kids Now, and OslerBrook Golf and Country Club. She has a professional career that spans media, events, family entertainment, and the not-for-profit sector. Currently, she runs her own HR Advisory and Executive Search and Recruitment firm, SmartHire Human Capital Solutions. She works with a number of Indigenous organizations in her client portfolio. Barbara has a long history as an athlete, coach, and administrator in multiple sports and is particularly passionate about the game of lacrosse. She has spent the last 15 years learning the lacrosse landscape with her two sons; one of which is currently a sophomore attending school and playing Lacrosse at Saint Joseph’s University. She is looking forward to leveraging her experience and professional network to serve the Lacrosse Canada team, lacrosse athletes, coaches, officials, and the broader community across Canada, including the First Peoples, whose traditional territories we live and work in.
Alan Preyra
Director – At – Large
Award-winning lawyer published legal scholar, and seasoned sport governance advisor with 20+ years of leadership, in the public and private sector and across provincial, national, and international sport organizations. Recognized for outstanding contributions to legal affairs, board governance, regulatory policy, and conflict resolution. Extensive expertise in Canadian Sport Governance, PSO and NSO rules and regulations, Canadian Sport Policy, athlete protection protocols, and the development of lacrosse-specific equipment (goaltending). An authoritative voice in law, ethics, and community-focused governance. Parent of an NLL goaltender and strong skills in minor lacrosse operations and development.
Ted Goldthorpe
Director – At – Large
Ted Goldthorpe is a Partner and Head of Credit at BC Partners, which he joined in 2017. Prior to BC Partners, he served as President of Apollo Investment Corporation, Chief Investment Officer of Apollo Investment Management, and Senior Portfolio Manager for U.S. Opportunistic Credit. During his tenure at Apollo, he led the Opportunistic Credit platform, overseeing its growth to more than $20 billion in assets under management, with a particular focus on direct origination in his later years. He was named to Apollo’s firmwide Senior Management Committee in 2014.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Goldthorpe spent more than a decade at Goldman Sachs & Co., where he most recently ran the Bank Loan and Distressed Investing Desk and previously served as a Managing Director in the Special Situations Group, leading both the Middle Market Private Equity and Canadian businesses. He has served on the boards of numerous public and private companies and currently sits on the boards of BC Partners Lending Corporation, Mount Logan Capital, Anthem, Riddell, GSE, South Street Securities, and Portman Ridge Corporation. Mr. Goldthorpe holds a B.A. in Commerce from Queen’s University and is a frequent guest lecturer at leading universities, including Columbia, Harvard, Wharton, Stanford, and Queen’s. He also serves on the board of the Canadian Olympic Foundation and The New School.
Stephen Leblanc
Director – At – Large
Stephan Leblanc brings a broad lacrosse background and a deep passion for growing the game at every level. A father of two, he is strongly committed to ensuring competitive lacrosse remains accessible and affordable for families and communities across the country. His perspective blends high-performance experience with a clear focus on long-term, sustainable growth of the sport.
A former member of Canada’s men’s national indoor team (2011 and 2015 WILC) and a retired 12-year NLL player, Leblanc has extensive playing and coaching experience across Ontario, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and the NCAA. He holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership, and outside of lacrosse has built a successful career as a marketing and sales consultant in the automotive industry, bringing valuable strategic and leadership insight to the board.
Brad Cann
Director – At – Large
Shannon cole
Director – At – Large
Stephanie Pagan, PhD
Director – At – Large
Dr. Stephanie Pagan is a dedicated leader in education, research, and sport development. She currently serves as Data and Research Manager with the Avon Maitland District School Board. Within the lacrosse community, Stephanie is best known for her leadership as President of the Gloucester Lacrosse Association, where she spearheaded grassroots recruitment, school outreach, and partnership development. Her grant-writing efforts secured over $200,000 in funding to expand access to lacrosse, strengthen club operations, and grow community programming.
She also supports Team First Nations and other Ontario Minor Lacrosse Associations through grant writing, policy development, and strategic planning. Her contributions have been recognized with multiple honours. With a Ph.D. in Psychology from Carleton University and over a decade of experience in research, teaching, and evaluation, Stephanie brings both academic expertise and a deep passion for growing the game. As a woman leader in sport, she is committed to elevating diverse voices and contributing meaningfully to Lacrosse Canada’s continued success and evolution.
Hannah Lazare
Indigenous Director
Hannah Lazare is a respected coach, former player, and community leader from Akwesasne, a Mohawk community spanning Ontario, Quebec, and New York, where lacrosse (“tewa:ará:ton”) is recognized as a sacred medicine game. Deeply rooted in culture and tradition, she brings a unique perspective that connects grassroots development, high-performance sport, and Indigenous leadership. Her work reinforces lacrosse’s role in reconciliation, cultural resurgence, and community well-being.
Lazare has led and coached at multiple competitive levels, including serving as head coach of Ontario’s U19 Women’s Indigenous Team, guiding the team to a silver medal at the 2023 North American Indigenous Games, and launching the Haudenosaunee Jr. Selects program in 2024. She also made history in 2022 as the first Haudenosaunee female lacrosse coach at the Canada Summer Games. Currently serving as Women and Girls Director with the First Nations Lacrosse Association and Indigenous Director with Lacrosse Canada, Lazare continues to advocate for culturally relevant coaching, equitable pathways, and increased Indigenous representation across national sport systems.
Zach Currier
Athlete Director
Zach Currier brings a high-performance athlete perspective and strong player leadership to the growth of lacrosse in Canada. Raised in Peterborough, Ontario, a community with deep lacrosse roots, he offers a clear understanding of both traditional and modern development pathways within the sport.
A standout two-way midfielder, Currier has represented Canada internationally and competes professionally in the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) and the National Lacrosse League (NLL). He currently serves as President of the NLL Players’ Association, advocating for athletes and contributing to league wide governance and player welfare. Through his elite playing career and union leadership, Currier provides valuable insight into high-performance systems, athlete development, and the evolving landscape of professional lacrosse.